SEO Copywriting Tips

SEO copywriting is a tight rope walking act always seeking to balance keyword-rich text with engaging copy – we show you how to find the right combinations.

The aim of SEO copywriting is to use relevant keywords to let Search Engines know what a web page is about so they can rank the page accordingly. Done well, it should strike a harmonious balance between optimising a webpage for targeted keywords and ensuring that the page is compelling and engaging for web searchers. Here are 7 basic SEO copywriting tips to create well-optimised landing pages with high conversion rates.

Keyword selection and density

Keyword selection is paramount to the optimisation of your landing page – each landing page on your website should ideally target a different primary keyword. Keywords should be placed seamlessly and naturally throughout the copy. If you are using keywords too frequently or out of context with the copy, this can be perceived as ‘keyword stuffing’ and your website can be penalised or even banned by Google.

Title tags

Title tags should ideally be under 72 characters which is the cut-off for Google Search Engine results and ensures the entire title is visible in a search result – this increases the likelihood of web searchers clicking through to your site. Try and include the keyword towards the start of the title tag as keyword placement is very important. Title tags are an important on-page element in Search Engine Optimisation.

Meta description tags

The meta description tag is a guide for Search Engines to use as summary text when a site is listed in the Search Engines – this is the snippet of text listed under the website URL. There is debate amongst SEO experts whether it is given any weight by Search Engines but SEO copywriting is also about giving information about your landing page to increase your click-through rates. Try and keep the description under 165 characters.

Page headings

Headings are also important for on-page optimisation and help to tell Search Engines what your pages are about. An SEO copywriter’s job is to write enticing headings that catch the attention of Search Engines and readers alike. Use one H1 heading per page to emphasise the most important keywords on that page. Use H2-H5 headings to optimise for secondary terms – make sure these are used as sub-headings.

Internal linking

Internal links should be used to cross-link related content – this builds the strength of web page within the search engines. Ensure you use relevant keywords in the anchor text for links where appropriate. It is important to build a natural link profile – don’t overuse internal links within copy, just link to a small selection of relevant pages. The fewer links you do have on a page, the more value each link has.

Image SEO

Image SEO is also an important but sometimes neglected part of SEO copywriting. Pick a logical file name that uses the keywords or keyword phrase you have nominated for the page. Use a hyphen to separate keywords so that these are read by the search engines as spaces. Do not use underscores as a word separator. It’s also important to use the alt attribute to name images and ensure there is a balanced image-to-text ratio.

Unique and regularly updated content

Unique content is an important consideration not only with other pages within your website but also pages on external websites. Your on-page elements such as the URL, title tags, meta description tags, headings and image names should also be unique and ideally targeting one keyword or keyword phrase.  Search Engines also like fresh content so whenever possible update your website pages with unique content.

SEO copywriting can be a challenge initially but once you get the balance right between optimising your web pages and writing engaging copy, you can create landing pages that not only have high Search Engine visibility but also have a high conversion rate. Internet Intelligence Works is a full-service agency with an SEO copywriting team, SEO consultants and link analysts that help create successful SEO campaigns.

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