Individuals, groups, businesses, government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and others want high search engine rankings for their websites and content. Yet, many people don’t possess enough knowledge or skills related to search engine optimization to increase their traffic. Content writing and SEO copywriting firms bridge the experience gap by creating custom SEO content marketing strategies that include the use of SEO tools and related best practices.
Professional copywriters and other specialists create content that does more than gain notice by algorithms and rank high on search engines. They help landing and other website pages acquire organic traffic from online searchers, social media subscribers and a wide range of internet users by creating content and using strategies that make people want to visit a page and share what they learn.
Why Is Professional SEO Important?
Far too often, a site owner generates content they think will help them reach one of the top five positions on the first page of Google, Bing, Yahoo and other search engine results, which historically means that a searcher doesn’t need to scroll down. In their minds, they can’t generate enough traffic unless their site makes an immediate first impression “above the fold,” as it’s called in traditional publishing and internet marketing.
Modern search engines, though, rarely show traditional links at the top of a results page. Whether a consumer needs the services of a beautician or a plumber, they’re more likely to see:
- A few local business links acquired via listing, location-tracking, and review services with or without an option to access an interactive map
- Links to business review sites that list company or aggregated user picks for top local options
- A potentially incorrect AI overview that displays the definition of a beautician or plumber and commonly offered services
- One or two horizontal rows of image thumbnails linked to related and unrelated product purchase options
- Video thumbnails to news or review content that relates in any way to the search keyword
In many cases, the results are optimized for mobile users, which means that a person performing a search on any device must usually scroll down the page anyway. As a result, the “above the fold” rule isn’t as important as making certain that the link to a specific page or website displays on the first or even second pages of search engine results.
SEO strategies are never a guarantee of a link earning a top spot in results. Instead, SEO makes specific content, sites and related links more desirable, resulting in higher click-through rates and organic traffic. Visitors remain on a page longer than average, also known as “high dwell time” and “low bounce rate.” Additionally, SEO content is more likely to prompt people to share preferred content and links or comment or talk about it in communities, which increases the relevance of the links with search engine algorithms.
How Does SEO Copywriting Help?
Many marketers use blog posts as the best example of how copywriting can improve visibility, traffic and other desired outcomes. If a person writes what they feel search engine algorithms look for when reviewing site content, they might create a result that has the appropriate keywords but doesn’t hold reader interest. The post might even sound like it was written by an AI model instead of a human. If they write a highly engaging post without keywords often used by searchers, the link to their blog might become stuck several pages deep in search results. Blog posts that don’t balance these needs often fail to attract interest.
An SEO copywriter or content writer has the experience to craft compelling copy while also optimizing it with specific, commonly used, industry- or topic-relevant keywords and phrases. They know how to expertly research keywords, hook a reader with their lede or opening paragraph, and structure content appropriately for flow, rhythm and readability. They use the latest business vernacular, industry-specific jargon, and location-specific and socially popular language to make any content sound exactly like what people normally expect, consume and enjoy in a target market.
Copywriters also create and use:
- Active verbs at the start of sentences
- Questions leading paragraphs or sections
- Action statements and questions as titles
- If/Then transitions between content areas
- New keywords and phrases that start trends
- Title tag modifiers that algorithms look for
SEO copywriters also understand that they can increase page dwell time by simply focusing on the reason that a visitor likely searched for the content and then organizing the entire blog, in the current example, around that suspected reason. They create a hook that emphasizes the purpose of the search, they agree that the reason is important, and then they promise to help the reader in some way.
A professional writer never uses awkward phrasing to make a specific keyword fit the post topic. They don’t overuse keywords or phrases. They also end a post with a call to action that asks the reader to reach out to the site owner or share the content.
The content is presented in a digestible format, such as a step-by-step breakdown that includes short, easy-to-read paragraphs, lists, photos and even links to videos or other resources. A professional SEO copywriter knows that all of these actions prompt people to read and then share the post.
They can make content so popular that it convinces owners of other sites to link back to it. Backlinking is critical to improving search results and increasing traffic. When a high number of sites link back to specific search-engine-optimized content, algorithms notice the increase in traffic and consider the content author and site an expert, trusted and valuable resource. This type of interest then prompts the algorithms to rank associated links higher.
Other Valuable Marketing Strategies
Of course, great content can’t always sell itself. SEO professionals must use strategies that include and work beyond copywriting to help a site gain and grow traffic and fans.
For example, copywriters also craft search engine meta descriptions designed to engage a searcher and prompt them to click a link or thumbnail. They and other SEO specialists turn to additional sharing options to reach specific targets:
- Checking that all online content for a site is correct and appropriately tagged
- Creating a uniform design and message across all content and owner websites
- Setting up account owner profiles on business listing, review and social sites
- Sharing new content daily via those same accounts and other avenues
- Forwarding content to industry experts, news outlets and social influencers
- Asking site visitors to sign up for more content via email or text subscriptions
- Monitoring traffic to learn how visitors respond to SEO and other efforts
- Making regular adjustments that take into account local, national and global trends
As you can see, SEO copywriters and related marketing specialists offer valuable services that help website owners and users grow their traffic, meet important milestones, and thrive in an ever-increasingly competitive online world. These are only a few of the many ways that professional SEO content can help your website’s search engine rankings and overall success.
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