SEO Copywriting: Get the Keywords Right

We at Content Equals Money know that effective copywriting is more than just website content. There are several other parts of your website that need to be leveraged for efficient conversion writing. If I may be permitted to take a leaf from my own book, I suggest you check out my post on when copywriting and graphics need to play nice.

However, in order to have truly effective copywriting, you need to go even beyond the specs of your own site. While I’m in the business of blogging for business, I’m also in the business of analytics. There are several tools that we at Content Equals Money (and other writing services) use in order to make sure that our copywriting isn’t just original, and it isn’t just well-written: it’s effective, too.

Welcome to the world of analytics. Just when you thought that getting the customer to convert was all about putting the right words in the right places (which it is); it’s also about your site statistics. Oh, and it’s about the right keywords, too, which is what I’ll focus on today.

There are a variety of different tools and resources on the internet that are great for figuring out how effective your copywriting is; and also for doing the research necessary to make sure that the keywords you use for your copywriting are as effective as possible. Let me take you down the rabbit hole of keyword research.

Keying into Keywords

The heart and soul of copywriting in terms of SEO is keywords. Now, Copyblogger will (very astutely) remind us that there is no substitute for great copy. That is, you need to actually have good writing. Keyword stuffing is a serious problem for many copywriters: directly, the “art” of using a specific keyword over and over again until the piece is so repetitive that it is unreadable. Keyword stuffing is bad, says Matthew Loop. Keyword stuffing is bad, says Blue Global Media. Keyword stuffing is bad, says Web Pro News. Oh, and keyword stuffing is bad, says Google.

Word to the wise: keyword stuffing is bad.

However, good keyword use is the linchpin of SEO copywriting. You’ll need to have the right keywords targeted so that when the consumer is typing in words to the Google search box, your site pops up. Oh, and companies that blog get 55% more web traffic. More web traffic equals more conversions, so you’ll want to use keywords in your copy.

Of course, the question is how to find those keywords. This is one of the most challenging aspects of creating a content strategy, but wise copywriters know where to do their research. Writing compelling copy for a product or service isn’t just about good writing (though good writing is important): it’s about finding the appropriate keywords and making those keywords work for you.

Do Your Research

We love SEOmoz. If you don’t have a subscription, you should get one. (No, we don’t work for SEOmoz or have any affiliation. Consider that a pro tip.) At any rate, if you head over to this post by SEOmoz, they offer some great tips on how to do appropriate keyword research. For those who don’t want to bounce around the internet, here are the deets:

Use Google. Simply head over to the website itself and do a search for certain terms that you think would be good keywords. What sites pop up when you hit “search?” Are they relevant to your business? Do they get you to your competitor’s websites? If so, that’s probably a term that you should consider trying.

Use Google AdWords or Bing Adcenter. You can buy a sample campaign for one of your targeted keywords. Choose “exact match” for that keyword, and then track impressions and the conversion rate for said keyword over a few hundred clicks. The picture will begin to show itself.

Use the Words

Now that you’ve got an idea about what sorts of keywords to use, you’re going to have to actually put them in your copy. Remember: keyword stuffing is bad.

But how do you know if you’re keyword stuffing? Frankly, if you can read through content and pick out the keywords, consider it stuffed. There really is no magic ratio for keyword density, though M3 New Media recommends that you should not have keywords at a density of more than 20%.

The best way to use keywords when you’re blogging for business is to make them a natural part of your content. Assuming that you pick keywords that are actually relevant to your product, you should be able to fit them in and not have to resort to written acrobatics. Good keywords lend themselves to good copy.

And good copy lends itself to conversions. Do your research, don’t stuff your keywords, and watch as your bottom line rises.