Common SEO Copywriting Blunders to Avoid in 2023

Over the past few years, SEO copywriting has undergone a significant transformation. But even with all the changes in how search engines evaluate websites, some folks still make the same old blunders. On top of that, new hazards have emerged. This piece will explore the typical errors and oversights in SEO copywriting, and provide guidance on how to dodge them.

Too much time on the look,not enough on the content

If you're a fellow SEO copywriter, you know how frustrating it can be to see website design take priority over content. The truth is, what's on your site matters more than how it looks, and this is only going to become truer in the future. Search engines rank websites based on their content, so no matter how much money you're paying for a fancy design, it won't matter if your copy is an afterthought and no one is visiting your site. It's worth investing both time and money in your copywriting game. Even better, work with your copywriter while the site is still being designed, rather than expecting them to just fill in the gaps afterwards. Don't let your website fall behind - put your focus on the content, and watch your rankings soar.

Lack of keywords

Picking the right keywords is crucial for search engine optimization. Sadly, many businesses tend to brush it off. If you're a big-shot company, you may not worry too much as people will flock to your site anyways. However, smaller companies must not ignore it as it could cost them dearly. Failing to optimize your site's content (not just the code) will result in a significant loss of customers. So, don't take it lightly!

Optimizing keywords that no-one is searching for

If your company thinks it's all about having excellent service, think again. Focusing on "great service" won't do you any good in the online search world because no one is searching for that specific phrase. In fact, it can work against you since search engines consider "service" a stop word and will lower your ranking.

Optimizing keywords that everyone is searching for

When you're trying to improve your website's search engine rankings, specificity is key. If you're selling jewelry, don't just optimize for the broad term 'jewelry'. Get more granular. Look for popular searches like 'antique jewelry' or 'beaded jewelry'. To get a sense of the competition, try entering these terms into a few search engines. If your rivals are all focusing on one term, it's best to steer clear of it if possible. But don't worry, there are plenty of alternatives that can still attract traffic to your site. Just make sure you do your research first.

Alternate spellings and endings

Mix up your sentences and lengths, use everyday language, slang, and expressions, avoid repeating words or sentence structures, and pay attention to the context of the message. When optimizing your content, think outside the box and get creative. Consider how others may spell or phrase things - for example, is it "jewelry" or "jewelry"? "Website" or "web site"? Don't feel like you have to cover all your bases, but do some research to see how often people are searching for certain keywords and in what context. By doing this, you'll be more likely to make the right choices for your content

Keyword density

So, basically, when it comes to using keywords in your writing, you want to make sure they're in the headings or subheads, and ideally, they should appear early on in the text. As a general guideline, you'll want to use each keyword two to five times throughout the page, but don't go overboard - three different keywords per page is the absolute max. Some people might suggest cramming in as many keywords as possible, even up to 5% of the text, but that's probably not a great idea. In fact, some search engines might even penalize you for going too heavy on the keywords.

Clumsy use of keywords

Watch out for making your writing sound weird by repeating your keywords too much.

For instance, if you want to find some amazing widgets, you won't have to look any further than right here! Our widgets are truly exceptional - better than any other widgets you've come across...

But if your writing sounds like that, people won't want to stick around to read it. Plus, search engines won't like it either since it's just jam-packed with keywords.

The amount of text

Different people have different views on the ideal length for a web page. Ideally, your homepage should not exceed 250 - 300 words, but for other pages, you can go beyond that limit without any trouble. To make your content easy to read, ensure that all pages have distinct headings, subheads, and short paragraphs. In fact, a page could be as brief as 100 words, but it should never be just one paragraph consisting of 30 -50 words if you want to optimize it properly.

Missing the extras

When it comes to SEO copywriting, using text links within your site and anchor text are super important. Text links that connect pages on your site can help search engine spiders easily navigate and index your entire site. So, it's always a good idea to include them whenever possible. Of course, if your site is really complex, you might need to restructure it hierarchically instead. By the way, "anchor text" is just the fancy term for the visible text in a hyperlink. For example, you might see a link that says "Click here" or "Learn more" - that's the anchor text!

Doorway pages that aren’t proper pages

Back in the day, doorway pages were just pages on your site that were super optimized, so much so that they were often the first thing visitors landed on. Nowadays though, when someone mentions "doorway page," they're usually talking about a page that has basically nothing to do with the site, but is optimized for a couple of specific keywords and sends people straight to the actual site. It's totally cool to optimize multiple pages on your site, and honestly it's a great idea because then you can target more keywords. Just make sure that each page is legit, has its own unique content, and is part of your sitemap.

Resting on your laurels

The biggest mistake most people make is not keeping their website optimized. A site that's optimized well should get you close to the top of the rankings. But don't get complacent, because you need to work on it consistently if you want to stay up there. The internet grows by about 7 million items every single day - that's a lot of competition! Your rivals will also be selecting keywords and optimizing their sites, so you need to keep up. To keep your rankings high, you can try getting relevant links or publishing original content like articles or newsletters - this will keep your copywriter busy.