How to Write Copy that Generates Results [Semrush Research]

With content writing, you want to find creative ways to inform and entertain your audience. But you also want to ensure your post is SEO-friendly, that readers will engage with it and that your content drives conversions. Learn from the leading content marketing bloggers and create better content that generates traffic and converts.

Settle on a Readability Level

17% of the lowest scoring blogs had low readability

13% of low-scoring blogs had too high readability, because the text seemed too easy
Do audience research
Create a reader persona for your readers by collecting data on things like their demographics, psychographics, pain points, and goals

Avoid Giant Paragraphs and Long Sentences

Keep your sentences and paragraphs shorter

Opt for shorter words rather than long ones
Be mindful of how your article looks visually on the page
41% of the lowest-scoring posts featured overly complex words
The average length of these words is 14 characters.

Finish on the right note

Remind the reader of their vision and tell them they can achieve their goals if they walk through your steps.

Encourage your reader to comment on the article by asking relevant questions. End on an uplifting note about the future.

Write (and Design) to Convert Leads

Optimize your content for conversion by focusing on three elements: Your target audience, your ability to write persuasively, and your call to action (CTA).

Find the CTA
Understand the value they will get in exchange for taking the action
Take the desired action (e.g., by making sure the form is easy to fill out)

Write an Optimized Headline

Make sure your target keyword is included in it

You also want to make your title actionable
Tell readers what insights they’ll take away from your blog
Challenge yourself to list five, six, or more headlines and decide on the best one

Grab Readers’ Attention

Don’t over-exaggerate; don’t use hyperboles or exclamation marks

Grab people’s attention by using clear and concise language
Detailing the additional value the reader gets when opening your post can also help you get more attention

Cover the Topic In-Depth (but Stay Relevant)

The length of your content should align with your goals, audience, and industry standards

What really matters is your ability to understand your buyer and reader personas
Long-read articles tend to get 4x the traffic and 1.5x the shares than average length articles
To make sure you are truly covering the topic in-depth, research your organic rivals

Methodology

Semrush analyzed a year’s worth of data from the SEO Writing Assistant tool between June 2020 and June 2021

The content we studied was written in English, and everything we looked at had a minimum text length of 200 words
SEO, Readability, Tone of Voice, and Originality
Each pillar gets a score out of 10 – and the closer the overall score is to 10 the more optimized it is

Always Put the Reader First

Write as if you are writing for one person – what are their aims and challenges? How can your blog posts help improve their lives?

Step into the shoes of the reader and think about the questions they might have, then, write like you are having a conversation with them. This helps your writing become more human.

Ensure You Use a Correct Keyword Strategy

Clearly define your content goals and communicate them to the writer and editor in a detailed article brief

The brief should include important keywords, a short article outline, the word count, links and the target audience
A brief puts everyone on the same page
Optimizing your keyword strategy is just one of the steps you need to take to position your content for success

Keep Your Tone of Voice Consistent

Tone of voice is all about how you communicate with clients and readers via your blog and content

It determines how your brand is perceived
Your brand can develop its own tone of voice to set itself apart
How you write should also depend on who the audience is and your aim for content

Add Relevant Links to Create a Better Experience

Internal links help users discover more great content on your website and help search engine bots to index your site.

Using links that point back to solid research encourages the readers to see you as a more authoritative source – thus building trust with your audience.

Stay Focused

Be clear in terms of what you are trying to say

Assign a word count to each section or idea you’ll work on
Write a brief description of your content’s purpose
Create a list or mindmap
Cut anything that’s irrelevant to your main idea
Decide whether your content will deliver on its promise before writing

Hook Your Readers Right Away

Begin with a story

Include something that will resonate with the reader by speaking directly about their situation, problem, or objective
Ask a question they can’t say no to
Use a counterintuitive idea
Share a statistic
Be sure to include your primary keyword

Include Visuals to Boost Engagement

57% of low-ranking posts don’t include enough images

Create your own video, graphics, and infographics
They can be used on social media to engage with readers and clients there, which can help further build your brand identity

Focus on Telling a Story

Using descriptive language in your piece is an excellent way to bring the audience into your narrative

Another way to push along your narrative is through sharing a strong opinion
This can feel risky for a lot of brands, but it’s effective for the programs that do it

Tools to Help You Master Copywriting

Topic Research Tool: Analyzes your competition’s content and provides you with content ideas for your topic/topic cluster

SEO Content Template: Provides recommendations on how to write SEO-friendly pieces
Read, read, read – and read some more: The more different writing you read, the closer you’ll come to developing an original voice and style of story-telling for your brand

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