Writing Good SEO Copy

April 19^th 2012 Sally Ormond copywriting tips, search engine optimisation, SEO copywriter

When SEO (search engine optimised) copywriting is done well, it will boost your search rankings, attract targeted traffic to your website and convert those visitors into sales. SEO copy - how to write it

Done badly, it could harm your rankings, keep people away and it won’t sell anything.

So how do you make sure you get it right?

5 signs of good SEO copwriting

1. Written for your reader

When people think of SEO copy, they instantly start stuffing keywords into places they really shouldn’t go. This is probably because they’ve heard the term ‘keyword density’. If you have heard of it, forget it NOW. It’s a complete myth.

If you want copy that helps your rankings and attracts customers (and makes them buy), it needs to be written naturally and for the reader. Concentrate on selling the benefits, writing in the second person (lots of ‘you’ and virtually no ‘we’), make your reader believe you want to help them.

2. Don’t repeat yourself

Repetitive copy means it has too many keywords in it, or that you’ve over used a favourite phrase.

Read your copy out loud to make sure it makes sense, you haven’t repeated yourself and that it flows naturally.

3. Linking out

You already know that links into your website benefit your SEO hugely, but don’t forget to link out too. Placing a link to authoritative articles will not only add to your readers’ experience, it will also keep Google happy (and it could attract inbound links).

4. Structure

Make sure your copy looks attractive. Lay it out in short paragraphs with plenty of sub headings and bulleted lists to add interest.

Also, make sure it is logical and has a beginning, middle and end.

5. Be natural

Above all, write naturally. There is a lot of software out there that will help you generate loads of articles by ‘spinning’ them. Although it might seem like a great idea, they often lead to badly structured articles that no one will read – and that’s bad.

Don’t be tempted to take shortcuts.

So, what it all boils down to is write naturally, for your reader and don’t stuff your copy with keywords.

That’s all there is to it.