What is this…SEO copywriting?
What is this… SEO copywriting?
For the writer that gets asked this a thousand times (but hasn't had a chance to Google it yet).
In my seven years of publishing things on the Internet for a living, I've had an "it's complicated" relationship with a gentle giant… aka Google. I’m an SEO copywriter, so I’m always at the whim of ever-changing algorithms.
Search engine optimization (or SEO) is a relatively new industry, originating when Macbooks were still chonky. Today, SEO copywriting is a fast track to a well-paid career with plenty of big opportunities in content marketing and strategy.
I’ve bopped around all sorts of industries since starting my copywriting business in 2018. I’ve advertised cupcakes, celebrity skincare lines, sustainably-sourced shampoo, personal injury firms, cruises — you name it. What do all of these wildly different clients have in common? They allocated huge budgets (like $XXXX+) to SEO and content.
Resource / Workbook from the Creative Copywriter Course
So, let’s get into what SEO copywriting is, and why honing this skill set makes your writing wayyyy more marketable to brands and clients.
So what is SEO copywriting?
SEO copywriting vs. “regular” copywriting
SEO copywriting is super-strategic content creation. It combines organic search opportunities (what are the Alice-in-Wonderland internet rabbit holes ppl wanna fall down?) and keyword research (the words most people furiously type into Google) to create content that meets a searcher’s exact needs — no matter where they are in your marketing funnel. SEO copy helps people discover you on Google, educates them on your products or services, and nurtures customers till they’re ready to buy. We’re like moms.
Compared to pithy taglines or short ads, SEO copywriting might seem BORRRRRRRING. But, I’m here to tell you, it’s the perfect marriage of strategy and actual pen-to-paper writing.
Ever wish you could know if someone would read what you’re about to spend hours on? SEO writing is pressure-tested based on market demand (in our case, search demand), so we don’t create content for the sake of it. The goal is to get eyeballs on your work… with a lil bit of homework up front.
A brief (brief!) history of SEO
So now that you know the difference between these two disciplines, let’s go back in time together…
0 BCE to 1991
SEO didn’t exist lol
1991
The first website comes alive. Apparently it looked like this
1997
Experts mark this as the beginning of SEO as we know it…while listening to Puff Daddy.
2000
Google enters the scene. Remember AltaVista? Ask Jeeves? Pour one out for the homies 😢
2006
Google launches Analytics & Search Console, acquires YouTube, making it pretty much the de-facto search engine
2015
✨ my career in SEO and digital marketing begins ✨ ~~CHanGinG the INDuSTry 4ever jk
2018 - 2022
I cut my teeth as an SEO copywriter in various industries, landing in B2B SaaS for now
Today
You’re here, learning how to write helpful, high-quality, thicc, non-spammy content that Google rewards in search results!
Top misconceptions about SEO copywriting
We’re bad writers.
First, it’s important to point out that everyone can be a bad writer sometimes. Even the best writers on the planet. Writing is entirely subjective while maintaining a staunch list of “rules” that somehow determine good vs. bad. Buuuuut, I also get the stigma. That’s why we need writers like you!
SEO copywriters simply weave writing best practices into the creation process, so content can rise the ranks of Google and get seen by actual eyeballs.
*Keyword stuffing is okay (hint: it’s NOT)
* Keyword stuffing is exactly what it sounds like — jamming keywords into your writing super unnaturally to manipulate Google algos. It typically sounds robotic, and it’s common you’ll see keywords repeated multiple times in a short paragraph.
This might’ve been more common in the aughts, but honestly, keyword stuffing has always been a bad look that causes websites to flatline in rankings and authority.
SEO copywriters aren’t “real” copywriters.
SEO copywriters are real copywriters! But they have different strategic priorities and problems to solve. They might go toe-to-toe with people who don’t understand the value of correct keyword insertion, or have to make a case for why certain keywords signal certain types of intent. They also solve data mysteries, answering questions like “why did my traffic suddenly tank?” and “where are my keys?” Or at least the first part.
SEO writers might see their work erased because someone thinks a long-tail phrase with thousands of monthly searches sounds “too clunky.” Like most things in marketing, writing for SEO requires patience, collaboration, and compromise.
