From the acronym, it is easy to deduce that an SEO copywriter deals with search engine optimization or Search Engine Optimisation (SEO). In this case, an SEO copywriter is a specific form of content writing that serves to improve the position of online content in search engines and to drive search engine traffic to your website.
An SEO copywriter ‘s content contains keywords and phrases that allow search engines to rank the content and decide its relevance, in order to deliver the best results to their users.
Simply put, SEO copywriting is the ability to write excellent content that suits both search engine robots and human readers. It shouldn’t sound like it was written around keywords, even if it is.
Great SEO content should sound completely natural, while still targeting the required keywords and phrases.
What is an SEO copywriter?
SEO copywriters are experts in content writing and search engine optimization.
Basically, it is someone with the skill or art of keeping both the audience and the search engines happy. Someone who can produce educational, entertaining, authentic and authoritative content for their readers, while perfectly blending the right keywords and phrases into the text that will make that content soar in search engine results.
Some people still think that not caring about quality and stuffing a bunch of keywords into a blog post will fool Google and get your website found. While that may work for a while, the moment Google discovers that sloppy, keyword-stuffed content, that company’s website disappears to the bottom of whatever passes for website hell, never to be seen again.
What exactly do SEO copywriters do?
SEO copywriters work on almost any content that can be optimized for SEO, which includes essentially every page of a website.
Their main projects usually fall into one of two categories
- Writing new web pages from scratch.
- Updating web pages that already exist on a site.
Both of these tasks will utilize all the skills for optimization. As for the process an SEO copywriter follows, we can give you the idea:
- Select the keywords and phrases that people are actually searching for on your topic.
- Plan the page or blog post to offer the best value to the audience, and to attract and entertain.
- Write, while weaving the keywords and phrases throughout the content so that the text is completely fluid and sounds natural.
- The SEO copywriter will write a captivating meta description, which is what will appear in search results and attract attention to read the text.
- The copywriter will also create the title tags, select the article categories, add the keyword to the alt text of the images and much more, so that your article will be found.
- Add internal and external links with appropriate anchor text.
Note that none of this has anything to do with keyword stuffing. It’s not forcing or trying to cheat your way to a better ranking. It is simply writing the text correctly for both the human audience and the search engines.
What are the main pages of a website?
An SEO copywriter, needs a thorough knowledge of the main pages found on most websites. Although you can specialize in a specific type of pages if you wish. There are many job opportunities available for specialists.
Here’s an overview of the main types of master pages and how you can optimize them as an SEO copywriter.
- Product pages: These pages can sometimes have duplicate content issues because most product manufacturers send all of their sellers the same product description. We recommend using a tool like Copyscape.com to check if your client has a duplicate content problem. If so, it is best to rewrite product descriptions whenever possible to have original content.
- Blog and article pages: Some important SEO elements for these pages are to ensure freshness, encourage engagement with the page and include links to other relevant pages on the site.
- Home page: This is the most general page of a website. The purpose of a home page is to include links to redirect visitors to what they are specifically looking for on a site.
- Comparison pages: These are pages that openly compare your client’s products with those of the competition. For these, it’s good to use Google’s autocomplete feature to determine what compares to your client’s brand, and then create a comparison page for each of the results.
- Information page: An information page runs the risk of becoming a long and difficult to read page. It’s best to break it up by creating separate pages for the company and its main brands, including people, products and events.
- Sales pages: The main purpose of a sales page is obviously to generate more sales, so you may not be able to optimize it as well as in other cases. But you can at least optimize it for a keyword, usually a keyword that includes your client’s brand name.
- Video/podcast pages: These usually have very little written content to optimize, so try to include “show notes” describing the video or podcast, or include a written transcript of the audio on the page.
- Pricing pages: Search engines often specifically look for pricing pages when they exist on a website. Make sure these include as many on-page SEO elements as possible so that search engines can easily find them.
- Lead generation pages: A lead capture page also usually has limited text, so try to include additional headings and bullets to add more depth to the page.
- Support and FAQ pages: Create a page for each support question or FAQ. Depth of coverage is not as important on these pages as the goal is simply to answer the specific question.
What kind of projects would an SEO copywriter NOT work on?
SEO copywriters would never work on a project that is not related to SEO, for example:
- Email campaigns
- Online advertisements
- Any printed marketing materials
- White papers
- E-books
You can still write these materials as a full-service copywriter, but you won’t need to use your additional SEO skills for projects like these.
Another area that is not applicable to SEO is websites that live behind a login screen. Facebook is a good example of this, where users have to enter their username and password before accessing materials on the site.
