Navigating the ever-changing digital landscape as a business owner, webmaster, or marketing manager can be exciting and overwhelming. The wealth of information and opportunities provided by the internet and its constantly evolving rules make it challenging to stay on top. This has led to a greater appreciation for quality web copy and an influx of self-proclaimed SEO copywriters. While many talented professionals are out there, knowing what to look for in an SEO copywriter is essential to ensure you receive honest service and exceptional results.
Here are the top 10 qualities and skills to expect from an SEO copywriter:
- A Solid Understanding of SEO Fundamentals
Your SEO copywriter must be well-versed in the basics of Search Engine Optimization. They should understand that ranking is primarily determined by a website's relevance (i.e., keywords) and importance (i.e., inbound links), among other factors. Gauge their knowledge by asking questions about SEO concepts, strategies, and best practices.
- Demonstrated Experience
An excellent SEO copywriter should have a proven track record of obtaining high rankings for websites. Ask for examples of their work, particularly for projects involving both keyword optimization and link generation. A copywriter with experience in these areas will have a valuable and comprehensive understanding of search engine optimization.
- Optimal Keyword Usage
Your copywriter should know how to strike a balance when incorporating keywords into your content. Overstuffing pages with targeted keywords can dilute the site's relevance and hurt readability. A skilled SEO copywriter will recommend focusing on at most 2-3 keyword phrases per page to maintain a high-quality user experience.
- Explicit Agreement on Keyword Responsibilities
Determining the right keywords to target requires a thorough keyword analysis. Your SEO copywriter can perform this task, but having someone more familiar with your business might be more cost-effective. Ensure there is an explicit agreement between you and the copywriter about who is responsible for keyword research and selection.
- Expertise in Targeting Specific Keywords
A competent SEO copywriter will offer guidance on the specificity of your keywords. In highly competitive industries, targeting more precise keyword phrases to rank higher is often necessary, especially in the beginning. This approach also generates more relevant leads for your business.
- Agreement on Word Count per Page
Your SEO copywriter should provide an estimate of the number of words they expect to write for each web page. While a substantial word count is essential for most pages, having excessive content can be counterproductive. The ideal word count will vary depending on your industry, the page's objective, and your audience's needs.
- Setting Keyword Density Targets and Measurements
Effective SEO for a web page is far from guesswork. A skilled SEO copywriter will emphasize the importance of keyword density measures. Keyword density refers to the number of times a keyword phrase appears on a page, expressed as a percentage of the total word count. For example, if your page consists of 200 words and your keyword phrase appears ten times, its density is 5%. As a general guideline, your SEO copywriter should aim for a density of approximately 5% for your primary keyword phrase and 3-5% for your secondary keyword phrases. Excessive density measures can hinder readability and risk being flagged as spam by search engines. Ensure your SEO copywriter comprehends keyword density, sets clear target densities for each keyword phrase, and is willing to be held accountable by those standards, should you choose to measure.
- Strategic Keyword Placement
The optimal placement of keywords has been widely debated among SEO copywriters. While the exact impact of placement remains unclear, there is a consensus that it plays a role in SEO effectiveness. Make sure that your copywriter is conscious of this impact. Generally, keywords are more effective when placed in headings, bolded text, links, and towards the beginning of the page.
- Establishing Site Structure and Text Links
Search engines index websites more efficiently when their spiders can navigate the entire site using text links. This requires your SEO copywriter to link each page to every other page using text links. For complex sites, this may be impractical, necessitating the creation of a hierarchical structure. The copywriter should categorize your subject material and write a summary page for each category. These summary pages should be interconnected via text links and accessible from higher-level pages. Additionally, each summary page should link to multiple pages discussing the finer details of the category, with each detail page linking to other detail pages within the same category using text links. This approach enables spiders to traverse your site hierarchy from top to bottom and from left to right across any level.
- Beware of Overpromising
While SEO copywriters can significantly improve your search engine ranking, instantaneous results are unrealistic. An SEO copywriter is merely asserting your site's relevance by optimizing your site for target keyword phrases. Engaging an SEO copywriter to create informative articles containing bylines with links to your site can gradually enhance your ranking as these articles are published online. However, be cautious of SEO copywriters claiming to increase your ranking in hours or days drastically. Your SEO copywriter should be able to submit your articles to various online submission sites monitored by countless e-newsletters and article page publishers worldwide. High-quality articles are often republished, generating additional links to your site and increasing its importance to search engines. If you prefer to submit your articles, your SEO copywriter should be able to provide a list of 50 or more submission sites.
To sum it all up, In today's digital age, having an effective online presence is crucial for businesses of all sizes. One of the key components of this is search engine optimization (SEO), which involves optimizing your website to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs). An SEO copywriter can play a vital role in helping you achieve this goal by creating high-quality, optimized content for your website.
However, not all SEO copywriters are created equal. Choosing one with the necessary skills and experience to deliver results is important. To ensure you make the right choice, you must know what questions to ask. This will enable you to assess their knowledge, expertise, and ability to meet your needs.
When looking for an SEO copywriter, consider asking questions about their previous experience, their approach to keyword research and optimization, their understanding of your industry and target audience, and their ability to write engaging and persuasive content. Doing so lets you identify the right person to help you achieve your SEO goals and take your business to the next level.
In conclusion, hiring an SEO copywriter can be a valuable addition to your marketing function, but choosing wisely is important. By asking the right questions, you can ensure you find someone who can deliver the results you need to succeed online. Remember, when it comes to SEO, the battle is only half won – but with the right copywriter on your side, you'll be well on your way to victory.