It is an old adage, ‘those who don’t learn from history are bound to repeat the same mistakes’. As a matter of fact, this quote is applicable to SEO copywriting. As is the case, the rulebook of SEO has undergone a vast change and previous practices that was once used by editors, journalists, copywriters and various content creators is now obsolete and could get your website penalized.
SEO copywriting in itself is an arduous process. There are certain parameters that should be applied when SEO copywriting is taken into consideration. This article will briefly walk through the most pressing dos and don’ts of SEO copywriting.
Dos of SEO Copywriting
1. SEO Analysis and Yoast SEO
Yoast SEO tool makes SEO copywriting all the easier and effective. It checks the readability of the final draft and also factors in the degree of SEO-friendliness. This tool is highly vital to ranking your content.
2. Making use of Synonyms
Refrain from using the target keyword in a higher density. The text becomes gibberish to say the least, and the article is more prone to be penalized by Panda. It is more prudent to make use of synonyms and key phrases that the target audience is looking for.
3. Adapting Language for Audience
Yet again, it is prudent to adapt the article’s tone and language keeping the audience in mind. Depending upon the target market, if the text is centered on LEGO, then it should be children-friendly and easy to read. However, if the target market is inherently about the captains of the industry, then the word usage becomes a very sensitive matter. Thus, it is imperative to adjust the tone of an article with respect to its audience.
4. Balancing the Target Keyword
With the present Google algorithms, it is advisable to use the target keyword within a defined limit and avoid keyword density. For best results, the keyword density should be within 1 – 2 %. More so, they need to be spread out in a balanced manner throughout the text. Avoid placing the keywords in a single paragraph, rather use it throughout the text.
5. Backlinks are Imperative
When composing SEO content, another viable tool is making use of the backlinks to articles on similar subjects. The blog-post can be linked to existing articles from a similar niche. This strengthens the authority of the article as well. In addition to that, an optional tool is to backlink the articles of the website as well, which leads the audience to their desired landing pages.
6. CTA: Call to Action
The call to action of each article should be clear-cut and sending an actionable message. In case where the audience needs to be diverted towards a purchase or in other case, to another article, then they should be led through in a clear manner.
7. Standout User Experience
With the new engagement metrics in place, the user experience has acquired center stage value. This means that the content matters more than before. Google tends to rank those pages where it notices the users are less likely to revert to an alternative page. When they engage with the website’s content further, this enables them to ease their task and ranks them highly.
The Don’ts of SEO Copywriting
1. Topic and Keyword are Related
As is the case, the results finalized from keyword research should decide in shortlisting the article topics. The subject of the article and keyword should be inherently related, whereas writing an article about a certain subject and optimizing it for a completely different keyword is inadvisable. Yet again, avoid repeating using the focus keyword incessantly for obvious reasons.
2. Desist from Monotony
As a writer, it is highly advisable that the writing style of the article is engaging and appealing. The sentences need to be crisp and their length should vary. This helps the audience in deflecting monotony. In addition to that, the paragraphs should be a healthy mix of long and short lengths which gives the readers a variety. Using examples to drive a point is also highly advisable.
3. Avoid Lengthy Sentences
In SEO copywriting, it is advisable to restrict the length of the sentences. According to the industry standards, the sentence range should lie somewhere within the 50 to 75 characters, which makes around 10 to 15 words. This also keeps the audience engaged, enabling them to read through the article.
4. Avoid Keyword Stuffing
Keyword stuffing is a practice that is ancient history. Avoid sentences that feels out of place due to the usage of the keyword. In such a case, it is being used very often. When the keyword is occurring in the text without its need of being so, it is called keyword stuffing. The overall text needs to be neat and tidy.
5. Refrain from Duplicating Content
Always remember to abstain from using the content twice on the same website. If that is the case, then it is advisable to use a canonical URL. In any case otherwise, search engines can show a wrong landing page which in turn can hurt the rankings. The canonical URL allows the search engines to recognize that particular URLs are in essence the same. Using this method, the rankings remain unharmed by duplicate content.
Conclusion
Adhering to these vital techniques is crucial to acquiring success in the long run and maintenance of the rankings just as well.
Author Bio:
Emma Watson is a UK based independent assignment is provides online assignment help UK for quite a while. She is Examining Master’s degree in training and working with her school as low maintenance understudy adviser.