SEO Copywriting: 17 Powerful Secrets (Updated for 2018)
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Knowing SEO is great.
Knowing copywriting is great.
But when you can do BOTH?
That’s when you can slap an “S” on your chest…
…because you’ll be unstoppable.
And today I have something that will make you feel like you have SEO superpowers:
17 insanely actionable SEO copywriting tips that you can use right now.
Free Bonus: Click here to get access to a free PDF checklist that shows you how to execute all 17 of the techniques from this post (the checklist also includes 2 bonus strategies).
Look:
Most people think SEO copywriting is all about putting words after words.
But in my experience, the STRUCTURE of your content is just as important as the writing itself.
And what better place to find proven content structures than Udemy?
(In case you’re not familiar with Udemy, it’s a MASSIVE directory of online courses)
Here’s how you can use Udemy to make your next piece of content 2-3x more compelling:
First, head over to Udemy and enter a keyword.
For example, let’s say you were writing a blog post about photography. You’d search for “photography”:
Udemy will show you all of their popular photography courses:
Next, pick a course with a lot of reviews.
Here’s one:
Once you pick a course, take a look at how many people have already enrolled in it.
As you can see, over 70,000 people have enrolled in this photography course:
Do you see how huge this is?
You’re looking at content that 70,000 people have shelled out cold hard cash to get access to.
That means you don’t need to rely on your Spidey sense. You KNOW there’s going to be demand for your content.
Thousands of people have already voted…with their wallets.
Now:
Once you’ve found a popular course, scroll down to the “Curriculum” section.
That’s where you’ll find the proven structure you can use for your next blog post, video or infographic:
Obviously, you don’t want to rip off the instructor’s course.
But you can use bits and pieces of the curriculum for your outline:
Now that you have your outline, it’s almost time to put pen to paper.
Before you do, make sure to read the next technique on my list…
When someone lands on your site from a search engine, two things can happen:
They either leave right away…
…or they stick around.
And when people stick on your page like superglue, Google thinks:
“This is a great page. Let’s give it a rankings boost.”
But when people leave your site like a sinking ship…
That’s when Google drops you like a stone.
(This is Google’s Rankbrain algorithm in action)
The bottom line?
If you want higher rankings, you NEED to keep people on your site.
How? Bucket Brigades.
Bucket Brigades are words and phrases that keep people on your page.
For example:
You may notice that I tend to use short sentences that end in a colon, like this:
That’s a Bucket Brigade.
But what are Bucket Brigades, exactly?
Bucket Brigades are an old school copywriting tactic that were originally designed to keep people reading sales letters.
I’ve adapted Bucket Brigades for SEO content and the results are, well, crazy.
In fact, here’s Backlinko’s average time on page:
Yes, that’s 4 minutes.
A good chunk of that above-average Time on Page is due to the fact that I sprinkle Bucket Brigades into every post.
Now it’s time for me to show you how to use Bucket Brigades to boost your Time on Page:
First, find a place in your content where someone’s likely to hit their browser’s “back” button…
…and add a Bucket Brigade.
Start with your intro.
Here’s an example where I used two Bucket Brigades in my intro:
(By the way, the Time On Page for that post is over 5 minutes):
You also want to use Bucket Brigades in the middle of your content.
Here’s an example from one of my recent guides to keyword research:
Bottom line: whenever you have a section where someone may get bored and leave, add a Bucket Brigade.
You can make up your own Bucket Brigades…or you can use these tried-and-true Bucket Brigade classics:
- Here’s the deal:
- Now:
- What’s the bottom line?
- You might be wondering:
- This is crazy:
- It gets better/worse:
- But here’s the kicker:
- Want to know the best part?
And — bada bing, bada boom — you’re set.
Once you’ve added a few Bucket Brigades, move onto technique #3…
Today’s super-smart Google doesn’t care how many times you cram a keyword into your article.
Instead, it pays close attention to Latent Semantic Indexing (LSI) keywords.
(LSI keywords are a fancy way of saying: “synonyms and closely related words”)
And these LSI keywords help Google understand what your page is all about.
For example, let’s say you write an article optimized around the keyword “cars”.
How does Google know whether your page is about:
- Cars the vehicle
- Cars the movie
- The 1970s rock band (with awful hair)
- The Canadian Aviation Regulations (CARs)
The answer? LSI keywords.
For example, when Google sees a page with LSI keywords like this…
…they know the page is about the cars you drive.
But when Google sees a page like this…
…they know it’s about Cars the movie.
