Want to write blogs like a pro SEO copywriter? SEO copywriters can take any subject and create a detailed, original and authoritative blog that ranks highly in a search engine. SEO blogs are a core part of any successful and integrated digital marketing strategy. We consider SEO content to be the engine room that drives your ranking improvement.
This guide isn’t an entry level article telling you the basics. We’re going to assume you know what title tags are, the difference between H1, H2 and H646 (we made the last one up), how to structure blog posts and how to create a keyword list using Keyword Planner.
But do you know how to write SEO blogs like a pro copywriter? Maybe you do, and maybe you don’t. But this guide will give you some of the tools, techniques and tricks we use to write page 1 ranking content.
Ready to improve your SEO copywriting? Let’s get started.
Read first, write second
Your inexperienced writer starts by staring at a blank page not knowing how to start. Your mid-level, experienced copywriter will grab an idea of your blog post and get writing. Your expert SEO copywriter will start writing by reading.
You simply can’t create content with authority by copying what’s already out there. This is what SEO writing assistants try to get you to do and it won’t work (for a whole variety or reasons we’ve explored before).
Instead, you need to create something new, synthesising the best parts of the existing content but adding your viewpoint – which is where the value comes in.
Instead of starting to write a piece, you need to understand the type of pieces that are ranking – and learn why.
You’re not trying to copy what’s there, but look for gaps, opportunities and inspiration.
As well as high-ranking posts in your niche, keep reading. Read anything and at any time you can. Personally, I hate business books. Instead, I read fiction. This provides a better exploration of the human condition and can spark new ideas and approaches no AI programme will be able to copy.
Don’t write, read.
Understand keywords by getting social
When you get a keyword list you’ll get volume, CPC and competition – but you don’t get context. And in SEO, context is crucial.
One of the best ways to understand how keywords are being used is to do some social exploration. SERPs won’t provide you with the conversational insights you need. Instead, get on your social platforms of choice.
Of course, it depends on your project. Let’s take a B2B SaaS project. We can take all the insights from the client, but we’d augment this by exploring the conversations on LinkedIn. We’d look at influencers in the space, questions being asked, conversations happening and how we can apply these to your SEO content.
(When you work for really big agencies, or clients with truly massive budgets this is all done for you. Research projects like this can cost tens of thousands of pounds, but they’re vital. The good news is, with a social account you can do much of this yourself.)
Research for inspiration, not replication
The worst brief an SEO blog writer can receive is this:
Here’s a link to the top performing post. Copy this and make it better.
This is the shortest way to create content with no value. Oh, and it won’t rank well either. Your research into high performing blog posts should be about inspiration, understanding what works and why (see point #1), not to replicate it.
This could cause conflict with your client. It’s your job as an SEO copywriter with integrity to push back against and client asking for this kind of copycat content.
You’re better than that and their audience deserves more!
Structure for SEO (but try to be original)
You know how to structure blog posts for SEO and so do we, but ask yourself, is it what the reader wants at this point?
The best SEO blog writers will create content that’s 100% focused on the audience. It’s written in a way that’s logical, clear and answers their questions. It’s not dictated by an SEO expert or created to some magical formula generated by an SEO writing assistant (because these suck).
Write for humans
SEO is all about influencing the algorithm, let’s be honest. But the best way to do that is to be original.
Always consider the reader. What does she want? What’s going to keep her attention? How can we logically move her to the next stage? What’s going to get her to contact us?
One of the great things about humans is the imperfections that make us unique. Why not flip the script and create a completely new way of tackling a familiar subject?
In a world about to be transformed by AI, content that speaks to humans will be ever more powerful.
Read, review and optimise
Nobody is perfect first time, even us.
When you’re up against a deadline, it’s easy to rush your content and get it to the client. The best SEO copywriters will build in time to review, refine and optimise content.
Ideally, you’d be able to share what you’d written with a colleague (or an internal editor). We do this at 42group, but you may not have this resource in-house.
One thing you shouldn’t do is rely on writing assistants like Grammarly. We’re not going to go into the many reasons why this is a bad idea, but it is.
Keep clients involved at every stage
Creating SEO content can be a solitary experience. Just you, your laptop, a deadline and a whole pot of coffee. (If you believe the junk on LinkedIn.)
In the real world, where you’re involved in creating content at-scale for some of the world’s biggest brands (like we do at 42group), you keep your clients as close as possible.
We’re not talking about getting them on a Slack channel or emailing them with queries every 5 minutes. But we mean having open and accessible document and adopting a collaborative approach to SEO content creation.
How this works will depend on you, your client and your own approach to work. We’ve found the more collaborative the content creation approach, the more successful the project (and bigger the impact).
SEO isn’t science, it’s art (sort of)
OK, nobody ever sat back and looked at a blog for 20 minutes before declaring it to be a life changing experience. But there’s more to SEO copywriting than following a formula.
The worst writers are those who dismiss SEO content as a commodity, something that can be bought and sold for a few dollars. This results in dogshit content with no impact. It does have an impact – it can destroy your brand.
SEO content is often seen as intrinsically worthless. It fulfils a purpose but doesn’t speak to real people.
We don’t think that’s fair, accurate or true. If you invest (financially and creatively) in SEO content, you’ll have a much more sustainable impact on SEO.
You’ll also be doing everyone. Favour by producing new content with value, not more copycat content that’s pointless to publish.
SEO copywriting: Never settle for second best
SEO copywriting and SEO content gets a bad name. It’s the first thing on the list for digital marekters, but is the budget that’s cut to the bone. Ultimately, you get what you pay for with SEO content. Work with an agency like 42group and you’ll get the benefit of writers with over 20 years’ experience crafting your blogs and articles. We’ll use all these strategies – and more – to help you improve SERPs.
Searching for an SEO copywriter? Get in touch with 42group today.
