Have you ever heard the word SEO? If not, you can understand what SEO is first. Simply put, SEO is a strategy for optimizing a blog or website so that it is in the main position in Google searches.
SEO Copywriting Tips: How to Create It In An Article?
When a user searches for something with certain keywords, the website or blog you create will be in the first position in the search results.
So how do you create content or articles with SEO in mind? So that’s what will be discussed in this article, namely SEO Copywriting.
When you write content or articles using SEO Copywriting rules, the articles or content you create will have the potential to be in the first position in Google searches.
Come on, see more tips for creating articles with SEO Copywriting!
Understanding SEO Copywriting
SEO copywriting is the process of creating articles or content with the aim of appearing at the top of search engines using relevant keywords. This is done so that the article is easy to understand by search engines like Google, and interesting for humans to read.
An SEO writer must understand how search engines work and use this knowledge when creating articles.
Apart from that, the goal of SEO copywriting is to provide education and valuable information to readers so that the article gets a high ranking on Google and attracts more readers.
Apart from getting high rankings, another goal of SEO copywriting is to encourage readers to take certain actions, such as transactions, so that visitor traffic turns into leads and ultimately into sales.
In achieving this, SEO copywriting involves creating stories that connect readers with a brand or company and create a strong bond.
Once a bond is formed, readers will be more interested in your brand or business. When readers see ads on social media or other platforms after a bond is formed, a transaction is expected to occur.
SEO copywriting is an important part of a prospective buyer’s journey. The article written must be able to change the knowledge of potential buyers from initially not knowing anything about the product or brand to a decision to use the product being offered.
This is what differentiates SEO copywriting from regular SEO content, namely its purpose. SEO content aims to provide information to users and increase traffic, while the main goal of copywriting is to encourage readers to take action such as downloading, subscribing, or making a purchase.
Important Things in SEO Copywriting
SEO copywriting is very important because it has several basic reasons. The following is an explanation of why SEO copywriting is important:
Attract quality traffic based on selected keywords
SEO copywriting is very important because it has several benefits, one of which is its ability to attract quality traffic based on selected keywords.
If you do the right keyword research, SEO copywriting can help create content that is optimized for keywords that are sought after by the target audience.
Using relevant keywords will make your content more likely to appear in search results that are relevant to the topic being discussed. This will help attract the right traffic, namely visitors who have interests and needs that are relevant to the products or services offered.
Gain trust by providing answers that are most sought after by visitors
SEO copywriting is very important in gaining visitors’ trust by providing the answers they are most looking for.
When visitors are looking for specific information or answers, they have a need they want to fulfill. SEO copywriting helps you present content that is relevant to visitors’ needs.
If you optimize your content for relevant keywords, then you will be able to provide appropriate and adequate answers to their questions or searches.
This increases visitor satisfaction and builds their trust in your content. Apart from that, you can also strengthen your reputation as an authoritative and trusted source of information.
Encourage readers to take action such as downloading an app, subscribing, or making a transaction
SEO copywriting is important in encouraging readers to take action such as downloading an application , subscribing, or making a transaction. If you use the right SEO copywriting techniques, you can attract readers’ attention and maintain their interest.
Interesting and informative content can build readers’ desire to take certain actions, such as downloading an application, subscribing, or making a transaction.
SEO copywriting helps convey messages clearly and convincingly, so that readers feel compelled to take the desired action. In SEO copywriting, you can highlight the benefits or value provided by the product or service offered.
By clearly and convincingly describing how the product or service can meet your readers’ needs or problems, you help them see the value they will gain by taking action.
Tips for Doing SEO Copywriting
The following are tips for doing SEO Copywriting that you can do, including:
Get to know yourself as a copywriter
If you want to become an effective copywriter, it is important for you to understand human psychology and mass communication theory. This will help you convey your message in the right way.
Visitors are only interested in information that is relevant to their needs or desires. Therefore, it is important to market yourself subtly and not too directly.
Building a personal relationship with readers will help build trust and comfort. In addition, it is important to adapt the language style you use to the intended audience, avoiding using language that is too formal or technical which can make readers lose interest.
By using the right approach, copywriters can create content that is interesting and easy for readers to understand.
Apply good and correct techniques in copywriting
In copywriting, the AIDA technique (Attention, Interest, Desire, Action) is the key to success that you must understand. At the Attention stage, the copywriter must attract readers with a relevant and interesting title.
