SEO Content Writing: The Path Of Optimization

Think about the last time you went to Google and typed in a prompt. If you’ve searched something like “How to Calculate RPE,” “Seltzer vs Sparkling Water,” “Enneagram 3 at Work,” “Wedding Events List,” or thousands of other searches, you’ve read something optimized, and—like the examples above—perhaps it was written by us. Optimized content, at least at Zettist, is a marriage of content marketing and optimization. Or, SEO Content Marketing. It puts the end user first and prioritizes research, writing, and what you—the user—are looking for.

What Is SEO Content Writing? 

SEO content writing is about creating high-quality, informative content optimized for search engines. This means that, in addition to being well-written and engaging, the content must include specific keywords and phrases that people use when searching for your business. As business owners, we are often so educated in our niche that we can forget what and how our customers search. For instance, a flavor development business might know terms like spray-dried and plated flavors, but someone hoping to create a drink likely doesn’t have that knowledge. Sharing from the very beginning of your potential client’s search, something as simple as “What is a spray-dried flavor?” gives you, a flavor manufacturer in this example, the chance to share that knowledge with a potential client who will now look at you as an expert—if the content is high-quality, well written, and steeped in research. 

 
SEO Content Writing vs Written Content

Writing has taken an interesting turn in 2023. Before, there were people either in a camp of, “We don’t write for search engines. We write for people” vs. “we optimize for search engines first,” now there is the camp that says, “Hey, AI can write, so we can just have it spit something out.” (AI isn’t even trustworthy, but that’s for another day.) 

Our ethos has always been a mix of the first two: people first, then optimized. We are taking traditional optimization and turning it on its head. 

Regular written content can be informative but may not include the specific keywords and phrases people use to find products or services online. While it may help to build brand awareness, it may not be as effective at driving traffic to a website and ultimately generating leads and sales.

On the other hand, SEO content writing is specifically created to target specific keywords and phrases that will help a website rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs). SEO content aims to drive more organic traffic to a website by appearing higher in search engine results for relevant keywords and phrases. This means that SEO content is designed to be highly targeted, with a specific audience in mind. The problem is, it’s usually pretty drab and not engaging to the actual reader.

By combining the two, we put the user first to discover what information will be most helpful and relevant to their needs and then optimize it for search where it makes sense.

Optimized Copywriting

Your optimization shouldn’t end on your blogs. Talented teams can take your strategy to all your copy, from your web pages to social media to every facet of your digital footprint. By knowing your audience’s most used search terms and using them in creative and compelling ways, you can get even more out of your content on every single page. 

How Can Optimized Content Impact Revenue? 

A well-planned and executed content marketing strategy that includes SEO-optimized content and copy can drive more traffic to a website, generate more leads, and ultimately increase revenue. It’s like a treasure hunt where you have to find the right combination of keywords, audience, and tone of voice to reach the final goal of more sales. In November of 2023, we helped generate $400k of business for an event client by building out a people-first content cluster over the course of the year. Those numbers should continue to grow as we build out that strategy, leads work their way through the funnel, and ultimately, the in-house sales team works with their client. 

Optimized content writing is powerful. It takes a lot of work, speaking to experts, diving into trusted research, and ensuring that the content goes deeper into a topic than any other piece we’ve seen. Our team is equipped with several years of experience marrying SEO and content marketing and is a leading San Diego SEO company. If you are looking for a lasting partnership, please get in touch with us to see how we can help.