Implementing SEO best practices on your website is one of the most effective ways to start improving traffic and rankings. Today there are many great articles and tutorials covering SEO techniques for beginners. We’ve put together a list of our favorites, so you can learn some SEO optimization basics and more advanced tips and tricks.
Here, I am going to share with you the basics of seo content writing. Feel free to check out the average salary of an seo writer.
What is SEO writing?
SEO writing is the implementation of keywords and keyphrases within web content. Copywriters and marketers use SEO to increase their site’s organic visibility and SERP rankings. The best way to write for SEO is to pair high-quality copy with targeted search terms.
Key SEO terms, defined
- Long-tail keywords: A string of keywords or phrases, often 3-6 words long. Long-tail terms are more specific and are queried less frequently relative to high-level, generic terms. Think “basketball shoes” vs “2019 basketball shoes for sale Colorado.”
- SERPs: Search engine results pages. In other words, the Google page that contains all the results users can click on after a query.
- SERP position: The exact ranking in Google. For instance, Position 12 would refer to Page 2 of Google, since only 10 listings typically appear on Page 1.
- Anchor text: The words or phrases that are hyperlinked, directing traffic to other webpages.
- Meta description: A short summary of a webpage that appears in SERPs – often 160 characters – that can entice searchers to click a result.
- Title tag: The title of a webpage that appears in Google SERPs and as the text on browser tabs.
- Search queries: Words that users type or say into search engines.
- Search volume: The number of times a term is queried per month.
- Click-through rate: Percentage of clicks for a SERP result relative to how many times searchers saw that result.
- Conversion rate: Percentage of people who complete a desired action (a click, a purchase, etc.) divided by the total number of people who visited that page.
- Organic traffic: The number of users who found your site via a search engine under their own free will and not through paid ads or other sites.
- Structured data (schema): How SEO elements like metadata, keywords and HTML are formatted on the page. Data that is structured makes it easier for search engines to crawl and index pages.
- Ranking factors: The general components that search engine algorithms consider when deciding which pages should rank higher than others.
- Backlink: A hyperlink that directs traffic to another page, either internally or externally.
- Page and Domain Authority: A score that measures how “authoritative” a page or site is on a scale of 1-100.
- Pageviews: Number of times a page is viewed.
- Pageviews per Session: Number of pages viewed in 1 session by each user, before leaving the site entirely.
- Organic keyword difficulty: A metric of how easy or difficult it will be to rank for a given keyword in organic search, on a scale of 1-100.
Start with your goals
The foundation for any SEO content strategy is to know what you hope to achieve. Set measurable goals before you begin, so that copywriters, marketing managers and other stakeholders are all working toward the same KPIs.
Here are common metrics to measure:
- Click-through rate.
- Conversion rate.
- Organic traffic.
- Backlinks.
- SERP position.
- Dwell time.
- Page and Domain Authority.
- Organic keyword opportunity/difficulty.
- Pageviews per Session.
SEO copywriters should be given the data they need to succeed, so that each new page that’s created is tied back to a core business goal.
Know your SERP presentation
There are a growing number of ways search engines present your webpages to the public, known as featured snippets. This means not every piece of content is presented to the searchers in the same way.
Even if two companies write an article about the same topic, if one of those pages ranks highly in SERPs, it could earn a featured snippet. So while company A is presented as a generic blue link, company B is presented with additional images, bolded text and more.
Company A:
Company B:
To stand out from competitors, understand how your content is going to appear in Google SERPs – then optimize for that specific format.
Here are the featured snippets you’re most likely to encounter:
- Paragraph.
- List.
- Table.
- Image carousel.
- Local 3-Pack.
- Knowledge Graph.
- Sitelinks.
- People also ask.
- Top stories.
Think in terms of ranking factors
In line with your company’s own commercial objectives, there are also Google’s preferences to keep in mind. The search engine’s primary algorithm, RankBrain, helps process webpages and determine where they should rank in SERPs.
So content writing isn’t just pleasing your readers; it’s about pleasing Google too. That’s why it’s important to know the specific ranking factors Google looks at. There are more than 200, but 10 of the most prominent are:
- Content quality: Is your writing accurate, relevant and user-friendly?
- Backlinks: Do other sites link to your content?
- HTTPS: Is your site secure?
- User experience: Is your content visually and informationally valuable + easy to engage with?
- Mobile first: Is your site optimized for mobile screens?
- Page speed: Does your page load in 2 seconds or less?
- Direct traffic: Do users come directly to your site, or do they have to Google you first?
- Content depth: Is your content more comprehensive than similar pages on the web?
- Behavioral signals: Do people share, comment and mention your content?
- Schema: Is your content easily understood by search engines?
Strategic, not stuffy: How to use keywords
SEO has always been an evolving discipline. In the earliest iterations of the internet, content was ranked and served to users based on repeating the same keywords as many times as possible. This was referred to as keyword density.
Write for the end user, not a magic number of keywords.
