Once upon a time, there was something called SEO copywriting.
These SEO copywriters seemed to have magical word skills that allowed them to place just the right keywords in just the right places and amounts, and even in the densities that were just right for miraculous top rankings. And that’s all you needed… or at least that’s what was (and still is) advertised.
There’s no doubt that keywords still matter, especially in titles. Search engines generally prefer to key in on the words people are looking for. But as SEO pro Rand Fishkin will tell you, “measurements like keyword density are useless, although general frequency can help rankings.”
Here’s the deal… most of what determines the ranking position of any particular page is due to what happens off the page, in the form of links from other sites. Getting those links naturally has become the hardest part of SEO, which is why 2006 saw the strong emergence of social media marketing as a way to attract links with compelling content.
That’s why any true SEO copywriter is simply a writer who has a knack for tuning in to the needs and desires of the target audience. And due to the pursuit of links, those needs and desires have to be nailed well before you’ll ever show up in the search engines.
As I’ve written, the same emotional forces that prompt us to buy can also cause us to link, bookmark, and Digg. The context is different, as are the nuances, but it’s still a matter of providing compelling benefits in the form of content.
“Ask yourself what creates value for your users,” sayeth Google. As those brainy engineers continue to diligently create better algorithms, combined with people-powered social media tagging and blog-driven links, copywriters with a flair for prompting link response and conversions will become vital members of any search engine marketing effort.
To me, optimization (at least of the white hat variety) is the page tweaking that can be done after you’ve managed to attract a healthy amount of quality links that demonstrate the value of the content. Little things can make a big difference when you’re trying to move from the third page of the Google results to the first, or from position 7 to 3, 2 or 1.
Of course the critical components of a search-friendly site should be in place. But beyond that, tweaking a page for higher rankings before you’ve established that the content is compelling to people is a little like putting on your prom dress to stay home alone and watch Desperate Housewives.
This post is the first of a five-part series that sets forth a step-by-step strategy that I’ve had success with when trying to rank well for desired primary search terms. And since every step in the process is justified from a user-value standpoint, it should bring in traffic and enhance your site even if search engines were to disappear tomorrow.
Subscribe to Copyblogger to keep up with the rest of the SEO Copywriting 2.0 series.
29 comments... add one
#1 Roberta Rosenberg → 01.03.07 at 6:43 pm
I’m not sure if/when Matt Cutts chimes in with his “amen”, but I will — although the phrase “SEO copywriting/copywriter” still has some life yet.
#2 Brian → 01.03.07 at 6:50 pm Copyblogger
No argument there, Roberta. Just a bit of semantics to make a point, and to also distinguish quality SEO copywriters like yourself from the many charlatans out there.
#3 Roberta Rosenberg → 01.03.07 at 7:14 pm
“… to also distinguish quality SEO copywriters like yourself from the many charlatans out there.”
I’ll give a big amen to that, too! :=)
#4 Creating High Ranking Content - e-business tips by tim → 01.03.07 at 7:56 pm
[…] Brian at Copyblogger.com has a great post today about what it takes to write content for higher search engine rankings and I feel that he hits it exactly on the head. Brian says… “Here’s the deal… most of what determines the ranking position of any particular page is due to what happens off the page, in the form of links from other sites.” […]
#5 No NonSense Internet Marketing » Ranking Well with Content → 01.03.07 at 8:18 pm
[…] January 3, 2007Ranking Well with Content There is an interesting post on CopyBlogger today titled How to Create Content that Ranks well in Search engines. This is such a novel concept especially in the Internet marketing arena. I don’t know how many times I’ve seen sites from Newbies who just copies some content from Article directories or generated some sites to earn a couple of bucks a day or a couple of bucks a month from a single site. Now I’m not going to say I’ve never created a generated site, if you read some of my older posts you will see I admitted to it. But I don’t think this is really a way to build an internet business. […]
#6 Rob → 01.03.07 at 8:20 pm
Wow.. I wrote a blog post not so long ago.. and popped here to read your blog..and hey presto…
Proof of what are you talking about Brian..
Mind me sharing it with you here?
http://robsellen.com/2007/01/interesting-yet-suprisingand-ironic.html
I was …suprised to say the least. ;)
Thanks for that good timed post.
Happy new year to you too.
Rob
#7 Almost, Not Yet - » Blog Archives » links for 2007-01-04 → 01.04.07 at 1:06 am
[…] How to Create Content That Ranks Well in Search Engines | Copyblogger (tags: blogging copyblogger) Like this Article? Subscribe […]
#8 Hummerbie → 01.04.07 at 5:50 am
Brian,
Great post to start the new year, looking forward to the rest of the serie..
When I read this statement:
“That’s why any true SEO copywriter is simply a writer who has a knack for tuning in to the needs and desires of the target audience.”
I immediately thought of:
“pathos, the ability to connect with the emotions, desires, fears, and passions of the audience.”
