If you’ve so much as dabbled in the digital marketing world, you’ll inevitably have encountered the term SEO content writing. But what does it actually mean?
Here at Woo, we’re an SEO copywriting agency, so if anyone can answer that question, it’s us! Basically, SEO content writing aims to attract more visitors to your website. There are a few elements at play here, so let’s break things down.
SEO
Search engine optimisation, or SEO, involves optimising your website to help you rank as high on search engines as possible. The higher you rank, the more visitors to your site, and that means more potential leads or customers.
Unlike methods such as PPC, which involve paying for traffic, SEO attracts organic traffic.
So, how can you rank high on search engines? That’s the golden question. Google is famously opaque about its algorithm, and the rules are always changing. What worked well in 2015 isn’t going to work well now, so it’s essential for content writers to stay on top of the latest developments.
Keywords and links
Traditionally, keywords have been essential for SEO – the idea is that including keywords people search for in your content will improve your ranking. But you need to beware of keyword stuffing. Ultimately, you’re writing for humans, and search engines are becoming better at reading the intent of an article.
Having said that, long-tail keywords (longer, specific phrases) are a great way to bring in the right kinds of visitors.
Another aspect to consider is links. Including facts and statistics with links to high-authority sites (such as Forbes or the BBC) will increase the credibility of your article. Also, including internal links to your own website is helpful.
Quality
However, good content writing shouldn’t be formulaic. Instead, keep your copy engaging and interesting to readers, otherwise they will click away. Your goal should be to convert website visitors into customers or subscribers, and that isn’t going to happen if your article is boring.
Although nobody knows exactly what data search engines collect, they may use measures like social shares, clickthrough rates, and time spent on the page to decide which content is the best quality, as well as the number of backlinks on other sites.
Content writing
We all know what content is, right? I mean, you’re reading an example of it right now. Any company with a marketing team worth its salt has a blog. It’s the perfect way to establish your business or website as a thought leader and an authority. The more credible you seem, the more backlinks you’re likely to get.
You can even include infographics, videos, or other videos to help your visitors and keep them on the page for longer.
Blogs are a prime example of content writing, but they’re not the only example. Here are a few more.
Local SEO content for businesses
If you have a company that operates locally, creating local SEO content is a must. But there’s more to it than simply setting up your Google My Business account and leaving.
Why not consider landing pages for your region, writing about events in the local area, or answering questions? This will generate trust and authority for you.
Landing pages
Landing pages are the perfect way to present content about certain topics. Keep the content relevant and you can bring in visitors looking for specific information and guide them to your products, services, or the rest of your pages.
By optimising landing pages for SEO, you can bring more conversions. This can also increase your Page Quality Rating, an important benefit that can lead to cheaper AdWords campaigns.
Product pages
Not all businesses and websites sell products, but the vast majority sell some kind of product or service. Optimising a page of content specifically around what you’re selling is a powerful way to attract customers.
Unfortunately, it’s not an easy task. To be successful, you must ensure your content is unique and high quality, as well as obeying basic SEO copywriting principles.
Your SEO content writing strategy
Getting everything right with SEO and content writing is only half the battle. To tie it all together, it’s essential to have a coherent strategy and to plan ahead.
Know who you’re writing for
Some readers enjoy a humorous tone with plenty of media; others prefer a more formal style. Rushing into the writing process without a clear idea of your buyer persona is a recipe for disaster.
If you’re not sure exactly who your typical reader or buyer is, do some research by figuring out where your customers hang out on the web and analysing their preferences. Forums and social media are great places to start.
Schedule your content
Don’t leave content creation to whenever you happen to feel inspired, motivated or have some free time. All good content strategists have an editorial calendar to remind them to post on a regular basis.
It can help to divide your content into themes or subtopics and write about each of them on a regular basis. Some people prefer to plan their content a few months ahead.
Analyse your results
They say that madness is trying the same thing multiple times and expecting different results. So, it’s a good idea to check how each piece of content performs. What went well, what went not-so-well, and how can you improve?
Metrics like backlinks, comments, social shares, or views are obvious ways to measure how the content performed.
If you do figure out where you went wrong, you can always go back and make a few tweaks. Maybe that call-to-action was in the wrong place or you forgot to add a picture.
The bottom line
Convinced yet? Maybe you should be – just think about how often you use Google or another search engine to find the solutions to your problems. SEO content writing is here to stay, and ignoring it means losing out on potential leads.
Our SEO copywriting services can help you reach your goals. Contact us for a quote – you’ll even get 10% off your first order if you sign up now.