Welcome to the world of SEO Writing, where art meets science, and user experience meets ranking potential. As you consider hiring an SEO writer for your brand, it’s crucial to understand the difference between SEO content writing and copywriting. While both approaches involve writing for SEO purposes, they serve distinct purposes and require unique skills.
Choosing the wrong method or writer could result in subpar results. That’s why it’s essential to distinguish between the two methods and determine the best approach for your project.
You need to rank higher on search engines like Google to increase your website traffic. A solid SEO strategy can help, but it’s not enough. Effective SEO writing must ensure you’re not neglecting the user experience on your pages, which is a crucial ranking factor.
But how do you get it right? How do you all at once please your readers, search engines, and boss? This is where the convergence of data science and art comes in, and this is where the expertise of an SEO writer comes into play.
In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about SEO writing, from the basics to advanced techniques that will help you create content that ranks. So, buckle up and get ready to take your SEO game to the next level!
Create content in a format that is suitable to the needs and expectations of Google’s user for the question they have asked.
What is SEO Content Writing?
In today’s digital age, getting your website noticed online is essential for your business’s success. A solid SEO strategy is the key to boosting your online visibility and increasing organic traffic. While on-page and off-page optimization techniques are important, SEO writing is equally essential.
According to a study by Search Engine Journal in 2020, websites that rank in position one on the search engine results page (SERP) receive a 25% clickthrough rate, while positioning two drops to 15%, and position ten plummets to just 2.5%.
And if your website can’t rank on the first page, the chances of being found organically by consumers are slim. Fewer visitors to your site mean fewer opportunities to generate leads and revenue.
If you can’t invest in advertising, your next best option is SEO writing. It’s a free alternative that can generate traffic for your website much longer than a campaign would.
SEO writing is the process of crafting high-quality content to rank on the first page of search engines like Google. SEO content writers can help businesses get noticed by search engines and rank higher in the SERP by conducting keyword research and creating optimized content that matches user intent.
The importance of SEO content cannot be overstated, especially when considering the most important ranking factors. Search engines like Google prioritize page experience, which is why creating SEO-friendly content that provides value to the user is crucial.
SEO copywriting requires a deep understanding of analytics and high-quality copywriting skills. Optimizing your headers for easy web page crawling and writing SEO-friendly content that speaks directly to your target audience can increase your chances of higher search engine rankings.
With the right strategy and approach, SEO writing can help your website generate more organic traffic, ultimately leading to more leads and revenue for your business.
Why is an SEO Content Strategy Important?
We have heard it over and over—content is king. But why is content so important for search engine optimization, and how can it help your website rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs)?
Writing content that’s high quality and relevant is the backbone of a successful SEO strategy. Google and other search engines are designed to provide users with the most relevant and informative content for their search queries. If your website features well-written, informative content that meets the user’s intent, it will likely rank higher in the SERPs.
Aside from providing value to your website visitors, quality SEO copywriting can also help you earn backlinks. These are key components of link-building and content marketing. When other websites link to your content, it signals to search engine algorithms that it is valuable and relevant to your industry, boosting your rankings.
But simply publishing high-quality content isn’t enough to guarantee SEO success. You must also optimize your content for search engines by incorporating relevant keywords and following best practices for on-page optimization. By doing so, you can help search engines better understand the content on your website and rank it higher in search engine results pages (SERPs).
One of the biggest benefits of SEO writing is that it’s a long-term strategy that can pay dividends for years to come. Unlike other marketing tactics like PPC advertising, which stops driving traffic once you stop paying for ads, good SEO content continues to attract visitors to your website even if you don’t actively promote it.
That’s not to say that SEO writing is a set-it-and-forget-it strategy. To stay competitive in search results, you must regularly update your content and stay updated with the latest SEO trends and best practices.
At the end of the day, the importance of SEO copywriting cannot be overstated. To write content that’s high-quality and informative that meets search intent and optimize it for search engines, you can increase your website’s visibility, attract more visitors, and ultimately drive more leads and revenue for your business.
Whether you’re looking to start a blog, launch an e-commerce store, or promote your business online, investing in SEO writing is a smart move.
Google Helpful Content Update
Google has finished rolling out its helpful content update, and SEO experts are experiencing significant volatility and fluctuations in their Google search rankings.
So when should you hire an SEO copywriter?
If your website is not generating enough organic traffic or if your existing content is not ranking well in the to search engine results page, then it’s time to consider hiring an SEO content writer.
