SEO copywriter: what is it and why is it important to optimize your content?

Written by Alicia Rodríguez Ruiz

The profile of an SEO copywriter is not just someone who knows how to write and that’s it. The work of this content marketer is much more complex and encompasses functions such as strategy planning, research and documentation on a wide variety of topics.

In such a key moment for SEO and content marketing as the one we live in, in which the generation with Artificial Intelligence seems to call into question or even lead to the extinction of professionals such as the one who is the subject of this article, we want to detail the benefits of SEO copywriting by humans. These professionals are able to create content through a proven methodology and a deep knowledge of Google’s recommendations. Copywriters can rely on the use of AI, but always used in an ethical way, directly focused on the user and on achieving objectives.

What does an SEO copywriter do?

The SEO copywriter is the person in charge of the generation of optimized contents that position in the first results of the searches performed by the user in the SERP (Search Engine Results Pages).

At this point, we would like to clarify a few points:

1. Content generation includes not only writing from scratch, but also the adaptation of already created pieces.
2. Content can be of various types: blog articles, glossary terms, FAQs or frequently asked questions, web pages, landing pages, etc.
3. The positioning objective starts from a fundamental premise for the SEO copywriter, which is none other than the user’s intention when he/she searches for a keyword. Respecting and prioritizing that search intent are the best allies for one content to rank better than another for Google.

Duties of an SEO copywriter

As we have already anticipated, in this article we are going to deal with content creation from two realities: the generation of new pieces and the adaptation/optimization of the existing ones.

In view of this, the main functions of a professional focused on copywriting for positioning are listed below.

Research and document

Before starting to write, it is necessary to research in depth the topic to be covered. This task involves several aspects:

• Thematic. It must be a topic that responds to the search initiated by the user and adjusted to the needs/problems detected.
• The target audience. The topic or content to write about must be designed for the people for whom it is intended. In this case, the definition of one or more buyer persona is key in the copywriting work for positioning.
• Competition. The pieces created by competitors can give us interesting clues to know what works and what doesn’t, as well as to detect needs that we may have overlooked or may face in the future.
• The objectives to be met. The topics proposed must be perfectly aligned with the objectives to be achieved, whether they are aimed at generating greater visibility, attracting leads, increasing sales, reinforcing or building brand loyalty, etc.

As far as documentation is concerned, the ways of obtaining it depend directly on the client and the project for which it is being written.

In this sense, from Human Level’s Content Department we have created and adapted our own working methods to fit the information needs that we may require in each project.

The purpose of our procedures is clear: we seek to ensure that the initial information is complete, accurate and fit for purpose. This is undoubtedly the best way to produce pieces of content of value for the user and whose quality is interpreted as helpful content by search engines.

These are some of the various information gathering techniques we use in the agency:

• Writing customized scripts with questions for the client to share information with us.
• Request to the client for instruction manuals, dossiers, conditionalities, corporate presentations, etc.
• Video recording of interviews with the client with guiding questions to collect data that we then share with the editorial team.
• Compilation of documents from verified external sources: official bodies, competitors, reports and studies from accredited agencies or media, etc.
• Internet research: again we applied a criterion of relevance and credibility of the sources consulted.

Perform keyword analysis

Since the copywriting work is focused on the best possible positioning in search engines, it is logical that the starting point of the work is a keyword research.

We see this more clearly with a practical example.

Let’s suppose that our client is an insurance company whose objective is conversion, that is, it wants to attract an increasing number of customers who take out insurance policies in different lines of business.

After performing a keyword research in which we have included a keyword gap with other competitors, we see that one of the terms that the competition is working on is “electric scooter insurance”.

This keyword has a potential of 3,600 searches per month as can be seen in the following screenshot obtained from the keywordtool.io tool:

However, the findings of the keyword research will not automatically dictate the content to be written. The strategy will always be customized to each case to meet the specific needs of each client. For example, if our hypothetical client does not include electric scooters in its product offering, we will not attack this keyword no matter how much the competition is working on it because it is not aligned with its sales objectives.

Design a structure according to search intention

As we have been discussing, one aspect to be valued to a great extent is the search intention that is “hidden” behind each keyword used in the search of our users.

Let’s continue with the example of our hypothetical client, the insurance company. On this occasion, our team of SEO consultants suggests to the client the creation of a landing page with a calculator that allows potential customers to calculate by themselves and in just a few minutes the amount of hiring a car insurance.

The SEO copywriter in charge is aware that the target keyword for this landing page is “calculate car insurance”, which has a monthly search volume of 3,600 searches.

In the structure of the landing page, it will not make any sense to talk about certain topics that are not related to the initial search. We can see it better with an example of a correct and an incorrect structure:

Despite the fact that both proposals start from the same <H1> that fits perfectly with the target keyword and with the user’s search intention, as we move through the structure we see how in one of the cases this search intention is diluted and gives way to <H2> that have nothing to do with the real purpose behind the price calculator.

