Are you an SEO copywriter stuck in a rut? A new SEO copywriter struggling to come up with ideas? Or a wannabe SEO copywriter who wants to know how the pros do the job? Here are 20 SEO copywriting tips created by the team.
How did you come up with the list? 42group is a leading SEO copywriting agency and we’ve got some of the sharpest minds and most talented and experienced SEO writers around. To come up with this list, we got together, cracked open some biscuits and captured some of the key things every SEO copywriter should know.
If you’re already an SEO copywriter, this won’t come as a surprise – but there may be something here that you learn.
We’ve broken this into three key elements of the SEO copywriting process:
- SEO copywriting & content planning
- SEO copywriting – getting on with the job
- Editing, optimisation and refinement
SEO copywriting & content planning
Before you start writing, you’ve got to start thinking. Too many supposedly expert SEO copywriters don’t work to create a cast-iron brief that provides the boundaries, barriers and constraints you need to get creative. Here are some SEO copywriting and content planning tips:
Talk about money first
We’re an SEO content business and we need money to survive (and pay for things like golf balls, artisan coffee and Sharpies). Before you start working on a client account or content project, ensure you’ve agreed on payment and settled on a fee. Don’t be embarrassed to mention money. Make your prices clear from the first contact.
The classic rookie SEO copywriting mistake is to work for free, accept a discounted rate or run into problems when it comes to invoices.
Being upfront with the fee can be off-putting for some. But if the client can’t (or won’t) pay your day rate or project fee, you’ll want to know as soon as possible. Right?
You know how long it takes to write SEO content, not the client
“I think this should take you a day to complete.” Have you ever heard this? If the client is such an expert, they should be writing the content.
This is an insidious comment that some clients use to undermine you, affect your confidence, and get you to reconsider costs.
The vast majority of clients won’t do this. If someone does, it’s a red flag. Stick to your pricing and don’t give in. (See also: Clients who demand a discount for large numbers of blogs. You’re not buying a commodity here, but creativity. Don’t do it.)
Question everything (but respect the client)
Your job is to provide SEO expertise, advice and guidance – not to agree with the client. They’re paying for knowledge and expertise and you should have the confidence and commitment to challenge back. Of course, if the customer wants something specific (like a series of 300-word blog posts that won’t have any impact) and insists on it, then that’s fine – but you should have the courage to say you think it’s a bad idea if it really is a bad idea.
This isn’t to suggest being combative or aggressive. However, asking questions, pushing clients for answers, and suggesting better solutions are the best ways to achieve the most success.
Treat SEO as the destination, not a start-point
Every organisation wants an SEO copywriter to boost their ranking, but thinking this way is the fastest way to create dull, derivative and ineffectual copy that doesn’t
Instead of following others and creating more copycat content, do something new, original and authentic.
The result of creating new content that adds value to your audience will be an SEO boost. (And one that’s more significant and sustainable than yet another “ultimate guide to…”).
Build the brief together
If your SEO copywriting agency is asking you to complete a brief, they’re basic. The best agencies (like 42group) treat a project brief as a collaborative endeavour. We work together (within reason) to create the brief to ensure there’s agreement and understanding on both sides before we start bashing the keys and building your competitive advantage through SEO content.
Need a brief template? You can access a free one here:
Only agree to timelines and timescales you can meet
Big one for relationship management and business building this. There are two aspects to this point: content deliver and content performance.
The first one is simple. If you can’t deliver the volume of content required at the desired standard to the deadline, don’t agree it. Fast work and cheap work is often low-quality work. If you don’t the scale or skills to deliver, don’t take the job. More often, clients will be flexible and respect you if you’re upfront. Honesty breaks down barriers, it doesn’t cause them to be put up.
On the second point, SEO copywriting is all about results but there are no guarantees your content will deliver an increased ranking position. Any agency that promises this is lying to you. Instead, commit to working with your client, learning from successes and failures, improving content creation processes and optimising existing content to improve SERPs.
Be honest about outsourcing
Do you use outsourced writers? Lots of SEO content agencies do, and it’s absolutely fine – but you should be upfront and clear with your clients. Firstly, you have a duty to do so, especially if you’re sharing company information. It’s what NDAs are for (and many outsourced writers won’t have signed one, which puts you at risk).
More fundamentally, there’s literally no problem with using an outsourced support if it’s done transparently and openly. How? Tell your clients what you’re doing, why and how they can play a role in selecting, vetting and collaborating with an outsourced writer.
At 42group, we augment our in-house team with experts when we need to. This is done in full understanding and agreement of the client. Honesty breaks down barriers, not puts them up…
SEO copywriting – getting on with the job
We’re almost 1000 words in and we’ve yet to start talking about the process of writing. So let’s start…
Plan first, write second
Show us your working out! It’s like being back at school, but you should always plan your SEO content before writing. Work out an ideal structure, identity the headings, work through your arguments logically and ensure they’re coherent, clear and compelling.
It’s easy to see when a writer hasn’t done this. You’ll find concepts are introduced at random, arguments are never built, counterpoints are never countered, and basically, it just reads like shit.