SEO copywriting can help you improve your website’s visibility and attract more qualified leads to your business. A couple of years back, I’ve worked with a broadband comparison company that jumpstarted its scaled content publishing project before I got onboard.
With the industry being tight-knitted and competitive, their organic traffic had been flatlining for months. I quickly identified that the existing content was quite good in quality but lacked proper SEO optimization. After doing a thorough keyword research project and rewriting/optimizing their content, I then got them to start publishing new blog posts regularly, focusing on relevant topics in their industry.
This has resulted in major organic ranking improvement—which also lead to a 10-15% increase in the organic leads generated.
However, SEO copywriting is not just about keyword stuffing and optimization. It’s about being strategic in incorporating informational keywords and commercial keywords that shape your content around the needs of your target audience. The goal is to help search engines understand what your page is about and how it can be useful to searchers.
Aside from website content, an SEO copywriter can help you create content for your blog, social media channels, email campaigns, and other digital marketing channels. This can help you build brand awareness, establish thought leadership, and engage with your audience in a meaningful way.
Choosing the Right Writer for SEO Content
An SEO copywriter crafts content that is optimized for search engine rankings. They must have the skills to write persuasive copy, understand keyword research, and stay up-to-date with the latest SEO trends.
Finding a reliable freelance writer who has experience in SEO can be daunting. Here are a few things to consider:
Experience and expertise
Look for a writer who has experience writing SEO content in your industry. They should have a good understanding of your target audience, as well as optimizing content by using target keywords and phrases that are most relevant to your business.
You can also look for writers specializing in certain types of content, such as blog posts or whitepapers.
Writing quality
Check out the SEO writer’s portfolio to get a sense of their writing style and quality. Look for clear, concise, error-free writing that is engaging to read.
Another good indicator of an SEO copywriter ‘s quality is their written pieces for past clients. If possible, request to see some samples of their work or ask for references from previous clients.
SEO knowledge
SEO writers obviously should understand the basics of search engine optimization, including keyword research and optimization, title tags and meta descriptions, and internal linking.
They should also stay up-to-date with the latest SEO trends and best practices, such as mobile optimization and voice search.
Communication skills
Effective communication is key when working with a content writer. Look for someone who is responsive and easy to communicate with and who is willing to collaborate with you to ensure that the content meets your needs.
This is crucial especially if you’re working with an SEO copywriter team abroad. Outsourcing SEO writing services is one of the ways businesses have used to cut down on costs and get quality content. At It’s a Writer’s World, our SEO writing team is equipped with chat apps such as WhatsApp, Skype, Slack, Zoom, Google Chat and Meet, etc. to ensure clients reach us without hassle.
Price
SEO content writing can vary in price depending on the writer’s experience and expertise. Consider your budget when choosing a writer, but also keep in mind that quality writing can be a valuable investment for your business.
At the end of the day, you want an SEO copywriter with experience and expertise in your industry. They should be able to create content that is optimized for search engine visibility and engages your target audience.
SEO Content Writing Tips
While there’s no guaranteed formula for ranking first in search engine results, there are several key aspects of the Google algorithm that we know about. By keeping these in mind, you can optimize your content for better search rankings.
One of the most important aspects of SEO writing is using the proper keywords. This means doing keyword research to identify commercial keywords and other related keywords your target audience is searching for when looking for sites like yours. But it’s not enough to sprinkle in these keywords.
To improve your chances of ranking higher, you must also use long tail keywords that signal to search engines what your content is about. This is called latent semantic indexing, and it helps immensely with SEO marketing.
It’s also essential to write content that’s designed for human readers rather than search engine crawlers. That means avoiding keyword stuffing or cramming the same keywords repeatedly. Instead, your content should be well-written, engaging, and provide valuable information to your readers.
SEO Article Writing Tips
So, how can you incorporate SEO into your writing blog posts to improve your search rankings? Here are 12 tips to get you started:
- Use headings to your benefit
Headers help search engines understand the structure of your blog post and the topics it covers. Use H1, H2, H3, H4 tags to break down your content into scannable chunks and include high-intent keywords.
Headers are also the perfect place to optimize for long-tail keywords and other related keywords. Not only does this improve your SEO, but it also helps readers quickly grasp the key points of your article.
- Optimize your content for featured snippets
Featured snippets are the most direct answers to search queries. To earn a featured snippet, answer the question thoroughly and succinctly using a target keyword and actionable verbs.