When a web page is not visible to the public, it is not visible to search engines either. And if search engines cannot read and index a web page, there is no need to include SEO.
how does SEO copywriting differ from technical SEO?
Technical SEO deals with all factors of SEO other than content. It focuses on making sure that the technical details of a website make it easier for search engines to see the site and find the content.
People who work with technical SEO usually have titles such as SEO specialist or SEO analyst. In this case, they are responsible for:
- Ensuring that a website’s pages load quickly
- Making a website compatible with mobile devices
- Creating a clear and simple site architecture
- Getting rid of duplicate content
- Manage the HTML in the backend of a site to make it as easy as possible for search engines to find the information on the pages
You may want to become a technical SEO expert if you’ve worked as a web developer, or even if you have basic HTML and programming skills. And you certainly don’t need technical SEO knowledge to be a successful SEO copywriter.
Just make it clear when you promote yourself that you specialize only in SEO copywriting, not the technical side of SEO. This way, you’ll be sure to find clients looking for your specific expertise.
What types of jobs are there for SEO copywriters?
There are several types of jobs for SEO copywriters. It is up to you to decide which type best suits your personal situation. The main types are as follows:
1. Freelance work
Freelance SEO copywriters also work on a contract basis, but freelancers tend to choose their own clients. They also tend to work with more than one client at a time.
They may work on a single project with one company for a short period of time, or they may work on multiple projects over a longer period of time.
They may also work with a client on retainer agreements, where the writer receives ongoing, monthly work for as long as both parties are satisfied.
2. In-house copywriting jobs
In an in-house writer position, you are hired as a full-time or part-time employee of a company. All kinds of companies in various industries hire in-house SEO copywriters. Some marketing agencies also hire in-house copywriters.
Many in-house copywriters must work at the company’s offices. But, depending on the company, you may be able to work 100% remotely from home, regardless of where you live.
3. Contract positions
This includes any formal position with a company or marketing agency where you work on a contract basis. Contract positions are temporary and must specify start and end dates in the contract.
The company may ask you to work the same hours as regular employees and may require you to work on-site. But technically you are not an employee of the company, and you do not receive any employment benefits as a contractor.
Why be an SEO copywriter?
SEO copywriting can be a somewhat bespoke job depending on what your personal needs are.
- Take a few minutes to think about what you want your work life to be like and write it down.
- would you prefer to have a stable job that you can count on to pay the bills? If so, a staff writer position might be the best option for you.
- do you want the flexibility to choose your own hours and not have to clock in? If so, you may want to explore freelance work.
Each type of employment has its pros and cons. The best thing to do is to start and try what you think you’ll like best.
If you find that it’s not for you, there are plenty of other SEO copywriting opportunities you can explore.
To check out what job opportunities are currently out there for SEO copywriters, take a look at our top sources for freelance and in-house copywriting jobs.
What skills are needed to be an SEO copywriter?
Let’s start by saying that you don’t need any “official” qualifications to be an SEO copywriter.You don’t need to have a degree or have graduated from high school to become a successful SEO copywriter.
That said, you will need some basic skills before you get started.
1. Creativity
Whether you’re writing new websites or updating existing ones, you’ll always need to have new ideas. This is good news if you’re naturally full of ideas. But even if you don’t consider yourself particularly creative, you can become very good at coming up with ideas.
Pay attention to other things you read, such as magazines, newspapers, social media and other websites. What are other people talking about? What kinds of topics would you like to read about that you’re not seeing covered?
You’ll often find seeds of great ideas in your day-to-day life. Write them down in a notebook and keep them handy for the next time you need fresh ideas.
2. SEO knowledge
You can expand your basic copywriting knowledge by studying on online platforms and guides. Most of the skills you’ll need to excel as an SEO copywriter can be learned from online resources.
3. Writing skills
It is important to have a solid foundation in basic writing skills before becoming an SEO copywriter.
You can check out many excellent books that cover copywriting in depth, such as The Copywriter’s Handbook: A Step-by-Step Guide to Writing Copy that Sells, by Bob Bly. On the web, you can also find numerous online copywriting courses that can also be helpful.
These resources will teach you the basics of how to write clear, compelling copy that is easy to understand.
4. Research skills
You will need to be able to conduct basic research to support the copy you write. This includes research on your target audience and appropriate keywords.
But, depending on the website, you may also need to find relevant statistics, read scientific studies, or interview subject matter experts.
Including unique and interesting facts that you can discover about your topic will make your copywriting stand out and attract attention.