So how can you add more LSI keywords into your content?
I’ll explain with an example:
Let’s say your keyword was “playstation RPGs”.
First, search for that keyword in Google:
Then, scan the page for bold words and phrases that aren’t the keyword you just typed in.
Here are some examples from Google’s first page:
See how Google bolds words like “Final Fantasy VIII” and “PS1”?
This means that Google considers those terms VERY similar to the keyword you just searched for.
(In other words, LSI keywords)
Finally, sprinkle these bold terms into your content…
…and you’re ready for secret #4.
Bold promise? Definitely.
But stay with me.
What’s the big secret I’m talking about?
Create your own keywords.
I’ll explain.
If you search for your brand in Google, you probably rank #1.
You may not have thought about it, but your brand is a keyword…
…a keyword that you automatically rank #1 for.
But why stop there?
You can generate boatloads of extra organic traffic when you also brand your techniques and strategies.
For example:
You’ve probably heard about The Skyscraper Technique, my 3-step formula for getting more organic traffic to your site.
Because I branded my strategy “The Skyscraper Technique”, I now have a pipeline of extra visitors coming to my site everyday.
In fact, according to Google Search Console, the keyword “Skyscraper Technique” gets 1,093 searches per month:
Because I rank #1 for that keyword (and appear in the answer box) , I get the lion’s share of those 1,103 clicks:
Bottom line?
Whenever you develop a unique strategy, tactic, or technique…
…make sure you slap a branded name on it.
When you do, you’ll get a bunch of extra organic search traffic.
A while back I published a post called, “Why Google Hates Your Site (Hint: It Has Something to Do With TrustRank)“:
With this post I decided to go after a keyword that my competitors wouldn’t bother targeting…
…even though it gets a decent amount of searches.
What was the keyword?
“Google hates my site”
Believe it or not, I didn’t pull this keyword out of thin air.
I chose this keyword because I saw A LOT of people in SEO forums saying things like this:
And if people post something in a forum, you can bet your butt that they also search for the same thing in Google.
So I decided to use a variation of that keyword in my post:
Today, besides ranking #1 for my target keyword (“Google TrustRank”)…
…when someone searches for “Google hates my site” (and other variations of that search), I show up in the top spot:
How can you use this technique to get more traffic?
First, optimize your page just like you normally would (If you need a hand, check out these 14 advanced on-page SEO strategies).
But before you hit “publish”, scan forums for words and phrases people tend to use around your topic.
For example, let’s say your primary keyword was “organic vegetable gardening”.
You’d search in Google with inurl:forum + “organic vegetable gardening”:
This will bring up a bunch forum threads around that topic:
Skim the first few threads that you find.
When you see a phrase that seems like a good fit…
…search that phrase Google:
If a lot of results pop up (like with this example), add those words and phrases to your post.
And you’re good to go.
Here’s the deal:
Sure, social sharing buttons can help you get more shares…
…but in most cases, they’re not enough.
Instead, I recommend tapping into a copywriter’s best friend:
A call to action.
Let me explain.
A few months back I published “17 Insanely Actionable List Building Strategies That Will Generate More Subscribers Today“:
To maximize the amount of shares this post got, I included a “click to tweet” button underneath each item on the list:
To date, my post has over 2900 tweets…
…and a good chunk of those 2900 tweets came from my “click to tweet” buttons:
Here’s how you can do the same thing:
First, find a super actionable tip or strategy from your post.
Next, head over to ClickToTweet.com. Click on “basic link”:
Turn your actionable tip into a tweet:
Then, click on “Generate new link”.
Grab the link…
…and pop the link into your post.
You can use buttons like I did. But plain-text links also work great:
Whether you use a button or a plain link, definitely add at least one “click to tweet” call to action in your next post.
Here’s something we can both agree on:
The higher you rank, the more clicks you get, right?
Well…not really.
It turns out that you can get more search engine traffic…WITHOUT higher rankings.
Hit “play” to learn how this powerful strategy works:
Once you’ve finished watching the video, it’s time for SEO copywriting secret #8.
With giants like Amazon dominating the first page, it’s not easy for an ecommerce site to practice effective SEO.
Despite that fact, I still see small ecommerce sites beat the odds.
Their secret?
They target long tail keywords that most of their competitors don’t know about.
Here’s how they do it (and how you can do the same thing):
First, search for a product that you sell on Amazon.
For example, let’s say you run an ecommerce site that sells organic dog food.
You’d search for “organic dog food” in Amazon:
But don’t hit enter!
