Purposes

SEO Copywriting is a combination of copywriting and search engine optimization (SEO) and its purpose is to entertain both the readers and the search engines. It’s basically writing copy for the search engines, while also keeping the reader entertained. 

There are the following purposes/benefits of proper SEO copywriting:

• Increase the ranking position — Google will value your content enough to deem it worth showing among the top results pages.
• Helps establish authority — SEO copywriting helps establish your authority and increases your trust factor. SEO copywriting is not only about keyword stuffing — it’s more about providing relevant information. Good SEO copywriting helps you establish your brand as an authority by following Google E.A.T guidelines. These are some of the ranking factors Google uses to help rank web content.
• Drive organic traffic — by using proper keywords, backlinking and content promotion via your social media channels
• Turn visitors into customers — a crucial element of copywriting is to use words to persuade readers to take specific actions.
• Increase Click-Through-Rate (CTR) — Content at the top of search engine results tend to get more clicks than content at the bottom of search results. This means that SEO content can get more clicks per possible impression.
• Reduce Bounce Rates — SEO copywriting tips go hand-in-hand with readability and user experience to craft great content that connects with potential customers. Your optimized content will keep people on your site and click to other pages on your site.

Main message

What are key messages? 

Key messages create focus, control, and intensity in influencing your target audiences. They are the essence of what you wish to communicate, bearing in mind that communication is not about what you say or send; communication is about what the receiver perceives it to be and what they do with it. The broad ways of communicating key messages are written, visual, verbal and nonverbal communication, as well as various combinations of these if appropriate. Key messages need to be carefully planned and prepared so they are robust and widely applicable for the organization’s purposes. 

Steps to develop key messages

1. Collect a representative team together (consider including your external PR and marketing consultants) to develop words and phrases as the core of complete sentences that will form key messages. Collect on a flip chart or whiteboard.
2. Identify your messaging needs, whether ongoing or a one-off situation.
3. Confirm your target audiences, or stakeholders.
4. Check that a broad approach suits.
5. Prepare key messages that are wide in scope and describe the point of view of your organization, product, service, or program.
6. Focus on benefits that distinguish your offerings from others, highlighting the value and innovative features that directly cater to your target audience.
7. Substantiate your points with supporting details that distinguish your case and add credibility. Quoting facts and statistics, validation from experts, stories and visuals can be effective.

Features of key messages

• Concise: Maximum 3 key messages per page; 
• Strategic: Define, differentiate and align with benefits/value proposition.
• Relevant: Balance what you need to communicate with what your audience needs to know.
• Compelling: Meaningful information designed to stimulate action.
• Simple: Easy-to-understand language; minimal jargon and acronyms.
• Memorable: Easy to recall and repeat; avoid run-on sentences.
• Relatable: Active rather than passive voice; no advertising slogans.
• Tailored: Adaptable to different target audiences, with flexible language and depth of information.

Framework of key messages in action

A ‘house’ framework from Message House, as above, is a simple, powerful image that can be used as a guide for staying on track with key messages, and also to show internal and external stakeholders how the message strategy operates:

1. A key overall message or ‘umbrella statement’.
2. Supporting messages
3. ‘Proof points’ offering backup and/or more detail – shown in the above diagram as ‘Foundation’.

Target audience

Your target audience is the people who you want to attract to your website. Your target audience is the people who are searching on Google (or another search engine) to find a business just like yours. They’re your future customers or clients. 

Defining your target audience is about knowing exactly who is searching for the keywords that could lead them to your website. Once you know who these people are, you can develop a strategy and put in place the right tactics to ensure you’re visible when they’re searching.

Target audience vs. buying persona:

Target audience is a group of people you have identified who could be interested in your products or services. These are your ideal customers (or purchasing audience). Common variables to consider:

• Gender
• Age
• Social class
• Highest level of education
• Location
• Purchasing power
• Consumption habits

A buyer persona is an abstract depiction of this ideal customer, founded upon qualitative and quantitative data from market/competitor research and existing customer profiles.Common variables to consider:

• Personal characteristics
• Profession
• Purchasing power
• Lifestyle & Interests
• Social media engagement

Ways to understand who is your target audience:

• Understand your current customer demographics — ask sales team who is buying your products or services now. Look through the Google Analytics data.
• Utilize social insights — look who follows your social media. Facebook Audience Insights is the recommended tool for diving deeper into your page’s followers on the platform.
• Analyze the SERPs — Run searches around your main commercial keywords (the money terms related to your business) and look at its ranking. Note down whether this is transactional or informational content, as this will help you determine  search intent.
• Know your competitors inside out — pay attention to ranking keywords, top pages, competitors.
• Survey or interview your current customers — Surveying and interviewing current customers can shine a light on your target audience that you couldn’t ever figure out from a tool, which can help you gain a competitive advantage. Use Google Forms and send surveys in your newsletter.
• Identify the questions being asked around your core topics — analyze just exactly what it is that your target audience wants to know and are searching for online
• Use The Semrush Market Explorer Tool