As an entrepreneur, all your efforts are focused on growing your small business and standing out from competitors. The secret weapon to rising above the noise? Mastering SEO copywriting so that your leads and prospective clients can easily find you on search engines and convert once they land on your website.
In this SEO Copywriting Checklist, I’ll share the 10 essentials to rank high on the search engine results page and make your target audience feel like you’re speaking directly to them. Let’s dive in and make sure you take notes or bookmark this for later!
Why You Need This SEO Copywriting Checklist
SEO copywriting is more than just adding a few random keywords to your website copy. It’s about creating conversion-focused and optimized content that makes your target audience want to take action while sticking to search engine algorithms. This checklist will help you:
- Increase organic traffic
- Improve search engine rankings
- Boost engagement and conversions
- Build credibility and authority in your niche
SJ Digital Solutions helped 250+ clients grow their visibility and start confidently converting curious leads into loyal clients and customers, and I’m sharing our best strategies in this SEO Copywriting Checklist!
What Is SEO Writing?
SEO writing is the art and science of writing content that speaks both to humans and search engines.
When you use strategic primary and secondary keywords in the right places on your website, your web pages start ranking higher in Google search and driving organic traffic.
That said, SEO copywriting goes beyond simply optimizing your website content for search engines. It’s also about crafting messaging that creates a meaningful connection with your target audience and makes them want to buy from you.
Effective SEO writing understands WHY your leads come to your website and gives them valuable and relevant information in a way that resonates with them.
Few digital marketing agencies excel in both SEO and copywriting because they require different skill sets. SEO is data-driven while copywriting is more about creativity and understanding human psychology. Together, they make your small business unstoppable!
Ready to reap the benefits of SEO copywriting? Follow these ten essential steps to start getting search traffic and generating higher conversions!
1. Nail Down Your Audience
Before you write a single word of copy, you need to know who you’re writing for. Understanding your target audience is the first step of every SEO copywriting checklist!
When you know what your audience wants and struggles with, you can 1) find related keywords to target and 2) write copy that addresses their specific needs, motivations, and desires. SEO strategy + effective web content = more traffic and conversions!
Identify Your Target Audience
Your business can’t serve everyone. You likely have a specific target audience that you’re focusing on in your marketing efforts. The first step is understanding who your people are.
Start with figuring out your target audience’s demographics, such as their age, gender, location, and income level. However, that’s just the starting point. The most important part of market research is learning more about your target audience’s psychographics.
Psychographics give you insight into your target audience’s attitudes, values, interests, lifestyles, and other psychological elements that inform their purchasing decisions.
What problems does your target audience need to solve? What are their goals and aspirations? What kinds of hesitations or anxieties might be holding them back? Understanding your target audience’s psyche allows you to identify target keywords and messages to use in your copywriting.
Research and Poll Your Ideal Client
Use surveys, polls, and interviews to learn more about your target audience.
You can share surveys with them through your email list or social media. Polls are a quicker way to gather feedback and can be used on social media platforms to get your audience’s opinions on specific topics. Interviews provide in-depth insights with a personal touch.
Ask questions about your target audience’s challenges, desires, wins, setbacks, and any other relevant information that will help you understand their psyche better.
You can also browse social media and forums to do “social listening.” For example, this Reddit thread discusses the process of hiring a website designer. If you’re a web designer, you can gain a lot of valuable insight about what your potential clients want and need from reading through the post and the comments!
2. Keyword Research
You’ve probably heard that you need keywords for search engine optimization. But what actually are keywords and how do you identify the right ones?!
SEO keywords are specific words or phrases that people use to find the content they need. For example, whenpeople search for an “SEO digital marketing agency,” they find us!
Keywords are the foundation of SEO copywriting. They help search engines understand the context of your content and match it with relevant queries. Here are important things to keep in mind as you do your keyword research!
Use Keyword Research Tools
Use tools like Ahrefs, Semrush, or Mangools to find relevant keywords for your content. These keyword research tools provide data on search volume, keyword difficulty, search intent, and related keywords to use in your SEO copywriting.
If you’re looking for a free keyword research tool, try Google Keyword Planner.
Target Long-Tail Keywords
Long-tail keywords are specific phrases that have lower search volume and higher conversion rates. They are less competitive and can attract more targeted traffic.
For example, if you are a financial coach, your first instinct may be to try to target a primary keyword like “financial coach.” This keyword has a high monthly search volume, but it also has a high keyword difficulty, which means that it’s going to be challenging to rank for it.
Instead, you could target less general keywords such as “financial wellness coach” or “couples financial coach” to improve your chances of ranking in search engines. These keywords are more specific and, as a result, have a lower keyword difficulty.
