As against the popular belief, SEO copywriting is not a process of writing content exclusively for the search engines. Instead, it is a process of writing website copy to appeal to your visitors, while including website elements to help the search engines and your visitors understand what the page is all about. This implies that SEO copywriting is done with an aim to create website copies that read well for the surfer, and also target specific search terms to appease the search engine crawlers. Many people mistake SEO copywriting with plain keyword optimization wherein certain targeted key phrases are thoughtlessly stuffed in the content. However, the first feature of a good SEO copy is the subtle usage of keywords, i.e. they are used optimally and at the appropriate places.

To understand SEO copywriting, it is important to understand the complete SEO process first. Search engine optimization is an effort undertaken with an aim of scoring high on search engine ranking. It is observed that people do not look for information beyond the second or third search engine result pages for a single search phrase, hence the online marketers try to tweak their website in a such a way that it appears amongst the top search results. This is where SEO copywriting can help. Search engines consider website content as one of the main criterion for ranking a website. There are certain aspects one must bear in mind while writing for the SEO.

Audience: The most common SEO copywriting mistake that the writers make is that they focus entirely on pleasing the search engine crawlers, neglecting the readers. Remember, when you are doing SEO copywriting, it is for the readers since they are the ones who will give you business. Once your website speaks to them, tweaking it here and there to add search engine friendly elements gets easier.

Understanding the audience, their demographics and what they expect from your business can go a long way in creating an effective website copy. This information can be gathered only through an in-depth market research, both online as well as offline. Studying the competitor and other market players also helps.

Subtlety: SEO might be a marketing technique but SEO copywriting doesn’t mean that you’ll write a loud sales pitch copy. Marketing for the online media has to be subtle. The marketing and the sales message has to be embedded within the content. The copy should cultivate the idea instead of conveying it. This also includes the subtle use of keywords and key phrases. The optimum density and natural placement ensures that your SEO copywriting does well both with the crawlers as well as the readers.

Readability: Colossal write-ups with the most superfluous language will do the best in turning away your website visitors (even the crawlers don’t like them). SEO copywriting should be done in a way that the website copy is crisp, to-the-point and well-presented. This includes using the write fonts and easy to read formats. Adding bulleted points and subheads increases readability and gives you a good opportunity to make judicious use of search terms to get crawlers’ attention.

Focus: This is one point that holds as much importance for the crawlers as for the readers. Neither of them likes a cluttered web page. Therefore, it makes sense if you focus every web page of your web site on unique topic or search term. This surely increases your chances of getting high search engine ranking. Trying to say too much in too little space will add to confusion and drive away your audience. On the other hand, precise and crisp pages that are focused on a specialized topic and search engine optimized to meet its search requirements are more likely to enhance your website ranking.

Call for Action: The aim of SEO copywriting is to leverage search engine ranks and to make a sales pitch by informing and convincing the prospects about your business and its market offering. Thus, SEO copywriting is incomplete without making a proper call for action at the end of the copy.