What does SEO copywriting look like in practice?

When working as a full-time SEO copywriter, I was using a proprietary SEO tool that scoured Google to get a list of the semantic words to include in each article.

You probably don’t have access to such tool if you are not a professional SEO specialist, paying the pricey fees for SEO expert tools such as SEMrush or AHREFS.

But that’s not a problem! In my other copywriting article, I laid out a simple method how you can get a semantic word list for that gives you 80% of the result for free!

To summarize getting a semantic SEO word list here, you can download SEOQuake plugin, take any authority article with high ranking, and use the plugin to show the word density list. Use this list to include the right terms into your article.

Getting the semantics right is huge part of optimizing your article for search engines. Simple keyword stuffing does not work, but will force Google to penalize your article.

SEO checklist for copywriting

Beyond the semantic word list, there are few other important factors for successful SEO writing.

“First of all, you need to be crystal clear what your keyword or specific search query is. “

Instead of guessing, use Google search, Google Keyword Planner and Google Trends to find out real data about search terms and traffic numbers. 

Knowing the keyword difficulty will give you strategic advance.

Otherwise, all your SEO efforts will be shots in the dark.

Then you can find an authority article from Google to get the word density list using SEOQuake, and write the body of your SEO article.

Knowing the keyword (or search term), make sure to add it in your opening paragraph, in the H1 heading, inside of some H2 and H3 headings, and in Meta title and Meta description.

And if you are a real SEO wizard, you’ll add internal links to its siblings, and a link to the money page.

If you follow these steps, your article will be search engine optimized. SEO is really easy and powerful, when you have the right formula.

BUT! As mentioned before, getting SEO right means the job is half done. The other part is as important.

Copywriting checklist for SEO

What is good copywriting?

Your words need to have power to move people into taking action. The problem with many SEO specialists is that they think and write like engineers.

Writing like an engineer is good for a manual, but not for advertising and marketing. Quite the opposite actually, because complex technical description simply bores most people.

SEO writing has to implement copywriting to make people excited and motivated to take action. In practice, this means talking about what people want, how it will help them, and how they can get it.

Effective copywriting taps into the target buyer’s mind by talking about their current thoughts and doubts.

To catch attention, you need to know what the reader is thinking, and offer a new point of view that rouses interest.

Then you can lead the reader’s mind into hope and excitement about a life after solving the problem or grabbing the opportunity.

There has to be an obvious benefit, great no-risk offer, and an easy way to get it.

If you can communicate that CLEARLY, most of the work is done.

Combining SEO and Copywriting

For real results, you cannot have the one without the other. When put together, you become a dual-class hero like Gandalf with an AK-47, and your blogs, posts and articles will start getting traffic, traction and transactions.

The simplistic formula for both is laid out in the two previous sections. Learning to fuse together great SEO and copywriting can truly make a day and night’s difference in any business.

Maybe you know this, but about 90% of search traffic clicks the organic first page results in Google. Everything beyond first page is a graveyard.

Paid spots on the top only get few percent of the clicks. They are an easy but expensive method to get some traffic to a website.

The point is this. When you learn to master both skills, they work synergistically and give you a double oomph to rank you higher.

Google pays close attention how much time people spend time on a given website. If they stay for minutes (reading compelling copy or interesting articles), Google takes note that this website seems to serve the visitors well.

If the traffic bounces out after 2 seconds, you know that your copy or layout sucks. And Google will know it, too.

The secret: Give people what they are looking for.

If you can serve your audience by giving them valuable information they can use right now to improve their life, they will stick around as long as they feel like it’s worth their time.

Doing it right, first of all, will make some people to take action and buy your services and products, and secondly, Google will reward you by nudging you up and up in the ranking over time. 

Going after high Keyword difficulty?

If you are starting out, for yourself or doing SEO copywriting for others, AVOID high keyword difficulty. It makes no sense to start fighting against the industry-leading goliath who has produced 5 years of quality material around the keyword you want to go after.

Instead, dig around and start looking for easy wins to get some initial traffic. Find a unique position, a specific niche and cover topics that have low search traffic with low competition.

Lay the foundation first with compelling copywriting and smart SEO. Go after small first to win. Go after local first to win. Don’t do things that have higher probability to fail. This is a super simple concept which requires you to have a balanced view of reality. Go after things that give you higher probability to win.

How to start doing SEO Copywriting?

If you’re working on a blog, take everything you got from here, and learn about hierarchical SEO to build family hierarchies around your main topics. 

I’m not talking about uncles and distant cousins, but child and parent pages. Your home page is the top of the pyramid, your landing pages are parent pages, and your supporting, child pages point links to the landing pages to show Google that they are the most important pages, and lead the ‘link juice’ in the right address.

And obviously, lead your readers to your money page, as well, with compelling call to action. It takes time to build great authority websites, but that’s all. 

Learning persuasive writing and search engine optimization tricks is not difficult at all. It just takes time like anything that is worth building. Keep reading to learn more. For a deep dive, check out this backlinko guide.