Copywriting for SEO: Creating Website Content that Causes your Business to Rank for Major Keywords

When businesses rank for their "core commercial keywords", they will start to get all sorts of extra business because Google and Bing will serve them up as a solution to a question. We are Feedbackwrench, and we're a small, family owned digital marketing company that helps accounting firms, construction businesses, and other small businesses with their web design, search engine optimization, and paid ads.

Keep reading if you want to get a solid grasp of how to grow your sales using Google and Bing search engines.

To Drive Business Online You Must:

• Develop excellent messaging & focus
• Create a Website that converts
• Drive traffic with Ads & SEO
• Delight Your Customers & Improve

Core commercial keywords are the take-action, bottom of funnel keywords that mean someone's looking to buy something.

Examples of Core Commercial Keywords:

• Remodeling contractors near me
• flooring stores near me
• CPA's near me
• Bookkeeping companies near me
• Deck Building companies near me
• Roofing & Siding contractors near me

Core Commercial Keywords Usually Trigger the Google My Business Map:

‍

What does it take for Businesses to Rank for Core Commercial Keywords?

You need Google to see your website as an authoritative, trustworthy and experts in this area.  You might want to read up on MOZ's study that shows what professionals are claiming as the most important ranking factors for SEO.

What factors play the biggest role?

• Website SEO Factors
• Proximity to the searcher
• Website content
• Number of reviews
• Votes of confidence across the web

The Bottom Line to Rank on Search Engines

Create online content that solves queries, and get backlinks to those web pages.

‍

Here's a Great Video to Get You Started:

You Must Write Great Content to Rank in SEO

Businesses need good copywriters and authors to come alongside them and help them create irresistible and helpful content, and that's a core principle of what we do here at Feedbackwrench. We have a team of writers that help us, and we want to equip you to write well and develop content that will rank in search engines.

My hope is you bookmark this page, and you reach out to write for us.

The bottom of this page has books, youtube videos, and resources you should come back to. So bookmark this now.

‍

I'm going to provide you with some of my own insight, along with renown authors that are the best at teaching people how to become an SEO copywriter.

Before we get started, I want to summarize the whole thing:

1. People are going to search google, bing and youtube for answers to their problems
2. Search engines use websites, videos and online content to answer those questions
3. Businesses must plan and create amazing content that answers those queries
4. Writing to hook readers, solve their problems, and answer their questions requires training
5. Watch and listen to the videos at the bottom of this page
6. Read or listen on audible to the books below
7. Practice and start writing.

Red-Meat Tips for Copywriting for SEO:

• Don't waste your reader's time, this isn't an english professor
• The content must be useful, it will die out if it's pointless
• don't write just to write, equip readers with problem solving resources
• Do question building exercises, what might people be curious about.  Use these questions as sections of the article.
• Try to create articles & blog posts people will come back to, bookmark, and reference again
• Write content that is skimmable
• People tend to avoid large paragraphs
• Break things up, and create sections with Headers, Statements, and Section Titles
• Use headers to frame the questions you'll answer
• You must hyper-link out to good sources.  Search engines and people both want to see this.
• Don't keyword stuff or write to please the search engine, focus 95% of your effort on writing to please the user, then 5% focused on keywords & phrases
• Don't use large images that slow the site down, compress images so you only have low file sizes (I keep images to about 100-500kb
• Try to get other websites to hyperlink to the article you wrote, this is called a "backlink" and when done naturally, this builds up your authority.
• Backlinks are the hardest to achieve, but most effective form of SEO because it shows other companies and sites TRUST you. They are giving you a vote of confidence.

If you're going to be writing for us, don't worry about learning how to make a web page, I want you to first learn how to write content, source your material, and make it super helpful.

Content we make should be a guide you'd want to bookmark.

This guide is kind of meant to be that as well - I think that the resources I'm going to provide you here will be better than a college education if you engage with it deeply.  The only thing that's more valuable in a college program is that you would have strict grading on your writing - but I'd assert that the free market is a much more stringent, and practical guide as to the quality of your writing.

SEO Copywriting is about Results, Not Participation

The amount of effort and hours you pour into your content are irrelevant , the only thing that matters is that someone would choose to read your content.

Unlike your college essay, our writing needs to be something a person would actually read.

If you write content that grips and engages the readers of our client's websites, we're going to pay you well.

But the key is, the writing needs to be good in a couple ways.  First, it needs to be conversational, it needs to be easy to consume on a phone or a desktop, and it needs to be engaging, or really helpful.

Helpful means that it solves problems, makes their life better, or just helps them out.

So as we dive in here, I want you to know that you're entering a gig economy filled with excellent professionals making more money than your college professors, living lives much more free... but it's because they execute.

No company chooses to continue to pay a writer that creates content that sucks.

So buckle up, get ready to kick ass, and become an expert SEO copywriter.

Don't Get Writer's Block:

Another problem you'll find is that you will be learning all sorts of overlaying criteria for excellence, and it's going to cause you to freeze up and get stuck FAST.

