SEO Copywriting: How Does Search Engine Optimization Factor Into Copywriting?
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If you think that copywriting mostly means coming up with punchy, imaginative, and engaging content to market a product or service, then you might need to think again. Yes, some of the main features of a quality copywriter include creativity, originality, and mastery of the written word.
Yet, in the past few years, another increasingly important factor has wiggled its way into the copywriting world: SEO copywriting. Are you confused about how SEO copywriting works? Look no further, then. In this article, we are going to reveal to you how search engine optimization can greatly benefit ad copywriting. Search Engine... What? Let's start with the basics. Whether you are new to the copywriting world, or if you already have some experience, chances are that you might not be super familiar with SEO. The acronym stands for "search engine optimization", and it's a practice that does exactly what it says on the tin. It leverages keywords, meta descriptions, links, and title tags to drive organic traffic to a web page. All of these elements are connected to an algorithm, and when the data matches it, then a search engine will automatically return the most relevant results. So, is SEO simply a matter of adding a keyword here, and a link there, and then voila, the job is done? Well, as in all areas of expertise, good SEO practices require in-depth knowledge of a wide array of factors: markets, customers, competitors, and more. For this reason, website owners who plan to boost traffic often engage SEO experts for assistance. Now that we have shed some light on what search engine optimization is, and how it works, let's delve a bit deeper into SEO copywriting. What Is SEO Copywriting? Arguably, if you write copy for digital publications, chances are that you are already performing some sort of SEO copywriting. When a client commissions a written piece of work to promote a product or service online, the main goal that they want to achieve is to rank high in Google searches. And how do they succeed at this? With SEO copywriting best practices. SEO copywriting involves creating marketing copy that features specific SEO elements aimed at boosting the visibility of your client's web page. It's all well and good to be told exactly what SEO requirements your copy needs to meet. But how can you go about putting together a great piece of marketing copy that needs to be optimized for search engine results, with little to no guidance? Keep reading as we're about to unveil the top tricks to apply in order to make your copy SEO-friendly, independently. Learn SEO Copywriting Best Practices First things first. The basics of good SEO copywriting best practices don't change whether you are using the most detailed brief in the world, or if you are starting from scratch. Keep these basics at the forefront of your mind: the crucial element of SEO copywriting is balancing exceptional, flawless, and captivating writing with keywords, links, title tags, and meta descriptions that satisfy specific algorithms. If your client is not giving you any precise instructions, then you are going to have to roll your sleeves up and do a bit more work in an autonomous way. There are many ways to achieve this, and we are going to discuss some of the most effective ones. Research Your Audience To start with, you want to know exactly who your marketing piece is going to reach. This means that you need a thorough understanding of your reading audience. Working out who your target is, enables you to set the tone and decide on a style, and register for your copy. Whatever type of work you have been commissioned, you'll want your style to essentially speak the same language as the customer segment it's intended for. Choose Keywords Wisely Making sure that your content includes the best keywords is not always easy. Sometimes, using a more mainstream word in place of a synonym can make or break your content. So, remember to do a bit of keyword research, too. Based on the topic that you are writing about, you can find what the most searched keywords are on Google and other search engines. And once you've nailed this bit, you can go ahead and pick the most popular words to be the stars of your article. Grab Your Readers' Attention With an Enticing Title An outstanding piece of copywriting can often be recognized by just two elements: an enticing title, and a captivating intro. If you manage to get your readers' attention with a great title and exciting intro, then you're halfway there. So, after you've researched your target audience and discovered what the best keywords are, focus on picking a title that will wow your readers (and make Google algorithms happy). As a rule of thumb, remember that an exceptional, eye-catching title always features at least one keyword, so go ahead and pop that in. Create Readable, Useful, and Relevant Content Now, for the real deal: the content of your piece of copy. After all the awesome work you've done to get to this stage, the last thing you need is to flop the content area. Also, this should be your main field of expertise, right? This is when you can finally unleash your originality, imagination, and inventiveness. Remember when we mentioned that great SEO copywriting is a fine balance between exceptional content and SEO best practices? Right, then this is the time when you show us what you've got. Don't hold yourself back: try to write in the usual convincing, punchy, and user-friendly way that your clients have come to know and love. Get Started With SEO Copywriting Now that you've got a much more thorough understanding of what SEO copywriting is, and how it works, you can write search engine optimized copy with confidence. If all this talk of copywriting and SEO has got you hungry for more, then why not take a look at one of our online writing courses? From SEO copywriting for beginners, to search engine optimization and creative ads, every writer will find something that's right up their street. What are you waiting for? Come check us out today! |