The Interest stage requires content that can maintain reader interest by presenting useful information, interesting facts, convincing statistics, case studies, and relevant examples.
At the Desire stage, the copywriter needs to inspire the reader’s desire to have what is being offered by highlighting the benefits provided. The Action stage directs readers to take action, such as making a transaction.
If you follow these steps, readers will fully accept the content and potentially take the desired action. Effective use of AIDA techniques will enable copywriters to create engaging experiences and encourage readers to actively interact with the content.
Get to know your audience
The next important tip in copywriting is to understand your audience. Without adequate information about your audience, you will have difficulty influencing them through your writing because you don’t know who they are and how to attract their interest.
In SEO copywriting, the process of finding an audience is similar to creating a focused marketing campaign or other type of content that you would create for your business, namely by conducting buyer persona research.
A buyer persona is an imaginary picture of your ideal customer based on market research, business data, and existing customer profiles.
Tools like HubSpot’s Make My Persona can help you in this process with a step-by-step guide to identifying who your audience is, uncovering key pain points your audience is facing, as well as the solutions your audience is looking for based on your audience’s needs.
If you can understand your audience well, then you can create content that is more relevant and effective in achieving your copywriting goals.
Write for an audience
The goal of copywriting is to persuade the audience to take action. Therefore, it is important to always write with your audience in mind. Your buyers are looking for a solution, so write to tell them why you are the right solution for your audience.
For example, if you offer an all-in-one marketing tool, your persona and keyword research shows that your target audience often looks for “easy-to-use marketing tools.”
You should include those search terms in your text to speak directly to the intended users and encourage them to take the desired action, namely buying your product, because you have convinced them that you are the best solution for their needs.
Concise and straightforward
The more difficult it is to understand your article, the less likely you are to achieve the ultimate goal of converting users into customers. If your audience has to try hard to understand what you have to offer, you will likely lose your audience.
It is important to avoid using jargon and words that are not relevant to your purpose in your articles.
Developing these skills can be a difficult task, but it helps if you consider users’ preferences and expectations when looking for solutions to the problems they face and use that as the basis of your strategy.
Continuous testing
Sometimes, what you think is effective may not align with what your audience actually wants. Through continuous testing, you can ensure your work meets your audience’s needs.
This testing also ensures that you maximize the effectiveness of your articles. Your article should help your audience easily find the solution you offer without additional effort because all the information is explained in the copy.
For example, ongoing testing may involve creating multiple versions of a Call-to-Action (CTA) with different articles, placed on different web pages to see which produces better results.
Overall, SEO copywriting has two important components: the SEO aspect focuses on keywords that are relevant to your audience’s user intent and have high traffic, while the copywriting element is writing with the user goals behind those keywords in mind.
By using this strategy, you directly show your audience how you will solve their problems and persuade them to become your customers.
How to Create Articles with SEO Copywriting
So, for those of you who want to create articles with SEO Copywriting, let’s just follow the steps below:
Find suitable keywords
Keywords are words or phrases that are the main key when searching for information or products on search engines. Finding the right keywords will help you create content that can rank high on Google and increase the number of visitors to your site.
To start, focus on specific keywords that are relevant to your niche or topic, and make sure the competition is low. One tool that you can use for keyword research is Semrush’s Keyword Magic Tool.
In this tool, you simply enter the main keyword or initial keyword, select your country, and click the “Search” button. When the results appear, you will see a list of related keywords sorted by monthly search volume.
Apart from that, other information such as search goals, keyword difficulty level, and so on will also be available. You can use filters based on keyword difficulty by clicking on the “KD%” option provided.
It should be noted that KD% indicates how difficult it is to rank on the first page of Google for a particular keyword.
To get started, it is recommended to create content based on keywords with the difficulty levels “Possible,” “Easy,” and “Very Easy” first. This way, you can build a strong foundation for your content SEO strategy.
Search for frequently searched questions
Connecting people with useful information is a top priority for search engines. Therefore, Google continues to develop SERP features, which are elements on the Search Engine Result Page (SERP) that help searchers find what users are looking for quickly.
One feature that stands out is the “People Also Ask” block which presents additional questions related to the user’s search, along with short answers.
Exploring this search feature is a great way to find additional questions people frequently ask about a topic. This way, you can create content that directly answers these questions.
Apart from that, there are several tools that can help you find questions related to your keywords, such as AlsoAsked, AnswerThePublic, and Quora.
