How can you write SEO copy that's easy to read and ranks high on Google?

Before determining any keywords, first you must clearly understand your target audience. Start with researching their challenges, and then begin brainstorming pillar content that resonates most with your brand and is valuable to your readers. Once you've picked 4-5 pillar topics, then you can start diving into Keyword research related to those topics to identify high-volume, low-competition keywords and phrases you can include in headlines, meta descriptions, and body copy of your content.

Focusing solely on keywords can result in content feeling forced and unnatural. My approach prioritizes the topic, allowing for a more organic flow in the content. By delving deep into the subject matter, keywords, including seed, long-tail, and semantic variations, naturally find their place in the content, ensuring a balanced and engaging reader experience.

The "mix of keywords" here is basically semantic SEO, which means finding keywords that are related to your focus keyphrase. It's a good idea in general, and helps to bring in traffic from searches related to the keyword, but less competitive overall. Knowing keywords is sort of a given, so take a look at search results for the keyword and see what kind of content is showing up in the top 10 results to get an idea of what type of info people want when searching for that keyword.

Keywords are an essential essence of your content but you do not have to solely rely only on primary or LSI keywords. There are many other factors at play. And these crucial aspects of your content keep your audience anchored to your SEO content. No one wants to read a 1000-1500 words copy stuffed with keywords. Instead, the tone, purposefulness, and clarity of the content makes it more valuable.

Understanding your target keywords is fundamental to effective SEO copywriting. Research relevant keywords related to your content and integrate them naturally within your copy. Focus on long-tail keywords and phrases that reflect what your audience is searching for. This strategic use of keywords enhances your content's visibility to search engines without compromising readability.

Write for humans first. Optimise for the algorithm later. SEO copy is not just about keywords. In fact, you don't need to stuff the target keyword throughout the blog. Google now understands your content without using the exact keywords. If your article matches the search intent, you’ve already done 80% of the keyword optimisation. Instead, create comprehensive content for the audience. → Add unique POV → Cover complete topics → Satisfy the search intent → Create in-depth content → Try to explain the topics better → Understand and write in your brand voice

Creating engaging and reader-friendly content is key. Tailor your writing style and tone to resonate with your specific audience. Address their needs, concerns, and questions. Use clear, concise language and break up the content with headings, bullet points, and short paragraphs to improve readability. High-quality, valuable content not only keeps readers engaged but also encourages them to share your content, leading to increased visibility and higher rankings on Google. By combining keyword research with audience-focused, reader-friendly writing, you can optimize your content for both search engines and human readers, maximizing your chances of ranking high on Google while providing a positive user experience.

📌Structuring your content effectively is also crucial. Utilize headings, subheadings, and bullet points to break up text and improve readability. This makes it easier for your audience to scan and find the information they're looking for quickly.

Knowing your audience is a total game changer in the world of content writing. If you know how to tap into to pain points and relevancy of your audience then you can craft exceptional content for them to read and take insight from.

Emotional Connection > Information Dump 🤝: Prioritize emotional connections over information overload. While data and facts are crucial, emotions are what linger in the minds of your audience. Aim to evoke feelings that align with your content's message.

An eye catching title and meta description will pull in a huge amount of traffic that is genuinely interested in reading your copy. So, add some power words and some helpful information into the title and meta description. This will help sinplify the whole process for your readers.

Incorporating actionable advice and emphasize the avoidance of common pitfalls like keyword stuffing and clickbait, it sets a clear expectation of value for potential readers.

In a nutshell: 1. Your main keyword needs to appear first in your headline and meta description. 2. Keep it short: Google appreciates titles that go straight to the point. 3. Editorialize your titles with numbers, stats, or impactful statements, without leaving your keyword out!

REMEMBER: ✅Users should quickly understand the value your content offers. Clarity enhances the user experience and will positively impact your click-through rate.

Internal linking also helps create topic clusters. Creating blogs on a topic instead of a keyword helps a topic cluster which increases the website's authority. For example: Topics like on-page SEO, off-page SEO, backlinking, content creation for SEO, etc. make a broader topic "SEO" Creating internal links for these topics helps readers read more content from your website and increases your trustworthiness.

Don't forget to use links! Both internal and external links are important in a search engine-optimized piece. Internal links can help visitors spend more time on your website while external links can tap into the credibility and ranking of other sites.

In my role, I've found that a well-thought-out linking strategy not only enhances SEO but also encourages user engagement. Internal links guide users through a logical content flow, while external links contribute to a well-rounded and informed discussion.

This is one of the most often overlooked and easy things you can do to make your content engaging. The way you format the layout makes a big difference in readability. Short sentences and concise paragraphs are best. Relevant images should be used when possible. Using bulleted lists or tables to break up text is a great way to break up areas of lots of text. And don’t be afraid of white space! Skip lines in between paragraphs to make the information more skimmable. Keep your mobile users in mind and plan layouts accordingly so that they are mobile optimized. Useful, engaging content + a layout that increases readability = your message being seen!

Formatting content for readability is a priority in my view. When content is easy to read and understand, it encourages visitors to stay on a website longer and reduces bounce rates. This user engagement is favorable for search engine optimization. Additionally, content that's easy to digest tends to be shared more on social media and attracts organic backlinks from other websites, further boosting SEO efforts. In a broader sense, prioritizing readability reflects positively on a brand, showcasing professionalism and a commitment to delivering quality content. Thus, readability isn't just about aesthetics; it's a strategic element that can greatly impact both SEO and the overall perception of a brand.

✅Readability is not just about making your content accessible; it's about empowering your users ✅It isn't a mere checkbox for SEO; it's a catalyst for higher rankings.

In a nutshell 👇🏻 👉🏻 Check the content errors with grammarly & such 👉🏻 Use Google analytics for detailed metrics 👉🏻 Use GSC for traffic & keyword breakdown 👉🏻 Optimize your content.

Workshop blindness is real. When consistently reading and writing about certain topics, we often forget that other people may not be as acquainted to them as we are. If you are doubting whether or not your content is reader-friendly, feel free to let others comment on your copies, subheadings and bodies. Maybe some information is not clear enough, or you missed a crucial point that needs to be explained. It is also useful to read the text out loud, for you to listen to its rhythm and readability. If you find yourself stumbling on your own words during the exercise, then there is something that needs to be to worked on.

✅ Use Grammarly to check for spelling errors ✅Use Hemingway for readability check ✅Use wordcounter to check you have used correct characters for your description or title ✅Use any free plagiarism checker to create quality content or copy ✅Lastly you can use Asana or any other project management tool to track your work ✅Seek feedback and better yourself

Readers and Google both look for the same thing - value. - Cut redundant words and fluff - Do not do keyword stuffing - Keep copy concise and clear - Optimize headlines and captions

Much neglected point 📌 Don't just write & forget your content. 👉🏻 Optimize your headlines, update the date, style etc. 👉🏻 Optimize the content inside, look what competitors are doing. Update the content. 👉🏻 Create topic clusters