You don’t have to be a digital marketing guru to benefit from SEO – anyone can follow the basics to improve their search ranking.
The reality is, as more of our day-to-day activities move online, SEO (or search engine optimisation) is only going to become more important. That's why more and more business owners are beginning to see the importance of optimising their content for Google and other search engines.
If you’re wondering how you can use SEO to good effect, don’t worry. In this blog post, we discuss what SEO is, why it’s important and how to use SEO in content writing to improve your visibility.
Table of contents
- What is SEO in content writing?
i. What is SEO blog writing? - Importance of SEO content writing
- How to use SEO in content writing
1. Find the right keywords
2. Include your keywords strategically
3. Optimise the layout
4. Encourage backlinks
5. Publish quality content frequently - How to use keywords in content writing
What is SEO in content writing?
SEO content writing is the process of improving the visibility and ranking of a website or web page in Google and other search engines.
In order to rank higher in search results, you need to optimise your content for SEO. This means including keywords and phrases that people are likely to use when searching online for information. You can also use other techniques like link building and social media marketing to improve your SEO ranking.
A variety of different professionals use SEO to their advantage including content writers, webmasters, business owners and even bloggers. Digital marketing professionals also use SEO to improve their clients’ visibility and ranking in search results.
Read More: What is SEO copywriting?
What is SEO blog writing?
SEO blog writing involves publishing regular content on a business' blog using relevant keywords and phrases strategically throughout the content. These are intended to help search engines understand what the post is about and rank it higher in relevant search results.
The goal of SEO blog writing is to create content that both search engines and readers find valuable, informative and engaging. By doing so, businesses and website owners can increase their visibility online and drive more traffic to their website, which can ultimately lead to more leads, sales and conversions.
Read More: 7 reasons why blogging is important for business
Importance of SEO content writing
SEO is important in content writing because by optimising your content for SEO, you can make your website more visible in search results. If you appear higher up the results, more people will see your content (called impressions) and there's a higher chance they will click through to your website. For businesses, this could mean an increase in sales and a boost to your reputation, as well as greater brand awareness.
How to use SEO in content writing
It’s clear that SEO is important, but how do you use it in content writing? These steps can help:
1. Find the right keywords
In order to optimise your content for SEO, you need to start by including targeted keywords and phrases that people are likely to use when searching for information online. These tend to relate to your core services and location. You can find these keywords and phrases by doing keyword research on sites like Answer the Public, Ahrefs and Ubersuggest.
Another effective method for carrying out keyword research is to use a paid-for service like Semrush. This tool allows you to find relevant keywords, see how competitive particular keywords are and also suggests other related keywords that you may want to consider using in your content.
Read More: How to do a comprehensive keyword audit
2. Include your keywords strategically
Once you know which keywords you want to target, you can include them in your content. The best practice approach is to use them in strategic places rather than including them everywhere.
The places your keywords will work hardest for you are in the title, opening paragraph, at least one heading and your page’s meta title and meta description.
If you’re in charge of publishing the content, then it helps to have the target keyword in the alt tags too. You can also use them a few times in the body of your content, but don’t go overboard – keyword stuffing can actually harm your search ranking.
Read More: How to write great content for your website
3. Optimise the layout
How you set out your content is vital as it lets the search engines know whether your content is easy to read – both for their bots and human readers. Use helpful headings to direct the eye and explain what each section is about (like we’ve done here). Lists can also help maintain interest and can help you earn a Featured Snippet in Google.
Maintaining plenty of white space with short paragraphs is also essential in today’s mobile-first world where no one wants to see a wall of text fill their smartphone screen.
4. Encourage backlinks
In addition to using keywords, you can improve your SEO ranking by seeking out quality backlinks to your website or blog post. Backlinks are links from other websites that point back to your site. The more high-quality backlinks you have, the higher your SEO ranking will be.
There’s no quick fix to generating GOOD QUALITY backlinks, despite what those missives in your inbox might tell you. But you can generate backlinks simply by creating good quality content that encourages other sites to link to you. You can also actively court them by guest blogging for other websites, using social media marketing and building up a good linking strategy between your blog posts and web pages.
5. Publish quality content frequently
Another thing you can do to help improve your ranking is publish fresh, original content regularly. Your blog is an ideal place to do this as the content is there is more likely to change rather than on landing pages. Google favours websites that are regularly updated with new and valuable information, so by publishing high-quality and relevant content frequently you’re more likely to rank higher in search results.
If you can, get into the habit of posting on a weekly basis, ideally on the same day. However, if you're struggling, publishing with any kind of regularity is key, even if it's once a fortnight or once a month.
Read More: How to put together an editorial calendar for content marketing success
How to use keywords in content writing
Having the right keywords is vital for effective SEO so it’s important to properly understand them. When you’re choosing your keywords, aim to find those that are relevant to your topic, popular with search engine users, and not too difficult to rank for. A keyword is difficult to rank for if it has a lot of competition.
There are a few stages to finding the right keywords:
1. Start by choosing short-tail keywords with higher search volume: This means that they’re being searched for frequently by people online.
2. Next, refine them to keywords that are more specific: This will help you to target the right audience and make it easier for people to find your content, for example yoga classes in East London rather than yoga London.
3. Finally, target long-tail keywords where possible: These are longer keyword phrases, which have a lower monthly search volume but also tend to be more specific and relevant to what people are searching for, for example benefits of online yoga classes. These make excellent blog posts and FAQ or landing pages.
The takeaway
SEO is an important part of content writing, but it’s not difficult to incorporate into your content. By using keywords and phrases that are relevant to your topic, popular with searchers and not too difficult to rank for, you can optimise your content for SEO and improve your ranking in search results.
In addition, by publishing fresh and relevant information on a regular basis, you can continue to rank higher and attract more visitors to your website or blog.
✏️ Ready to turbocharge your content? Speak to us about our SEO content writing services at Copify.
Header image: Austin Distel
Embedded image: Merakist, Myriam Jessier, screenshot SEMrush.com