SEO Copywriting, Copywriting for SEO, Search Engine Optimization Copy
You didn’t read the title wrong. In days not so long past, a copywriting tactic used to increase rankings in Google and other search engines was to fill your copy with keywords wherever you could. This tactic no longer works and will actually penalize your site in search engines.
Do any of your pages look like this?
Thank you for visiting our website. We are a (type of) company located in (city & state), we service the greater (city & state) area for all types of (type of) needs. Please reach out to us for your (type of) needs, we would be happy to travel to you anywhere in the (city & state) area.
Since the release of the Google’s Hummingbird algorithm in late 2013 content marketing is more important than it has ever been before. A couple of things to keep in mind when coming up with SEO friendly copy for your site:
How wordy are you?
Minimum word count is increasing. There should be a minimum of 300 words on each page. The average is around 500-600 but if you can achieve 1000 words Google will reward you for it.
How often do you repeat yourself?
Content should be unique. Don’t copy your paragraphs from one area to other sections of your site, instead link back to the pages where they are listed.
Not enough content?
Look to see where you can combine the content on other pages where it makes sense, or try tossing a FAQ into the copy to get word count up. Phrase it like your ideal client would ask it.
Headings!
Add some <h1> <h2> tags. This will help search engines give your site a quick look. If you put it in a heading tag, they know it’s important.
Mix it Up
No matter what your keyword is, people are searching for other terms as well. Use the Google Keyword Planner or a plain ole Thesaurus to add more variations of your keyword in your copy.
Did you use the keyword filler tactic in the past? If so, you’ll want to re-write these pages.