This blog is written by Molly Nutt, owner of Acorn Digital Strategy NW, a copywriting and content writing studio based in Issaquah, Washington.
Writing website copy for yourself sounds hard enough as it is–so why add in SEO to make it even more complicated?
By the end of this blog, you’ll realize why tackling SEO during the copywriting process is an extremely smart investment of your time and energy.
Before we dive into copywriting, let’s back up for a second to talk about the idea of leverage. So we’re on the same page; I think of leverage as getting more output from the same input. As business owners, we should always think about leverage! For example, if you record a podcast, repost it on YouTube, turn the transcript into a blog, turn the blog into newsletter content, and turn the newsletter content into social media captions. You leverage ONE podcast input and get FIVE pieces of content. You save time, increase impact, and reach more people by leveraging an asset well in your business.
Now I want you to think about how you can leverage your website copy.
Your website can be a massive leverage point in your business–if you let it. It can serve multiple purposes–if you let. It can save you time, make you money, and generate leads–if you let it. In order for you to do this, you have to write search engine optimized website copy.
Feel inspired to get on the SEO train yet? Good. Keep reading–let’s talk details.
What is Search Engine Optimization?
Search engine optimization, or SEO, is a way of making your website more relevant for search traffic. Optimizing your website means ranking higher on search results and generating organic website traffic from Google.
The higher up your website is listed on the search results, the more people will click on your website and learn about your business. Think about it–when was the last time you clicked over to page two of Google search results? Most of the time, you probably stick to the first page of results, because you know those websites are the most relevant and the most credible. From a content creator’s perspective, that means you’ll need to make sure your website is relevant and credible for your target audience.
SEO is affected by many different factors–which 13 Emeralds Marketing can tell you all about! But for now, let’s focus on how quality website copy can significantly affect how and where you show up on Google.
Why you need search engine optimized website copy
Infusing your website copy with SEO strategies is highly valuable to your business. Specifically, you’ll get more quality organic traffic. This means people within your target audience will be able to easily find your website. With a combination of SEO-friendly copywriting and the right keywords, Google will know that your site is a good match for what your ideal client is looking for. Your site will rank above other pages on the search result, and your audience will be more likely to click on your website.
Writing your copy with SEO in mind doesn’t mean writing like a robot. Keyword stuffing won’t do you any good in the Google algorithm or in attracting your ideal client. The quantity of pages website visitors explore, their bounce rate, and their time spent on page all impact how Google views your website–so make sure your website is providing valuable information for your target audience. The headlines, page descriptions, and blogs should strike a balance between appealing to your target audience and pleasing the algorithm.
Understanding what you should rank for through keyword research
Before you can begin implementing SEO strategies, you need to do a bit of background research to set yourself up for success.
Start by conducting keyword research to know exactly what your ideal client is searching for. There’s no need to spend time and energy writing copy that your ideal client isn’t interested in. Keyword research is well worth the initial investment–it will provide direction for what terms you should try to rank for on Google search results.
Once you know what short and longtail keywords your target audience is looking for, you’ll need to think about how to approach your website copy. The trick is to find what both Google and your audience likes. Consider investing in blogs to consistently push out content about topics your target audience is searching for.
Remember–you should always write for your ideal client first, and Google second. Engaging your human audience is most important! That said, there are some easy ways to please Google’s algorithm that won’t make your copy sound robotic.
Keep reading to see what sort of SEO basics you can integrate into your web copy that have a big impact on website optimization.
Where to sprinkle in search engine optimized copy
- Use headers and subheaders to label important information on each page. Try to include descriptive keywords that let both readers and Google know what the page is about. Having a defined page structure with H1, H2, and H3 tags will make the page easier for readers to navigate and easier for Google to crawl.
- Focus on one or two keywords per page instead of cramming multiple search terms in. This will help Google focus on the specific topic you’re discussing and help your web page rank for that keyword. It will also make it easier for readers to understand what you’re talking about.
- Keep your content short and sweet. People want to find information quickly, so Google puts a premium on easy-to-read content. Make sure readers will be able to skim text to be able to find answers without reading through long paragraphs.
- Include formatted text (like bold, underlined, or italics) to help call out key information. This highlights terms for Google’s algorithm and allows readers to know at-a-glance what content is important.
- Write page titles and meta descriptions in your website builder. This snippet of text will show up under your website link on Google search results and will give visitors an idea of what that page is about. Put keywords in these titles and descriptions as well.
- Post and update blog posts frequently. Recent content ranks more highly on search results, and it helps your content stay relevant for your audience! Remember, the longer website visitors stay on your page, the better–so make sure you’re creating genuinely valuable content for your audience.
Leverage your website copy to its maximum potential
You could easily write website copy without giving any thought to SEO. You can write what you think your ideal clients want to hear and not do any research ahead of time. You can let your website serve as a landing page for Instagram followers to learn more about your business. None of these things are bad–but I want you to think again about the idea of leverage.
Do you want your website to do more for you? Do you want your website to generate organic traffic? Do you want Google to provide you with free leads? You can easily leverage your website copy to achieve multiple goals simultaneously. Sounds pretty nice to me!
Incorporating these suggested strategies into your copy will help optimize your website, but it’s important to remember these strategies take time–SEO is a process. You aren’t going to see results overnight. But taking the time to invest in quality copy now will pay dividends in the future as your business grows.
Want to learn more about writing engaging copy and content for your website? Check us out at Acorn Digital Strategy and visit our blog for more tips and resources about copywriting.
