How to write SEO web copy and get found by potential clients

Once you’ve done your keyword research, how do you make sure your web copy is optimised so that ideal clients find you? The answer is SEO web copy that not only sells what you do and shows your personality but also uses keywords people are searching for. 

SEO is one of these things that usually gets talked about with an air of mystery, but it’s not elusive at all. If you want to learn how to write SEO web copy, it comes down to getting a balance between being genuinely helpful and some easy-to-implement SEO website copy best practices.

In this blog post, I’m sharing my views as an SEO website copywriter on how to write copy that will get in front of the right people, including top tips for on-page optimisation. 

Writing SEO web copy that helps your ideal clients

Now, you might be thinking, ‘But my web copy is to sell my services—it’s not like I’m writing an educational blog post. How can salesy copy be helpful?’. 

SEO web copywriting is all about tailoring your website copy to match people’s search intent. By that, I mean if someone is looking to hire an accountant, they expect to be able to instantly hire an accountant – or at least find out how they go about it. 

You’re missing the point if you’re positioning your website copy for certain keywords because they have high search volume or low difficulty, yet what you’re selling isn’t relevant. You’ll end up with frustrated users, and even if you rank initially for those phrases, the high bounce rate and poorly positioned content will bring negative results eventually. 

The best part about optimising your web copy for search is that you’re getting in front of people who are already actively looking for your service or to solve a problem. 

So always make sure you’re being genuinely helpful in your website copy – it’s Google’s biggest contributor to increasing your search rankings. 

For a any page of web copy page selling your business, ask yourself:

• Are my chosen focus keywords relevant to my users’ intentions? 
• Am I actually answering the search query in detail? 
• Can I truly help them using my products/services?
• Are there clear next steps for the user to take? 
• Have I avoided any potential confusion?

If you can say ‘yes’ to all of these questions, you’re writing genuinely helpful SEO web copy. 

Understanding who your customers are, as with most marketing-related tasks, is the key to getting this part right. 

There’s no ‘set’ rulebook, and SEO is changing constantly, but if you keep this in mind while writing any SEO web copy, you’ll be on the right track. 

For support writing your service pages, download my free service page template below. 

Setting expectations for on-page SEO results: Seeing the bigger picture

If you follow all these SEO web copy tips and write to be engaging and useful, you should see an increase in enquiries from ideal clients. However, bear in mind that on-page SEO only plays a small part in your overall chances of ranking and converting those leads. You also need: 

• Good technical SEO 
• A product/service people want 
• User-friendly web design 
• Clear information architecture 
• An engaging brand voice 

And you should also consider the competitiveness of your chosen keywords. Are you going up against large corporations with thousands of pounds to spend every month on SEO? 

If so, your chances are going to be slimmer, so you could focus on key phrases with lower competition or other content marketing principles to build your own audience. 

It’s important to understand all of these elements, and that if any SEO company promises you they’re going to get you on the 1st page of Google in 3 weeks, they’re talking rubbish. Good SEO performance comes down to a range of things. 

What I’m talking about here is specifically how to optimise your web copy for better results. 

Now, let’s go into the best practices for on-page SEO…

On-page SEO best practices 

Before you get carried away with how to write SEO web copy, I’d advise you to write your copy first and optimise for SEO afterwards. This means you’re focusing on getting your point across clearly rather than getting tied up in knots about keywords. 

Elements of on-page SEO 

There are a few elements to consider when optimising your web copy for SEO. Some involve the writing itself, whereas others involve the back-end settings on your website. 

The key elements are:

• Keywords – the phrases or terms you’re focusing on being found for (based on your keyword research)
• H1, H2, H3, and so on – headers and subheaders
• SEO Titles – the title text Google shows people in the search results 
• Meta Descriptions – the preview text Google shows people in the search results 
• Anchor text – the text displayed when you link other pages (internal or external)

Now, let’s go through each element and how to use them effectively. 

