Learn how high-quality SEO content can help your business by improving your website’s search engine performance.

When and where your website appears in Google search results depends on many factors, one of the most important being the quality of your site’s content. High-quality SEO content can help you rank better for relevant search queries, build trust with your target audience, and increase your domain authority. Here’s how to create high-quality SEO content and use it to improve your site’s performance.

What is SEO?

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the process of optimizing the content and structure of a website to improve its organic ranking on search engine results pages (SERPs). The ultimate goal is to increase the amount of relevant organic traffic to your site.

What is SEO Copywriting?

SEO copywriting (or SEO content writing) is the process of creating web content that supports the goals of your SEO strategy. Strong SEO content can rank highly in search engine rankings by providing value to your target audience. SEO copy should inform, entertain, and enlighten readers, but it must also meet the criteria that search engines use to prioritize content for users to see.

How can SEO copywriting help your website perform?

Writing high-quality content can improve the quality and quantity of traffic to your website and build trust with your target audience. The main benefits of SEO copywriting are:

Increase organic traffic

Writing and publishing keyword-optimized content will improve your site's organic search performance, which will drive more traffic.

More relevant site traffic

SEO copywriting can help you improve the quality of traffic to your website by targeting users who have needs that your business can solve.

Ability to target specific audience segments

You can also use SEO copywriting to target specific user groups. For example, you could create a landing page promoting a free trial of a vegan smoothie delivery service that is optimized for search queries like “quick healthy meals” or “vegan smoothie recipes.”

High ROI (Return on Investment)

SEO copywriting is an inbound marketing strategy that aims to help your target audience find your company before an advertiser or sales representative makes the first contact. Thistype of marketing content can generate a particularly high return on investment (ROI). Once published, SEO copy can continue to produce results without any additional action.

SEO Copywriting Best Practices

1. Finding the right keywords
2. Use keywords strategically
3. Creating a structure optimized for SERPs
4. Writing for readers

SEO copywriting requires understanding how search engines rank relevant content that meets the needs of their readers. Use these SEO copywriting tips to streamline your content creation process and write copy that performs in search engines and provides value to your target audience.

1. Finding the right keywords

Keywords—the words and phrases that best describe your page content—are one of the key components of your SEO copywriting strategy.

To find the right keywords, you need to do keyword research. The keyword research process involves matching the language of your website to the search terms your target audience uses to find information. Some best practices include:

Using the Keyword Tool

You can use keyword research tools to identify keywords that are suitable for your content. These tools include information about search volume (how often a particular keyword is searched) and keyword difficulty (how competitive it is to rank for a particular keyword). Many tools also recommend keywords for specific subject areas.

Consider search intent

Search intent (or keyword intent) refers to why a user is making a particular search query. Keywords that indicate purchase intent, such as “where to buy a new garden hose,” are especially valuable for driving sales.

Using different types of keywords

First, identify the target keyword (or primary keyword) that best summarizes the content of a particular page. Then, you can use the Keyword Tool to generate related keywords, including semantic keywords and long-tail keywords. Semantic keywords are keywords that are related to your primary keyword. For example, “coffee filter” and “coffee beans” are semantic keywords related to your primary keyword “coffee machine.” Long-tail keywords are keywords that are three or more words long, are very specific, and typically have low search volume (e.g., “kettle” instead of “best kettle for coffee”).

2. Use keywords strategically

High-quality SEO content uses keywords to convey the content’s content to search engines without sacrificing the reader’s experience. Here are some ways to use keywords effectively:

Calculating keyword density

Keyword density refers to how often a keyword appears in your content compared to other words. Overusing keywords is known as keyword stuffing, and search engines punish this practice and readers react negatively to it. SEO experts recommend keeping keyword density between 1% and 2% .

Optimizing metadata

Search engines pay special attention to title tags, meta descriptions, headers, and other types of meta tags. Best practices include writing meta tags that accurately reflect the topic of the page and using keywords in appropriate meta tags.

Using SEO Copywriting Tools

SEO tools like Yoast SEO and Semrush evaluate the readability of your on-page content and provide keyword optimization insights.

3. Create a structure optimized for SERPs

Page structure helps both readers and search engines effectively digest your content. Since readers often scan web copy to find specific answers, making your content easy to scan can provide greater value to your readers. Here are some tips:

Using headers and subheaders

Headers and subheaders visually divide content, allowing readers to quickly scan an article and find relevant information. They also help search engines understand the main points covered in the content and provide them to users who are in line with their search intent.

Using lists

Bullets and numbered lists make it easier for users scanning your content to understand the relationships between ideas.

Add a table of contents with anchor links

If your content is long, consider adding a table of contents. This will help users find the information they want, and may also increase the likelihood of getting featured snippets in search results. Use jump/anchor links to help readers quickly navigate to the information they want.

Use Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

The FAQ section can provide concise answers to the most frequently asked questions by users. FAQ answers on your page may also appear in the "People also ask" feature on search engine results pages (SERPs).

4. Writing for readers

Have you ever seen web copy that reads like this? “Check out our large outdoor dog beds. Our best outdoor dog beds are waterproof dog beds and washable “It’s a dog bed.”

This is an example of content that puts search engines before readers. Instead of thinking about what information readers need to make an informed decision, writers think about how many keywords they can fit into each sentence. “Prioritize creating content that meets the needs of your readers and delivers value,” says Tatiana Tanizaki, Senior SEO Specialist at Shopify. “Put your readers first, not search engines.”

Search engines prioritize reader-friendly content. Even if you achieve high rankings with SEO content that is not designed for readers, you risk alienating potential customers and damaging your brand. Here are some tips for creating content that delivers value:

Using Buyer Personas

To better understand your target audience, create a virtual buyer persona that embodies your ideal customer type. Write SEO copy with that specific reader in mind.

Create content first, add keywords later

Instead of focusing on keywords from the beginning, try writing content around the information your readers need to understand your topic. Once you’re done writing, review your work and add keywords that naturally appear in the flow of information. This strategy makes content creation easier and, as a result, results in a more natural-looking final product.

Responding to search intent

When in doubt, ask yourself what problem your content is trying to solve (or what your users are likely searching for when they type their keywords into Google). Create content that solves the problem or answers the user’s main question. Content that provides clear and thorough answers to relevant questions is more likely to satisfy readers and perform well in search results.