What is SEO copywriting?
Content editing process for the web, optimized for searches on specific topics in search engines.
SEO copywriting is part of on-page and on-site optimization. It involves adapting texts not only for potential customers but also for an invisible reader — search engine bots. The specialist who does this is called a web editor or SEO copywriter.
Why is SEO copywriting important?
Because content is important. Google’s mission is to show people accurate results for what they are searching for. Artificial intelligence algorithms comprehensively evaluate each website — technically, in terms of design and UX, and security. However, the main thing remains the content. It must be well written and relevant to visitors’ expectations.
At Zen Studio, we have noticed that many companies offer search engine optimization services that do not include SEO content creation. Is it because SEO copywriting requires the effort to familiarize with the client’s products and services in detail? Or is it because clients find it difficult to provide good initial information?
Whatever the reason, your goal is to build and develop the best possible website for your industry. This cannot be achieved through chaotic work. It requires a structured, holistic, and strategic approach, in which SEO copywriting plays a critical role.
To make your website one of the best in its niche, the texts must be well structured, relevant to the topic and target audience, easy to read, and understandable to search engines.
Before writing – keyword analysis
Before writing a text, we need to decide what to write about. What topics do we want to be found for? Naturally, these are the topics that our potential customers are searching for. Do we know what they are and what keywords they use to search for them?
The first step to quality SEO copywriting is keyword research. Based on this, we select priorities for content creation that do not necessarily correspond to the most obvious and searched phrases. Depending on the case, a good initial strategy may be to choose secondary and more descriptive expressions (long-tail).
At Zen Studio, this is a mandatory step that allows us to shape the SEO structure of the website – landing pages that correspond to the priority keywords.
SEO copywriting process in 4 steps
The process of SEO copywriting is not much different from creating an original article. Once we have a clear idea of what the article is about, we can start writing SEO content.
PREPARATION
During the preparation stage, we structure the content to answer the main questions. What is the purpose of the article? What is the main message? Who is the audience and what information will we give them? What is the logical sequence and argumentation?
WRITING
Writing the article itself takes time and at least 7 cups of coffee. The goal is to write the most detailed text possible on the topic and structure. How comprehensive should the text be? Google considers a page to be “informative” if the text is no less than 350 words. At Zen Studio, we have concluded that the optimal size for good ranking of thematic content is between 800 and 2000 words.
What to do if it is not possible or practical to write long texts? In many cases, the topic of the publication or the design does not allow for the creation of extensive SEO text. An example of this is the Zen Studio portfolio. If we present a logo, website, packaging, or brochure design project with an extensive description, we will disrupt the focus, which should be on reference photos with a specific and clear presentation. No matter how well optimized they are technically, these types of pages will not be able to rank for the most common search terms. The information they contain does not explore a general concept (e.g., “logo design”) in depth, but presents a specific case. The logical solution is to optimize them for more specific searches (e.g., “logo design for dessert” or “logo and packaging design”).
SEO WEB EDITING
Editing is the real stage of SEO copywriting. During this stage, we work on the hierarchy of the text (headings, subheadings, paragraphs) so that the main information is presented logically. The copy is tuned according to the keywords and phrases we want it to be found by.
Forcing keywords and key phrases into your content could mess up how readable it is, lead to sentences that don’t make sense, or make your writing sound weird. Keywords shouldn’t be like parasites that are only there to get noticed by search engines. They should fit in without compromising the quality of the content.
In high-quality SEO web copy, keywords are presented in context, preferably with explanations from several angles. It often takes more than three re-readings and rewrites of the text before a page is ready to go online.
MEDIA OPTIMIZATION
In our SEO services, we have a particular focus on media preparation because it is part of the content and therefore part of the page SEO performance.
Quality content is visual — especially on the Internet. To meet this standard and make the page more appealing and informative, we have to boost the new search engine optimized text with relevant imagery or videos.