- Write for humans, not search engines
Keep your buyer personas and their motivations, challenges, and interests in mind. Write SEO content that resonates with your potential customers and addresses their pain points.
For example, if you’re writing a blog post about the best fruits for weight loss, include research-backed information that readers can relate to. Add stats and links to case studies if possible. This kind of content not only pleases the search engine crawlers but also engages your readers.
- Include keywords in your title tag and meta description
A title tag is the clickable headline on search engine results pages (SERPs), while a meta description is the two-line summary of a website’s content that appears in SERPS.
When writing title tags and meta descriptions, include keywords you want to rank for. Doing this can help your content stand out from the competition and attract more clicks.
- Add alt text to images
Alt text helps Google (as well as those who are visually impaired) understand why the photo is in your post. Use descriptive language and include keywords where possible.
- Start with keyword research
Any content marketing plan starts with solid keyword research. This will help you define your topic and focus on the right keywords.
Use keyword research tools to target the specific keywords and phrases your potential customers are searching for. Remember to conduct keyword research periodically to ensure you’re focusing on relevant search queries for your target audience.
- Resist the urge to keyword stuff
Find natural fits for target keyword additions, but don’t force them to the point where your content is illegible. Focus on solving problems for your audience and delivering for search intent.
How Many Target Keywords Should I Use?
There’s a fine line between using too few and using too many. As a content marketing expert, I recommend using as many keywords as possible while still maintaining a natural flow.
While it’s crucial for your target keywords to appear in your content, you don’t want to overdo it and cram them in unnaturally. This is commonly known as “over-optimizing,” and it can actually harm your website’s rankings.
So, what’s the ideal balance? As a general rule, I suggest aiming for 5-7 keyword phrases in a piece of content that’s around 300-400 words. This will ensure that you’ve included enough keywords to help search engines understand your content without going overboard.
Additionally, I recommend introducing your target keywords no more than ten times throughout your content to avoid sounding spammy or repetitive.
Keep in mind that the number of keywords you use will also depend on the length of your content. For longer pieces, you may be able to include more keywords without sacrificing the natural flow of your writing.
Incorporating related terms and phrases (known as latent semantic indexing) can also help improve your content’s relevance without over-optimizing for a single keyword.
- Link to high-authority websites
Linking to reputable web pages shows search engines that you’ve done your research and strengthens your argument.
Using relevant pages as a resource will also make your content more valuable to readers. It reflects your effort in researching the topic and builds trust.
- Aim for scannable, longer posts
Longer, in-depth blog posts are favored by Google search and other search engines. Break down your content into bite-size, scannable chunks, and use bullet points to make it more digestible.
Also, other sites link to longer posts more often than shorter ones. Since a longer blog post poses as a source of valuable information, it becomes more attractive to other websites as a resource.
- Link to other posts on your site
Internal links help search engines create an accurate sitemap and keep readers on your site longer. Use natural language for your anchor text and include links that enhance the points made in your posts.
Internal links also help search engines understand the relevance of each page and make it easier for visitors to find related content.
- Compress images for fast page load speed
Large, heavy images can slow down your page speed. Site speed is one of the factors Google takes into consideration when ranking pages, so you want to make sure your page loads quickly.
Use apps like TinyPng to compress images without sacrificing quality.
- Design a link-building strategy
Link building is crucial to your search ranking. Include high-value assets in your posts, such as original data and thought leadership, and interview experts to lead traffic back to your website.
Case Study: Photo Editing Service’s Organic Traffic Grows by 32.87% in 5 Months
This company was struggling with its organic traffic and getting new leads. What’s more is that they are planning to lower the costs of their Google Ads campaign—which is currently the main driver of their customer acquisition. So, they needed a more cost-effective way to grow their customer base and generate enough leads cheaply.
Is AI Writing Good for SEO?
Many SEO marketers are turning to AI writing tools to supercharge content creation.
But is AI-generated content helpful or spam? Well, it depends on how, where, and why you’re using it.
The past decade has seen some major Google algorithm updates with a significant impact on the SEO world. The Panda algorithm update of 2011, for example, was designed to tackle the problem of content farms, which were creating low-quality content stuffed with keywords.
But while many expected AI-generated content to be hit hard by Google’s helpful content update, the reality has been somewhat different. While websites that relied heavily on AI content were affected by the October 2022 spam update, the impact was not as dramatic as some had feared.
