Photo credit: Flickr: SEOPlanter, http://www.flickr.com/photos/seoplanter/7460434194/

You may already have a blog set up for your business’s website, but do you know how to prepare it so that it best reaches possible customers? It is a fact that creating informational content that will interest the audience for your product is important, but just as important is making sure this content will show up as relevant in a search engine to bring in new consumers. That’s where Search Engine Optimization, or SEO, copywriting comes into play. Before you write the copy for your next blog post or article, take a look at the SEO tips that will optimize your posts so they rank higher in search engine results:

• Keyword Usage

Make sure you have a set keyword, no more than a couple words, that you base your blog post around and use this keyword repeatedly throughout it. Your keyword should show up in the document at least three times: it needs to be used in the headline, preferably near the beginning and at least once in first paragraph, as well as at least twice in the body of the post.

• Links

Linking is always important, especially when writing a blog post with SEO copywriting in mind. It is good to link to other sites, but some links can be internal and bring the reader back to other content your site. You need to include at least two to three links in your blog post or article.

• Images

Use at least one image for your post and make sure you give the creator proper credit. A caption is a nice finishing touch and it is recommended you insert one. Not only will adding images to your article contribute to SEO but it will also add to the visual appeal for those reading your copy.

• Length

The actual length of your document is something to pay attention to. Write your document so that it is between 300 and 500 words, meeting minumum recommended SEO guidelines, and short enough for your audience to digest quickly.

• Consistency

Consistency is key. Your post should not be random, floating by itself in cyber space. Think of your post as one part of a set. Your posts should be scheduled to go live on the same days and times each week. This makes it easier for search engines to find them. The articles should be about topics related to your business in some way. This also makes linking internally to other posts easier.

• The Finishing Touches

When you go to publish your post, don’t forget to add tags, one of them being your keyword, fill in a description, and add a title. Don’t forget to use your blog’s SEO features to add relevant tags, one of them being your keyword, fill in a description, and add a title.

• A Grading System

SEO copywriting software designed to double check your content to make sure it is optimized as much as possible, is a great tool to invest in. We recommend Scribe SEO’s service which you can subscribe to for as little as $17 per month. It will grade your content for SEO effectiveness on a scale of 1 to 100 and provides a report on how you can improve the post to receive a higher score.

There is a lot to keep in mind when it comes to SEO copywriting but it is an integral part of keeping your website’s content relevant. What other advice have you heard?