Headings and subheadings

On your website, you have headings and subheadings. These are important to get right for SEO reasons, as they tell Google and other search engines the hierarchy of your website copy. 

• H1 – This is your main website page, and it ideally needs to include your focus keyword. Do NOT include more than 1 H1 on a page, as this confuses Google and harms ranking potential. 
• H2 – Your main subheadings 

H3s, H4s, and so on – underneath H2s, you can insert H3, H4, and so on… but they must be relative to the H2. This means the H2 clearly defines a topic, and subsequent H3 and H4s give more insight into that same topic (see the fruit example below: source).

SEO Title

This is different to your H1, but should be complementary and use the focus keywords. It’s the title of your page that’s shown in Google. 

SEO Titles should be 60 characters or less. Any more and Google cuts them off. 

Meta descriptions

These are the bits below the SEO Title. Use this as an opportunity to explain why people should click on your website. As a bonus, include your focus keyword for the page.

To be safe, write meta descriptions that are no more than 140 characters. Any more and it’s likely to be cut off. 

You can see an example of both the SEO title and meta description on the image below, showing Ahref’s search results.

Anchor text

When you link an internal or external link within your copy, the text that displays the link is called your anchor text. It should describe where the link is leading, which helps not only users but also search engines. 

Avoid generic ‘read more’ or ‘here’ link text. When you just say ‘click here’, it’s bad for both users and search engines. 

If someone lands on your site with accessibility issues and uses a screen reader, you’re not giving them enough context about where that link is going to take them. Likewise, Google’s software can’t see why the link is relevant. 

Instead, use anchor text that explains where that link is taking you. This improves SEO and accessibility – a win-win. 

The example below is from my website. The pink text is the anchor text, showing you different resources. Both links here are described through the anchor text. 

Keyword placement in your copy

Each page on your website should be optimised for a specific focus keyword. This is the main term or phrase you want the page to rank for in search engine results. Alongside this, include semantic keywords—variations or related terms—that provide context and improve search engine understanding of your content.

Note: A “keyword” doesn’t always mean a single word; it can also be a key phrase consisting of two or three words. For example, “digital marketing strategy” is a key phrase.

To optimise your page effectively, make sure the focus keyword appears naturally in the following key areas:

1. H1 Tag: This is the main heading on your page, and including the focus keyword here signals the primary topic of the page.
2. SEO Title: This is the title displayed in search results. It’s crucial for both SEO and encouraging clicks.
3. Meta Description: A well-written meta description with the keyword can improve click-through rates.
4. H2 Tags: Include the focus keyword in at least one subheading (H2). Using it in two or three H2 tags is even better if it fits naturally.
5. Body Copy: Use the focus keyword at least a couple of times throughout the text. Aim for a natural integration to avoid keyword stuffing.
6. URL: Optimise the end of the URL slug for your page (the bit after your main website address), e.g. https://meghandowns.co.uk/website-copywriting/ is optimised for website copywriting.

Bonus points:

1. Anchor Text: If possible, include the focus keyword in the text used for links.
2. Image Alt Text: Use the focus keyword in the alt description of at least one image to enhance accessibility and SEO.

Important: Don’t keyword stuff!! This negatively impacts your ranking potential. Always focus on readability and clarity for your users. 

For a great starting point for how to write SEO web copy, download my free home page template below. 

Get support with SEO web copy to get more awesome enquiries 

SEO web copy is a tricky thing to get right, but when you do, there are no downsides. You’ll see more search traffic and, hopefully, more ideal client enquiries. 

If you’re reading all this thinking, ‘Nah, I need some more help!’, then I got you. I work with high-end service businesses to write web copy that sounds like you and gets results in a few ways: 

• Get SEO website copywriting all done for you 
• Learn how to do all of this (and way more) in my group programme, Sculpt
• Book a quick-fire consultation to polish your existing copy together 

Or if you need help but you’re not sure which option is best, get in touch. I promise I don’t bite. I’m always happy to guide you towards the best choice for your needs, goals, and budget.