6 SEO Copywriting Tips to Improve Search Rankings

With information a mere click or flick of the fingertips away in today’s digital world, “google” is used interchangeably as a verb to indicate an internet search—it’s synonymous with obtaining information online. Google is a gamechanger for connecting eager consumers with relevant businesses, but from the business perspective, it’s not quite as simple as clicking a button. Ranking as a trusted resource on a search engine results page (SERP) requires strategic search engine optimization (SEO) to help seal the deal. That’s where SEO copywriting comes in.

What is the difference between SEO and content writing?

SEO copywriting tells consumers what they want to know while also speaking the language of Google bots. In other words, SEO copywriting utilizes best practices for SEO to bring relevant content from your business front and center in search results. Content writing without SEO in mind can be a bit more creative—think bloggers who enjoy writing for fun and sharpening their skills. Writing compelling web content to achieve conversions is any digital copywriter’s goal, but it doesn’t matter how interesting your content is if potential customers never come across it. If you want to attract new customers to your website, integrating SEO is a must. Here at Blue Compass, writing with strategic keywords in mind is an essential service we provide to our clients.

Taking this more mindful approach by integrating best practices for SEO content writing still leaves room for creativity. Content should never be stuffed aimlessly with keywords—neither Google nor web users are fooled by such antics. But using keyword research to answer the questions potential customers are asking anyway is a natural way to establish authority and goodwill while introducing them to your business. You can still woo readers with your wordsmithing, but purposeful copy backed up by strong keywords is the best way to ensure your website is on Google’s good side.

How to Do Keyword Research for SEO Copywriting

There are many factors to consider when performing thorough keyword research. Our SEO marketers perform keyword research by utilizing keyword tools to verify keyword volume and difficulty, checking and analyzing Google search results and determining which keywords will produce the best results. Keywords certainly don’t need to be plucked from thin air.

There’s no doubt you know your market, but we can say from experience web users aren’t always getting to your site the way you think they are. That’s where keyword research tools come in to highlight which keywords receive the highest search traffic. The Blue Compass team utilizes paid solution SEMrush, but free tools such as Google Trends and Google Ads Keyword Planner can give you a great start, too.

Simply googling a desired topic will reveal which websites are already ranking on the first results page for that keyword. From there, we get a better idea of what opportunities there are to appear prominently on the first page. If the results show a featured snippet at the top, we know there’s a chance to potentially acquire this prime real estate and claim a featured snippet. Similarly, many Google searches include a “People Also Ask” section which reveals related resources. Any chance to show up as an authority in one of these hotspots should catch your eye.

Using a keyword tool to determine the keyword’s popularity is also helpful in deciding which words are the best to optimize content for, but it’s always important to note the user’s intent when utilizing that keyword. For example, if you want to optimize an informational blog piece about how to save money while holiday shopping, it’s not helpful if the keyword you have identified yields search results to holiday sales at department stores. The people who are using this keyword probably have shopping on the brain, so your informational piece likely wouldn’t serve their needs. This would be a time to explore other keyword opportunities more relevant to the users you want to reach.

Another factor to take note of is keyword difficulty. If a keyword has a high search volume but equally high difficulty, your page is up against a lot of competition. That’s not to say you shouldn’t aim big in some cases—using high ranking keywords can increase your authority for related keywords, but opting for a more obtainable keyword with decent volume will typically yield better results.

Ultimately, if you aren’t including keyword research as a key step during content creation, you’re missing the mark. For more savvy SEO suggestions, check out the comprehensive Blue Compass SEO Guide. But first, stick around for some copywriting tips to improve SEO efforts.

6 Best Practices for SEO Content Writing

Google has the final say which content will rank in search results, but copywriters can keep a few things in mind while writing to increase chances their content will impress bots. Blue Compass’ team of digital marketers know SEO best practices like the back of our hands.

SEO Copywriting Tip #1: Integrate Keywords

Don’t let your keyword research go to waste. Once you’ve identified 2–3 primary and 2–3 secondary keywords, it’s time to shift from bot brain back to what potential web users want to read. You don’t want to scare users away sounding like a robot yourself, so use keywords strategically while going with the natural flow of your content.

