If you are writing your own blog posts, or your own online marketing, you must have SEO in your mind every time you touch your keyboard. But who has time to SEO everything they write?
Well you do and this post is going to take you through optimisation 101, showing you SEO copywriting techniques you can use to improve your search engine ranking without wasting time (or compromising your brand).
SEO copywriting uses your keywords to maximum effect. Good SEO copywriting will do that while keeping your reader engaged and interested. After all, it ain’t Google handing the cash over!
Find the right keywords
Keywords are the words (and phrases) your target market use to search online and it is worth doing your homework. People won’t usually search for your business name (unless you are number 1 in your industry), they look for a solution to their problem. And they are the most motivated shoppers you can get because they are actively looking for that solution.
Minimalist Tip: Get smart by looking beyond words that describe your business to the problems that are driving the questions people are asking – to which you are the answer (of course).
Use your keywords wisely
Search engines can’t see your webpage. They look for simple signals in your copy and code to figure out what you’re saying, and if it’s relevant. Don’t just write more copy. Use your keywords strategically, putting them in:
- Headlines
- Sub-headings
- Lists
- Links between pages / blog posts
- Links back to your website
- SEO meta tags and image captions
Don’t over-egg the SEO pudding
You might have heard of “keyword stuffing”, the process of repeating your keywords so many times that you leave the reader with a bad taste in their mouth. A bad taste and a grimy keyboard for having visited youra site.
You need to use your keywords as frequently as possible but you should always keep your reader as your number 1 priority. To test your keyword frequency, you might like to read The Secret Confession of a Wordle Junkie.
Minimalist Tip: Look for the quick wins. Ask yourself if you could be more specific about your products or services. Exchange “our products” for “our personalised school bags for kids”
Your SEO strategy doesn’t end with your content
Your search engine ranking is a bit like a popularity contest. You have to be likable. You have to hang out in the right places and you have to other people to give you a rap. When it all comes together, voila you’re the coolest kid in school.
That means creating online content that is valuable and relevant (see above), linking to trustworthy websites and getting trustworthy websites to link to you.
Search engines are that shallow so you need to make sure you’re keeping up appearances by:
- commenting on blogs and forums
- getting talked about on other blogs
- getting listed in directories
- linking to the leaders in your industry
If your webpage or blog post isn’t engaging, focused on the benefits you offer and action focused then lots of keywords in all the right places isn’t really going to help you.
Write for people first then look at optimisation. Once you know where to strike you’re optimisation won’t take any at all.
wish you success.
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