Writing an ordinary blog article can be easy, but tailoring content so search engines can tag it as relevant and useful is a different story. Such is the work of SEO writers.
Let’s probe into the inner workings of an SEO writer by first discussing what SEO means.
Search Engine Optimization: A Digital Marketing Strategy Defined
As you scour the internet depths for possible digital marketing strategies, you’ve probably already encountered the acronym “SEO.” SEO is short for search engine optimization — in other words, tailoring your content to rank on search engines like Google and Bing.
These search engines contain web crawlers that continuously probe and review the contents of a website and its pages. Their algorithms would then arrange these sites on the search engine results page (SERPs) by their relevance to an online user’s query. They also consider the site’s security, loading speed, credibility, and accessibility.
Businesses undergo SEO processes to place their websites at the top of search engine rankings and garner organic traffic. Optimizing for search engines ensures that your site and its content remain relevant and visible to online audiences.
Rather than focusing on product and service endorsements, SEO focuses more on fulfilling the demands of online audiences, giving them an excellent user experience. So, while it primarily helps your company reach its goals, it also establishes rapport between you and your customers.
SEO involves modifying your website to enhance its online performance and presence. Some of these practices include regularly updating your content, using relevant keywords in your article and meta description, and proper internal linking.
Let’s familiarize ourselves with SEO writing, shall we? Here are a few concepts and practices you will encounter as an SEO writer.
SERP Optimization
Because search engines are the main battleground for SEO, it’s important to consider the layout of your web page on SERPs. Think of it as giving online audiences a first look at your site and brand—you have to make a good impression.
Make a memorable and significant first impression by placing relevant keywords in your headings and meta descriptions and keeping them within the recommended character count. Doing so immediately lets your viewers know that they can get the answer to their concerns on your page.
Keyword Research
We have mentioned using related keywords dozens of times now, but what do they even mean in the SEO world? SEO keywords are the search terms that online users commonly input into search engines.
Regular keyword research keeps SEO writers “in the know” about what topics and inquiries are relevant to their target audience. It guides them throughout their writing process, informing them of the market’s demands and helping them answer these concerns through their content.
Link-Building
Another important practice you must learn is link-building. As mentioned, search engines scan websites through their web crawlers. Linking your site to other web pages keeps it on a search engine’s radar.
Link building is all about creating exceptional and high-quality content that turns your website and its pages into highly reliable resources. Having plenty of backlinks lets search engines know that your site has valuable and relevant content and should be placed higher on their rankings.
What is SEO Writing?
As many people would say, write with purpose. You can’t write a cohesive and exceptional piece if you don’t have an objective. Journalists write to inform, and novelists write to tell stories. The goal that drives SEO writers: to appear on the first page of SERPs.
The principles of SEO and content marketing work hand-in-hand when it comes to SEO writing. SEO writers conduct keyword research to find topics and themes relevant to their target audience. Once done, they strategically place these keywords according to their optimal frequency.
Optimizing articles also involves writing within a word count. While some internet searches will tell you that a bigger word count is your best bet, it really depends on your direct competitors’ article lengths.
How is it different from SEO Copywriting?
People often confuse SEO content writing and copywriting. While they are both SEO-focused and require creating specific content, they have vastly different purposes.
For one, SEO writing focuses on producing search engine-friendly content, while SEO copywriting is geared towards converting mere viewers into sales. An SEO writer types up articles that answer a customer’s questions, while an SEO copywriter creates copies that boost brand awareness and generate leads.
Below is a table summarizing their differences:
| SEO Content Writing | SEO Copywriting |
| Aims to appear and rank high on search engine result pagesAddresses and solves the target audience's concerns and queriesValuable and relevant content | Aims to transform online viewers into actual leadsEncourages online audiences to perform a desired action (subscribe, purchase, complete a form, etc.)Compelling and appealing content |
Despite their differences, SEO content writing and copywriting are both incredibly essential for your company’s content marketing efforts. Rather than likening these processes to oil and water, think of them as peanut butter and jelly, which perfectly complement each other.
How does SEO Content Writing benefit your company?
Besides ranking in search results, here are a few other reasons companies choose to engage in and include SEO writing in their content marketing efforts.
It places you on the map.
Why is it important to appear at the top of a search results page? The simple answer is to attract more attention and awareness to your website. Writing relevant content brings visibility to your site and brand. In addition, it boosts your brand recognition.
Becoming one of the top posts on a search results page will also encourage new audiences to visit your site and learn more about your brand. Properly optimized blog content also increases the likelihood of other sites citing your post.
It drives website traffic.
Ranking high on Google is equivalent to gaining organic web traffic. If your content is optimized for search engines, chances are people will see your site and page as soon as their search result page finishes loading. Bonus points if your headlines and descriptions immediately answer their concerns.
It nurtures customer relationships.
Because SEO content writing is customer-focused, it’s not hard to believe that it connects you effectively with your online audience and establishes better rapport. Because you are writing to address their concerns, clients will develop their trust and loyalty to your brand.
Producing content for the reader and writing it in their voice lets your audience know that you are eager to educate them. Of course, brand trust and loyalty lead to more support from your target niche, which is a welcome result.
It develops reputation and reliability.
Developing high-quality articles will ensure the credibility of your company. Providing accurate information and well-informed discussions tells your readers that you know what you’re doing.
Since SEO writing also involves link-building, not only will ordinary online audiences read your posts, but other companies and websites will also begin citing your content. This practice builds authority and credibility.
Writing Tips and Must-Haves for a Content SEO Writer
SEO content writing puts your company in a better position. The next logical step is to learn how to write SEO content that will increase website traffic. The writing process for SEO content is similar to the standard article writing procedure, with a few tweaks here and there.
You begin by researching and gathering the necessary information for your topic. Next, you draft an outline. Start writing, move on to editing, and voila! Your SEO content is complete! But it can’t always be that simple, right?
Here are some reminders from SEO experts that can guide you through the SEO writing process.
- Choose relevant keywords. Pick keywords that will pique the interest of your target audience and will match their search intents.
- Expertly place your keyword throughout your article. Add keywords in your headlines and meta descriptions to help readers and search engines identify your main topic or theme. However, be wary of keyword stuffing.
- Have a cohesive and easily digestible structure. Use headings and subheadings to divide your content into short, easily readable, and scannable paragraphs.
- Write in your reader’s voice. Remember that you’re writing for your audience. That means you must write it to match their style to help them understand better.
- Keep it entertaining and engaging with images. Placing photos in your article adds flair to your content and improves your post’s readability.
Writing an optimized article on its own is difficult without the help of a few tools. Here are some SEO writing tools to get you started:
- For content optimization: SEMrush, MarketMuse, SurferSEO, ClearScope
- For grammar, spelling, and punctuation edits: Grammarly, Hemingway, Read-Able
- For plagiarism checks: Scribbr, Grammarly, Quetext, Unicheck
Get SEO-Friendly Content With Typelab
Optimizing and modifying your website and its contents to search engine standards is crucial for a successful digital marketing strategy. Learning the practices of SEO writing turns your content into a highly reliable resource.
Develop valuable content that will rank in search engines with Typelab.
Typelab has a team of highly-skilled writers, editors, and SEO specialists who can publish engaging and remarkable content for your website. Check out our pricing plans here!
