Is Your Website Copy SEO-Friendly?

I’ve you’ve ever heard the phrase “SEO” and wondered what it meant or if it applied to you, you’re not alone! SEO is a very broad subject but its goal is very simple. Show up on web searches. While SEO often makes people think of Google, the fact is that there are a variety of ways that users perform searches and it’s not always Google. However, when it comes to your website, optimizing your copy to rank well on Google is in your best interest as soon as possible. Let’s look at a few essential ways that you should be supporting your SEO rankings with website copy. 

First things first, what is SEO?

SEO stands for “Search Engine Optimization.” Essentially, it means that content is optimized to show search engines that it is valuable and relevant, which increases the likelihood that it will rank higher in search results. This means that if you search “best cookies in Lexington” bakeries and cookie shops with the best SEO will be among the top search results that you receive from that query. Ranking well in the search categories that pertain to you and your business is crucial for driving customers to your website, products, and services. 

Website Copy and SEO

There are several things you can do with your website copy to help boost search engine rankings. Here are three of my favorite suggestions:

1. Use location and service-based keywords

   
   

See if you can spot the difference between “Our cookies transport you back in time with nostalgic flavors like brown butter and rich chocolate.” and “Our Lexington-based bakery specializes in classic cookies that transport you back in time with nostalgic flavors like brown butter and rich chocolate.” Both are creative and evoke an emotion or memory, but only one lets Google know what and where you are. See how this makes it easier for your target audience to find you, and your delicious cookies?

2. Pay attention to formatting

   
   

Big chunks of copy on your web pages are not only less enjoyable to read for people, but they also make it more difficult for Google to identify it as relevant and valuable and therefore less likely to rank it. Breaking things up with subheadings, bullet points, and concise headlines improves your rankability and user experience for those browsing the website.

3. Use original content

   
   

While there are some cases where copied information (like direct quotes) applies to a webpage, it’s typically best practice to keep all webpage content original. Even if you’re repurposing existing content for a different reason, your SEO will benefit from you making some small tweaks and changes to keep things updated and fresh. 

In the age of AI, it may be tempting to copy and paste the results of a great prompt directly onto your website but you’re only hurting yourself in the long run. Generative AI is known for pulling bits and pieces of existing content to form responses and, ethical opinions aside, this could mean bad things for your SEO if you unknowingly copy and paste pieces of someone else’s existing content onto your page. AI is great for idea generation, but the written words on your website should be original to boost their chances of ranking well.

4. Update regularly

   
   

Websites that rank well are not stagnant! Consider adding a blog to ensure you have new content to feed to the Google machine. If a blog isn’t right for you, make sure to update your service pages regularly, and add new content as often as possible. 

My challenge to you this week is to set aside some time to review your website and its copy. Try and see if you can identify any location or service-based keywords that you could add or improve on. Look for bulky chunks of text, unclear information, or repeat content.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed and want a second set of eyes we'd be happy to take a look! Reach out to discuss a copy audit and we’ll go from there.