SEO Copywriting Tip #2: Optimize Your Meta Title and Meta Description

For readers not familiar with your content, the meta title and description provide the first glimpse of what value you can provide when they click on your search result. Search engines display meta titles and descriptions similarly to how a headline and intro may appear on the blog page of your website to summarize each post. The difference, of course, is Google and other search engines will display your competitors’ webpages and blog posts, too. Your meta title and description should be keyword-rich to appeal to the Google bots while also providing a click-worthy summary of your content to attract readers and potential customers.

SEO Copywriting Tip #3: Aim for a High Word Count

Google doesn’t consider word count or page length as ranking factors in search results, but a longer word count can benefit page metrics that do spark Google’s interest. For example, long-form blog content and/or pillar pieces chock-full of everything a reader could ever want to know encourage users to stay on your page longer. Page session duration is a positive ranking factor and oftentimes your bounce rate may decrease because people are sticking around and exploring additional pages—these are just a couple metrics Google utilizes to determine whether your content provides value and is relevant to what searchers are looking for. We recommend shooting for at least 800 words, though 300 is a bare minimum for Google to include your content in page results.

SEO Copywriting Tip #4: Utilize Backlinks

Backlinks—incoming hyperlinks from one web page to another website—are an important consideration for SEO copywriting because they show Google (and your readers) you’ve done your research and have authority on this topic. Trusted external resources you’ve linked to may return the favor by linking back to your page, a vote of confidence for the Google bots who can see you know your stuff. Of course, linking to pages within your own website, such as a service page or another related blog post, boosts that content as well, so it’s essential to include internal links wherever relevant. When you do utilize internal backlinks, keep your anchor text, or the words you use to link, in mind—these should be keyword-rich if possible.

SEO Copywriting Tip #5: Consider User Experience

Web users aren’t here for a long time, they’re here for a good time. Clear headings using your keywords communicate to users exactly what your content is about while also giving Google bots a better understanding of your subject matter as it relates to potential search queries. Incorporate a primary keyword in your H1 and break the topic down into multiple subsections with H2s and H3s. Use these subheadings to show off secondary keywords and answer any common questions you came across in your keyword research. If your content is easily digestible and intuitive, the user won’t leave your page in favor of a better experience, and Google will take note. Users may even stick around and see what else your website has to offer!

SEO Copywriting Tip #6: Incorporate Schema (for Advanced SEO Users)

Where SEO copywriting appeals to web users and Google bots alike, schema is an advanced best practice for SEO content writing. Schema markup essentially translates vital information from your website via code that speaks directly to Google to help the search engine giant in its quest to return the most relevant search results to users. Sound complicated? It can be, but not if you’re backed up by a supportive team of leading digital experts paving the way to success.

Why SEO Content Writing Services Are Essential

SEO content writing services offer businesses a long-term solution to navigating SEO. Polishing off one blog post with a few keywords here and there unfortunately won’t set you up for success over time. SEO is a time consuming, ever evolving and difficult practice, and even experts must experiment with trial and error to see what will work best for long-term SEO success.

A talented digital marketing team trained in best practices for SEO content writing has an advanced background to incorporate techniques, such as schema and strategic keyword research, and countless tools in their wheelhouse to smooth out the process. At Blue Compass, every team member brings a different skillset to the table, leaving no stone unturned. We are proud of our collaboration not only with each other but with our clients who trust us to get results by helping them increase rankings among search engines.

Get in Touch With Blue Compass For SEO Content Writing Services & Tips

At Blue Compass, we practice what we preach. Our enthusiastic team is always just a click, flick, or quick phone call away to answer any questions you have about SEO copywriting. Learn more about working with Blue Compass for SEO content writing services online or drop us a line to let us know how we can help.

Ashley Flaws

As our team's Digital Marketing Copywriter, Ashley Flaws enjoys working with Blue Compass clients to create compelling, click-worthy copy. Ashley graduated from Drake University with degrees in English and magazine journalism and aims to utilize her strong marketing background to craft content with each client's goals in mind.