What is SEO writing? Simply put, SEO writing is Search Engine Optimization writing.

It is writing that is focused on grabbing the attention of the search engines using specific, targeted words or phrases (called keywords or keyword phrases), and using them in specific ways.

SEO writing is important for your website because it directs traffic to your website so people can find your online training business.

Imagine that a search engine is a four-way stop. And SEO is the physical traffic controller. The traffic controller determines how many cars come and go in a certain direction. In this case, using the right keywords gets more traffic to flow your way. Make sense? The better use of keywords, the more traffic that you receive.

So SEO writing is vital to helping facilitate this traffic. Here are 5 things that will help you along the way:

1. Do your keyword research. Remember we talked about the importance of learning how to do keyword research? Well, this is one place that that information will come in handy. Be sure to use the Google Keyword Tool to build the list that you’ll use when searching for the best keywords for your business.
2. Make sure that your content is not only relevant but also relatable. Make your website copy an easy read for your target audience. If you’re just using content so that people can learn more about you, make sure that what you’re sharing is both keyword-friendly AND audience-friendly. And if you’re blogging or sharing any other info, you’ll want to do the same.

The whole objective here is to attract and convert.

1. Keep your writing unique! Search engines pick up on plagiarism. So don’t take the quick way out and swipe copy from a competitor or anything like that. Be YOU! Besides, that won’t help your audience discover your unique value if you’re using someone else’s content to describe your business.
2. Learn a few things about technical SEO or hire a freelancer to help you out. Having a keyword-rich site won’t mean much if your website isn’t indexed. While the phrase “technical SEO” can seem pretty scary, don’t let it overwhelm you. Even as a beginner, there are things you can do (more on this later) to help you get your site indexed.
3. Make sure you write enough words to count. Search engines need context. They’re searching for words, not pretty pics (even though they’re aesthetically pleasing). So give them enough to go on. You don’t want to make your content too wordy but you definitely don’t want to make it too short. A golden rule is at least 500-600 words per page for search engines to find context.

While there is so much more to SEO writing, starting with these 5 simple steps will get you to think along the lines of best practices. And remember, SEO writing is not a one-shot deal. It takes practice and you’ll have to do some revising should your analytics show that you’re traffic isn’t increasing gradually over time.

Lastly, please know that effective SEO writing is doable, even for beginners, but if you feel overwhelmed in the least bit you can always consider hiring a consultant or a freelance writer. It’s not always as costly as one imagines. Hiring someone allows you to see up close what’s needed for your industry. And with a consultant or freelance writer, you can learn from them as you go.

Whether you decide to DIY or get a little help, just make sure that you commit to getting your SEO writing done. Without proper SEO writing, it’s like having a store and not telling anyone that you exist.  You can’t expect traffic to come your way if you’re not out there getting the word out. Make sense?

As always, you’ve got this!