The user wants to know how to get a car insurance quote in real time and by himself. Your search is not aimed at finding out what a car insurance calculator is, but at the pure and simple calculation of what it is going to cost you to have this benefit.

Any search engine will understand the content created following the first structure as 100% in line and aligned with what the user asks, while any landing page created following structure number 2 will be interpreted as a content that does not solve the user’s question and, therefore, does not add value.

Write in a semantic, natural, human and target-oriented way.

As a good professional who masters the art of copywriting and is well versed in search engine optimization practices, the SEO copywriter will avoid keyword stuffing.

In return, it will make use of synonyms and semantically related words.

Likewise, its contents must be and sound natural and human. It is not for nothing that they are created by a human being for his fellow human beings who, when reading them, will not notice that metallic and inhuman “aftertaste” that professional SEO copywriters sometimes notice.

Attacking different types of content

The types of content that an SEO copywriter handles on a daily basis are varied and are intended for different purposes.

• Blog articles are suitable for attracting traffic from users’ doubts, objections and search for inspiration. They are useful to help them make their purchase decision and allow us to accompany them in a natural way towards conversion goals. This content also expands the visibility of the website beyond what pure transactional content would allow.
• The FAQs or frequently asked questions help us to answer the main doubts of the users by providing a corporate or even general informative service.
• Downloadable content such as ebooks or whitepapers are ideal for lead generation.

Each type of content favors a different structure and extension, as well as the application of a specific structured data markup with which we aim to appear in the most visible result formats (snippet).

Follow an internal linking strategy

In addition to writing taking care of the aspects mentioned up to this point, the SEO copywriter has in his hand another technique with which to favor the positioning of the content. I am referring to internal linking from and to other parts of the website, with which we will be able to distribute the flow of popularity of the site and reinforce the visibility of the most interesting pages for our business, such as the transactional ones.

Preserving naturalness in the linking proposals is key so that the search engine of the day does not detect a forced practice:

• If we talk about interlinking between informational blog articles, the links should point to related concepts that readers can use to broaden their knowledge on a given topic.
• If we are talking about internal linking to other products or services with a transactional purpose, the link proposal must be aligned with the user’s objectives and present only those products or services that are relevant to each content. For example, in the description of a lamp from an e-commerce we could link to the mount accessories that will allow us to install it in our home.

SEO copywriter skills and training

We have already mentioned that SEO copywriters must have solid writing skills and be fluent in the grammar and spelling rules of the language in which they write.

However, your training is not limited to the above and you will need to have other skills:

• Be organized. The writer must be able to deliver content on time and on budget. When working in an agency, the same writer is involved in several projects and must keep track of each of them.
• Be creative. The use of data (such as the data obtained through keyword research) should not be at odds with creativity, on the contrary, both should be nurtured to create useful and attractive content.
• Pay attention to details. Although it may seem trivial, in many cases even the smallest detail plays in favor of readability, making content more appealing for users. The absence of synonyms, the use of the same beginning repeatedly, the use of excessively technical language for a non-technical audience, the presence of errors due to lack of proofreading or the use of endless paragraphs that can easily be replaced by a bullet list, can be interpreted as symptoms of a lack of care and attention to the content.
• Commitment to continuous training. In a world as changing as that of content marketing, it is necessary to keep abreast of the new search engine guidelines, as well as the new tools or functionalities that we can use to optimize our work.
• Search for coherence and harmony. From my experience as an SEO copywriter and digital content editor I have learned that disharmony does not only manifest itself in big mistakes. As seemingly innocuous aspects such as not maintaining the same writing style (mixing verbs with nouns, questions with affirmative sentences, etc., as you can see in the example below) at various points in the same Hn hierarchy can have a major impact on the disharmony of the text.

I recognize that I have forced the above examples a bit, but have I managed to show you more graphically what I mean by harmony?

Advantages of SEO copywriting in content strategy

Finally, I want to show you some of the advantages that make SEO copywriting stand out compared to copywriting that is not focused on positioning, and to do so, I am going to use that wonderful resource called bullet list:

• Higher return on investment (ROI) as content is more likely to be found and read.
• Ideal match between subject matter and search intent marked by correct keyword research and use.
• Improved content structure design supported by primary and secondary keywords detected from user searches. The PAA (People Also Ask) of search engines are natural allies of SEO copywriters.
• Optimization of internal linking to strengthen and derive popularity to other proprietary content.
• Better management of external linking in order to provide value to the user based on truthful sources and contrasted information.
• Greater alignment with Google’s EEAT (Experience, Expertise, Authority and Credibility) guidelines.

If after everything we have just shown you, you have noticed that the SEO copywriting can provide you with a series of advantages you didn’t know about, or if you are looking for content aligned with your objectives of visibility, brand reinforcement or conversion to sales, let us help you in the way we know best: by writing content so that you can be seen and chosen.

Our experience in content creation has the endorsement and recognition of our clients.