Many businesses struggle to increase their online visibility and attract a larger audience to their websites, leading to stagnant traffic and missed growth opportunities.
In this blog post, we will delve into 7 SEO copywriting tips and quick wins that can significantly boost your client's website traffic, helping you harness the power of strategic content to drive growth.
By implementing these practical strategies, you'll not only enhance the quality of your client's content but also improve its discoverability, leading to a potential doubling of their website traffic.
What is SEO copywriting?
SEO copywriting is a specialized form of writing that focuses on creating high-quality content for websites while strategically integrating relevant keywords and phrases to improve the content's visibility in search engine results. The primary goal of SEO copywriting is to attract organic traffic to a website by making its content more appealing to both human readers and search engine algorithms.
Role of copywriting in enhancing SEO
Copywriting plays a crucial role in enhancing SEO by creating content that not only appeals to human readers but also aligns with the principles of SEO-optimized copy.
Here's how copywriting contributes to improving a website's SEO:
- Keyword integration: SEO-optimized write-up incorporates relevant keywords and phrases into the content. These keywords are selected by doing thorough keyword research to match what users are searching for. Proper keyword integration helps search engines understand the topic of the content and rank it for the relevant search results.
- User intent matching: Effective copywriting ensures that the content aligns with the intent behind users' search queries. By addressing user intent, the content becomes more relevant, which can lead to higher click-through rates and improved user satisfaction.
- Headings and subheadings: Properly formatted content with clear headings and subheadings makes it easier for both readers and search engines to understand the structure of the content. Relevant secondary keywords in headings can also provide additional context to search engines.
- Mobile-friendly content: As search engines prioritize mobile-first indexing, good SEO copywriting ensures that the content is responsive and mobile-friendly.
7 SEO copywriting tips for doubling traffic
1. Identify long-tail keywords with low competition
Long tail keywords are longer and more specific phrases that people use when searching for something online. They usually consist of three or more words and are more specific than generic, short keywords. Low-competing long-tail keywords are those that have relatively low search volume and competition compared to broader, more generic terms.
Importance of going after long tail quires:
- Targeted traffic: Long tail keywords attract visitors who are looking for something very specific. By targeting these keywords, you can ensure that your content is reaching a more focused audience, increasing the chances of conversions.
- Less competition: Long tail keywords typically have less competition compared to broad keywords. This means that it's easier to rank higher in search results for these keywords, especially if your content provides valuable and relevant information.
- Higher conversion rate: Since users searching with long tail keywords have a specific intent, they are more likely to convert into customers or take desired actions on your website.
How to identify low-competing long-tail keywords
1. Using user-generated platforms: Look for the specific questions or problems your target audience might have. UGC forums such as Quora and Reddit are excellent resources for identifying these concerns. These platforms are hubs for people seeking answers and solutions related to your product or service By viewing these forums, you can often uncover valuable questions that can be transformed into impactful long-tail keywords.
2. Search suggestions: When you start typing a search query in Google, it suggests related searches at the bottom of the page. These can give you ideas for long-tail keywords.
3. Google's "People Also Ask" Section: This section on the search results page provides questions related to the initial query, which can be excellent sources for long tail keywords.
Example of a long-tail keyword:
- Broad Keyword: "Digital Marketing"
- Long Tail Keyword: "Effective Social Media Strategies for Small Businesses"
In this example, the long tail keyword is more specific and caters to a particular audience looking for social media monitoring strategies tailored to small businesses.
2. Match keyword search intent
Keyword search intent, also known as user intent, refers to the reason behind a user's search query. Satisfying search intent is one of the most important SEO copywriting tips out there. It reflects what the user is looking to achieve or find when they type a specific keyword or phrase into a search engine. Creating content that aligns with the user's search intent ensures that your content directly addresses their needs, increasing the chances of engagement and conversions.
Search intent can be classified into 4 types
- Informational intent: Users are looking for information or answers to their questions.
- Navigational intent: Users are looking for a specific website or page.
- Transactional intent: Users are ready to make a purchase or perform an action.
- Commercial intent: Users are researching products or services before making a decision.
The best place to infidelity the searcher's intent is by analyzing search results. Search for your target keyword, and analyze the top-ranking pages. What type of content are they providing? This can give you insights into the search intent.
3. Structure content for SEO
Structuring content for SEO involves organizing your content in a way that is easily readable and understandable for both users and search engines. This includes using headings, subheadings, paragraphs, and other formatting techniques to enhance the user experience and improve search engine visibility.