Determine the search intent of the keyword
Identifying the purpose of a user’s search is very important because it can help in creating content that is more relevant and useful for users. There are four types of user search goals, namely:
- Informational: users want to learn more about a specific topic, product, industry, and so on. An example of a keyword is: “best light laptop”.
- Navigational: users want to find a specific site or page. Example keyword: “List of Lenovo light laptops”.
- Commercial: users want to do research before making a purchase. Example keyword: “comparison of Asus and Lenovo light laptops”.
- Transactional: the user wants to buy a product or service. Example keyword: “buy an Asus laptop”.
Review competitors’ articles
Reviewing competitors’ articles can help you determine the right keywords and create better content than competitors. Some steps that can be taken in this process are:
- I identify target keywords that you want to use in SEO copywriting content.
- Look for competitor articles that use the target keyword.
- Analyze competitors’ articles to find out how they use those target keywords in their content.
- Create better content than competitors by using these target keywords. Additionally, you can take advantage of Semrush’s Keyword Gap tool by entering your domain in the “Root domain” column and your top four competitor domains below it. Then, press the “Compare” button. After that, scroll down to see the list of keywords. Click “Missing” to filter keywords that all your competitors are currently ranking for but not you. Use the KD% (keyword difficulty) column to sort keywords with high volume that are also easy to rank.
Collect and use original data
One effective way to increase reader interest and engagement is by presenting original data and case studies. By using exclusive data, you can strengthen your business’s position as a leader in the industry.
When this exclusive data is published, the chances of getting backlinks also increase, which can contribute to increasing your site’s authority and visibility.
However, sometimes in the process of writing an article, you can experience problems in getting the necessary data. This can be a real challenge, but that doesn’t mean you have to give up. There are several ways to overcome this lack of data:
Use social media
Social media provides a great opportunity to conduct surveys or polls to find out interests, lifestyle and various other things. By using social media as a survey tool, you can collect valuable and original data.
The results of this survey can be used as a reliable data source and used as a reference on similar topics. Through social media, you can take advantage of features such as polls, open questions, or even hold discussions with your audience.
This allows you to get direct insight from them regarding their preferences, habits, trends, or views regarding the topic you want to discuss. By using this original data, you can add value to your content and strengthen your position as a trustworthy source of information.
Additionally, combining survey data from social media with other data sources can provide a more complete and in-depth perspective on the topics discussed.
Leveraging the potential of surveys via social media can also help you produce content that better suits the interests and needs of your audience. Apart from that, you can also build better engagement with your audience by involving them directly in the content creation process.
Analyze existing data
Content can be enriched by using existing data, such as traffic data on a website. This data can provide valuable insight into patterns and trends that occur in website visitors.
If you analyze this data in depth, you can provide informative explanations and valuable insights into patterns in the data.
These explanations and insights can be a valuable reference for businesses in the same industry as they face sudden changes. By sharing knowledge about website traffic patterns and trends, you can provide practical guidance on what is or isn’t working in online marketing strategies.
Other businesses can use this information to optimize their digital presence and take appropriate steps to respond to changes in consumer or market behavior.
Use user-generated content
User-generated content is a valuable asset for promoting your business. Usually, content produced by users is in the form of testimonials, insights, or comments about their experiences using your business products or services.
This content has incredible power in building trust, inspiring and influencing potential customers. However, keep in mind that when hiring freelance writers or relying on content from users, they may not have direct access to the original data or information from your website or business.
Therefore, it is important to provide some information or instructions to them as basic material for the content to be created.
Providing relevant and clear information to freelance writers or users who contribute to creating content can help them understand the goals, messages and values your business wants to convey.
This also helps ensure that the content produced is in line with your business vision and mission. For example, you can provide background about the product or service, the benefits it provides, the target audience you want to reach, or customer success stories that can be used as inspiration.
The more specific and detailed the information you provide, the greater the chance that the resulting content will meet your expectations.
Optimization of titles, headers and metadata
When viewing a Search Engine Result Page (SERP), a user’s first attention will be drawn to the page title and meta description. Once they land on the page, they will probably glance at the header before reading the content.
Therefore, optimizing SEO elements on this page is very important to increase organic Click-Through Rate (CRT) and improve your user experience.
It’s worth noting that Google can change your title or meta description in the SERP depending on the user’s query or cut it off if it’s too long. However, it is still important to optimize both because both have the potential to influence users to click on your search results.
By optimizing page titles and meta descriptions, you can attract users’ attention, provide a clear picture of the content on offer, and influence their decision to click on your search results.