If you wait a second, Amazon will show you long tail keywords related to that keyword (just like Google Suggest):
Grab one of those keywords and pop it into Google.
Check to see if the first page for the long tail keyword is less competitive than the one you’re currently targeting.
Usually, it will be:
(As you can see above, the Page Authority of the top 10 results for “Organic Dog Food” is X% higher than the similar, long tail keyword)
And because Amazon Suggest keywords are so laser-targeted, they tend to convert GREAT.
Finally, sprinkle those keywords into your product and category page copy (and in your title and description tags):
As soon as you’ve added long tail copy to your product and category pages, move onto the next tip on the list.
If you want more traffic from long tail keywords, the solution is simple:
Add “modifiers” to your title tag.
What are “modifiers”?
Modifiers are words that you add to your title tag…
…words that get your site in front of more long tail searchers.
Here’s little case study of this strategy in action:
A while back I published a guide called “Link Building: The Definitive Guide“.
And the title tag I used was simply the name of the guide:
At the time, I thought to myself:
“This title tag is short and sweet. It also includes my target keyword. This is a great title tag.”
But I was wrong.
I quickly realized that I could get MORE traffic to that page if I added a modifier.
So I added the keyword “SEO” to my title tag:
Thanks to that simple tweak, my page ranks for keywords that I would have NEVER thought to optimize around…
…like “SEO link building” (590 searches/month):
And “link building SEO” (90 searches/month):
According to GWT, those two keywords bring in 139 targeted visitors per month.
All from (literally) 28 seconds of work.
How can you do the same thing?
First, find a page on your site that has a short title tag (between 25-40 characters).
Then add one or two of these modifiers from this list:
- “How to…”
- The current year
- Review
- Best
- Fast
- Checklist
- Guide
- Tips
- Easy
- Simple
You won’t be able to predict exactly what keywords these modifiers bring in…
…but you’ll get more search engine traffic than you would without them.
And that’s what really matters 🙂
As you saw earlier, Backlinko rocks an above-average Avg. Time on Page:
I already told you that Bucket Brigades were a big part of the story.
And now I want to show you another technique that makes Google searchers stick to my site like superglue:
My battle-tested blog post introduction templates.
And today I’m going to share one of my favorites:
The APP Method.
Here’s what it looks like:
As you can see in the graphic, “APP” stands for: Agree, Promise, and Preview.
Let’s break each element down:
First, we have Agree.
Start your introduction off with an idea or concept that a Google searcher will agree with.
This shows them that you understand their problem.
Here’s an example from my post on creating a Social Squeeze page.
That’s something people searching for my target keyword (“squeeze page”) know to be true.
Now that you’ve got them nodding their head in agreement, it’s time for the Promise.
The Promise is where you give them a peek into a better world.
Here’s an example from my Social Squeeze Page Post:
Finally, hit them with The Preview.
Don’t beat around the bush. Just tell them exactly what you have in store for them.
Once you put the finishing touches on The Preview, you’re set.
You now have an intro that keeps Google readers on your site…
…and a page that Google will want to show to more people.
Remember:
Like I mentioned in item #3 from this list — the more LSI keywords you embed into your content — the better Google understands what your page is about.
Now I’ve got a mini case study that will show you how to reveal even more LSI keywords that you can use.
A while back I wanted to add a few LSI keywords to my post, “On-Page SEO: Anatomy of a Perfectly Optimized Page“.
First, I searched for my target keyword (“on page SEO”) in Google:
Next, I scrolled to the bottom of the first page. This is where Google shows you “searches related to…” keywords:
These are PERFECT LSI keywords to include in your content.
I grabbed any LSI keywords that made sense and popped them into my content.
For example:
And I was good to go.
This technique has a bonus benefit:
“Searches related to…” keywords help you rank for long tail keywords that may not show up in the Google Keyword Planner:
That means more traffic for you.
It’s funny:
A lot of content marketers hate on “clickbait” sites like BuzzFeed.
Me? I think they’re geniuses.
Their meteoric growth speaks for itself…
Seriously. Buzzfeed.com went from zero to a top 50 site in the US…practically overnight.
Besides, it’s hard NOT to love headlines like these:
And they’ve proven that their headline formulas grab people by the eyeballs.
For example, item #9 from this post may have caught your eye:
The idea for that subheader came from a post on BuzzFeed:
And you can do the same thing.
Just check out some recent posts on BuzzFeed and other clickbait sites…
…and adapt them for your blog post titles and subheadings.
Obviously, some of their headlines are over the top.
