What is SEO copywriting?
SEO copywriting is writing designed to rank in search engines and connect with real people. It’s the intersection of keyword targeting and persuasive communication.
Stuffing keywords everywhere is the amateur way of doing it.
The smarter way? Use keyword research to understand what your audience searches for, then pair that with insight into their pain points — so you can write content that’s both discoverable and genuinely useful.
In short: it’s how you make your content findable and unforgettable. That balance is harder than it sounds — but it’s where all the upside lives.
Why is SEO copywriting important?
Getting traffic without conversions is pointless. So is writing brilliant content nobody ever sees.
SEO copywriting solves both problems.
It matches what Google wants (keywords, structure, relevance) with what your audience needs (clarity, engagement, trust).
It’s how you attract qualified traffic and turn that traffic into outcomes — whether that’s signups, leads, or sales.
It scales reach. A single page can rank for hundreds or thousands of long-tail keywords — if you’ve written it well. One of the biggest reasons SEO content works is because one page can rank for hundreds — sometimes thousands — of keyword variations. Why? Because people search in different ways. Someone might search how to train a puppy, another types puppy training tips, someone else asks best ways to housebreak a dog. These all mean the same thing. If your content is written naturally, covers the topic in full, and touches on those variants, Google knows it can show your page for all of them. You don’t need to write separate pages for every variation — you need one solid piece that captures the intent behind them all.
It bumps up your engagement. Strong copy reduces bounce rates and increases time on page, which sends good signals back to Google.
It builds credibility. Especially in competitive spaces like health or finance, your content needs to reflect your experience and expertise. Great writing shows it.
Let’s create a scenario. Picture someone searching for how to lower cholesterol naturally.
In the health niche, trust is everything.
If your content opens up with vague tips and no clear sourcing, you’re not inspiring much trust in your words.
But if you start with direct, confident writing that shows you know the topic – As a registered dietitian who’s worked with hundreds of clients facing cholesterol issues… – it makes a big difference.
You’re demonstrating your expertise right from that first sentence. That’s how you build authority with your SEO copywriting: not by listing facts, but by writing with experience and depth.
In niches like health or finance, that level of authority is the minimum to compete.
The SEO copywriting process (overview)
You can break SEO copywriting into three stages:
- Research. Find the right keywords. Understand your audience. Map the structure before writing a word.
- Drafting. Write with flow, clarity, and purpose — guided by both your SEO and your reader’s needs.
- Editing & optimisation. Tighten your copy, improve readability, and optimise metadata, internal links, and formatting.
We’ll walk through each stage in more depth — starting with research.
Stage 1: Research – laying the groundwork
The keywords you target should match your actual business goal. Do you want brand awareness? Then you want top-of-funnel keywords — broad, educational topics like what is content marketing or why SEO matters. These bring in cold traffic and introduce people to your brand.
But if your goal is leads or sales — and nine times out of ten, that’s what clients actually need — then you need middle or bottom-of-funnel keywords.
These are the ones that show buying intent: best CRM software for small businesses, SEO consultant pricing, hire a copywriter for landing pages.
People searching these terms are closer to making a decision. That’s where the money is.
My mantra is simple: sales pay the bills, not traffic. Don’t chase vanity metrics. Chase keywords that lead to leads.
A great starting point? Look at your competitors. What keywords are they targeting? What pages are ranking for hire + [your service]? Those are the phrases worth targeting.
Great SEO copy is planned, not winged. Here’s what to focus on:
a. Find the right keywords
Good content starts with understanding what your audience is already searching for.
Start with broad topics, then dig deeper using tools like Google Keyword Planner, Keywords Everywhere, or Semrush. Your goal isn’t just high volume — it’s relevance and intent.
Look for:
- Primary keyword: The core phrase your article should rank for.
- Related and long-tail terms: Supporting phrases that reflect real variations in how people search.
For example, if your main keyword is project management software, supporting terms might be:
- best project management tools for startups
- Asana vs Trello comparison
- affordable project management apps
These help widen your reach — and often convert better, since they reflect more specific intent.
b. Understand search intent
What is the real goal behind each search?