Assume we know what you’re talking about
I don’t want to read another guide to keywords in my life. My dad, who is 74 and technologically fairly basic, understands what keywords are and how they work. This is assumed knowledge.
Don’t explain universally accepted concepts, acronyms or basic industry terms unless this is a core part of your content (or you’re writing for kids or something).
Say something (anything!) original
The internet is full of wonderful resources. It’s also very much like a UK river and full of shit. And the amount of shit grows more and more every day.
Do not pump more digital sewage out there.
Instead, invest in content that says something new, original, authentic or insightful. Don’t copy crap content but strive to create something new. A jewel in an ever-increasing sea of digital turds.
Valuable content is king, not keywords
Keywords are important, yes, but they shouldn’t ever be a priority over the person reading the article. You can spot the sort of amateurish junk published by cut-price SEO copywriters as it’s stuffed full of SEO while damaging syntax.
Give us a list of keywords, and we’ll use some of them if we think they’re needed. Too much salt doesn’t accentuate the flavour, it distorts it. Keywords are the same thing.
When it comes to writing headings, intros, outros, and social posts, think of the audience first, not algorithms.
Never, ever try to be funny
Humour never, ever comes across on the page as well as it does in person. Take the Alan Partridge film. I laughed approximately 483 times out loud. The Alan Partridge book raised a mere titter now and again.
Whenever someone in the LRB or Guardian, Times, or any other esteemed place for book reviews describes a book as “hilarious” I can pretty much guarantee you won’t laugh. Not as much as watching a fat woman fall down a hole.
SEO Copywriters: Don’t describe yourself as a wordsmith or passionate about words
Why? Because it’s just embarrassing. SEO copywriters do a job (a creative and fun one, but often very transactional). We’re not writing novels, crafting comic books or working out a chordal cadence that will make everyone cry at a wedding.
Nobody believes you’re passionate about SEO.
There are no shortcuts to developing SEO copywriting skills
It’s a long, challenging and sometimes boring road to develop the SEO copywriting skills you need. Like Cain, we have walked this path, but the winds of progress have blown through the sands and obscured our footprints. You’ll need to forge your own path through this.
Basically, it takes time, feedback and setbacks to become an effective and in-demand SEO copywriter. The best ones don’t use writing assistants, editorial programs or AI but rely on the skills they’ve developed through years of hard work.
The good news is, in a few years SEO will be obsolete, AI will be omnipotent, and we’ll all be receiving a UBI. Happy days!
Editing, optimisation and refinement
It’s all in the edit… That’s what film people say, and it’s often the same for SEO. One you’ve created your content, you need to edit, optimise and refine it to ensure it’ll deliver the boost you need. Here are some of our tips…
Optimise for audiences, not algorithms
The first duty you have is to the reader. Don’t just drop in hundreds of keywords that obscure the meaning, artificially elongate an article or appear for no reason. These articles are easy to spot and almost impossible to read.
This is where those who have worked as journalists (and/or editors) and those who have solely worked producing digital content.
Consider how accurately and effectively your content answers the question and satisfies the search intent. Editing in this way will actually make your content more effective and successful than trying to shoehorn in search terms.
When it comes to SEO, clients don’t know best
Clients pay you to do a job, so do it.
Everyone can write, but they’re not writers. When it comes to editing SEO content and optimising it, you have to have confidence in your skills, knowledge and experience. Clients can be, and often are, wrong. Your job is to tell them not to shy away or ignore this.
In the end, you and your agency will be judged by your results, and if you’re not getting them, your reputation will suffer. And all because you lacked the confidence to kick back.
Let content breath
Did you know Stephen King gives each completed manuscript at least six weeks before he looks at it again? (Buy his book on writing, it’s brilliant.)
You can’t edit effectively if you’ve just written a piece. Instead, give it some time before going back to it.
Never take client edits personally
If you’ve done the best job possible, it’s a kick in the teeth if a client comes back and makes changes. Remember, this is how the client wants to sound – it’s not about you.
Of course, be ready to challenge back if the changes aren’t logical, correct or will impact their SEO ambitions. But if it’s a case of style, structure or something else that’s not fundamentally important, think like Elsa and let it go.
Edit openly
Do you love Microsoft Word? Well done for you. We don’t. Cloud software and solutions mean version control, track changes and comments can all be captured and processed online with total clarity. No formatting issues, V123456789101112 nonsense or .docx rubbish.
Open documents, systems and solutions make collaboration easier, faster and more efficient. If you’re not using them, you should.
Give clients 24/7 access
At 42group we provide every SEO copywriting and content client access to everything through cloud based systems. This includes all completed and currently open documents. They can review, edit and update everything when they want. As well as reducing the admin burden, it gives them control of the assets they pay for and own.
Find your perfect SEO copywriting agency partner
SEO copywriting and content production is a task best left to the professionals. They should do all the things listed above – and more, working with you to create SEO content that drives sustainable success. If you’re an SEO copywriter, use these tips to improve your writing. If you’re an SEO agency, these are the things you should be doing for your clients (and if you’re not, accept you’ll get left behind).
Clients, eh? Who need them? (We do. If you’re looking for an SEO copywriting partner message us, obviously.)