Analyze Competitors
Study your competitors’ content to identify the keywords they’re targeting. This can give you ideas for your keyword strategy and help you find gaps in their content that you can fill! Most SEO tools have features to help you analyze your competitors’ SEO strategies.
Keyword Research Checklist
So, let’s sum up everything you’ve learned in this section. To build a strong SEO keyword strategy, you need to:
- Use a high-quality SEO research tool, such as Ahrefs or Semrush
- Identify long-tail keywords that you can realistically rank for
- Analyze keyword difficulty and search volume
- Do competitor research to see what keywords other businesses in your industry are ranking for
Good luck! If you need help creating your SEO strategy, learn more about our SEO services.
3. Crafting Clickworthy Headlines
Your headlines are the first thing people see when they land on your website page or blog post. They determine whether your target audience will stick around or bounce.
You only have a few seconds of your website visitors’ attention, so make them count with clickworthy headlines! A compelling headline can be the difference between a reader clicking through to read your content or scrolling past it.
Grab Your Reader’s Attention
To grab your reader’s attention, your headlines need to be both intriguing and informative. You need to make every word count. Your headline should give a glimpse of what the reader can expect from your content and entice them to learn more.
Using power words such as “ultimate,” “essential,” “proven,” and “guaranteed” can boost your conversion rates by a whopping 12.7%.
At the same time, your headlines should be crystal clear and pack the most essential information because people are most likely not going to read every single word of your website content. Instead, they’re going to skim it. Your headlines should communicate the most important things you want your readers to know because they may be the only thing your website visitors will actually read!
Include Keywords in Headlines
Using relevant keywords in your headlines is important for SEO. It helps search engines understand the topic of your content and match it with user queries. That said, make sure to use your keywords naturally and avoid keyword stuffing, which can make headlines awkward or spammy.
Your main keyword should always be included in your H1 header (which is usually the main headline for your website page or blog post).
4. Writing High-Quality Content
The trickiest part about SEO copywriting? Writing high-quality content. Yet, it’s also the most important thing you can do to start ranking highly on Google, driving organic traffic, and converting your website visitors into inquiries and sales.
75% of content marketers rate SEO as either extremely or very effective, so the time and effort you put into creating high-quality copy and content marketing content WILL pay off. Work hard, and it won’t be long before you start seeing your website high up in Google search results!
Speak Like You’re In Their Head
Your SEO copywriting should make your audience feel connected to you. They should feel that you understand their specific concerns, interests, and goals.
Speak to the problems and desires you identified during your market research (see step #1!) and remember that you’re writing for humans, not search engines.
Write in a conversational tone that resonates with your target audience. Use language and terminology that they are familiar with, and avoid jargon unless it’s common in your industry and your audience understands it. The goal is to make your content relatable, engaging, and genuinely helpful!
Avoid Keyword Stuffing
Primary and secondary keywords are essential for SEO success, but overusing them can harm your content’s readability and search engine rankings. Keyword stuffing makes your content feel forced and spammy which 1) makes your leads bounce and 2) can result in penalties from Google.
Use your target keywords naturally in your content.
Make your keywords flow with the context of your copy and site structure. Your content should be valuable and reader-friendly! Prioritize sharing truly helpful information over keyword density to create high-quality content.
Use Visuals and Experience
Visuals such as images, infographics, and videos can help explain complex topics and keep your readers engaged. They break up large blocks of text and make your content easier to read and understand.
Google also values content that was created by professionals and brands with relevant experience.
Your blog is the perfect place to showcase your specialized expertise and experience in the field. If you want to start blogging, learn more about our content marketing service.
Add CTAs
Include clear and enticing calls to action (CTAs) throughout your content to guide your readers to the next step. CTAs encourage your website visitors to engage with your content further and take action such as subscribing to your newsletter, filling out your contact form, or making a purchase.
Effective CTAs are specific and action-oriented.
Add them to your content where it makes sense because getting leads to your website is the FIRST step. The SECOND step is making them stick around and convert!
5. On-Page SEO Optimization
If you’re creating high-quality content but getting little or no traffic, your website may be lacking proper on-page SEO optimization. Here’s an on-page SEO checklist so you can optimize your website with the best practices for Google algorithm!
Optimize Meta Titles and Descriptions
Each website page should have an optimized title tag and a meta description. They appear in search engine results pages (SERPs) and influence whether people click through to your site.
Your title tag is the title of your page. For example, the title tag for this website page is the title of the blog post, “The Ultimate SEO Copywriting Checklist: 10 Essentials.”
Your title tag should be short – ideally between 50-60 characters – and include your primary keyword close to the beginning.