I recommend that when you start writing, you do some planning, create a basic outline, and then make some iterations.

Step 1 - Create a List of Questions.

Step 2 - Create an Outline

Step 3 - WRITE with no caution

Step 4 - Edit

Step 5 - Rewrite

Step 6 - Edit

Step 7 - Get paid

‍

Don't wait for the perfect outline, or the perfect words.

Just write! Good, Bad and in-between.  The first round of writing is about blasting away and planning... you can come back and eliminate the nonsense later.  But in order to not get stuck, I think it helps to brainstorm out a ton of questions and topics the end user is going to have.

‍
Quick example:

How to get paid to write professionally.

How much can someone make as a professional writer?

Are there any jobs hiring people to write for their business?

How much money can you make writing online?

What's the best way to make money by copywriting?

How can you make money blogging?

I'm actually not going to answer those questions, because this article is meant to provide you with a free education in copywriting so you can make money...

‍

This resource is meant to prepare anybody to become a writer for a company like Feedbackwrench, and hopefully it can serve as a super authoritative resource for your learning.  

What this Guide Will Provide:

1. What Businesses want to do with their websites
2. The basics of Inbound Marketing
3. List of Essential Books, Blogs & Videos

Head toward the bottom to find the list of essential books, blogs and videos.

1 - What do Businesses Want to do with their Websites:

First off, you need to know that businesses want their websites and digital footprints to close more sales, improve the quality of their sales, and help them improve their processes.

But what they really want is for it to bring in a steady stream of sales.

The #1 Purpose of Digital Assets for a Business(websites, social etc.) , is Almost Always to Increase Sales, and Provide a Steady Stream of New Business.

‍

Get More Sales with Inbound Marketing

Content that Get's Found = Inbound Marketing

Businesses want their websites to attract, convert, and close sales.  

This process is often times called "inbound marketing" which was coined by pioneers in the digital marketing world at Hubspot.

The Foundations of Inbound Marketing:

People are asking Google, Bing, Siri and Alexa questions.

They're also sitting on social media, watching YouTube videos, and consuming digital content all the time.

Podcasts, youtube channels, Memes, Blog posts, articles, photos... the list of digital assets goes on and on.

To get found online, you need to create digital content that can be found.

How can things from companies get found?

Organically and through  Paid Advertising.

If you create great content, implement best practices of SEO, and do the right things over time, your content will rank in the search engines.

‍

Inbound Marketing = creating digital content for your prospects to find online.

People have questions, Google, Bing, Siri, Alexa all want to provide the answers, and they look to websites & videos around the web to be their answers.

That means that if a business Can anticipate the questions and queries that their target market might be asking, particularly around a problem that they solve, they would be able to have a digital introduction to a potential new customer.

Businesses Solve Problems, Problems Have Questions

It needs to be said: businesses can only thrive when they're growing in new sales

The core of a business is that it solves problems, which make the lives of their customers better.

Businesses help people either thrive or survive.

Problems are the root of a business relationship, and each problem has a list of questions, queries and curiosity around them.

Problems have a giant list of questions surrounding them and each question will probably get asked online to Google, Bing, Alexa or Siri.

Industries, Products, Problems & Queries

Think of all the questions out there that stem from problems, that have products or services to solve them, from companies in an ocean of business sectors.

Think of all the industries out there....

• Professional Camera Accessory Companies
• Remodeling Companies
• Painting Companies
• Frozen Pizza & Ice Cream Companies
• Junk Removal Companies
• Cannabis Companies
• Daycare Companies
• Gyms, Fitness Clubs and Personal Trainers
• Paint Manufacturing Companies
• Dentists, Orthodontists,
• Financial Planners
• Chimney Repair
• Roofing, Siding & Windows

Now think of all the Products and Services Each Company Has

• Kitchen Remodels
• Bathroom remodeling
• Basement Finishing
• Home additions & 4 season porches

Think of the Problems with Each Service and Product

• I love my neighborhood but have grown tired of my home's layout
• I love my home, but my health issues make it hard to navigate
• My kitchen is too small for family gatherings
• We don't host our church small group because there's nowhere for 10 people to sit
• I'm isolated & alone when I'm in my kitchen, because it's too compartmentalized
• I want to stay in my home as long as possible as I age
• My cabinets are breaking and falling apart
• My countertop has wear and tear marks on it,
• My carpet stinks and my kids keep staining it with fingernail polish
• I'm afraid of getting ripped off when getting a kitchen remodel
• I love my neighborhood b

‍

Think of the Questions and Queries Around Each Problem:

• What to do with my kitchen cabinets
• Should I paint my cabinets white?
• What to do with my old countertop after painting my oak cabinets white
• Should I DIY a kitchen remodel or hire a professional?
• How does someone plan a kitchen remodel?
• What's the difference between "Design-build" remodelers and general contractors?
• What are the different types of cabinet stiles and rails?
• What's the most durable kitchen cabinet material for the price?

