In the world of content creation for business, SEO (Search Engine Optimization), is often a key consideration. In this post, we provide the most fundamental SEO copywriting tips to ensure your posts are reaching their target audience. If you are new to the world of content marketing and SEO we recommend you check out our post on SEO 101.
Part of The Founder’s Guide to B2B SaaS Content Marketing. Available as a PDF and Video Series.
Considerations for SEO Copy
While there are many factors that come into play when developing an effective SEO strategy, ranging from keyword research to technical website design, good SEO Copy is essential. Google, when deciding on search rankings through its algorithm, considers many factors. Through crawling, Google reads the contents of each page, primarily text. To understand what each webpage is about it reads headings, links, the body of the text itself, and much more. By tailoring your copy to the keyword that you are trying to target, you show Google that your page is relevant to that search.
Structuring your SEO copy is essential to properly rank for keywords. One of the easiest ways to improve your copy, if you are using WordPress is the free Yoast SEO plugin. If you are using a different CMS, you can use other writing assistants such as SEMrush which can connect with Google Docs. Once you enable these tools they will help you in implementing the following SEO Copywriting Tips.
Our List of SEO Copywriting Tips
Clear Heading Structure with Your Target Keyword Present
The first and arguably most important factor of SEO copywriting is to use a clear heading structure that includes your target keyword. By properly ranking your headings from <H1> down to deeper levels, you create a clear structure of ideas. This will not only assist your writer in reading your content and knowing what it is about at first glance but also help with how Google crawls your page. Specifically, regarding <H1> tags be sure to only have one through your article. For more information on effective heading structure, check out this post from Yoast.
The Correct Amount of Keyword Density
Regarding the body of your content, there is a fine balance that must be struck between including your keywords and over-optimizing or “Keyword Stuffing”. Keyword density is calculated by “Number of Time Your Keyword Appears” / “Total Number of Words”. So let’s say your post targeting “SMB Accounting Software” mentions that keyword 10 times in a 1000 word article, the keyword density would be 1%. As a rule of thumb, experts suggest that you should aim for a keyword density of 1-2%. Any less and the article is irrelevant, any more and Google will suspect you of “Keyword Stuffing” and possibly penalize you.
The King of SEO Copywriting Tips: Great Content
While the technical elements of SEO Copywriting are important to factor in, one essential factor to the amount of traffic you will receive is the number of other pages that link to your page. By taking the time to produce helpful and original content, you will gain readers and attention. Often articles that produce original research, are referenced more regularly. Instead of focusing primarily on content quantity, quality should also be a massive consideration. Write things people want to read. Write things that people want to share. By keeping this top of mind, you can make the most impact.
Build Your Strategy with Our SEO Copywriting Tips
While SEO copywriting can seem daunting at first, by simply getting started you will improve over time. SEO content creation is an extremely long-term game compared to most other forms of marketing. As you build your library of content and links, you will only then begin to see results. At Sonan Digital, our team prides itself in assisting clients in all aspects of content marketing including SEO content creation. Do not hesitate to reach out should you be looking for assistance with your content strategy or SEO optimization.
Part of The Founder’s Guide to B2B SaaS Content Marketing. Available as a PDF and Video Series.