- Informational: how to train for a half marathon
- Navigational: Nike official store
- Commercial: best noise cancelling headphones 2024
- Transactional: buy noise cancelling headphones online
Study the current top results. What formats are ranking? Listicles? Product comparisons? Tutorials?
Your content must match what the searcher expects — both in topic and format.
c. Plan your angle
Once you understand the keywords and intent, ask: what’s my unique take?
You don’t need to reinvent the wheel — but you do need to add something better, deeper, clearer, or more useful than what’s already ranking.
Plan your content outline and unique angle
With keywords and intent in hand, sketch out a content outline. List the main sections or topics you need to cover to satisfy the query. Each significant subtopic can become a section (with its own heading) in your article. A well-structured outline ensures your content is logical, comprehensive, and not missing important pieces. It also helps you organize your thoughts before the actual writing. For example, for a topic like voice search optimization, your outline might include subtopics like what is voice search, why voice search matters in 2025, and techniques to optimise for voice search. Breaking a broad topic into clear sub-sections makes the writing process smoother and the end result more digestible for readers.
As you outline, research what subtopics the top-ranking pages cover. You can use content analysis tools or a simple manual review. If all the top articles on healthy sleep mention sections on sleep hygiene or bedroom environment, you’ll want to include those if you’re writing on that topic. For instance, in planning a how to sleep better article, you might discover that high-ranking pages all discuss things like ideal room temperature or avoiding screens before bed. These are clues to include those points. Covering the same ground (and ideally, adding more value) helps ensure your content isn’t missing what readers expect to find.
Next, think about your unique angle or spin that will make your content stand out. If you simply regurgitate the same points as everyone else, there’s little incentive for readers (or other sites) to prefer your content over others. In fact, if your content is identical to others, why would anyone link to or share it? To avoid this, plan to add something original: this could be personal experience, unique examples, case studies, expert quotes, original research/data, or a fresh perspective.
One effective approach is to leverage your own experience with the topic. Google’s quality guidelines emphasise E-E-A-T, where the first “E” stands for Experience. If you can demonstrate first-hand experience, your content gains credibility. For example, if you’re writing sleep better tips, and you personally tried certain techniques (like meditation, blue-light blocking glasses, etc.), you can share your results or anecdotes. Searchers want real-world, tried-and-tested advice, not just generic platitudes. Even a brief personal story or an insight (“When I struggled with insomnia last year, the game-changer was cutting out afternoon caffeine…”) can differentiate your article by adding authenticity.
Aside from personal stories, unique spin can also mean presenting information in a new way. Maybe you have new data (e.g., results from a survey your company did), or you’re combining two concepts in a unique way, or offering an updated, more current take on a topic that others haven’t covered yet. This kind of added value not only engages readers but can attract backlinks – other sites are more likely to link back to you when you add a touch of originality in your content.
Pro tip: If you feel you aren’t enough of an expert on a critical section of the topic, bring in outside expertise. You can plan to interview an expert or cite credible sources for that part. Google’s E-E-A-T also values Expertise, and people prefer learning from qualified voices. For instance, if you’re writing an article on a medical topic, you might quote a doctor or research paper. If you’re covering a complex SEO issue and you know an industry expert who’s weighed in on it, consider including their insight (with proper credit). This adds authority. Some top-notch SEO copywriters even reach out to experts for quotes to sprinkle into their content. It’s a win-win: you get authoritative content, and the expert might share or link to your article.
In summary, the Research stage is about knowing what your audience is searching for, why they’re searching for it, and how you can best fulfil that need in a way that sets your content apart. By the end of this stage, you should have a list of target keywords, a clear sense of the reader’s intent, a structured outline of your content, and a plan for the unique value or angle you’ll inject. Now it’s time to move on to turning that plan into a compelling draft.