Your meta description tag is a short description of a website page that appears in Google search results. For example, the meta description for our home page at SJ Digital Solutions is “Strategic digital marketing agency serving data-driven financial and real estate founders in their visibility, revenue, and impact goals.”
Meta descriptions should be around 150-160 characters and naturally incorporate your primary keyword.
Use Header Tags (H1, H2, H3)
Header tags (H1, H2, H3, etc.) structure your website content and improve its readability.
The H1 tag should be used for the main title of your page and include your primary keyword. This tag signals to both readers and search engines the primary topic of your content.
Use smaller headers (H2, H3, etc.) to organize subtopics and create a clear, logical flow for your content. You can use H2 tags for major sections on your website page and smaller H3 tags for subsections within those sections. Proper use of header tags helps your leads quickly scan your content and find the information they need!
Header tags are also important for SEO. Include your primary keywords in them so that Google can understand the hierarchy and structure of your content better.
Optimize URL Structure
A clear URL structure is important for both the user experience and SEO.
Your URLs should be short, descriptive, and include your primary keyword to clearly communicate the content of the page.
Don’t use special characters (ex: #), long strings of numbers, or generic terms that add no value. For example, a page URL for a blog post about SEO basics should look like “www.yoursite.com/seo-basics” instead of “www.yoursite.com/post12345.”
Descriptive URLs help users understand what to expect from the page before clicking, making it easier for search engines to index your content. A consistent URL structure across your website also improves navigation and the overall organization of your content. Don’t miss this important item on the SEO copywriting checklist when creating your site!
Internal Linking
Adding internal links to your website pages and blog posts keeps your readers engaged and improves your website’s SEO. It’s also a way to direct your leads to inquire or purchase a product, which boosts your conversions.
For example, if you’re writing a blog post that relates to a certain digital product you have, include a call to action (CTA) for it where it makes sense in your content!
Internal links also help search engines crawl your site more effectively because they establish a hierarchy and indicate the relationship between different pages on your website. For example, in a blog post about a broad topic, you can include links to smaller blog posts that discuss relevant content that will be helpful for your target audience to improve their understanding.
External Linking
When you make a claim in your content, link to reputable resources to back it up and support your readers with additional resources. Linking to authoritative websites makes your content more trustworthy and gives you an SEO boost.
For example, if you mention a study or a statistic in a blog post, link to the original source so your readers can find more detailed data if they want to.
External links also help you build relationships with other websites and potentially earn you backlinks, which are valuable for SEO. Make sure to only link to high-quality and relevant sources!
Images
When it comes to SEO optimization efforts, it’s not just your words that you need to work on! It’s also your images. Here are some best practices to follow for your SEO content:
- Use descriptive file names that include relevant keywords (ex: “seo-tips-chart.jpg.” instead of “IMG_1234.jpg,”)
- Write an alt text for every image describing what it depicts to improve accessibility
- Only use relevant images that add value to your content
Want to learn more about optimizing your website for SEO? Grab our FREE SEO E-Book!
6. Mobile Optimization
58.21% of global internet traffic is mobile, which means that over half of your website visitors are browsing your website using their phones. If your web content is hard to read and understand on a smaller screen, you’ll start seeing high bounce rates!
Make sure that your website has a responsive design that adapts to different screen sizes to improve user experience and SEO.
7. User Experience (UX)
A positive user experience keeps readers on your site longer and encourages them to return, which signals to Google that your content is genuinely helpful and deserves to rank higher on the search engine results page.
Clean Design
Create a clean, uncluttered design that makes it easy for readers to focus on your content. Use plenty of white space and a readable font size.
You can create the most amazing content following this SEO Copywriting Checklist, but if it’s impossible to read? Well, you’re going to lose your leads!
Improve Site Navigation
Your website should be easy to navigate. Your website visitors are busy, and they don’t have time to sit there and figure out where they have to go to learn more about your business and get what they need.
Use clear menus and logical page structures to help your target audience find what they’re looking for quickly!
Reduce Bounce Rate
If your website has a high bounce rate, Google may drop your SEO rankings because it will think that your website is not giving your visitors the information that they’re searching for.
Create high-quality content and include actionable CTAs to reduce your bounce rates. Plus, make sure that your website loads quickly so that people don’t leave before it fully loads!
8. Off-Page SEO Checklist
Did you know that ranking high on Google takes more than optimizing your on-page content? Yup, you need to optimize your off-page SEO as well! If this sounds too complicated, learn more about our SEO services!
Install Google Tags
Google tags are tags you can add to your website to help you measure the effectiveness of your website and ads. Use Google Tag Manager to install tags and start tracking user behavior better.
