SEO for copywriters – the “complete copywriter” figure

This is not a “10 SEO tips for journalists” or “7 steps to ranking in Google” type article. It is a reflection on the skills necessary for a copywriter (journalist, blogger, writer, etc.) to write better texts, especially for digital media.

If you write on the web you must have already Googled“How to create good digital content?” or“Howto write for the web?” or even“How to rank well in Google?”

What results were displayed for these questions?

You have probably come across two lines of answers:

• the “write to rank” line
• the “write to engage” line

Also read: What is SEO?

On the one hand, you have SEO-oriented content creators who are very focused on getting Google to show their content in the top positions of search results.

They take an approach to content creation that focuses on strategies such as keyword research, positioning analysis, difficulty ranking for a certain term, etc.

This method asks,“What do people search for on Google and how does Google understand this topic?” Content is then created based on this research.

On the other hand, you have the copywriters and conversion optimization experts who are very focused on creating interesting content that readers will like.

They approach content creation with the question,“What will make our audience engage?”

His focus is on writing, using proven writing formulas and neuroscience, getting to know his audience through forums, analysis, and research. They want to create compelling content that is read, shared and converts or aids in conversions.

So, who is right?

SEO vs Content Marketing vs CRO vs Copywriting…

If you’ve done keyword research on the topics of SEO, content marketing, conversion rate optimization (CRO), or copywriting, you’ll know that they generally oppose each other.

• “SEO vs Content Marketing”
• “What is the difference between SEO and copywriting?”
• “Which generates greater ROI: CRO or SEO?”

To some extent it is understandable. These surveys are a result of:

• People who are confused about the differences between each discipline;
• And/or marketers who only have the budget for one and need to make the most impactful choice.

So what is the difference? Here are the fundamental questions that I believe each discipline seeks to answer:

• SEO: How do I get Google to find, index, and rank this content?
• Content marketing: how can I create content that the target audience will find valuable?
• Conversion rate optimization: how can I get people who read this page to call, fill out an interest form, sign up for our mailing list, etc.?
• Copywriting: How can I write in a way that sells?

Read also:“The Definitive Guide to SEO Copywriting

But what if you had all four disciplines in mind when writing your content?

Introducing: the “complete copywriter

The complete copywriter is someone with the ability to handle the full spectrum of a digital content, able to understand how your content will be perceived by algorithms and the audience.

A complete copywriter is:

• Search engine aware: aware of how the content he writes will be perceived by search engines, crafting his message with well-researched keywords, and incorporating SEO best practices for items such as titles and subheadings.
• A good responder: dedicated to creating content that answers real questions and solves real problems.
• Conversion-focused: aware of the fact that your content must meet a business goal and convert or assist conversions.
• Engagement-focused: focused on creating content that the audience will find interesting enough to read, comment on, and share.

Read also: SEO Tips for News

Content Specialists vs. Generalists

Some people say that it is impossible to write content that is optimized for SEO and converts at the same time. Or that it is impossible for a text to have good readability and rank well in searches at the same time.

Fair enough. It is difficult for a copywriter to give up years of practice in a certain area to venture into another area of writing. So, should a copywriter be a generalist or a specialist?

It doesn’t matter, as long as it is good!

If you want to focus only on copywriting or long content, okay! A copywriter does not need to be an expert in all areas of writing. What we need to improve on as copywriters is to consider the big picture of whatever type of content we are producing.

Being a responsible copywriter means we consider every possible aspect of our content, asking if the target audience will:

• Respond to it if shared on social media?
• Can you find this content on search engines?
• Easily find what you are looking for in the article?
• Be persuaded to convert or revisit in the future?

Humans vs Machines: the content creator’s dilemma

The reason why phrases like “content SEO” have been introduced into the vocabulary of the digital marketer is because we know that not only do we need to make our readers happy, but we also need to write in a way that machines understand and reward our efforts.

Also read: The definitive guide to content SEO

If we want our content to rank well on search engines, we need to follow their rules. This means writing content in a way that a machine can understand.

Here the discussion gets interesting.

Algorithms like Google’s are trying to mimic what a human would choose as the best result. So, if Google is just trying to choose what a human would choose, shouldn’t we focus only on humans?

Read also: 10 Important items for on-page SEO

SEOs, please stop working exclusively on Google’s algorithm. With each algorithm update, I see dozens of professionals running around like crazy cockroaches to find out if their “strategies” have suffered from Google’s latest update.

Which one is it? You can do much better than that. Guide your clients to produce content that is really interesting to your target audience and you won’t have to deal with it.

Read also: Google updates and SEO professionals

But why are both important

Google may be trying to imitate humans, but it is still a machine. Like a machine, it faces the limits of a machine. It depends on programming to act like a human.

This is why there is still so much value in popular SEO methods for content creation. It doesn’t matter only what humans want. It matters what the search engines think humans want.

As an SEO consultant and content creator, I have one foot in “writing for SEO” and the other in “writing for engagement.” Really, sometimes it is confusing.

One minute I am trying to present my articles with an interesting story, and the next minute wanting to bury the lead and get straight to the answer.

One moment I want to incorporate important keywords into my headings, and the next I want to avoid revealing everything in the headings to make it more intriguing.

Why do engagement and ranking need to conflict? Why delegate each of these aspects of the content to different experts?

Writing content that ranks, engages and converts

The goal of digital content should be to classify, engage and convert (or assist conversions). After all, What is the point of ranking well in search if you don’t win the click? What good is traffic if it doesn’t convert?

We see brands and vehicles making optimized content for one platform and fun, share-generating content on another. What if we can unite these characteristics? Well-positioned content that is also engaging. Content that is engaging but strong enough to rank well in searches. It is possible!

Read also: SEO tips for publishers: 10 ways to increase your audience

Put yourself in the place of a reader

You may be a content creator or an SEO consultant, but you are also a reader.

Think about how you interact with other content in your spare time. What you do:

• Does it engage?
• Do you find it useful?
• Do you find it attractive enough to interact with?

As a reader I want the articles I read to be concise, to the point and to answer my questions clearly, but I also want to enjoy reading them. I probably won’t even get a chance to read them if the title is not compelling enough to gain my attention.

We can find content in different ways (search engines, social media, newsletters, etc.), but I think we can all agree that we want to read informative and interesting content.

Shall we help each other?

SEO professionals: we do a disservice to businesses when we do all the work to rank our clients’ pages, but do not focus on getting people to click on our results and, once they have clicked, getting them to convert.

Don’t waste the traffic you have worked so hard to earn!

Copywriters: you are spending your precious time (and in many cases your company’s or your customers’ money) on creating content, so make sure you create it to get the most out of it.

Don’t spend your time creating content that only gets attention the day it is posted and then dies. Focus on creating content that gets sustained traffic and reduces customer acquisition costs.

Start taking a more holistic view of the content you produce. Start thinking about the entire journey of your content.

It won’t be easy and it will never be perfect, but there is room for every content creator to adopt a “complete copywriter” mentality.

Continue reading: Less content = more conversion