What is SEO-rating?
SEO-rating (also known as "writing for SEO") is the process of planning, creating and optimising content with the primary goal of ranking in search engines.
Why is SEO ranking so important?
It's no secret that great content is KEY to ranking in Google.
However: just giving out high quality content is not enough.
Your content also needs legitimate search engine optimisation to rank.
It turns out: great content + solid on-page SEO = SEO ranking.
The foundation of any SEO content strategy is knowing what you want to achieve. Before you get started, set measurable goals so that copywriters, marketing managers, and other stakeholders are all working toward the same key performance indicators.
Here are common metrics to measure:
CTR.
Conversion rate.
Organic traffic.
Backlinks.
Search engine ranking position.
Dwell time.
Page and domain authority.
Opportunity / difficulty of organic keywords.
Page views per session.
SEO copywriters need to get the data they need to succeed so that every new page created is tied to a core business goal.
The internet is full of content that doesn't make it into the search engine. Because of this, no one sees it, which means this content can't teach, impress or change anyone. Not to mention, it doesn't do any good for the person who wrote it.
Conversely, developing content with SEO in mind helps you get natural traffic and attract readers and potential customers to your website.
5 simple steps to help you write optimised texts
SEO writing is all about developing and creating content that is meant to reach the top of the search engine results, but that doesn't mean you have to create something artificial for an audience made up of robots. The key is to understand what people are looking for online and tailor your content to meet their needs.
Here's a 5-step framework suitable even for beginners that will help you write an article or blog post with SEO in mind.
Find a relevant keyword phrase with traffic potential
Determine the search intent
Determine the subtopics to be covered in the article
Make an outline for the article
Write a draft
Find a relevant keyword phrase with traffic potential
First, decide on a topic relevant to your business or order. Think logically about what phrase people will search for on Google to find your service or product. This is what your initial keyword phrase will be.
For example, if you are a peanut paste company, your initial phrase would be "peanut paste" or "peanut pastes".
Determine your search intent
So you have a primary keyword phrase with good traffic potential. Now you need to understand about the needs of the people who type it into the search bar. This is called query intent, and if your content doesn't match it, Google is unlikely to show it at the top of the results.
The best way to determine the intent behind a keyword phrase is to examine the first page of search results and establish the following three parameters: content type, format and angle.
Content type
The type of content (e.g. homepage, blog article, video, etc.) that is on the top positions tells you exactly what you need to create.
Search engine optimization website google portfolio seo copywriting
Search engine promotion website google portfolio seo copywriting
Content Format
The format most common among the top results (e.g., instruction, list, or opinion article) will drive the decision on how you structure your content. For example, most results for the query "benefits of peanut butter paste" are articles about the pros and cons of the product, so you should publish similar content.
Search engine optimization google portfolio website seo copywriting
Content angle
Highlight for yourself on the pages from the first positions in the issue repetitive topics, common places, a feature of the approach to the topic. For example, for the query "make peanut paste" all the first results tell you how to make the paste at home.
Search engine optimization google portfolio website seo copywriting
The search intent of "SEO copywriting" is pretty obvious:
Content type → article / blog post
Content format → guide / manual
Content angle → complete guides; instructions for beginners and/or copywriters who have little familiarity with SEO
Identify the subtopics to be covered in the article
At this stage, you have a strong main keyword phrase and an idea of the type, format and angle of the content you're going to create.
But it's too early to move on to the actual creation - before you do that, you still need to study the first pages in the search results (your "competitors" for that keyword phrase) to determine the subtopics you should cover in your content.
Method 1: Analyse your competitors' content and subheadings
Method 2: Look at popular phrases in Google search
Method 3: Find out what other keyword phrases your competitors are ranking for at the top of the results
Make an outline for your article
So, at this stage you should know:
The main keyword phrase.
The format, type and angle of the content.
The subtopics to be covered.
Write a draft
You've finally reached the writing stage, where the plan will flesh out and turn into a draft. As a content writer, you already know what to do - but there are a few principles that are useful to follow:
Write in natural language with your audience in mind
Use the vocabulary of your audience
Add something unique
Follow a developed plan, but don't be afraid to change it
SEO-writing is not about having a lot of key phrases in the text to please search engines or to lure people to your page. First of all, it's about good content that truly meets the needs of the audience, which helps to bring content to the top of the output and increase traffic.