Properly structured content is easier for users to read. It keeps readers engaged and encourages them to spend more time on your page. Moreover, search engines use the structure of your content to understand its hierarchy and relevance. As a result, clear headings and organized content can make it more likely for your content to be featured in Google's featured snippets, providing prominent visibility.
How to structure content for SEO
- Use headings: Use hierarchical heading tags (H1, H2, H3, etc.) to organize your content into sections. This helps users skim through and understand the content's flow.
- Short paragraphs and bullets: Break up large blocks of text into shorter paragraphs. Use bullet points and numbered lists to present information concisely.
- Use subheadings: Utilize subheadings (H2, H3, etc.) to divide your content into subsections. Each subheading should give a clear idea of the content that follows.
- Use images and multimedia: Visual elements like images, videos, and infographics can enhance your content and make it more engaging. Optimize images for faster loading times.
- Keyword placement: Incorporate your target keyword naturally in the content and headings. Avoid keyword stuffing; focus on providing value. You can find more info on integrating keywords in our free SEO copywriting course:
StoryChief keeps track of your SEO score and how your content is performing for a specific keyword, using over 15 metrics for search engine optimization. You receive real-time SEO copywriting tips on how to improve your SEO and readability score.
By structuring your content in a clear and organized manner, you make it easier for both users and search engines to navigate and understand your content. This can lead to improved user experience and better search engine rankings.
4. Add internal and external links
Internal and external links are hyperlinks that connect your content to other pages, either within your own website (internal links) or to pages on other websites (external links). When used effectively with the help of backlink management tools, these links can deliver quick SEO improvements, all without the need to add new content to your site.
Reasons why you should focus on internal links:
- They distribute authority and ranking power across your website, helping to improve the overall SEO of your site.
- Internal links help users navigate within your website, making it easier for them to find related information.
- Internal links help search engines to better understand the relationship between two internal linked pages.
- They act as a signal for demonstrating the most important pages on your website.
Similarly, external links are important for two primary reasons:
- Linking to authoritative sources enhances your content's credibility and provides additional value to your readers.
- External links to reputable sources can indicate to search engines that your content is well-researched and relevant.
Here is what John Muller has to say about external links in the inaugural Ask Google Webmasters video:
“Linking to other websites is a great way to provide value to your users. Oftentimes, links help users to find out more, to check out your sources, and to better understand how your content is relevant to the questions that they have.” John Muller
5. Craft compelling headlines and meta descriptions
Headlines are the titles of your content, while meta descriptions are brief summaries that appear in search engine results. Crafting compelling headlines and meta descriptions is crucial to attracting clicks from users who see your content in search results.
Well-crafted headlines and meta descriptions can significantly impact your click-through rate. A higher CTR indicates that users find your content relevant and enticing. Additionally, engaging headlines can improve your content's visibility by encouraging users to click on your link among other search results.
Take a look at the best copywriting courses, or check out our free SEO copywriting course, you learn more about metadata and its importance for SEO.
How to craft compelling headlines and meta descriptions:
Headlines:
- Be concise and specific, giving readers a clear idea of what the content is about.
- Use emotional triggers, curiosity, and numbers to make your headline stand out.
- Incorporate your target keyword naturally while maintaining readability.
Meta descriptions:
- Keep it under 160 characters to ensure it displays fully in search results.
- Highlight the main benefits or points of your content.
- Create a sense of urgency or curiosity to encourage clicks.
- Include a call-to-action to prompt users to visit your page.
Here is an example of a blog focusing on tips for productivity and time management that can have the following meta title and description.
Title: "10 Effective Tips for Boosting Your Productivity and Time Management" Meta Description: "Discover proven strategies to enhance your productivity and manage your time more efficiently. Achieve more in less time with these practical tips."
In the above example, the headline clearly outlines the content's topic, while the meta description highlights the benefits users will gain from reading the article.
6. Revamp existing ranking keywords
If you're already focusing on SEO practices, this technique becomes even simpler to put into action. When you revamp existing keywords that are already performing decently in search engine results, you essentially fine-tune them for better performance. This can lead to an enhanced ranking position and improved relevance.
How to revamp existing ranking keywords:
Use tools like Google Search Console or Ahrefs to identify keywords your content is already ranking for. Your focus should be to filter out the keywords you're currently ranking for in positions 11 - 20.