So, what does this mean for the future of AI-generated content? As with any technology, there are pros and cons to using AI writing tools in your SEO strategy.
On the other hand, AI content is a powerful tool for automating repetitive tasks. It can also help you to identify gaps in your strategy and generate new content ideas that you may not have considered otherwise.
The key to making AI work in content creation is to double down on quality. Implement quality control and ensure editorial content involves actual human editors. Do not let AI write and decide by itself. People must stay in charge.
Ethics is another key factor to consider when using AI in SEO. Are you using it to flood Google with potentially useless content just to make money from an ad or affiliate revenue? Or are you using it to free up your time from the menial work of rephrasing basic facts, so that you can focus on creating unique, high-quality content that AI can’t replicate?
In the end, the question of whether AI content is helpful or spam depends on how you use it. Like any tool, AI writing is only as good as the expert wielding it. So, while AI may not be able to replace human creativity fully, it can certainly be a valuable addition to any SEO toolkit when used correctly.
SEO Writing: Important Tools to Use
SEO writing tools can make a huge difference in your content strategy. The right tools can help you research your competitors, create briefs, optimize your content, and more. But with so many options out there, it can be hard to know where to start. Here are our recommended SEO writing tools for creating high-quality content.
Fraze
First, consider using Frase. This tool can help you research competing content, create briefs, and optimize both new and existing content. It even has a Google Search Console integration that can help you find quick wins within your content.
SurferSEO
SurferSEO is another great option for content optimization. This tool is similar to Frase but is more focused on optimization.
SEMRush
If you’re looking for an all-in-one SEO tool, Semrush is a popular choice. In addition to SEO tools, it includes content optimization, content writing, and auditing tools.
Ahrefs
Ahrefs is another all-in-one tool that is affordable and includes research for high-traffic keywords. Use it to gain insights into your competitors’ SEO strategies, track your rankings, and research backlinks. It also has on-page SEO and additional content marketing tools.
Buzzsumo
To analyze the content strategy of competing websites, generate content ideas, and research influencers, BuzzSumo is a valuable tool. You can increase your reach and domain authority by including influencers in your content.
Jasper
Finally, if you’re struggling with writer’s block, consider using Jasper. This AI content writer can speed up the writing process and help you overcome writer’s block. While it is capable of writing entire blog posts, we recommend using it to assist your writing process, rather than relying on it entirely.
Remember, there is no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to SEO writing tools. It’s important to find the tools that work best for you and your specific needs.
Conclusion
SEO writing is a craft that incorporates creativity, research skills, and technical proficiency. By adhering to beneficial practices such as conducting keyword research, optimizing on-page elements, and creating top-notch content pieces can markedly enhance your chances of achieving higher rankings in search results.
Taking full advantage of artificial intelligence (AI) writing tools can be a great method to streamline some components of the content creation process. However, it’s important to integrate human expertise and editorial scrutiny into the mix to guarantee that your finalized product is stimulating and worthwhile for your readership.
With the right strategy, you can create content that ranks well in search engines, resonates with your audience, and drives real results for your business.
Related Reading: A Comprehensive Guide to the Best SEO Tools Today
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SEO Content Writing FAQs
Is AI content writing helpful or spam?
AI content writing can be helpful when used correctly. However, it’s important to use a combination of human expertise and editorial scrutiny to ensure that the finalized product is high-quality and valuable for your readership.
How can I ensure my content ranks well in search results?
To rank well in search engine results, it’s important to conduct keyword research, optimize on-page elements, use SEO writing tools, and create content that is high quality and valuable for your readership. Additionally, you should also consider backlinking to other authoritative websites as this can improve your organic search engine rankings.
How long should my SEO content be?
The optimal length for SEO content varies depending on the topic, but generally speaking aim to make your content as long and comprehensive as possible. Long-form content has been shown to rank better in search engine results than shorter pieces.
What is the best way to optimize my content?
To optimize your content, you should utilize keyword research tools to identify relevant keywords and use these keywords naturally in your content. You should also optimize the meta tags, include images and links, as well as ensure that all of the on-page SEO elements are optimized.
What type of content should I create to rank well?
Aim to create content that is valuable and unique. Focus on creating long-form content pieces that are comprehensive, informative, and focused on search intent. Also, consider including videos or visuals, as this can help capture your readers’ attention.
