Copywriting is an important part of every SEO strategy in 2021. If you want to improve your Google ranking, you need high-quality, valuable content that helps you rank and sets you apart from your competition. It’s important to do SEO copywriting the right way. Let’s discuss five SEO copywriting mistakes to avoid! We will also discuss some SEO copywriting best practices to help improve your writing even more. If you need help with SEO copywriting for your website, contact SEO Design Chicago today to learn about our professional SEO copywriting services.
Table of Contents
What is SEO?
SEO stands for search engine optimization and is the practice of using techniques to boost websites’ rankings on search engines like Google and Bing and attracting organic traffic.
SEO Copywriting
SEO copywriting is the practice of using search engine optimization best practices to write SEO content that will help boost a website’s search engine ranking. Copywriting for SEO is different than other kinds of copywriting. It involves utilizing keywords and phrases that your target audience will use in order to find your website’s content. Excellent SEO copywriting results in your content ranking higher in the search results.
The key to good SEO copywriting is that you can’t tell the difference between good copywriting and good SEO copywriting.
Your audience should not realize or notice that you are using keywords and other SEO strategies. They should simply enjoy reading your valuable piece of excellent writing. Writing SEO content is about more than just making Google’s algorithm happy. You need to make your reader happy, too.
SEO Copywriting Mistakes to Avoid
These are the top five SEO copywriting mistakes to avoid.
1. Skipping Keyword Research
The first step of SEO copywriting is keyword research. Yes, keyword research can be time-consuming, but it is worth it. You can write fantastic content, but if it doesn’t rank for keywords that people use, it won’t matter. That is why simply winging your writing and hoping it will rank doesn’t work. Do not skip the keyword research step!
Here are some keyword research tips. Choose one target keyword that you will use throughout your article, and a few secondary search terms to also include. You can pick one focus keyword per each piece of content and individual web page. Make sure to include your focus keyword in your title tags and meta description when creating content. For example, you can write blog posts about each keyword that you want your website to rank for.
2. Forgetting About Search Intent
Before you even start writing, and perhaps as you are doing your keyword research, consider search intent. What is the intent behind your keywords? Is your audience looking for information, a website, or do they want to purchase something? Search intent is key for SEO copywriting because it considers the searcher’s needs. You want to consider their wants and needs so that when the search ultimately finds your content, they are satisfied and don’t immediately leave your site to find other content. This ensures that your website’s user experience is positive.
3. Not Using Keyword Variation and Synonyms
Search engines like Google are incredibly intelligent in 2021. They not only consider keywords, but they also consider the synonyms and the meaning behind those keywords. Google Phrase Match is all about matching the meaning of the keyword, rather than the exact keyword itself. This means that you need to consider not only the exact keywords you are using in your copy, but also the meaning of those keywords. Then, include as many variations of your keywords as possible.
Don’t forget to also incorporate some long-tail keywords into your copy! Long-tail keywords are groups of keywords that make your search more specific. They can help you more specifically target your audience and garner more traffic.
4. Not Considering the Audience’s Perspective
Another common SEO copywriting mistake is not taking the user’s perspective into account while writing. All too often, the copy is written solely from the view of the website owner and doesn’t consider the user’s point of view. Your readers probably don’t care about all your industry jargon or why you think your products and services are awesome. Rather, they want to know what problem of theirs you can solve or how you can help them learn more about a topic. Consider writing in first person and using “you” often in your writing, rather than using “I” or “we.”
This is one reason why a professional SEO copywriter can help. Rather than writing in the perspective of the business owner, an expert writer can help write from all perspectives for your website.
5. Writing Unreadable Copy
Readability is key when it comes to SEO copywriting. A huge SEO copywriting mistake is writing content that is difficult to understand. It’s important to ensure that anyone can understand the meaning of your content. Consider your audience and write to their level of understanding and in their tone of voice. If your writing is hard to understand, your audience will leave your website, and may not return. Here are some tips for writing readable copy: don’t write long sentences. Avoid long and difficult words and jargon.
There are tools available like the Hemingway App to help you write good content, if you need assistance.
SEO Copywriting Best Practices
Now, let’s focus on the positive. Here are a few of the our best SEO copywriting tips to implement into your content strategy.
Integrate Keywords Naturally
We all know that keywords are key (pardon the pun) for SEO purposes. However, simply stuffing your content with keywords will not help it rank higher. Make sure to use your keywords as naturally as possible in your copy.
Add a Call to Action
Every piece of SEO copywriting needs a call-to-action. Whether you want your reader to make a purchase, sign up for your newsletter, or take some other kind of action, make sure to tell them exactly what it is you are hoping for at the end of your piece.
Write to Your Potential Customer
Oftentimes, SEO writers are so busy worrying about utilizing their keywords and other SEO best practices that they forget the most important part: writing to your reader. Keep your audience in mind while writing and write specifically to that person. Stay focused on the needs of your audience and you can’t go wrong.
Include Internal Links
An essential piece of SEO is link building. Add internal links to your content that add value to your article. Can a link to another article on your website help your reader? Include them! It not only helps your reader, but can also boost your SEO.
Avoid SEO Copywriting Mistakes with SEO Design Chicago
A final bonus tip: in order to avoid making any of these common SEO copywriting mistakes, consider hiring an SEO content writing service instead! The best SEO copywriting is done by the experts. And the best SEO copywriting tool at your disposal is our team of professional, college-educated SEO content writers. If you need an SEO article writing service, contact SEO Design Chicago today! Our professional writers can create excellent, customized SEO content for your website.
FAQ:
- What is SEO copywriting?
- What is good SEO copywriting?
- Are there tools to help me write good SEO copy?
- What are the main SEO copywriting mistakes to avoid?
- What is SEO?
Contact Us Today!