Hi! This is the no BS addition of SEO copywriting Checklist. Unlike many other content pieces out there this one does not have 10 lines on what is SEO copywriting and another 2-3 paragraphs just talking about everything other than what you are looking for.
So let’s cut to the chase!
SEO copywriting checklist to ace SEO copies in 2024
Along with the checklist, here is a checklist template as well that you can copy paste and utilize to ensure all your SEO copies are to the point.
Have you taken care of user intent?
When it comes to SEO copywriting the most important aspect to keep in mind is that ‘what is my probable customer looking for.’
Once you crack that in your SEO copy, there is no one who can stop your content from ranking, and even Google would support you in rankings. We, the ZeroAdo Crew have helped several of our clients in ranking on top by using this particular tactic.
[Source – PropertyCloud]
You see how in the above snapshot, ZeroAdo’s long term client PropertyCloud’s blog on benefits of money plant is ranking on top. A lot of it is because of following the user intent while curating the meta title and the heading structure of the blog.
The heading clearly includes the words the user is looking for and then the subheadings, which are featured as a snippet, are also understanding and catering to customer intent, thus, the blog is on number one on Google!
Are keywords included?
Umm! This is a tricky one. Keywords seem so technical and not so ‘user friendly’ in terms of reading. Yet, you have to add them to your SEO cop[ies, because that is what will make them rank.
Along with your main keyword, make sure all the copies within your content also have some secondary keywords which are catering to the same intent your primary keyword is.
This is one of the star points of your SEO copywriting checklist because you can cater to your customer intent only if you have added keywords that they are searching for and also you can give direction to your content only if you add these keywords.
So check it twice, thrice if needed, if you have added primary and secondary keywords in all your headings.
Not to brag, but ZeroAdo Crew too is nailing SEO copywriting quite nicely. Within 3 weeks of publishing an article, it is ranking in top 20 for competitive keywords as visible in the above screenshot.
Of course, alot of it has to do with the overall blog content but we cannot deny that it is also how the blog has been structured and how primary and secondary keywords have been placed within the meta title as well as other sub-headings.
[Source – ZeroAdo]
The main keyword, “SEO companies in Mumbai” has been strategically and organically placed in Meta Title – Best SEO Companies & Agencies in Mumbai in 2024.
Here as well, go through all the headings and you will realize how secondary keywords have been placed within the sub-headings yet they do not feel forced.
Now that you know the importance of keywords, make sure your SEO copies are inclusive of them.
Is it crisp?
You know hy reels are working fantastically on Instagram? Because people have low concentrating powers now, and they want to watch or read things that give them instant value be it in terms of information or entertainment. They do not want to read 1000 words for something that can be conveyed in 100.
So make sure your copies are as crisp as potato chips!
Zoom, the online video conferencing app, makes for the perfect example of a crisp copy. The main heading is giving all the information one can ask for and well it is interesting too. And if further information is needed then there is an explained copy right below it but still not too in-depth, just as much is needed to give a crux.
Have you used appropriate heading tags throughout your copies?
First, let’s know why heading tags are important.
- They give a structure to your blog and tell which is the main heading and which is subheading.
- They give direction to the reader and improve readability.
- They tell the bots on search engines which is the most important heading and the least important one as well. For instance, H1 or title are the most important ones while H6 is the least important one.
When the search engine knows that H1 is the most important heading, it also gives it the weightage and whatever is written in it according to that. Adding a keyword in your title will be more beneficial than adding it in your subheading. And adding in both is even better as the search engine gets to know that the intent that title is conveying is being followed within the content as well.
Also, just imagine what it would have been like reading this blog if all the copies were not given a heading tag appropriately. Well, now you must know why this point should be a part of your SEO copywriting checklist.
This table of contents is the perfect example of how Google is viewing your content based on your heading tags and structure. Your heading structure and copies should be explanatory enough to be understood even if you do not know the content heading.
Currently that is not happening in this piece of content. The ambiguity is there what the content is about, and if you and I are having that ambiguity, then Google is too.
Here is what applying right heading tags could do for your SEO copies and that is how the search engines will view it as well.
Hope this is explanatory enough to know why heading tags are important for your SEO copies.
Is it catchy yet SEO optimized?
“The World’s Largest Platform for Small Businesses”
“Bringing You Closer to the People and Things You Love”
The former is the tagline copy of GoDaddy, a website that sells domain names and hosting services, and the latter is of Instagram.
The common thing about both is that they are catchy! They will catch your eye because of the following reasons.
- They have been written to describe exactly what they are doing and what the brand’s vision is.
- Both of them are inducing emotion.
- Lastly, they are good to read altogether since they are precise and only the right words have been used within them.
Among all the above search results, which one would you want to read?
My choice would be the one from Brilliant Oral care, Toorak Village Podiatry, and True Motion.
You might ask why, especially since The New York Times have made their copy as well very catchy.
Simple answer – because it is not catering to my search intent. The other three options I chose are giving me answers to my query, while also being simple and catchy. That’s the difference between a web copy and SEO copy.
What Instagram and GoDaddy have done with their copies is brilliant, but it is not SEO oriented. Feel free to use them as inspiration but when it comes to the checklist for SEO copywriting make it a point to add ‘SEO optimized’ right next to making your copy catchy!
Easily understandable?
In 5 years of my experience, the biggest issue I have faced in copywriting is making people understand that the easier your copy is the better it will be.
Take it with a pinch of salt because it is not the widely accepted opinion especially for newbies and creativity driven copy writers. But let’s be real, creativity is not going to make your content copy rank.
We love adding fancy big words and even jargons to make our copies more creative while what we should be doing instead is adding keywords and following user intent. Also, we should be making them so easy to understand that even a 12 years old child can comprehend them.