What is the ideal SEO media? In addition to its artistic qualities, it is optimized for the size of the website – both the mobile and desktop versions. It has an alternative description in the HTML code of the page (alt), which explains to search engines, as well as to people with visual impairments, what the image is about. Google attaches great importance to the alt description, but also relates the image to the surrounding text. This does not mean that every description should be “spammed” with keywords, but it is good for the main thematic photo for the article to contain our main keyword. See also Google’s article on publishing photos, which includes a video about alt text.
Of course, there are still tasks left to do before we publish our SEO-optimized page. These are more technical in nature and are not directly related to content creation:
- Preparation of meta and schema data, GEO optimization for AI;
- Building of context internal/external links;
- Other fine tunning, related to WordPress or your CMS.
Example
SEO copywriting projects
Web design & SEO
Our team combines innovative solutions and aesthetic web design to create unique and functional websites that meet the specific needs of your business. With a focus on user experience (UX), security, and visibility (SEO), we design websites that look good and reach potential customers.
FAQ
Q. What is the professional profile of an SEO copywriter?
A. It is a common misconception that a copywriter must be a philologist. Language skills are a must, but marketing skills are more important. A good copywriter understands the business challenges of the client and is able to synthesize and prioritize them. An SEO copywriter is first and foremost a copywriter. He/she must write a well-argued and convincing article that answers the questions of potential customers. The only difference is that when the questions are asked in a search engine, the SEO copywriter optimizes it according to the previously analyzed search keywords.
Q. Can a copywriter write about anything?
A. With good collaboration with the client and a structured preparation process, an SEO copywriter can create content for most non-specialized topics (e.g., fast-moving or mass-market goods). The more specific the topic, the more specialized the copywriter needs to be. At Zen Studio, for example, we have a technical editor and write about specific products and solutions in industry, energy, automation, IT, etc., but we would find it difficult to work with a pharmaceutical company because we do not have the marketing knowledge for that sector. Although generative AI could boost the learning curve of the copywriter for non-familiar topics, we do think good specialized article is only possible with a specialized copywriter.
Q. When should I hire a professional copywriter?
A. When you have a clear idea of your marketing positioning. If you cannot explain the advantages of your products and services, your sales channels, and the added value of your business, there is a possibility that the copywriter will create banal content – even if it has a high percentage of uniqueness, customers will have a feeling of déjà vu.
Q. Can a website be optimized solely with SEO copywriting?
A. It depends on the competition in the sector. If the website is niche-oriented, in many cases professionally created content and keyword analysis are sufficient to rank the website higher. For highly saturated areas of activity, off-site optimization and social profiles development are a must.
Q. Can AI such as ChatGPT be used to generate SEO content?
A. No, at least not yet. Texts generated with ChatGPT up to version 4.0 (current at the time of publication of this article) should not be used directly without additional editing and intervention by an SEO copywriter. However, they can serve as a blueprint for developing SEO content because they present concepts from multiple angles.
Q. Can you optimize foreign language content?
A. If you have a multilingual website, the process is the same. Creating articles and pages in a foreign language is a big challenge. It requires a very high level of language proficiency to correctly analyze key search phrases and edit compelling text for a foreign audience. Cultural differences must also be taken into account. Often, the easiest thing to do is to simply translate a Bulgarian article into a foreign language. In this case, however, it is difficult to apply keyword research. At Zen Studio, we prefer to rewrite the article following the 4-step process described above. We currently offer SEO copywriting in French and English.
Q. What is the rate for SEO copywriting?
A. You can find anything on the internet. There are freelance prices starting at 1 lev for 100 words. At Zen Studio, we will give you an estimate based on the specific project. A well-optimized web article of 1500-2000 words takes a minimum of 2 days, including the brief, keyword research, and drafts. When it comes to product descriptions, the average productivity is about 10 product sheets per day/copywriter. For a complete landing page project, web design time is also to be considered – it easily can take 5+ days.
Conclusion
SEO copywriting is a service for creating optimized web content that is visible under predefined search criteria. The texts are comprehensive, readable, and written for people. Key phrases are integrated contextually and explanatorily without disrupting the logical flow of the presentation. Do you have any questions or comments? Contact Zen Studio for more information.