HTTPS Security
Secure your website by using HTTPS. This both protects your users’ data and boosts your SEO rankings because Google prioritizes secure sites.
Create and Submit a Sitemap
Create a sitemap and submit it to Google so that it can crawl and index your site more efficiently. This helps more of your pages to start showing up on search results!
Fix Broken Links
Regularly check for and fix broken links on your site. Broken links are confusing for your website visitors and can harm your SEO.
9. Local SEO
If your business has a physical location or targets a local audience, make sure to optimize for local SEO to improve your visibility and attract nearby clients and customers.
Local Keywords
Incorporate local keywords naturally into your website content and elements like your page titles, meta descriptions, and URLs.
Local keywords include your city, neighborhood, state, or other relevant local terms that potential customers might use when searching for businesses like yours. For example, if you’re a bakery in Brooklyn, New York, you may include phrases like “best bakery in Brooklyn” or “Brooklyn artisan bread” strategically throughout your content.
Create a Google My Business Listing
Create and optimize your Google My Business (GMB) listing. Make sure that all of the information about your business, such as name, address, phone number, and business hours, is accurate and up-to-date. Ask your customers and clients to leave reviews to improve your local search rankings and credibility!
If you need more help optimizing your online presence, learn more about our Local SEO Service!
10. Track Your SEO Performance
SEO is a constant work in progress! Monitoring your performance helps you understand what’s working and where you need to improve.
Use analytics tools such as Google Analytics and Google Search Console to monitor your organic traffic, bounce rate, keyword rankings, and other metrics.
You should also do regular audits of your website content to check for broken links, update outdated content, and proactively resolve any technical SEO problems. Learn more about our SEO Audits!
FAQs
How to Write SEO-Friendly Website Copy?
This may sound counterintuitive, but writing SEO-friendly website copy starts with understanding that you’re writing for real human readers, not search engines. Your website content should be genuinely helpful to them.
When done right, SEO optimization helps you do just that! First, do thorough keyword research to identify what kind of information your target audience is searching for. Then, write high-quality copy that addresses their needs, naturally incorporating your target keywords. Create a clear structure using H1, H2, and H3 header tags and optimize your meta titles and descriptions to make your website easy to navigate.
What Are SEO Copywriting Examples?
Pretty much every page of your website should be SEO-optimized! When your website pages are optimized and free of technical issues, the health and rankings of all of your web pages improve. Website copy, blog posts, product descriptions, and landing pages are all SEO copywriting examples.
How Can I Improve My SEO Copywriting?
If you want your website to perform better in terms of SEO copywriting, start by conducting an audit of both on-page and off-page SEO elements. Are you up-to-date on your keyword research? Are you targeting realistic keywords for your website domain or is their keyword difficulty too high?
Read through your website content to make sure that it addresses your audience’s questions and speaks to their desires. Make sure that on-page SEO elements, such as meta tags, descriptions, and URLs are optimized. Lastly, make sure that there are no off-page technical issues that are preventing your website from ranking.
How to Do Copywriting for SEO?
To write SEO-friendly copy, you need to balance the art of writing compelling content with the science of search engine optimization. You need to make sure that all of the SEO elements, such as keyword research, on-page SEO optimization, and technical SEO elements, are working in tandem with your high-quality content that provides true value for your potential customers and clients. If you want to improve your SEO copywriting, learn more about our copywriting services.
How Much Does an SEO Copywriter Cost?
The cost of SEO copywriters can vary a lot depending on their expertise and the scope of your project. SJ Digital Solutions has over 5 years of experience in the digital marketing industry, serving 250+ clients including major brands such as Rocket Mortage and American First Finance. Our rates reflect our in-depth expertise. Our website copywriting package starts at $3,750 and includes 5 pages of SEO-optimized conversion copy.
Do Copywriters Do SEO?
Great question! No, not all copywriters do SEO. Search engine optimization and conversion copywriting are two quite different skill sets. SEO requires a deep understanding of Google search algorithms, keyword research, and technical optimization strategies to improve your website’s visibility in search engine results. Conversion copywriting is much more creative and is all about driving action with the right words.
Finding a copywriter who is well-versed in both SEO and conversion copywriting can be challenging because typically copywriters are proficient in one and have a surface-level knowledge of the other. At SJ Digital Solutions, we specialize in bridging this gap! Sam has extensive SEO knowledge as well as Conversion Copywriting Certifications.
Connect with a Certified Conversion & SEO Copywriter
Ready for more visibility and revenue? At SJ Digital Solutions, we specialize in SEO-rich conversion copy that moves your audience from “meh” to “must-have.” Learn more about our SEO copywriting services!