Here is a step-by-step walkthrough:
- Choose an existing page you want to enhance its ranking for and access the search console performance report.
- Set the date range to the last 3 months and enter your page's URL, then click "apply."
- Filter positions to greater than 11 and navigate to the queries tab. This will show keywords that aren't within the top 10 rankings for the provided URL.
After applying these filters, we identified a keyword, "How to end a report," that isn't addressed on the page. By working on this keyword, we can strive to improve its position and get it into the top 10 search engine results.
7. Mobile-friendly & technical SEO consideration
This practice involves ensuring that your content is optimized for both mobile devices and adheres to technical SEO best practices.
Importance of technical SEO considerations
- Mobile-first indexing: Google prioritizes mobile-friendly content, as more users access the internet through mobile devices.
- Page load speed: Fast-loading pages provide a better user experience and can positively impact search rankings.
- Crawlability: Technical SEO ensures search engines can easily crawl and index your content, enhancing its visibility.
How to ensure mobile-friendly & technical SEO
- Responsive design: Use a responsive design that adapts your content's layout and elements to different screen sizes.
- Mobile page speed: Optimize images and use browser caching to improve page loading speed on mobile devices.
- Structured data: Implement schema markup to provide search engines with additional context about your content.
- XML sitemap: Create and submit an XML sitemap to search engines, helping them understand the structure of your website.
- Mobile-friendly testing: Use tools like Google's Mobile-Friendly Test to check how your content performs on mobile devices.
- Page speed optimization: Minimize code, enable compression, and leverage browser caching to improve overall page speed.
- Canonical URLs: Use canonical tags to indicate the preferred version of a page if you have similar content on multiple URLs.
SEO copywriting tools
In addition to tips for SEO copywriting, there are several essential tools for SEO copywriting that can help you create high-quality content.
All-in-one content tool:
- StoryChief sets itself apart from other tools by offering a comprehensive solution for the entire content marketing process. It handles everything from research and creation to optimization, publication, and analytics. By utilizing insights from Google Search Console and competitor content, StoryChief suggests relevant keywords to include in both new and existing content. Additionally, it provides SEO copywriting tips on how and where to insert these keywords. This feature not only saves valuable time spent on keyword research but also helps avoid common mistakes such as using too few or too many keywords.
Keyword research tools:
- Google Keyword Planner: Provides insights into search volume, competition, and related keywords.
- SEMrush: Offers in-depth keyword research, competitor analysis, and keyword difficulty metrics.
- Ahrefs: Provides detailed keyword data, including search volume, keyword difficulty, and competitive analysis.
- StoryChief’s AI Keyword Generator: Automate keyword research, analyze your ranking against competitors and get actionable suggestions to optimize new and existing content for SEO.
Content ideation and topic research:
- BuzzSumo: Helps identify popular topics and trending content in your niche.
- Answer the Public: Generates questions and phrases related to your target keyword, aiding content brainstorming.
SEO writing and optimization:
- Yoast SEO: A WordPress plugin that provides real-time suggestions for optimizing your content, including readability and keyword usage.
- SurferSEO: Analyzes top-ranking pages to suggest keyword usage, content length, and other on-page optimization factors.
- StoryChief SEO copywriting: Improve Google rankings, grow organic traffic, and outperform competitors with AI-driven keyword suggestions and actionable SEO tips.
Readability and grammar check:
- Grammarly: Helps improve grammar, spelling, and writing style, ensuring your content is well-written and error-free.
- ProWritingAid: Offers advanced grammar and style checking, along with readability analysis.
- StoryChief Readability score: Track how well your readers will follow your train of thought with the readability score, based on the Flesch Reading Ease test.
Title and headline optimization:
- CoSchedule Headline Analyzer: Evaluate the effectiveness of your headlines based on factors like word balance, length, and emotional appeal.
These tools can greatly assist you in creating SEO-optimized content that resonates with both your audience and search engines.
Conclusion
Now that you're equipped with these actionable SEO copywriting tips, it's time to take charge of your content strategy. Start applying these tips to your own content and witness the positive impact on your website's visibility and traffic.
StoryChief gives you all of the tools you need to plan, create, optimize, schedule, promote, and analyze your content. Try StoryChief as your hub for all things content.
FYI: StoryChief eliminates the need for various tools such as social media tools, automation tools, AI tools, SEO tools, and analytics tools. Create a free account and start publishing today. 🙌