Stage 2: drafting – crafting your SEO content
With your research done and outline in hand, it’s time to write the content. The drafting stage is where you put fingers to keyboard and create the article or copy, following the plan you laid out. Your primary goal in drafting is twofold: create content that satisfies the reader’s search (informative, accurate, thorough) and write it in a style that keeps them engaged and ideally nudges them toward a desired action. In other words, you’re combining informational value with persuasive, user-friendly delivery.
As you write, keep those dual objectives in mind. An SEO copywriter typically aims to educate, entertain, or inspire the reader while also guiding them closer to a conversion or next step (whether that’s buying a product, signing up for a newsletter, or simply trusting your brand). The following techniques and best practices will help ensure your draft is high-quality both in content and presentation.
Write an attention-grabbing introduction
The introduction of your piece is absolutely critical. You have only a few seconds to convince a visitor to stay on the page. If the intro is dull, confusing, or fails to speak to the reader’s needs, they’ll hit the back button – and that means a lost opportunity. A strong intro for SEO copywriting needs to immediately grab attention and assure the reader they’re in the right place for what they seek.
One effective approach is to front-load the value using the inverted pyramid method. This technique, borrowed from journalism, means giving away the most important information or answer right at the top, rather than burying your conclusions later in the text. Especially for certain queries (like best X product or what is Y), many readers want the quick answer immediately. For example, when someone searches for the best non-stick pan, they’re often hoping to see the top recommended pan right away. Recognising this, a site like Wirecutter begins its articles by literally naming the best pick in the first sentence, before delving into all the testing details. That way, impatient readers get satisfaction instantly. From an SEO standpoint, delivering the key information up front can reduce pogo-sticking and improve dwell time, because the user sees that their question is answered and then is more likely to continue reading for context. It’s a strategy for both better user experience and potentially better engagement metrics.
Using the inverted pyramid method, you present the most crucial information first (“Need to Know”), followed by supporting details and background (“Nice to Know”). This ensures that even skimmers get the key point up front. In SEO copywriting, for example, if you’re writing about the best of something, you might state your top recommendation in the very first lines, then use the rest of the content to explain why and provide additional options. This style satisfies readers who want quick answers while still offering depth for those who read on.
Another tried-and-true technique for introductions is to apply a classic copywriting formula like PAS: Problem-Agitate-Solution. With PAS, you start by identifying the reader’s problem or pain point, then agitate it by vividly describing the pain or consequences of not solving the problem, and finally present your content (or product/service) as the solution.
The PAS formula helps craft engaging intros by speaking to the reader’s needs. First, you state the Problem – for example, “Struggling to rank your website despite all your blogging efforts?” Next, you Agitate by highlighting the stakes or frustrations – “Every day you’re stuck on page 2 is traffic and customers lost to your competitors.” Finally, you hint at the Solution – “The good news? A few SEO copywriting tweaks can turn things around.”
Using PAS in SEO copywriting is especially powerful for content that addresses a pain point or a how-to query. It shows empathy and creates a narrative pull. For instance, an intro for an SEO copywriting guide might start with: “Many businesses struggle to get their content noticed (Problem). You publish blog posts that go unread, and it’s frustrating watching competitors outrank you (Agitation). This guide will show you how to craft SEO-savvy copy that not only ranks, but also keeps readers hooked and converts them into customers (Solution).”
Beyond inverted pyramids and PAS, other introduction tactics you can mix in for engagement include:
- Ask a provocative question (“What if your next blog post could bring in 10x more traffic without a single extra dollar spent on ads?”).
- Share an interesting fact or statistic relevant to the topic (something that surprises or intrigues, signalling that your content has valuable info).
- Use a vivid scenario or story (“Imagine writing an article and seeing it rank #1 on Google within a month…”).
- Address the reader directly and acknowledge why they’re here (“If you’re a small business owner wondering how to compete with big brands in search results, you’re in the right place.”).
The key is to connect with the reader’s intent or problem immediately and give them a reason to continue reading. Often, a combination of techniques works well (e.g. a quick PAS followed by a surprising stat). Keep the intro relatively concise; one or two short paragraphs is usually enough. And make sure somewhere early on, you clarify what the article will cover or deliver. For example: “In this guide, we’ll walk through the entire SEO copywriting process – from keyword research to editing – so you can start ranking content that gets you real business results.”
