SEO content writing: 5 tips to optimise your SEO content

The following overview of SEO content writing will equip you with the basic tools and knowledge you need to be able to create engaging copy that both your site visitors and Google will appreciate.

You can also check out our quick video guide below.

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What Is SEO Content Writing?

SEO content writing is the content you create to help pages rank high in Google. It isn’t your everyday content; it is specially optimised for search engine optimisation. Good SEO content writing serves 2 main functions:

1 To fulfil visitor search intent with engaging content

2 To help search engines such as Google read your website

The Benefits of SEO Content Writing

Improve Rankings

Engage Readers

Optimise Keywords

Build Credibility

Raise Brand Awareness

Add Value To Visitor Search

Improve User Experience

Link Building Opportunities

5 SEO Content Writing Tips

1. Keywords

Specialist software such as Ahrefs or SEMrush can help you identify which search terms customers are typing into Google to find services like yours. You will need to assess the potential of keyword based on several factors, including:

• Search volume
• Competition
• Keyword difficulty
• Location

Need a hand? Check out our guide on how to do keyword research for SEO.

Keyword Placement

Once you have identified your keywords, you need to incorporate them into content on an existing webpage or create a new page to optimise such as a blog or service page.

It is essential that your copy reads naturally with the addition of your chosen keyword. Forcing a keyword into your copy is known as ‘keyword stuffing’. Any attempt at this can negatively affect your page rankings in the long-term.

Gecko Top Tip: Longer copy allows for an easier integration of keywords but it must also add value to your site visitors. Quality copy with a purpose is much more likely to retain site visitors and drive users to other pages on your site.

2. Structure

A search engine’s aim is to display the most relevant, quality content at the top of its search results. The structure of your content is a great indicator to search engines of quality content that fulfils search intent. A search engine is much more likely to boost your page up the rankings when it picks up on certain features such as:

H-Tags

Adding H-tags to your content help readers to navigate a page with ease. They allow you to highlight key points and drive the reader to a call to action. They also allow Google define the headings on a page and determine a heading hierarchy.

H-tags are divided into the following categories:

• H1 – Page title
• H2 – Heading
• H3 – Subheading
• H4, H5, H6 – lower level subheadings

Alt-Tags

Add an alt-tag to each image on the page you are optimising. For example, if relevant, including a primary keyword in there is a great way to show Google your page is useful to visitors. Alt tags also ensure your page is accessible to a wide range of users.

3. Plugins

Yoast

Using WordPress? We highly recommend Yoast, a free plugin that makes writing and formatting SEO copy a breeze. It will assess your content on how SEO-friendly it is and takes factors such as H tags, sentence length and readability into account.

Gecko Top Tip: Yoast is useful as a guide but don’t forget to sense check! It may score you low on things such as readability if you use lots of technical vocabulary, for example. However, if such language is relevant for your business and appeals to your target audience, this is much more important than trying to hit those green lights.

WPRocket

Plugins such as WPRocket that help your site to load fast can help to boost your Google rankings. If your SEO content writing loads slowly, visitors are much more likely to leave your site.

4. Title & Meta Description

SEO Title

An SEO title is the title of your page and is often the first thing searchers will see when browsing Google search results. Give each page a unique SEO title that includes your keyword to entice visitors and capture their attention. Don’t forget to pay attention to the length of your SEO title. Search engines generally show 50-60 characters of your title.

Meta Description

A meta description is the little snippet of text underneath a search result.

Google will either utilise your meta description in search results or it will pull a snippet of text from the page it deems relevant. Your description should:

• Summarise your page content
• Include the keyword you want to rank the page for and ensure it reads naturally
• Add a Call To Action (CTA) to entice users

Gecko Top Tip: Try to incorporate your keyword into the first sentence of your meta description. This immediately signals to Google that your web page is relevant to the searcher.

5. Engage Your Reader

The key to great SEO content writing? Appeal to your audience before search engines.

Write For Humans First

Writing content for SEO can feel like a big task. However, it is important to remember that it is new and existing customers that will be reading your copy. Writing SEO content should:

• Add value
• Fulfil a purpose
• Be concise
• Easy to read

Gecko Top Tip: Put yourself in your customer’s shoes. What do they need to know? What do they want to find out? Try to answer any questions they may have.

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