Of course, we are going to say that content is one of the most critical aspects of Search Engine Optimisation because we are a Digital Marketing Agency in Cheshire responsible for creating copy for our numerous clients. But it’s true! To keep us on our toes, Google is continually changing their algorithms. This means it is hard to know on a day-to-day basis what is working, and whether the optimisation you are doing is actually increasing your rankings or harming them. Drawing on our years of experience, we have pulled together Zool’s top ten tips for SEO copywriting, which will help you write content that ranks well.
Zool’s top tips for SEO copywriting, in no particular order, are:
1. Write for Humans, not Robots
Google has made it quite evident that they prefer original content to obviously SEO content. Avoid keyword stuffing – it just makes it look like you are trying your hardest to manipulate the rankings! Instead, write with a focus on your target audience, and use keywords where they would naturally occur.
2. Use Related Keywords
Most search engines, including Google, use Latent Semantic Indexing to match the content you provide to what people are searching for. To help with this, while avoiding keyword stuffing, use related keywords, synonyms and grammatical variations of keywords – as this will make the content more relevant. A bonus from using this technique is that it is also a great way to target different search queries.
3. Write In-Depth Quality Content
Research has shown that the average web page which is ranking on the first page of Google has over 2,000 words, so don’t be afraid to share your knowledge and insight with your customers in a more in-depth way. Instead of writing three short articles, put the time into writing an excellent long article, and you will reap the rewards.
4. Use Long Tail Phrases
Long-tail phrases tend to have a smaller search volume than significant short keywords, but the traffic quality should be higher as the person searching for the long-tail keyword tends to be more motivated and, therefore, more likely to convert. Going back to point one though – make sure the content is aimed at your audience, and not just written for the search engine!
5. Answer Your Customer’s Questions
A great follow on tip from the long tail phrases tip – as answering questions is an excellent way to take advantage of the use of long-tail phrases. If your customers have questions about your product or service, they will more than likely type that question into the search engine. So, use your content to answer their questions, preferably in a better way than your competitor answers them!
6. Get Your Content Shared
The sharing of your content has to be the ultimate goal – the more shares your content gets, the more popular the Search Engines will deem it to be. So, get your content out on the major social networks like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc., post it in forums, blogs, newsletters, etc. – and encourage people to share it.
7. Realise the Importance of Title Tags
The title tag is still the first thing that Google looks at when it is categorising any individual web page – so include keywords in there, but again make them natural. Your primary focus here should be on motivating potential customers to click – click-through rate is a ranking factor after all!
8. Don’t Underestimate the Importance of Images
Google also seems to be giving images a more prominent and more significant role in their ranking factors, so make sure you use relevant images in your content and include relevant keywords in the alt text and image file name. In this case, it is essential to keep the alt text short so that it is easier for Google to read.
If all of this is double dutch to you, then get in touch with Zool – we know what we are talking about when it comes to SEO in Cheshire.
Top 8 SEO Copywriting Tips
Content Writing & Blogs Digital SEO / Jul 14, 2014
Of course, we are going to say that content is one of the most critical aspects of Search Engine Optimisation because we are a Digital Marketing Agency in Cheshire responsible for creating copy for our numerous clients. But it’s true! To keep us on our toes, Google is continually changing their algorithms. This means it is hard to know on a day-to-day basis what is working, and whether the optimisation you are doing is actually increasing your rankings or harming them. Drawing on our years of experience, we have pulled together Zool’s top ten tips for SEO copywriting, which will help you write content that ranks well.
Zool’s top tips for SEO copywriting, in no particular order, are:
1. Write for Humans, not Robots
Google has made it quite evident that they prefer original content to obviously SEO content. Avoid keyword stuffing – it just makes it look like you are trying your hardest to manipulate the rankings! Instead, write with a focus on your target audience, and use keywords where they would naturally occur.
2. Use Related Keywords
Most search engines, including Google, use Latent Semantic Indexing to match the content you provide to what people are searching for. To help with this, while avoiding keyword stuffing, use related keywords, synonyms and grammatical variations of keywords – as this will make the content more relevant. A bonus from using this technique is that it is also a great way to target different search queries.
3. Write In-Depth Quality Content
Research has shown that the average web page which is ranking on the first page of Google has over 2,000 words, so don’t be afraid to share your knowledge and insight with your customers in a more in-depth way. Instead of writing three short articles, put the time into writing an excellent long article, and you will reap the rewards.
4. Use Long Tail Phrases
Long-tail phrases tend to have a smaller search volume than significant short keywords, but the traffic quality should be higher as the person searching for the long-tail keyword tends to be more motivated and, therefore, more likely to convert. Going back to point one though – make sure the content is aimed at your audience, and not just written for the search engine!
5. Answer Your Customer’s Questions
A great follow on tip from the long tail phrases tip – as answering questions is an excellent way to take advantage of the use of long-tail phrases. If your customers have questions about your product or service, they will more than likely type that question into the search engine. So, use your content to answer their questions, preferably in a better way than your competitor answers them!
6. Get Your Content Shared
The sharing of your content has to be the ultimate goal – the more shares your content gets, the more popular the Search Engines will deem it to be. So, get your content out on the major social networks like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc., post it in forums, blogs, newsletters, etc. – and encourage people to share it.
7. Realise the Importance of Title Tags
The title tag is still the first thing that Google looks at when it is categorising any individual web page – so include keywords in there, but again make them natural. Your primary focus here should be on motivating potential customers to click – click-through rate is a ranking factor after all!
8. Don’t Underestimate the Importance of Images
Google also seems to be giving images a more prominent and more significant role in their ranking factors, so make sure you use relevant images in your content and include relevant keywords in the alt text and image file name. In this case, it is essential to keep the alt text short so that it is easier for Google to read.
If all of this is double dutch to you, then get in touch with Zool – we know what we are talking about when it comes to SEO in Cheshire.
