Search Engine Optimization
SEO Copywriting

Writing for Search Engine Placement A critical ingredient in search engine optimization is SEO copywriting -- writing & editing the website copy for the search engines. SEO copywriting should not be confused with marketing copywriting, but the two skills will be creatively interwoven in a successful, well-placed web site. Of course, website copy must first be written for the human visitor – the content must be what people want or need and be presented in a way that effectively communicates what needed information and stimulates them to act – usually to buy your product or service. After the marketing copy is crafted, the SEO copywriter edits for the search engines ensuring that keywords are placed effectively within the content of the page. Skilled SEO copywriting should be unobtrusive. Most website visitors have a fairly high tolerance for the repetition of keyword phrases. Fortunately search engines also prefer a fairly low density of keywords, so a natural approach to strategic keyword placement is best. SEO Copywriting – The Process Keyword Research & Analysis - If the initial research has not been done on keywords, it must be done before editing the copy for the search engines. The best time to research and analyze keywords is before the website is built, but search queries change over time and the research should be updated when editing content for the search engines. Current Search Engine Placement - If the site is already indexed, the placement of the page to be edited should be checked. If the site is doing well for one or two variations of the target keyword and less well for a third variation, the copywriter will edit accordingly. Keywords in Headings and Sub Headings – Many writers these days fail to use sub headings, but search engines use them to determine the topics covered by a page. Think of them as your content outline. Use h1, h2 and h3 tags logically. With the advent of CSS websites don’t need heading tags to determine how to display the font size of headings, but search engines still count them. Title and Meta Description – this is another area where your marketing and SEO copywriting should be a concerted effort. Copy must include the targeted keywords and appeal strongly to the human. Your title will appear Search engines will also occasionally display your meta description so a well written tag is important. SEO & Bulleted Keywords - Lists like this increase the readability of a page and search engine spiders love them. SEO Copywriting Resources – Do it Yourself or Hiring If you are hiring, here are two excellent resources to help you choose an SEO copywriter: Things to Expect from your SEO Copywriter Hiring Expert SEO Copywriters If you want to learn more about SEO copywriting yourself, you might want to subscribe to this copywriting newsletter. It’s not strictly about SEO copywriting, but it is does provide great tips to help you mesh your sales copy with SEO copywriting methods. To talk with an SEO Copywriter, call toll free: 866-872-0059 or for an appointment.