Try these SEO copywriting tactics and watch your rankings skyrocket
SEO. Most people have a love-hate relationship with it.
We know it works. But it can seem like a bit of a dark art. Something shrouded in secrecy or confusing acronyms. Or maybe SEO is something you just don’t have time for because you’re always on to the next brief or the next project that’s a little bit sexier and a little more in the spotlight.
But Search Engine Optimisation (just in case you needed a refresher) is crucial for writing effective copy that brings bucketloads of traffic to your website. And we see the magic happen for our clients every day as their websites creep up toward that coveted #1 spot. It’s how you get people on the page and, with a great offering, strong copy and a little luck, convert. But you knew that already. So how can you make it happen?
The secret sauce is simply great content. Content that speaks to your customer, shows them you understand their needs and makes them feel like they’ll benefit from whatever it is you’re selling.
That said, there are five proven SEO copywriting tactics that will give your website a nudge in the right direction.
Identify your keywords
Keywords are incredibly important when it comes to SEO copywriting. But the challenge is figuring out what keywords you should be trying to rank for.
SEO keywords help your business connect with potential customers who are actively searching for (or at least casually browsing) the products or services you sell or the problems they solve. So it goes without saying that your keywords need to be relevant and searchable – something you would actually punch into a search engine.
Location-based keywords can be a quick win, but competition can be fierce. It’s much easier to rank for ‘Graphic Designer in Dubbo’ than ‘Graphic Designer in Sydney’ due to the sheer volume of competition.
But what you can do is dig a little deeper and find more specific and relevant keywords for your business. There are plenty of online SEO keyword tools to help you find the most searchable terms to inform your content strategy.
A little bit of reverse engineering goes a long way
You know how important it is to get into the mind of your customer when it comes to marketing a product or service. The same goes for your SEO content. Working out what your potential customers might be searching for is one of the first steps in cracking the SEO code.
By putting yourself in the mind of the customer, and working out what they may or may not be Googling, you’ll be able to identify keywords and phrases to help you stand out from the crowd.
Think about the last time you Googled something… what did you type, what specific question did you ask? Use this style of wording to inform your content, using language a real human would use and watch your organic traffic shoot up.
Keep a close eye on your competition
If you know a competitor that seems to always nab the best clients or sell out of their latest product, take a closer look at what they’re doing. Read the copy on their website and see where they’ve injected unique tone, and where they’ve still managed to use ‘Googleable’ phrases that would rank highly.
They say imitation is the highest form of flattery, but nobody likes a copycat. Think about your unique value proposition and how your product or service can better or differently service those same customers who keep ending up on your competitor’s website.
Are there questions you can answer that your competitors haven’t? Topics you can cover that solve an unmet customer need? Cover the basics, of course, but be sure to prioritise the unique space that you can really own.
What have meta descriptions got to do with it?
Quite a lot! Since this is one of the first pieces of copy they’ll read from you when it pops up in the search results, it’s gotta be punchy, enticing and make them want to click. It’s also vital that it contains your keywords – how else will Google know your page is relevant?
Aim for a 60-ish character length meta title (containing keywords), and a 160-ish character length meta description that’s compelling and meaningful, with keywords.
Pictures say a thousand (key) words
Using visuals on your website pages is super important and has been proven to increase the time a reader spends on the page. But there’s no use having great images on your site if you’re not taking full advantage of the SEO opportunities that come with it. Make sure you’re adding alt-text descriptions and captions to all your images that draw on your SEO keywords.
See, SEO copywriting isn’t about hacking the system to please the Google gods. It’s mostly about writing great copy that resonates with your customers.
And if nothing seems to be moving the needle, you can reach out to us. We’ve got SEO copywriting down to a fine art.