Copywriting is the art and science of getting readers to act. But the volume of written content that is pushed out across the Internet each day can make it challenging to get your own work recognized and generate engagement. The most effective first step that integrated marketers can take to make their content stand out from the masses is to make it search friendly. Smart Insights put together a five-point checklist for crafting search-friendly copywriting.
Identify Your Target Audience
Go deeper than a basic understanding of audience demographics. Ask more detailed questions to really understand who the customer is: what do they enjoy, where do they get their news, what do they care about, etc.? This type of information will help you to build a more insightful profile of the customer that gives you more actionable information than their age or living situation.
Determine Target Keywords Once the target audience has been identified, integrated marketers can create a list of keywords that the audience is likely to use when searching for your product or service. Consider using keyword research tools like Google Ads to build your list. Once you’ve done this, you can begin prioritizing the keywords that drive the most traffic (e.g., search volume, audience relevance, etc.) and grouping them into related categories.
Examine Trends Using Keyword Data Use tools like BuzzSumo or Google Trends to find out what’s popular with your audience. This will help you identify what is resonating with them, and how others are positioning their content—in turn giving you direction for taking your own writing. Knowing what content will persuade your audience at each stage and aligning it with your keyword targets makes you more relevant during searches.
Use a Copywriting Formula Whether the challenge is procrastination, writer’s block, or it’s simply your first time writing copy, it’s easy for non-copywriters to have challenges when tasked with developing content. One way to manage these types of challenges is to follow a formula for writing search-optimized content. The article calls out AIDA (Attention, Interest, Desire, Action) as one method of structuring your writing to effectively usher readers through a piece. There are copywriting formulas available, so find the one that best suits your personal style and get writing.
Inbound & Outbound Links The final key to search-friendly copywriting is linking—inbound and outbound. Inbound links will help you rank higher with search engines because your site is authoritative. Outbound links help search engines understand your niche, and increase the trust and quality of your site, improving your SEO. Your reciprocal links both exhibit your authority and demonstrate your connection with established authorities on similar topics.
Creating great copy is not always easy, and adding the SEO element can be challenging, but you will also get better over time. Implementing these five tactics for search-friendly copywriting is a great way to kick off your exploration of this effort, and to drive results.