7 Essential Rules for SEO Copywriting

The following is a contributed post and may not reflect the views of Tech Help Canada.

Do you feel that your copywriting does not hit the marks it should? You need to ensure that you are following some of the most fundamental concepts necessary for success.

In one sentence, they are; basics first, recognizing intent, writing the introduction last, no stuffing, covering ancillary keywords, inviting action, and finally editing. Let’s dive deeper.

And don’t skip the conclusion.

1. Make the Basics Your Strength

We want to jump ahead into advanced topics because we feel confident or underestimate the basics’ importance.

Nuh-uh.

Copywriting is so much more about creating a connection with your audience than it is about choosing the best secondary keywords. One can learn the basics of copywriting through research, much like you would when discovering SEO.

Read books on it, like the fantastic Confessions of An Advertising Man by David Ogilvy. Learn the trade properly by putting time into courses and long-form content about copywriting. If you don’t have the basic copywriting skills, there is no reason to learn SEO because you won’t avoid a massive bounce rate. Good copy keeps people on your web pages longer.

2. Recognize The Intent Behind Keywords

Your audiences search for keywords to fulfill a need. Before creating any content, the most fundamental thing is understanding why your audience searched for the particular keyword. Understanding intent will help you create better content.

3. Write Your Introduction Last

Here is what I do. I write in a flow, including an introduction. After completing it, I scrap the introduction and write it again with a better idea of my conclusions.

Once you have written down all your content, you have a better idea of what you have offered your audiences. You, as expected, find a more natural way to compact your information into one attractive paragraph. I assume I don’t have to tell you how essential introductions are. Just write them last.

4. It’s Not A Thanksgiving Dinner. Don’t Stuff It.

Previously, Google’s algorithm favored stuffing of keywords. They don’t now. There is no reason to put the term ‘buy red apples’ in every nook and cranny of your article, for example. If it is there in your metadata, in your introduction, and a few paragraphs where it fits naturally as the sentence’s subject, that is all you need. If you stuff it where it does not belong, you won’t gain any points from the search engine, and you will lose your audience to the constant repetition.

5. You Can Target More Than One Keyword

If you create content about running for beginners, it should attract those looking for the ‘fundamentals of running,’ ‘how to make running easier, and ‘how to run.’ You are not supposed to write separate content for these different keywords.

There will always be synonyms, related words, or vague searches. Know that not everyone in your audience has the best writing skills or always knows what keywords to use for the content they want. Incorporate ancillary keywords (related search terms) in your copywriting to attract more of your actual audience.

6. Invite Action

Command your audience using action words. When we read, commands process differently than simple statements. Tell them to ‘Learn More’ in your headline to get them into your site. Tell them to ‘Wait a Minute’ after you have dropped a bombshell on them. Tell them to ‘Ask me why?’ after you have taken a bold new stance. Once you have mastered this essential interaction, only then will you be naturally able to command your audience to click on external links to related articles, or comment, or buy your product.

7. First Drafts Are Not the Final Drafts

The quality of any content depends on how well it is edited. You may be the LeBron James of having flow in your writing, but that is not enough. It would be best if you edited; that is necessary to push your content to the next level.

Here is what I do.

First, take an overview, take things out, even entire paragraphs, and put completely new arguments as you see fit. Then rewrite the introduction. Then go deeper; look at topic sentences and see if they work to push your audience to read the complete paragraph, rewrite them. Then look to add transitions between paragraphs, and segments of your copywriting, like asking your audience to breathe.

Conclusion

Learn to ask questions. Having read all of these rules, I will end it with this: what you have read here is theory and practice without applying the theoretical concepts is useless. Write these rules on a sticky note next to the screen. Before you submit any copywriting work, ask yourself whether you have applied these rules to your work. Ask yourself every time until these rules become second nature to you, and good luck!

About the Author

Abroo Murtaza

Abroo Murtaza is one enthusiastic and passionate writer who loves to write about traveling based on the interest of exploring new places, reading about them, and then delivering the knowledge through her pen. Moreover, Abroo is also fond of writing about technology trends, gadgets like the latest, mobiles, cameras, etc. She thus strives to provide accurate information and knowledge in respective areas of interest and educate people on real terms.

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