Why Content Writing is Important for SEO

SEO. You’ve probably heard of it. You might even know a thing or two about it. But do you know why the content you produce is vital for SEO?

SEO – or search engine optimisation (kind of wordy, so we’ll stick to the abbreviation) – is the secret sauce that the best content writers use to make their writing stand out online. It’s a way to get your words noticed not just by your ideal customer, but by the search engine overlord Google!

And if you’re wondering why content is so important and how it can improve your SEO, we’re here to walk you through it. 

What is SEO content writing?

Creating valuable content is one of the most crucial elements of a successful content marketing strategy. 

Why?

Because useful, valuable, and shareable content has the ability to raise your company’s credentials. Providing something that your ideal customer can use (and is looking for) and making Google notice you – in a good way. And the more you produce this kind of awesome content, the more you’ll get noticed and the higher up in the SERPs (search engine results pages) you’ll rank.

And writing for SEO (aka “SEO content writing”)  is an essential step in getting you there. But what is it and what does this actually involve?

SEO writing involves placing carefully researched keywords and keyword phrases in your content, as well as using other on-page elements such as headings, tags, metadata, titles, links, and structure. The objective is getting your content to rank highly in the search engine result pages (SERPs), where more people will see it and hopefully click on it. This means more eyes on your content and more conversions for your business.

Great content writing can do this for you.

Of course, there’s more to it than just scattering a load of keywords throughout your writing. Not only does this usually sound unnatural and spammy, Google can even penalise you for it. In order to get it right, you need to pair well-researched keywords with high-quality and valuable copy. Something that professional content writers can help with. 

3 simple ways to incorporate SEO into your content writing

It’s a super simple formula really. When you combine brilliant and valuable content with on-page SEO, the finished result is SEO writing. So, let’s look at how you can achieve great SEO writing for your content.

1. Keyword research

SEO is one of the most successful ways to attract new customers (and retain existing customers) to your website. It can drive more traffic, leads, and conversions, and using the right keywords in your content is one of the best ways to make this happen.

Finding the phrases that your customer is plugging into Google is called keyword research. Which – to make matters confusing – aren’t single words, but more like phrases. If you’ve ever Googled anything, then you have used a keyword – “what is SEO content writing” is a prime example here!

But, how do you know which keywords to use and how to incorporate them into your content? You can use keyword research tools to help, and you can also use Google and your knowledge of your customers. Keywords should be words and phrases that your customers are searching for. So get into their mindset and hit the search engines. What problems do you know they have? What questions do they ask you? These are likely to be what they search for. You can also see what sites come up when you type in a keyword. 

Once you have your list of keywords, place them naturally into your content writing. If they don’t come across as natural then it will have the opposite effect and put people off. Your content is there to solve a particular problem, so make sure you always write for people first – that means making it readable and helpful. 

Remember to make sure your keywords are relevant to whatever you’re selling or writing about. If they aren’t then Google will know (yep. We did say it’s the overlord). And always ensure that you avoid stuffing your keywords into your content. This makes it look bad, read badly, and it will ultimately tell Google that you’re spammy.

And spam, whether online or from a tin, is never good!

2. On-page SEO elements content writers use

As well as keywords, there are other on-page SEO elements to make your content more effective for Google and your customers. 

One such element is to make sure your content is formatted in an SEO-friendly way. This means making it easy to read and easy to scan. We’re skim readers. We want to be able to quickly find the answers to our questions, otherwise we get bored and click off.

SEO content writers format their text to make it as scannable as possible. This includes using headings, bullet points, and lists to break up chunks of text.

Strong headlines are an additional skill SEO content writers have up their sleeves. With a headline, you only have a few words to make a big impression – and an effective headline holds a lot of power. They need to be enticing and unique, as well as contain the primary keyword. That’s a big job for a wee bit of text.

Writing effective metadata is another essential component of content writing. Your meta title and description are what appears on a search engine result – the snippet you see that introduces what the webpage is about. When writing this, keep your readers in mind, include your keyword and introduce what the article is about. Oh, and you also have to keep it short! Hey, there’s a reason why being an SEO content writer takes a lot of work!

Finally, try and add some internal links and external links to relevant high authority sites in your content. Internal links keep people on your site and external links show Google where your content fits within your industry. 

3. SEO content writing for blogs

A blog is one of the easiest and best ways to create consistent content for SEO. 

Blog posts are engaging, useful, and are the perfect place to incorporate on-page SEO elements such as keywords and metadata. But, most importantly, they are a way to connect with your audience and help them with their queries. This shows Google that your site is the place to be and that you should be rewarded for it by taking a trip up the rankings.

A well-written blog that contains all the essential on-page SEO elements will boost your online visibility and help your business become a voice of authority in your industry. Another blogging bonus is they are cost effective. If you don’t have a content writer on staff, then outsourcing a writer to create consistent blog posts is a great option. 

Drive traffic and spread awareness with SEO

Remember. SEO content writing requires not only knowledge of SEO but also high-quality copywriting skills and the ability to create amazing content that your ideal client needs.

And working with professional content writers who understand the importance of SEO (and how to implement it into their content) is a brilliant way to drive more traffic to your website. 

If you want to know more about SEO content writing, and how it can help boost your business, then get in touch and let’s have a chat about how we can help get more eyes on your website.