How to Balance Keywords and Quality in SEO Copywriting

Getting Started

The Importance of Keywords in SEO Copywriting

Hey there business owner! Looking to understand SEO or –gasp– do it yourself?

Josh at Pathbrand here, and I’m here to help!

First things first: When it comes to small business SEO, knowing your search keywords and using them in your content is essential for SEO copywriting.

Why?

Keywords guide potential customers to your content and ensure that your messaging and products or services match up with their search intent.

Starting out, I did what most business owners do: Try to choose my own SEO keywords, and do my own website search optimization from scratch! 

Finding your initial keywords is one of the hardest parts. Getting the right keywords can feel like finding gold!

Here’s why keyword selection matters:

• Help search engines understand your content
• Increase your site’s visibility on search results
• Drive targeted, interested traffic to your website.

Quality Content Matters in SEO

But, it’s not just about keywords.

You need quality content to keep visitors engaged. There’s no point in ranking high if your content doesn’t deliver any value for the click. 

Think of it as a conversation—if the topic (a.k.a. content) isn’t interesting or helpful at all, people will quickly lose interest and bounce* away.

*Yes, that’s the technical term. BOUNCE: Like a bad party, the visitor leaves your site just as quickly as they came. No bueno.

Good content should be:

• Informative and engaging: Think entertaining or funny.
• Well-structured and easy to read: NOT a wall of text.
• Relevant to your audience’s needs

By balancing both keywords and quality, you can create effective SEO copywriting that your target audience loves to read and share, netting you the search rankings that come with it!

Understanding Your Keyword Options

Understanding the different types of SEO keywords helps you choose phrases and words that serve different purposes in your small business SEO efforts.

Types of Keywords

Keywords can generally be categorized into three types:

• Short-Tail Keywords: These are typically one or two words, like “shoes.” While these keywords attract a lot of traffic, they also have extremely high competition. (If Amazon comes up first for your keywords, you can expect to never rank above them.)
• Long-Tail Keywords: These contain three or more words, for instance, “best running shoes for flat feet.” They are less competitive and often lead to higher conversion rates since they target specific queries.
• Local Keywords: If you have a physical business location, keywords that mention a specific city or town like “Coffee shop in Denver” are crucial for drawing in local customers.

Keyword Research Techniques

Now, how do you pick the right keywords? Here are a few tools and techniques I find helpful:

• Google Keyword Planner: This tool helps identify search volumes and suggests relevant keywords. It’s a free tool, you just need to have a Google Ads Account to use it.
• Competitor Analysis: Look at the keywords your competitors are using effectively. This is a key feature of many paid SEO tools like ahrefs or SEMRush, but you could do something similar with a free tool like WordStream’s Free Keyword Tool.
• Customer Questions: Pay attention to the questions customers ask in your industry; these can often lead to fruitful keyword ideas. For example, if you sell a product that can also be found on Amazon, check customer reviews and questions to see what people want to know.

Understanding these different types and how to find them can really enhance your SEO copywriting. It might feel overwhelming, but taking the process step-by-step makes it manageable. Keep a document or spreadsheet with your findings — if you ever feel stuck, remember that hiring an SEO agency (ahem, like us) could save you tons of time and provide expertise.

Continuing from our exploration of balancing keywords and quality, let’s dive into most important part of SEO Copywriting: writing quality content.

Writing for Your Target Audience

One of the most important aspects of crafting engaging content is understanding who you’re writing for. I remember when I first started my small business SEO journey, I focused only on what I wanted to say, and what I wanted people to know about my business.

Instead, I should have considered:

• Demographics: How old or young is your ideal client? Where do they live? What is their lifestyle like?
• Interests: What topics resonate with them? Consider even topics unrelated to what you’re selling.
• Pain Points: What problems do they need solving? What kinds of services are they already paying for to make their lives easier?

By tailoring my content to speak directly to my audience, I saw increased engagement and conversions. If you do the same, you’ll get more engaged customers and interest.

Importance of Providing Value

Providing value is key in any content strategy. 

Your readers are seeking solutions or insights, so it’s essential to deliver on that promise. Here are some quick tips to make sure you’re providing value:

• Informative Headlines: Draw in your readers with titles that highlight the benefits.
• Actionable Tips: Include steps they can easily implement. Number them.
• Resourceful Links: Offer additional resources where they could keep learning.

By focusing on these elements, you improve the user experience and also improve your chances of successfully ranking in search engine results.

Balancing Keywords and Quality

OK, now comes the hard- I mean FUN part: You know about Keywords. You’re aware of writing quality content… Now, how we can effectively balance the use of keywords without compromising the quality of what we write?

Keyword Placement Strategies

Placing keywords in your content is crucial for small business SEO, but it’s important not to overdo it. 