‍

The Goal is to Show up on a SERP for a Relevant Search:

‍

Images courtesy of Moose.

‍

Attracting Prospects Means Creating Content

There's an ocean of prospective customers out there, and they're using the web to search and consume all sorts of content about the problems they have or the lifestyle they want.

Our goal is to answer these questions with online content, so Google, Bing, Youtube, Siri and Alexa will serve them up to people as an answer.

When people find our content, they become aware of our company.

This might sound oversimplify, and we can tend to undervalue it, but think of the power that inbound marketing provides.

People qualify themselves by the queries they search.

Think about it. Who in their right mind would search "the tax difference between an LLC and an S-Corp?"  The only people trying to figure out the tax difference that converting to an S-Corp would be accounting students, business owners, or new business startups.

If you were an accounting firm that focused on pro-active tax planning, wouldn't you want to intersect with as many businesses as possible that were asking that question? The answer is YES. This particular query was something that started me down the road of understanding the power of inbound marketing and SEO, because before I started Feedbackwrench, I built a thriving Tax Planning firm out of Lakeville Minnesota called Nuance Financial Tax and Accounting, and the content I built out on youtube and online, really took off because it was exactly what our prospective clients needed clarity on.  You see, most accountants where stuck in the weeds, trying to be complete in their answers rather than clear.  The result was that my clear explanation lead to a video going somewhat viral, and hundreds of calls a month coming in for our little firm. I sold out of that firm, but they still benefit from the inbound content I created on Youtube.

The point is, you need to brainstorm about the problems, questions, and queries that people have about your sector & industry, and then create content to answer those queries.

‍

‍

‍

Niches, Regionality & Keyword Modifiers

Good, Better, Best Search Queries:

Narrowing your search queries by using modifiers is beneficial in two ways: 

• Narrows the competition for the keyword in Google
• Narrowly targets the end user, increasing the likelihood they will be a qualified buyer

‍

Here's a Quick Example: 

Company: New Spaces Design-Build Remodeler

Territory: South and West Metro Twin cities

Specialty: High quality remodeling designs for Main Level & Kitchen Remodels of 1950's, 60's Homes.

New Spaces remodeling doesn't want to rank for "remodeling companies" in New Jersey, and they don't really want someone looking for a carpenter.

New Spaces would want people looking for a full design experience, within their territory or service, for their speciality - 1950's and 60's homes.

Modifiers to Queries Narrow the Focus:

If you're a Real Estate Agent, it's really hard to rank for "homes for sale", because the super-big websites are dominant.  Zillow, Redfin, Realtor.com etc.

A realtor is going to struggle to dominate the search term "homes for sale near me.

But they might be able to rank a landing page for terms like: "Homes for sale lake marion lakeville mn"

Broad Keywords:

• Homes for sale MN
• Townhomes for sale
• Houses for sale Minneapolis

Narrow Niched with Modifiers:

• Duplex for Sale NE Minneapolis
• Condo for Sale Soma San Francisco
• Lakefront property for sale Lake Marion Lakeville Minnesota
• Triplexes for sale in St. Louis Park

The Point:

Your content will do best when you do the hard work of planning who it's for, and the overarching query you're trying to rank for:

‍

‍

‍

#1 - Backlinko Complete Beginner's Guide to SEO Content

You're going to see Brain Dean of Backlinko in here a great deal.  This guide will clearly explain what the content game is all about. He's done a ton of work here to show us the goods, and I really like a couple of his videos as well>

See Backlinko's SEO Content Beginners Guide Here: https://backlinko.com/seo-content

‍

There's More from Brian Dean You should Watch:

‍

‍

‍

Donald Miller StoryBrand

Donald Miller is my new favorite marketing mentor. He's all about clarity, and I can't believe how effective it is.  Let's take a look at some of the best advice we can get from Donald Miller, Author of Storybrand and Marketing Made Simple.

‍

‍

‍

‍

‍

‍

‍

‍

Wordstream - 9 Essential Rules for SEO Copywriting:

https://www.wordstream.com/blog/ws/2019/12/03/seo-copywriting

You'll notice that lots of these resources are actually lead magnets for companies that sell products to service businesses and digital marketing agencies like Feedbackwrench. Word stream provides a paid search software as a service that's really powerful, and their blog content is extremely helpful. You can't go wrong spending time on the wordstream blog

‍

‍

Ahrefs 12 Easy Tips for Better Content and Higher Rankings

Ahrefs is legit, their advice is sound, although a little technical at times.  You read this article and it will help you big time in your pursuit to get paid as a copywriter.  Read it here

Moz Beginner's Guide to SEO

Moz sells a software as a service product that helps people do SEO better.  That means they help other people with inbound marketing.  Not only that, but MOZ has been in the game a VERY long time, and they practice what they preach.  The have a very thorough guide to get started with SEO.

Check it out here: https://moz.com/beginners-guide-to-seo

Chapter 1: SEO 1010 is the most helpful probably.

‍