Structure the body for readability and SEO
With the introduction done, turn to crafting the body of your content. This is where you deliver on the promises made in the intro and cover the topic in depth. A well-structured body not only helps readers understand and retain information, but it also helps search engines crawl and interpret your content better. Here are key practices for structuring and writing the main content:
- Follow a logical flow: Use the outline you created to guide the order of sections. Ensure each section flows naturally to the next. You might follow a chronological order (if explaining a process step-by-step) or a thematic order (from most important point to least, or general to specific, etc.). Signal transitions with subheadings and transitional sentences so the reader can easily follow the argument or narrative.
- Use clear and descriptive headings: Break the content into sections with headings (H2s, H3s, etc.) that summarize the point of each section. Many readers skim, looking at headings or bullet points to decide where to focus. Descriptive headings (often containing keywords or synonyms) not only grab skimmers but also give search engines context about your content’s structure. For example, in a long article about SEO copywriting, a heading like “match your content to search intent” instantly tells a reader what that section covers (and contains the phrase search intent). Good headings improve user experience and can even earn you jump links/sitelinks in Google’s results for easier navigation.
- Use short paragraphs and sentences: Huge walls of text are intimidating and hard to read online. Aim for paragraphs of 2–4 sentences where possible. Likewise, break up long compound sentences into shorter ones. Concise writing is powerful – it aids comprehension and keeps the pace moving. Many top copywriters suggest writing in a conversational tone (like you’re explaining something to a friend), which naturally leads to shorter, clearer sentences. If you find your writing getting too dense, tools like Hemingway can highlight long or complex sentences that you might simplify.
- Employ formatting for emphasis and scannability: Use bullet points, numbered lists, or bold key phrases where appropriate to call out important information. Lists are great for steps, tips, advantages/disadvantages, etc. For example, if you’re outlining “5 tips for on-page optimization”, listing them makes them stand out and easy to digest. Bold or italicise key terms sparingly to draw the eye to critical concepts (like E-E-A-T definitions or important cautions). Also, consider adding callout quotes or boxes for notable insights. These visual breaks make content less monotonous and highlight takeaways.
- Bucket brigades and transition phrases: A technique borrowed from direct-response copywriting is using bucket brigades – short, curiosity-sparking phrases that link sentences and keep the reader moving down the page. Examples include: “Here’s the deal:”, “But wait – there’s more.”, “You might be wondering:”, “The surprising part?” These act like mini hooks throughout your content, re-engaging the reader at crucial moments. Used at the start of a paragraph, they create a conversational vibe and signal that what comes next is important or interesting.
- Cover the topic in-depth and address related questions: Make sure each section fully addresses the subtopic or question it’s intended to cover. Avoid superficial content; Google tends to favour content that demonstrates depth and breadth for the query. For instance, if a section of your article is about keyword research techniques, don’t just give one tip – consider covering multiple methods, common mistakes to avoid, and examples. One useful tactic is to include an FAQ or “People Also Ask” section that directly answers common questions related to your topic. For example, after writing a piece on email marketing strategy, you might add a short FAQ addressing questions like “what’s the best day to send marketing emails?”
- Incorporate examples and storytelling: To make your content more engaging, include real examples, case studies, or brief stories where possible. For instance, if a tip is “use power words in your title”, show a before-and-after example. Examples make abstract advice concrete and memorable. In competitive niches, storytelling can be a differentiator – while other articles drone on with generic advice, you’ll be the one sharing a short relatable anecdote that pulls readers in.
- Maintain a conversational, user-focused tone: Write as if you’re speaking to one specific reader. Use “you” to address the reader directly. This makes your content feel more personal and engaging. Avoid overly formal or academic language. A confident yet friendly tone works best – you want to come across as knowledgeable but also approachable and on the reader’s side.