So I’ve put together a few Buzzfeed-style headline templates that grab attention…without going overboard:
- 25 ___ That Will Change The Way You ___
- I Tried ___. And Even I Was Surprised About What Happened Next
- This ___ Makes ___ 10x Better
- Here Are 11 ___ That ____. And They’re Backed By Science
- Use These 20 Simple Hacks For More ____. #5 Is Awesome
- When You Learn About ___ You’ll Never ____ Again
Do you use Reddit for keyword research?
If not, you should .
After all, Reddit users discuss every topic on planet Earth…from toasters to tripods.
There’s only one problem with this approach:
Combing through Reddit is a huge pain!
Enter: Keyworddit.
Keyworddit does the combing for you.
Just choose a subreddit…
…and you’ll see terms that people use when they discuss your topic.
Very cool.
Everyone and their mom knows that subheadings make online content easier to read.
To illustrate how much subheadings help, here’s the example I showed earlier in this post:
If you’re human, you prefer the post on the left.
Now:
Subheadings are just ONE way to break up your content.
Magazines use dozens of different techniques to break up walls of text.
Here’s an example from an Inc. magazine I have lying around:
And when you use the 3 magazine-inspired techniques I’m about to show you, you’ll stop “serial skimmers” in their tracks.
Technique #1: Quote Boxes
Whenever you quote someone, put that quote in a box. Here’s an example from Backlinko:
Technique #2: Sidebar Callouts
This is another magazine staple.
Whenever you have content that complements your post, put it in a callout box.
I use these quite a bit at Backlinko.
Technique #3: Section Banners
This technique a bit more involved…
…but it’ll make your content look über professional.
Just add a custom banner underneath each subheading, like this:
See how nice that looks?
You can get these custom banners made at a freelance site like Upwork.
Or, if you’re in the mood for DIY, Canva works well too.
Can short URLs really help your site rank higher in Google?
Our search engine ranking factors study found a significant correlation between short URLs and higher Google rankings.
The question is: why do shorter URLs tend to perform better in Google?
First, short URLs make Google’s job easier.
As you know, Google uses your URL to understand what your page is about.
That’s why a URL like:
www.website.com/your-keyword
Is better than:
www.website.com/12/15/2017/your-keyword-and-why-it-is-important
Second, short URLs=better CTR
Here’s what the data says on this:
- Research by Marketing Sherpa found that short URLs get 250% more clicks.
- Microsoft discovered that descriptive URLs can improve CTR by 25%.
This makes sense if you think about it…
URLs are a “high level” summary of your page’s topic.
But if your URL is a mile long, Google searchers are going skip right over it and click on another result.
In fact, Google hates long URLs so much that they now automatically re-write long URLS as short URLs in the search results:
That’s why I recommend simple-yet-descriptive URLs like this:
(Quick note: Are your URLs already long? I don’t recommend going back and changing them. It can cause serious technical SEO issues. Just apply this rule to future pages that you add to your site).
Last year Dave Attard had a problem…
He spent a ton of time creating this impressive web design checklist:
This guide was so good it even started to rank in the top 3 for his target keyword.
Unfortunately, this top-3 ranking didn’t generate as much organic traffic David was expecting.
That’s when he realized that he could boost his traffic with a better title tag.
His original title tag was good…but had lots of room for improvement:
He improved his title in two ways:
First, he added a number.
Copywriters have known for years that numbers=clicks.
That’s why David added a number to his title.
David also added some emotion to his title. Studies show that emotionally compelling headlines get more clicks.
That’s why David added the word “Amazing” to his title:
The result?
A 71.6% boost in organic traffic.
Pretty cool, right?
Want a list of long tail keywords that your competition doesn’t know about?
Look no further than the new BuzzSumo Question Analyzer:
Here’s how it works:
Enter a seed keyword into the tool:
Then it will will scrape the internet to find questions and topics around your keyword:
Because most of the questions and topics don’t contain your seed keyword, your competition doesn’t know about them.
Gold. Mine.
You’ve read about the 17 SEO copywriting techniques. Now it’s time to implement them.
The first step?
Leave a comment to let me know which technique you’re going to try first.
Ready to implement Bucket Brigades?
Or maybe you want to try the APP Formula.
Either way, leave a quick comment below right now.
But before that, click the image below and enter your email to get access to my FREE SEO copywriting checklist PDF.
The checklist has all 16 of the copywriting strategies here…and 2 others that I didn’t have room to include in this post.
Click the image below to download the PDF now.
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