Checkout the snapshots below of SEO copywriting examples, and then think, which one do I like better?
[Source – HDFC Bank]
You would be lying if you told me that you liked reading the former better. I can assure that to most of you it must not have even made sense. Well, that is exactly what happens to your readers when you create fancy copies.
The first copy is from the HDFC Bank’s blog on waste management that has captured the Indian market by providing content on even the smallest queries people might have related to loans, home buying, and sustainable home development. The copy is as you can see is easily understandable.
The latter is the copy by me, which I spend 10 minutes pondering over to make it as fancy as possible and to give you a glimpse into why your SEO copywriting checklist must have ease of understanding as a point.
Does it have a power word?
Best – Largest – Smartest – Fastest – Sturdy – Strong – Powerful
What do all these words have in common? They are all power words!
They make an impact whenever they are added to a copy and they make you want to read further. That is exactly what we want for our SEO copies so go ahead, add a power word and make your SEO copy ‘impactful!’
Checkout the snapshot of search results in the above image, and think about which is the content piece you would want to read based on the SEO copy.
Copies with words like ‘boost’, ‘realistic ways’, and ‘get more done in less time’ are the big, bold, powerful words in this context and I am certain that those are the ones you must have chosen as well.
That’s the effect the power words have, they always make your copy shine.
Is it providing a solution to the pain point?
One thing that many do not understand when it comes to SEO copywriting is that whatever they are writing, is to solve a user’s problem. A copy is not going to ‘attract’ a reader, that is the job of the visuals. A copy is supposed to solve the problem of the reader.
Copy should add value to the reader with or without visuals, and thus, it must provide a solution to them. Otherwise, would exactly they be going to buy your product or services for?
Considering the query that I put in Google, which one do you think is the most appropriate SEO meta title copy? I am certain it’s going to be ZeroAdo. Why? Because it is providing a solution to exactly the problem the user is looking for.
The content within other content pieces might be relevant but their SEO copy is not. Just an FYI, because our SEO meta title copy was directly providing an answer to the user’s query, it also ranked in Google on number 7 within 36 hours of publishing.
That is why make it a point in your SEO copywriting checklist to provide value to the reader and directly provide answers to the question they are looking for.
Here is another example, where the snippent from one of the blogs is ranking. If you see all the pointers that are there in the snippet, you will realize that each one is individually providing a solution to the search query.
Is it stimulating?
A good copy is the one that leaves you feeling something and a better copy is the one that does that and it also ranks along with that!
Your copy must induce emotions. It can be an emotion of rush to buy a product, or an emotion of doing better, or something that makes one feel inspired and wanting to buy your product. So make sure your copy is doing that along with following other aspects of the SEO copywriting checklist.
The title SEO copy in the above image is triggering curiosity as it is saying ‘facts you didn’t know about.’ Now who wouldn’t want to know something they are unaware about which possibly has the potential to entertain them.
[Source – The New York Times]
The New York Times is my favorite publication when it comes to SEO copywriting. Every copy they write in the meta title has an effect on me and it makes me wanna read it. So as you can see here as well, I am certain you must have been intrigued as well because who wouldn’t want to know if their brain needs a break or not.
Does it have any jargons?
This one we have also discussed earlier under the ease of understanding but why this makes up for another point is because something that might be easy to understand from your perspective might not be for your users.
For you it might be a regular industry term while for someone else it might not hold any meaning. Unless your keywords have jargons you should not have them in your copy either.
Consider this, how would you feel if I start throwing terms around from SEO biz in this content? Won’t be as good of an experience would it? So don’t put your readers through that either.
Is the tone appropriate to user intent?
This is an important one! Not gonna lie, something that I truly struggle with in communication is that my tone always differs from my intent and unsurprisingly, I often get misunderstood. But people around me are not the ones to be blamed, only I am.
Similarly, if your copy is understanding the user intent but the tone isn’t right, then it isn’t gonna be an as smooth ride as you would have hoped for. If you are struggling to get things right yourself then there are plenty of SEO copywriting tools out there to help you with the same.
[Source – CoSchedule Headline Studio]
CoSchedule’s Headline Analyzer is one of the SEO tools that you can use to analyze your copies both on the basis of user experience and also SEO.
Once you have analyzed your headline, you can then use generative AI tools like ChatGPT to change or update the tone of your SEO copies to align them with your user’s intent.
Would you as a user be convinced with it?
Easy one! Read your copy 10 times and think would you buy the product or service if you had to just on the basis of this copy?
If your answer is no, keep working to make it better and if your answer is yes then verify if it has the other points of SEO copywriting checklist and go ahead.
Your SEO copy alone should be powerful enough to convince the reader to buy what you are offering.
Is there a CTA?
Finally, one of the most important points that every SEO copywriting checklist must have.
DOES YOUR COPY HAS A CTA?
This one is explanatory enough, if your top-tier copy is not followed by an equally bombastic CTA then what was all that effort even for!
“Yes I want crazy growth”
Who would deny that CTA? So get creative with your call to action as once your SEO copy is done doing its job, everything comes down to the kind of CTA you are using.
Here is another example from Nike of how your CTA should be related to the SEO copy to make users act on it.
Make the cuts!
Last but not least, make the cuts! Go through your entire copy and remove anything and everything that is not adding value to your audience.
Prepare it with substance. Keep it easy, following, and remove anything that feels out of place.
Copywriting checklist for SEO that will help you rank as well as get clicks!
I promised you earlier, that we’ll keep it quick and I did. Here are all the things your SEO copywriting checklist must have. The moment you have checked every single box, your copy is ready to go live!
Keep copywriting and nailing SEO!
