What is SEO-Friendly Copywriting?

Every business owner wants a website that generates free organic traffic. But it’s easier said than done! To get more organic web traffic–especially if you want to show up on page one of Google–you’ll need to infuse copywriting with SEO best-practices for optimal results.

Let’s first break down the definitions of SEO and copywriting.

SEO stands for search engine optimization. SEO basically means making your website relevant to search traffic. It signals to Google that your website is a good fit for a search query. To learn more about SEO before continuing, head to our blog Website SEO Foundations. 

Copywriting is the words that go on your website. It’s the persuasive, informative text that markets and promotes your business.

Learn more: Content Writing vs. Copywriting

SEO-friendly copywriting means choosing words on your website that your target audience and Google likes. This ensures your site ranks higher on search results.

Why SEO matters

SEO is the best way to get organic traffic to your website. You don’t have to pay for ads–Google  just naturally brings your website to the top of search results. More people will end up seeing and visiting your website when your website is search engine optimized. 

You won’t just be getting more web traffic–you’ll be getting more traffic from your ideal client. With effective SEO-friendly copywriting and the right keywords, Google will know your page is a good search result for what your ideal client is looking for. By directing interested visitors to your website, you’ll have no trouble generating leads.

SEO also gives your business a chance to connect with people who might not know about your business otherwise. You can’t always rely on social media to build brand awareness, so it’s a good idea to diversify how people can find you.

Write for your audience first

Let’s be clear–SEO friendly copywriting doesn’t mean you should keyword stuff or sound like a robot. Trying too hard to optimize your website at the expense of quality copywriting just makes your business suffer. The first priority is to appeal, connect, and provide value to your target audience. 

The good news is you can do this at the same time as writing SEO-friendly copywriting. High quality copywriting–with a few strategic keywords sprinkled in–is the number one way to appeal to your audience and improve your SEO.

Using SEO-friendly copywriting on your website

Improving your website copy and SEO can help you diversify your lead generation sources. 

Here are some tips that can take your SEO to the next level:

• Stick to one main keyword or topic per page. This will help the page rank on a Google search for that specific keyword or key phrase. Plus, keeping each page focused on a single topic provides a better user experience.

• Use H1, H2, and H3 header tags to label which information is most important on your page. H1 headers should have descriptive keywords that let both Google and readers know what the page is about. 

• Put keywords in URLs. It makes it really easy for website visitors to see the page topic with just a glance! Google also scans URLs to see what the page is about–putting keywords in your URLs can only help. 

• Write body copy that has some variations on the keyword description. Using formatted text (like bold or italics) can also highlight key info that you want Google to know about.

• Create page titles and meta descriptions. This is the snippet of text that shows up under a Google search result, and it helps encourage visitors to check out your page if they see it. Usually, you can edit these in the page settings of your website building

• Provide alt text to describe images. First and foremost, this is important for accessibility. Blind or low vision website visitors use screen readers to understand website copy. Alt text is read to the website visitor so they can understand the images on the page. In addition, alt text helps Google interpret the images on your page. Ensure your alt text is descriptive, and if possible, include a few keywords. 

• Post blogs frequently! Blogs give you more opportunities to highlight keywords related to your business. They also keep your website fresh and updated. Google values recent content, so this is a must. 

Does this apply to your business?

Absolutely! Regardless of industry, any and all businesses can benefit from SEO-friendly copywriting. 

Just be sure to adapt the copy to your individual business needs. For example, product-based businesses with retail stores really benefit from location-specific keywords to attract in-person customers. Service-based businesses can start generating organic traffic from blogs (like this one!). Be sure to check out the blog Website SEO Foundations for extra ideas. 

If you need help with keyword research, blog planning, or blog writing, we got you! We help clients create strategic, engaging, and SEO-friendly blogs from various industries. Head to our services page to learn more!