However, in the last five years, Google’s algorithms have gotten smarter, and they know that keyword stuffing is spammy and not useful to readers. So, copywriters have had to shift their approach: Write for the end user, not a magic number of keywords.
What this means in practice is that each page should be built around a single keyword. Writers should cover every angle and aspect of that topic and its associated subtopics. Think ahead: What followup questions might a reader have after reading your piece? Include the answers to those questions in your writing right from the start.
The intent is to be the single best resource for a topic, providing maximum value to readers. Don’t worry about using keywords every other sentence. If you’re doing your job correctly, the keywords will naturally flow in the article.
Study… and study some more!
Earn a degree
Having a relevant degree isn’t compulsory, but some employers (if you’re looking for a full-time position rather than freelance work) may specify a degree requirement; usually in English, journalism, communications or other similar fields.
A bachelor’s degree or a similar course can provide you with the skills you need to be successful at content writing, so they’re always worth considering. For example, an English or journalism degree will improve your editing, proofreading, grammar, and creative and technical writing, and you’ll also gain good research skills, including finding and citing relevant sources.
Learn programming languages
Any aspiring SEO content writer should also consider studying programming languages, whether in their own time or by applying for a course. As a writer, it’s unlikely you will need to master programming languages completely, but having an understanding of the programmes used by an SEO professional could make you stand out when applying for jobs or freelance work.
Common programming languages include Java and C++ as well as scripting languages such as JavaScript and PHP. You should also bear in mind markup languages like XML and HTML.
Know everything there is to know about SEO
If you want to write great SEO copy, you need to understand how search engines work. This may sound technical, but learning to write for search engines is easier than you think. The best way to do this is to keep on top of any new developments in algorithms as well as the latest trends. SEO expert Bradley Shaw lists his top trends for 2019 here.
Alongside keeping on top of search engine optimisation trends, you’ll need to ensure you have a good understanding of keyword placement and density as well as how to apply these strategies when you’re writing blog posts, web pages, articles and press releases.
You may also find it worthwhile to learn how Google crawls pages and gives out link authority in order to build a successful strategy. Remember, successful content writing is all about writing and linking multiple blog posts, not just posting one blog and hoping for the best.
Optimize the fine print: Title tags, meta descriptions and alt text
SEO writing is part prose, part process. There are defined steps writers should take to ensure they’re thinking about each piece of content holistically, both on and off the page.
One of the most important elements of SEO copywriting is nailing metadata.
Metadata is a cue to search engines: It helps tell the story of what your content is about and how it should be presented in SERPs.
Optimizing title tags, meta descriptions and image alt text may take only 75 words in total, but those 75 words are vastly more important than the rest of the copy that appears on the page.
One of the most important elements of SEO copywriting is nailing metadata.
Here is some guidance:
Optimize title tags
- Use only 1 header tag per page and try to include a targeted, primary keyword.
- Keep it to 70 characters or less.
- Each page should have a unique title tag – no duplicates.
Optimize meta descriptions
- Keep it to ~160 characters so that it doesn’t get cut off by Google.
- Use clickworthy phrasing and don’t regurgitate copy already on the page.
Optimize alt text
- Use descriptive language that closely matches the image.
- Include keywords where relevant.
- Keep it to 125 characters or less, with tags separated by commas.
SEO Content Writer and Project Manager Salary
How much does a SEO Content Writer and Project Manager make?
The average SEO Content Writer and Project Manager in the US makes $60,298. SEO Content Writer and Project Managers make the most in Denver at $60,298, averaging total compensation 0% greater than the US average.
U.S. Average
$60,298$29,230$109,760
Base Salary$60,298
BonusN/A
Get BonusN/A
Salary Ranges for SEO Content Writer and Project Managers
The salaries of SEO Content Writer and Project Managers in the US range from $29,230 to $109,760 , with a median salary of $56,010 . The middle 60% of SEO Content Writer and Project Managers makes $56,010, with the top 80% making $109,760.
How much tax will you have to pay as a SEO Content Writer and Project Manager
For an individual filer in this tax bracket, you would have an estimated average federal tax in 2018 of 22%. After a federal tax rate of 22% has been taken out, SEO Content Writer and Project Managers could expect to have a take-home pay of $51,093/year, with each paycheck equaling approximately $2,129*.
* assuming bi-monthly pay period. Taxes estimated using tax rates for a single filer using 2018 federal and state tax tables. Metro-specific taxes are not considered in calculations. This data is intended to be an estimate, not prescriptive financial or tax advice.
Quality of Life for SEO Content Writer and Project Manager
With a take-home pay of roughly $4,258/month, and the median 2BR apartment rental price of $2,506/mo**, a SEO Content Writer and Project Manager would pay 58.86% of their monthly take-home salary towards rent.
Conclusion
As the content world shifts to focus more on user experience, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is becoming increasingly competitive. Whether you are looking into improving your existing content or starting a new blog, the quality of your content will make all the difference.