Essential tips for SEO content writing
Solve for the user, always
SEO copywriting should exist for the user, first and foremost, and answering search intent (aka “I searched for this… gimme answer”) isn’t a nice-to-have. There are a few tried-and-true ways to do this well:
Don’t bury the lede. Answer inciting questions of the content early and transparently, then hook them with more relevant info
Don’t insult their intelligence. Readers/searchers actively look the for the information you’re writing about, and they can see right through marketing BS
Understand that bad UX cannot be patched up with some copy. Google ultimately rewards the holistically best content, so if you write the GOAT of SEO content but have a slow page load speed or terrible product flows, you’re unlikely to make it to the top of the search results. So cozy up to web developers and product teams
There’s a ton of totally un-helpful content on the Internet. Ask yourself, “Would I read this and get something out of it?” The answer should always be yes. If not, back to drafts
Write with your (or your client’s) unique differentiator in mind
Spoiler alert: this is just copywriting 101. Lead with your client’s benefits, then back them up with features. For example, when writing this piece for ilovecreatives I get to be fun and fancy-free because I’m speaking directly to other creatives and Slashies. That voice and tone is the ilovecreatives secret sauce we all know and love!
It’s a wayyyy more conversational style than what I’ll write for B2B SaaS brands or tourism/hospitality clients, who opt for authority and influence.
Cozy up to tools — they are your bff
Paid tools like ahrefs, SEMrush, and Google Analytics are the backbone of everyday SEOs. They provide you with data and information so you can:
Track what’s trending and create content to cover emerging topics
Measure performance and improve based on what’s ranking (and what’s not)
Identify top competitors, so you can answer the question, “What do they have that I don’t?”
SEO is alllllll about your toolkit, and there’s a lot out there to sift through — especially if you’re a beginner in SEO. If you’re serious about offering keyword research or analytics in your SEO copywriting offering, here’s a primer on a few of the top tools on the market.
Comparison of 4 popular SEO tools: Ahrefs, Google Search Console, SEMRush, and Clearscope
Befriend the entire team
Like an architect, it's incredibly important for you to know what's going on from product to marketing. This is a great opportunity to meet people and expand your network... especially as a freelancer. The best content is usually hidden with the employees that work on other teams.
Become the hype-person for SEO
Educating writers and creatives on the value of SEO is a huge part of the job. Like a good editor, it’s important to explain your work and the why behind your decisions. Otherwise, SEO copywriting can seem like a bland, unimaginative race to plug keywords onto a page.
In reality, we want to keep the essence and spirit of great copywriting while adding elements to make it more discoverable.
Writing is like cooking, SEO is like baking
I’ll explain. People are always like, “Oh, baking is so hard and exact! I have to measure things! With cooking, I can eyeball everything.”
Writing is like cooking because, once you’ve been doing it long enough, you can eyeball it. You’ll know good copy when you see it. You’ll know what a pinch of salt means to you.
SEO copywriting adds more elements to the page; you might need to know meta-titles and schemas, explain URL structures and page load speeds, understand keyword intent, track page performance and emerging trends, etc. There are more exact, necessary ingredients to traffic-driving SEO content. Eep, I know, lots of terms Caitland! Promise, it’s mostly fancy words and makes a lot of sense once you learn it. Anyone can be a star SEO baker.
And just like in baking, where the wrong amounts of ingredients can mess up the ratios and textures, SEO copywriting requires certain elements present to make something fully baked and Google-ready.
Ok phew, that’s JUST the intro. I love baking — I mean, SEO — and could talk about it forever. I can’t imagine a more useful skill set for modern copywriters, and tbh, Googling “how to SEO” alone in a dark room isn’t that fun. It’s so much easier to learn alongside industry experts and mentors who encourage asking questions.
If you wanna write for a living and learn how to be an SEO copywriter to boot, the
Creative Copywriter Course™️ is alllllllll about getting copywriting work in these in-demand specialties, so you can build a profitable biz doing what you love. Sign up for the Creative Copywriter Course™️ waitlist for deets on the next enrollment!