SEO Copywriting: What It Means and How to Do It Right

SEO Copywriting: What It Means and How to Do It Right

The goal of any business is to grow sales, find new customers, and maintain their loyalty. And the role of local SEO service in Austin, TX is to help businesses achieve their goal using a combination of specialized tools and services, including SEO copywriting.

But what exactly is SEO copywriting? Traditional copywriting means writing persuasive texts that convince consumers to go to a store, subscribe to a service, or take any other action desired by a company. SEO copywriting means achieving these goals and writing in a way that complies with the factors Google uses in selecting search results and displaying them in the first positions.

Also known as Google copywriting, this content writing technique is of paramount importance for businesses. Online searches are now the number one method private consumers and corporate buyers use to find products and services they need. And SEO copywriting is the medium that ensures that:

• Google recognizes your business as relevant for specific searches
• Your potential clients discover helpful information, that encourages them to buy your products/services
• You build a reliable and visible brand image, which promotes customer loyalty.

SEO Copywriting Basics

Now you know what SEO copywriting is and why it is important. But what exactly does it involve? In this article, we will share some of the most important SEO copywriting tips, the cornerstone of creating content that meets your customers’ needs and interests as well as Google’s ranking algorithm.

However, please remember that this is just a general-purpose guide to how to write SEO copy. A complete and successful SEO strategy requires professionals with extensive experience and a talent for writing.

Find and Use Keywords

Keywords are terms used by people when they perform a Google search. They contain the essence of the product/service description in the shortest possible form. For example: “SEO copywriting in Austin, TX”, “organic food recipes”, or “latest iPhone model”.

Keywords are the critical ingredient of Google copywriting. This is why SEO professionals perform careful research to find the right set of keywords for a business. For the best results, you should find keywords that have:

• a medium to high search volume – number of times consumers used the words in searches
• an average level of competition – number of businesses using the words as their keyword.

The SEO copywriter will be able to their job better if you give them more information, like:

• Text Type – blog post, landing page, email newsletter
• Aim of the text – what you want the reader to do: subscribe to a newsletter, install your app, get a trial version of your product
• Audience – demographic and behavioral characteristics of your potential clients
• Style and/or tone of voice – friendly and informal, polite, corporate, etc 
• Right keywords to target – a list of keywords you want to include in the content

Look at Search Intent

Consumers have different ways of looking for information and/or products they need. Your SEO copywriting content should cover all these phases, providing useful and interesting articles, blog posts, and other types to help potential customers understand the benefits of choosing your brand.

The four stages of search intent are:

• Informational intent – learning about a product
• Navigational intent – reaching a specific website
• Transactional intent – buying a product
• Commercial intent – comparing between various offers

Make Sure the Title Is Perfectly Optimized

The title is a critical part of content in SEO copywriting. It must:

• Capture the readers’ attention
• Determine them to click and find out more
• Contain the main keyword

The most effective titles appeal to emotions, such as curiosity, excitement or happiness. Also, statistics show that readers prefer titles containing numbers, direct addressing (“what you need to know”), and “How to”. 

And don’t forget that titles must both catchy and accurate. Bombastic titles for content that is nowhere close to their level of hype are called “clickbait” and will turn readers away from your site.

Optimization of the Meta Description

The meta description represents the two lines of text below links in Google search results. Users rely on this text to determine whether the result matches their search intent. According SEO copywriting tips, a well-optimized meta description:

• Has 150-160 characters
• Contains the main keyword
• Gives a short and accurate description of the page content

Make Sure the Introduction is Magnetic

The introduction of your SEO article can make or break the visitor’s decision to keep reading until the end. A great introduction makes a brief summary of what will follow and highlights the key purpose of the article. At the same time, one of the most important SEO copywriting tips is to include the main keyword as close as possible to the beginning of the introduction.

The Copy Should be Easily Read

Most people give articles a glance to pick up the main points of interests before they start reading them. Thus, adequate formatting is just as important as following SEO copywriting rules. Here are some key characteristics of an easily readable text:

• Good structure, split into paragraphs
• Skimmable headlines that contain relevant information
• Bullet points and numbered lists
• Simple vocabulary

Include CTAs 

Calls to action (CTA) tell readers what you want them to do once they finish reading your content. One of the most frequent mistakes in SEO copywriting is the failure to add the CTA. Readers do not take any initiative – they will very rarely subscribe to a newsletter without being prompted to do so.

Include Links to Relevant On-Site and Off-Site Resources

Inbound links and outbound links are important elements in Google copywriting. The ranking algorithm for Google search results relies on these links to establish the relevance and reputation of a website. At the same time, linking to a reputable website (for example, a local authority or government agency) will make readers trust the information you include in your SEO article.

Closing Thoughts

Good SEO copywriting is a mix of creative writing and up to date knowledge of what Google requires from websites in order to rank them. The best solution is to hire a professional company specializing in SEO service in Austin, TX to create content for your blog posts, articles, and landing pages.