Here are some strategies I find effective:

• Title Tags*: Include your primary keyword here; it’s often the first thing search engines see.
• Headings and Subheadings: Use keywords in at least one of your subheadings to signal the relevance of your content.
• First Paragraph: Aim to incorporate keywords in the opening lines to establish context right away.

*If you’re not sure what title “tags” are, it refers to the HTML that informs readers (and search robots) whether something is a Main Title (H1), Secondary heading (H2) or other subtitle (H3, H4, etc)

The key is to make your keywords feel natural, as if they belong in the conversation.

Here’s an example of BAD keyword placement and ‘keyword stuffing’ a paragraph for the keywords “Men’s Roller Skates”:

Looking for the best men’s roller skates? Our store has the top selection of men’s roller skates for all your skating needs. Whether you’re new to men’s roller skates or a seasoned pro, you’ll find the perfect men’s roller skates here. Shop now for men’s roller skates and enjoy the best prices on men’s roller skates!

Not subtle at all, unnatural, and completely over-saturated.

This might have gotten you to the top search result rankings in the 90s, but today’s customers (and search bots) will completely ignore a paragraph like this.

Here’s a GOOD example for the same term:

Looking for a new pair of men’s roller skates? We’ve got options for every skill level. Whether you’re just starting out or you’re a pro on wheels, our collection has skates that blend comfort, durability, and style. Browse now to find your perfect pair and get rolling in no time.

Notice how it uses the main keyword ONCE naturally and has variation and context-added words throughout the rest of the paragraph.

Tips for Maintaining Quality while Including Keywords

As I’ve learned from experience, you can have the best of both worlds. Here are some tips to keep quality front and center:

• Write for the Reader: Always prioritize your audience’s needs and interests.
• Use Synonyms and Related Terms: This helps keep your content engaging while still being optimized for search engines.
• Edit Ruthlessly: After writing, go back and tweak any areas where keywords might sound forced.

Remember, it’s not just about how to choose keywords for SEO; it’s about crafting something meaningful that is actually helpful and interesting to your target reader. 

If your time is limited (or more valuable than it would be worth doing this yourself), consider reaching out to an agency specializing in SEO copywriting—they can make a world of difference!

Tools for SEO Copywriting

As we’ve discussed how to balance keywords and quality in your content, the right tools can make this process significantly easier.

SEO Tools for Keyword Analysis

Finding the right keywords can feel daunting, but there are numerous user-friendly tools available that simplify this. My go-to options include:

• Google Keyword Planner: Great for brainstorming.
• SEMrush: Comprehensive and insightful competitor analysis.
• Ubersuggest: Offers a free version that’s really handy for small businesses.

These tools help you identify the best search terms that can drive traffic to your site.

Content Quality Assessment Tools

Once you’ve crafted your content, it’s time to ensure it’s up to par. Here are a few tools I recommend for this:

• Grammarly: To maintain grammatical accuracy and readability.
• Hemingway App: For simplifying complex sentences.
• Copyscape: To check for plagiarism and ensure originality.

Monitoring and Adjusting SEO Copywriting Articles

Analyzing Keyword Performance

As we continue refining our SEO copywriting strategies, it’s important to keep an eye on keyword performance over time. 

Regular analysis helps us to understand which keywords are driving traffic and which ones might need some adjustments. I pull up Google Analytics or my favorite SEO tool to track:

• Top-performing keywords: See where my content shines and if I’m being found for the right terms.
• Click-through rates (CTR): Identify which titles and descriptions are resonating most.
• Bounce rates: Understand if the content meets user expectations, or if they’re not engaging with the content as desired.

Optimizing Content for Better Results

Once we’ve analyzed keyword performance, it’s time to optimize our content. This can involve updating titles, adding relevant keywords, or tweaking content structure. For instance, I recently revised an underperforming blog post by:

• Revisiting the title to better reflect user intent.
• Incorporating LSI* keywords that fit naturally.
• Breaking down long paragraphs for better readability.

*Latent Semantic Indexing keywords are words or phrases that are related to the main topic. Imagine you’re writing an essay about dogs. While “dogs” is your main topic, you’d also naturally mention related words like “puppies,” “breeds,” “pets,” or “dog food.” These are like LSI keywords—they help search engines understand that your content is really about dogs by showing that you’re covering all the important details related to the topic.

By actively optimizing our content based on performance data, we help ensure it delivers value and continues to engage our audience effectively.

Wrapping Up – Main Takeaways

Effective SEO copywriting hinges on balancing strategic keyword use with high-quality, engaging content that is tailored to your audience.

Understanding different types of keywords—short-tail, long-tail, and local—and using tools like Google Keyword Planner and SEMrush can help you identify the best terms for your content.

However, simply including keywords isn’t enough; the content must be informative, relevant, and easy to read to keep visitors engaged.

Regularly monitoring keyword performance and making necessary adjustments ensures that your content remains effective, driving targeted traffic and improving search engine rankings.