Coming of course from one of your previous posts, which set me of to really start blogging the right way (I hope)
Thank you for reminding me what is that makes great content…
#9 ming the artmaker → 01.04.07 at 8:12 am
I can vouch for what you’re saying! I blogged for fun till I found your blog Brian, then I got caught up in all the tweaks… and that left me, and my blog empty, then I started (and still am) tweaking the content. And I’m getting a few readers.
slow and steady huh?
My 2 cents indirect SEO tip… Read alot more than you post.
#10 vps hosting → 01.04.07 at 9:22 am
Well, Seo has changed in the mean time along with the algorith of search engines, we have make a note of innovations at every point of time.Updation is one of the main characteristics of this field.
#11 Amrit Hallan → 01.04.07 at 6:19 pm
SEO copywriting (I offer it to my clients, and they ask for it :-) ) I believe means writing the right thing about a product or a service. Now, you cannot make many people link to a page that talks about your plumbing services or filling machines (I know, I know, as a writer I would say this too can be done). You can actually get a good ranking if you do some SEO copywriting. Recently a company hired me to write “seo articles” and they’ve already begun appearing on the first page of Google and they are quite happy.
Although I don’t under-estimate the importance of getting linked to, and I feel too that it should be a good gauge of how good your website is, I think this thing gets way too overhyped. In reality, what works is, relevant, focused writing. If your writing is focused, you automatically use the right words with right “density”.
#12 The 5 Essential Elements of Search Engine Keyword Research | Copyblogger → 01.07.07 at 9:08 pm
[…] How to Create Content That Ranks Well In Search Engines. […]
#13 jf.sellsius → 01.10.07 at 10:11 pm
hallelujah!
#14 Kevin → 01.12.07 at 12:53 am
Content drives the Web. Always has and always will.
Every trick in the book is out there, but at the end of the day create good content and they will come.
#15 Link Building Strategies That Work | Copyblogger → 01.19.07 at 1:24 pm
[…] How to Create Content That Ranks Well In Search Engines […]
#16 SEO Copywriting Techniques That Readers Love | Copyblogger → 01.25.07 at 5:35 pm
[…] While the reaction to your content off-page has become the critical determining factor when it comes to search engine rankings, your targeted keyword phrase should still appear on the page itself. And while there’s little consensus in this area, having your keyword combinations appear throughout the page copy generally helps search engines further identify the relevancy of the page for those keywords. […]
#17 Danilo Bogdanovic → 01.26.07 at 12:04 pm
Thank you for continuing to help all of us newbies! So much information, so little time though…
#18 How to Create Cornerstone Content That Google Loves | Copyblogger → 02.05.07 at 11:22 am
[…] How to Create Content That Ranks Well In Search Engines […]
#19 Near-Mint Heroes » Archive » Design and SEO Links → 05.17.07 at 9:58 am
[…] How to Create Content That Ranks Well in Search Engines Here’s the deal… most of what determines the ranking position of any particular page is due to what happens off the page, in the form of links from other sites. Getting those links naturally has become the hardest part of SEO, which is why 2006 saw the strong emergence of social media marketing as a way to attract links with compelling content. […]
#20 Thomas → 07.04.07 at 9:38 am
“But beyond that, tweaking a page for higher rankings before you’ve established that the content is compelling to people is a little like putting on your prom dress to stay home alone and watch”
I really like this metaphor! Of course, everything is a matter of goal, but this assumption is generally true
#21 Spreading the Words | Word Sell, Inc. → 08.31.07 at 1:57 pm
[…] Brian Clark always makes sense. I thought Copyblogger’s practical advice on optimizing Web content provides clarity on a topic overcrowded with smoke and […]
#22 Top Five SEO Best Practices… » thinks → 09.06.07 at 12:58 am
[…] Create quality content using your chosen terms. It’s good for your customers. And for spiders. I like to think of a search engine spider as a little Pac-Man, eating dots of content all over the Net. Give ‘em good eats. […]
#23 lawton chiles → 10.09.07 at 9:51 am
Thanks for the grounding in reality Brian. You can’t run a marathon if your shoelaces aren’t tied.
#24 Kraker → 11.12.07 at 11:34 pm
I totaly agree this is amazing
#25 SoftCom Corporate Blog » Why wait? Start Optimizing your site today! → 12.05.07 at 11:16 am
[…] these keywords in your content wherever possible - without overdoing it. The best policy is to use the keywords naturally on your […]
#26 Russell Page → 12.21.07 at 1:37 am
Very good stuff . . . I’m putting together a post on excellent quotes from bloggers, and I used a line from this post.
#27 Anonymous → 02.21.08 at 7:16 am
[…] forget to link to other sources that are related to your message, especially authority websites and […]
#28 Amalaki guy → 03.25.08 at 2:04 am
anyone have the formula for what is the right number of keywords you should use per page or is their a magical percentage?
#29 How to Optimize Local Business Profiles for Free Local Directories → 04.21.08 at 8:50 am
[…] ‘How to Create Content That Ranks Well in Search Engines’ by Brian Clark: […]
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