SEO copywriting is one of those buzzwords that is used a lot by marketers and yet not everyone is sure of exactly what it means.
For those of you who fall under that category, let me clarify things for you. SEO copywriting is the practice of optimizing your content in a way that it appeals to humans and search engines alike.
Basically, your content should be useful and relevant to your audience, but should also be easily understood and categorized by the search engines.
Seems simple, right?
Well, it is not as easy as it sounds. There’s a lot that goes into making this possible and that is where SEO copywriting tips and tricks come in handy.
In this post, you will learn six effective SEO copywriting strategies to help you create SEO-friendly content that your audience loves.
Ready to learn more?
Let’s get started.
1. Write Attention-Grabbing Titles
The first thing that your audience will see in your content is the title. So, it is your chance to make a good first impression and get more people to actually read your content.
Your titles should be engaging enough for your target audience to click on them and want to read the whole content. This is the first tip that you will find in good books on copywriting.
But, how exactly do you do that?
Well, here are some quick tips to help you write good titles.
- Use words that elicit an emotional response from the reader
- Add some shocking facts and statistics
- Use numbers for list-type posts to tell the audience exactly what they can expect
- Phrase your titles in the form of questions to generate curiosity
These are just some of the many ways to write SEO-friendly titles that will get you more reads. Try these out and you will definitely see an improvement.
2. Optimize for Keywords
This is a no-brainer for anyone who is starting with SEO copywriting that you have to optimize your content. Of course, you have to add keywords to your content to make it rank for the right search results.
But, how many keywords should you add? What is the ideal keyword density? What role does search intent play in content optimization?
Well, if you want an answer to these questions then keep reading.
Starting with the dilemma of keyword density, there is no hard and fast rule about what percentage you should maintain. In fact, different SEO experts will give you contradicting advice on this.
The truth is that ideal keyword density varies by type of content. For blog posts, for example, you may want to stick to the 1% to 2% range, while for landing pages you can go higher. However, you need to experiment with this a bit and find what works for you.
Now, coming to the search intent part, you need to make sure that your content matches your keyword’s search intent. There are three types of search intent—informational (to get information about something), navigational (to locate something), and transactional (to buy something).
So, for your content to be useful, you need to create content that matches the users’ search intent.
3. Create Scannable Content
This is a lesser-known, but extremely important SEO copywriting tip that you should not ignore. Most people simply scan through content and do not read it word for word. In fact, the easier it is for a user to get value from your content, the more they will like your content.
So, create scannable content that is easy to read and gives away all relevant information without much effort.
But, how can you do that?
Well, the first thing that you can do is structure your content in sections with relevant headings, bullet points, subheadings, etc. You can also create list-type content where the subheadings reveal all essential points that answer a user’s question.
Also, instead of using long chunks of text, break the monotony by adding engaging visuals to your content. You can also use tools to write great content for your website.
4. Always Add Keywords to Meta Data
You do not just have to add keywords to your content, but also to meta descriptions and meta titles. Not using meta descriptions and titles is one of the biggest sins of SEO copywriting.
These are some of the things that are visible on a search engine results page (SERP) and tell the prospective reader what your content is about.
So, adding keywords to your meta description and titles not only helps search engines understand your content better, but is also useful for your readers.
5. Use Bucket Brigades
The goal of SEO copywriting is not just to attract people to your website, but to also engage them with your content. The longer a user stays on your website and engages with your content, the more Google will consider your content to be good and relevant.
But, how do you get people to stay engaged with your content?
You use bucket brigades!
Bucket brigades are basically like hooks that you throw at your readers to keep them engaged. You ask a question and then provide the answer in the next sentence. You can also leave things unfinished and encourage them to find out more by reading further.
Here are some cool bucket brigades to get you started:
- Want to know the best part?
- What does this mean for you?
- Here’s the deal:
- Now:
- Want to learn more about…?
- Listen to this:
- Picture this
These are just some examples of bucket brigades for beginners. Ideally, you should create your own bucket brigades as you become more experienced with SEO copywriting.
6. Optimize for Voice Searches
A good share of Google’s search traffic now comes from voice searches from Alexa, Siri, etc. This share is only going to grow further as the use of voice-based assistants increases.
So, how can you optimize your content for voice searches?
Well, the short answer is by using conversational keywords.
Choose long-form conversational keywords that people would say when searching for something. Think about how you would phrase a search query when talking to Alexa and use that phrase instead of a small keyword.
Yes, it’s as simple as that.
Final Thoughts
SEO copywriting aims to please your audience with your content while also making sure that search engines understand it well. These tried and tested SEO copywriting tips can help you achieve exactly that.
Use these tips to make your content rank higher and also better engage your audience. All the best!
Shane Barker is a digital marketing consultant who specializes in influencer marketing, content marketing, and SEO. He is the co-founder of Attrock, a digital marketing agency. He has consulted with Fortune 500 companies, influencers with digital products, and a number of A-List celebrities.