- Integrate keywords naturally: As you write, incorporate your target keywords and related terms in a natural, reader-friendly way. Use your primary keyword in the introduction and in one or more headings if it fits contextually. Use secondary keywords in relevant sections. But do not force keywords where they don’t belong or over-repeat them – keyword stuffing not only reads poorly but can also hurt your SEO. Use synonyms and variations. For example: “tips for writing SEO-friendly content” or “SEO content writing techniques”.
- Leverage internal linking as you draft: While writing the body, look for opportunities to link to other relevant content on your website. These internal links are valuable for both user experience and SEO. For instance, if you mention keyword research and have a detailed post on that topic, link to it. Contextual internal links show topical relevance and distribute link equity from high-performing pages to others. Use descriptive anchor text that clearly indicates the content of the linked page.
- Incorporate trust elements and expertise signals: Mention relevant credentials or experience subtly where appropriate. Citing statistics or studies is another way to add authority. If your brand or client has notable achievements, you might weave that in. These cues help build trust with readers and demonstrate Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. For example: “we interviewed three certified personal trainers for this fitness guide” or “as a copywriter who’s written 500+ pages…”
- Keep the content engaging with variety: Use media or vivid language to keep things interesting. Consider adding relevant images, infographics, or embedded videos. Even formatting elements like pull quotes or highlighted boxes can break the monotony. Every screenful of content should have something that re-hooks attention – a compelling subheading, an illustrative example, or a visual aid.
As you draft, periodically put yourself in the reader’s shoes. Is the content answering their questions? Is it easy to skim yet rewarding to read fully? Does every section provide value? Keeping these in mind will help you produce a draft that is strong and on-point.
Finally, remember the goal of copywriting: action or emotional connection. If this is a blog post meant to generate leads, reference your CTA subtly as you write. For example, mention a free checklist or service before introducing the actual CTA. If it’s informational, like an affiliate review, gently guide the reader toward that action. Remain helpful and non-salesy — but write with the outcome in mind.
Include calls-to-action
Since SEO copywriting is about driving real outcomes, think about where and how to include a call-to-action (CTA) once you’ve delivered the main content. What do you want readers to do after consuming your page? It could be subscribing to a newsletter, downloading a resource, contacting sales, or simply reading another related article.
Effective SEO content often incorporates CTAs in a natural, helpful way. For example, after providing a bunch of valuable tips in a post, you might have a banner or a concluding paragraph that says, “If you found these tips useful, grab our full 20-page SEO copywriting e-book for more insights,” with a download button. Or in an e-commerce context, a blog about how to choose running shoes might end with, “Ready to put this into practice? Check out our latest collection of running shoes.”
Place CTAs in logical spots – commonly at the end of the article or in the sidebar or as a subtle inline link when a product/service is first mentioned. Make sure the CTA stands out visually (button, bold text, etc.) and the wording is clear and inviting (e.g., “Get My Free Template” or “Start Your Free Trial”). A/B testing different CTAs can be a more advanced step, but at minimum, include at least one CTA related to your conversion goal so that the great content you wrote has a chance to translate into action.
Apart from formal CTAs, encourage engagement by inviting comments or social shares if appropriate. Phrases like “What do you think about these strategies? Let me know in the comments.” can spur community interaction, which not only fosters user engagement but can also produce additional user-generated content on the page. Just ensure your website actually has commenting enabled if you prompt for it.
In summary, the drafting stage is about writing freely but also strategically. Get all your points down, follow the outline, infuse your personality and persuasive flair, and remember SEO guidelines without letting them stifle your creativity. Once you have a full draft, you’ll move to the final stage: editing and optimizing, where you’ll refine this content to be as polished and powerful as possible.
Stage 3: Editing and optimisation – polishing your content
Writing the first draft is a big accomplishment, but the difference between average content and world-class content often comes out in the editing stage. Now it’s time to refine your draft on multiple levels: from polishing the language and readability, to fine-tuning on-page SEO elements, to double-checking that your content matches the intent and conversion goals identified earlier. Effective editing can elevate good copy into great copy. It’s where you enforce quality control and make sure nothing is holding the content back from performing its best.