So, it is important to ensure that you optimize your title and meta description with relevant, interesting and informative keywords in order to maximize organic CTR potential and increase user interaction with your site. Here are some practices you can follow to optimize titles, headers and metadata:
Title Tag
- Make sure each page has a unique title tag that includes the target keyword.
- Avoid title tags that exceed 55 to 60 characters. (Google will truncate longer ones.)
- Describe content accurately to meet search intent. Users will shy away if the content does not meet their expectations.
Meta Description
- Always include the page’s target keywords. Meta descriptions do not directly affect rankings, but they can influence a user’s decision to click.
- Include a Call-to-action (CTA) to entice users to click.
- Keep meta descriptions under 120 characters.
- Describe the web page accurately.
- The meta description of each page must be unique.
Headers
- Write descriptive H1 tags. They help search engines (and users) learn about your page and its content.
- Make sure every important page has a unique H1 tag
- Use your titles to create hierarchy and structure
Create content that is easy to read
The majority of search engine users have the intention to get information quickly. Therefore, it is important to present content or articles that can provide information easily and efficiently. Here are some ways to achieve this:
Good article structure:
Make sure the article has a clear structure by optimizing the use of headers such as H2, H3, H4, and so on. If you use the right header, readers can easily understand the hierarchy of information in the article.
Easy to skim subtitles:
Most readers tend to skim or skim before reading in full. Therefore, it is important to present subtitles that are easy to read and can provide a quick overview of the content of the article. By having clear subtitles, articles will perform better in attracting readers’ attention.
Paragraph with clear information:
Make sure each paragraph in the article provides clear information and gets straight to the point. Avoid using long-winded or irrelevant words. If necessary, leave enough space between paragraphs to improve readability. Using points or numbers can also help convey information more clearly and structured.
Use short sentences:
Short sentences help the reading process go faster and make understanding easier. Try to avoid sentences that are too long and complicated. Use simple sentences and go straight to the point.
Use vocabulary that is easy to understand:
Choose vocabulary that is easy for readers to understand. Avoid using overly technical terminology or phrases, unless the content is intended for an audience with expertise in that field. By using vocabulary that is easy to digest, the level of clarity and readability of the content will increase.
By implementing the steps above, your content or articles will be easier to understand and provide a good reading experience for readers. It is important to convey information in a simple and effective way so that the message you want to convey can be well received by readers.
Use images
The existence of visual elements such as images, graphics, videos and other elements has an important role in increasing reader engagement and time spent reading content.
These visual elements have a strong appeal and are able to capture the reader’s attention, helping to create a more interesting and engaging experience.
Apart from increasing engagement, the presence of visual elements can also trigger readers to share articles via social media or other platforms. If your articles have attractive visuals, readers are likely to feel more connected to the content and feel compelled to share it with others.
This helps increase the reach of your content and brings more traffic to your site or platform.
Enter a CTA
As previously explained, one of the functions of copywriting is to invite or direct readers to make transactions. To provide a clearer and firmer invitation, using a CTA or call-to-action is very important.
Having a CTA can help you to provide instructions to readers regarding the steps they should take next. This can be done by directing them to other relevant articles, or even to the product page you want to promote.
CTAs are usually links, buttons, images, or other visual elements that catch readers’ attention and encourage them to take the action you want.
Effective use of CTAs will help create a targeted user experience and make it easier for readers to take the next step.
You can give readers specific directions about what they should do, such as “Read the Next Article,” “Buy Now,” “Register Now,” or other phrases that are relevant to your business goals.
It is important to choose CTA wording and design that suits your goals, so that it can arouse readers’ interest and encourage them to interact further with your content or product.
Provide a link to connect the article
Embedding hyperlinks from one page to another article page can allow you to help readers navigate and know which page they should visit next.
Apart from that, the presence of links to other pages on your website can also improve the website structure which in turn will support SEO performance.
This applies when the embedded link is a URL that comes from the same domain as the website. However, if you embed a link to an external website, you can also build trust in your website by giving recognition to the other website.
If you provide relevant and useful links to trusted external resources, you can demonstrate that you have extensive knowledge and provide added value to readers.
This also helps in building relationships with other website owners and increases the reputation and authority of your website in the eyes of users and search engines.
If you include external links, it is important to choose sources that are credible and relevant to the content you present. Apart from that, giving credit to other websites by providing sources or citing the information used is also an ethical action and can strengthen your position as a trusted source of information.