SEO Copywriter vs. Content Writer: What's the Difference?
Are you investing in content but struggling to drive traffic to your website? Do you want compelling writing that converts readers into customers but aren't seeing results? The problem might be that you're working with a content writer instead of an SEO copywriter.
At Sapphire SEO Solutions, we offer a wide range of SEO services to help your business stand out in a crowded digital market. Whether you need to write SEO copy from scratch or optimize existing content to be more search engine-friendly, our experts have you covered.
Many business owners underestimate the power of SEO. That's why we've created this comprehensive guide to help you understand the key differences between content writing and SEO copywriting services.
Keep reading until the end, as this blog will show you why an SEO copywriter is essential for your business and how they can help propel it to new heights in the digital era.
Understanding SEO
Before we go over what content writing is and how it vastly differs from SEO copywriting, it's essential to know what SEO is.
Also referred to as search engine optimization, SEO is a digital marketing technique that helps search engines understand the content on your website. It allows Google and other search engines to connect users with your site by delivering valuable results based on the search queries.
How Can SEO Help Businesses?
SEO is a powerful way to drive organic traffic to your website without relying on paid advertisements. It signals to search engines that your site is authoritative and credible, helping it rank higher on search engine results pages (SERPs).
To help you learn more about our SEO services, we've created a variety of informative blog posts on our site. Some cover the basics of SEO and how it can elevate your business, while others provide interesting statistics that highlight the importance of this digital marketing strategy in today's world.
What Is Content Writing?
Content writing is a common service marketing agencies offer to provide websites with relevant information and engaging details. It involves planning, writing, and publishing various types of content, such as blog posts, educational articles, and product descriptions.
What Is the Goal of Content Writing?
The primary goal of content writing is to inform, educate, or persuade readers. Many businesses use it to build brand awareness, drive website traffic, generate leads, establish credibility, and improve search engine rankings. However, in reality, content alone is not enough.
Can Content without SEO Rank Higher?
Without SEO, the content you publish won't generate traffic or improve search engine rankings. Since keyword research isn't involved, Google and other search engines won't recognize or recommend your site to users searching for relevant information.
Many business owners unfamiliar with SEO end up spending thousands of dollars on content writing services. While outsourcing tasks is a great way to focus on what you're good at, investing in content that isn't optimized for search engines is a waste of money.
In a competitive digital landscape, failing to incorporate SEO makes it nearly impossible for your target audience to find you.
What Is SEO Copywriting?
Copywriting services are much different from content writing. While most people use these terms interchangeably, knowing the differences is essential, especially for business owners.
Unlike content writing, which focuses on informing, educating, and persuading readers, copywriting is about sales conversion and lead generation. It is a persuasive form of writing that convinces the user to buy a product or service.
What Does an SEO Copywriter Do?
When you hire a copywriter, they may update your existing web content or create new pages. While this may sound straightforward, a lot goes on behind the scenes. A professional copywriter focuses on key elements like crafting an engaging hook at the beginning and a compelling call-to-action (CTA) at the end.
In addition to that, there are many other types of services copywriters offer, such as curating the perfect email copy that converts or setting up social media advertisements.
What Goes into SEO Copywriting?
Now, here's the interesting part. SEO copywriting goes beyond simply creating content that converts visitors into paying customers. It incorporates search engine optimization strategies such as keyword research, competitor analysis, technical SEO, on-page optimization, performance monitoring, and more.
SEO and copywriting services go hand in hand. Effective search engine optimization techniques bring more traffic to your website, while high-quality copywriting can convert those readers into lifelong customers.
Six Key Differences Between Content Writing and SEO Copywriting Services
To help you distinguish between content writing and SEO copywriting services, here are the key differences between the two:
1. SEO Copywriting Adds More Value
Content writing focuses on providing helpful information to the readers. However, without SEO, it won't drive traffic to your site. Even if visitors arrive through word of mouth, they may not stay long enough to convert.
What does this mean?
Essentially, content writing alone doesn't add lasting value. It may include an occasional link to direct readers to other relevant pages but lacks the "stickiness" needed to keep them engaged and encourage conversions.
On the other hand, SEO copywriting services go beyond generating high-quality content. It uses various techniques to convince search engine algorithms that a particular site is authoritative, credible, and valuable for users. This drives organic traffic to the site, meaning Google and other search engines will send over people looking for that particular information.
In addition to that, SEO copywriting services are more engaging. They draw people in, provide value, and keep them engaged. This is a great way to create a community around your brand while highlighting the benefits of your products or services.
Another important thing to note is that since SEO copywriting adds value, more people are likely to share your content on social media platforms, bringing new traffic to your site.
2. SEO Copywriting Focuses on Search Intent
SEO is neither a one-time thing nor a secret recipe to success. Creating blog posts, articles, or other informative materials that drive traffic requires experience, skills, and knowledge of search engine algorithms.
Some marketing agencies that offer content writing services may exaggerate the expertise of their writers. They may use terms like "keyword research" and "competitor analysis" without actually understanding what they are.
Finding the right keywords is like searching for a needle in a haystack. It requires understanding keyword density and analyzing essential metrics before selecting the best keywords for your content to rank.
Keyword stuffing is a big no-no, as Google and other search engines penalize this tactic. Not only is it lazy, but it also signals poor-quality content.
With all that said, you may be wondering how SEO copywriting services differ. The answer lies in search intent. What is that, and how does it impact traffic to your site?
Users turn to Google and other search engines to seek information, learn about a product or service, or buy something. What they type into the search bar often has a search intent behind it. The algorithms help decide what the person is looking for and show them relevant, valuable search results.
An SEO copywriter strategically uses a variety of keywords based on search intent. These may include informational, navigational, commercial, or transactional keywords, each designed to target a specific audience.
Instead of keyword stuffing, an SEO copywriter develops an SEO content strategy that naturally integrates keywords while delivering valuable, well-structured content aligned with user intent. This approach drives more traffic, improves rankings, and eventually increases sales.
3. SEO Copywriting Uses Relevant Keywords
Most content writers don't do keyword research. Even if they did, they use generic or outdated keywords due to a lack of SEO expertise and knowledge. This approach is not only time-consuming but also a waste of resources, as you'll never get relevant traffic to your site this way.
On the other hand, SEO copywriters will take the time to think about your business and what terms your targeted audience may be searching for. It allows them to choose the right keywords during their research, ensuring they deliver the right message to the people who would make the most impact.
Content writers may also not have any idea about competitive keywords. These are search terms that your competitors are ranking for, and if they have a higher authority score, you may never receive traffic if you target those keywords.
An SEO copywriter knows what to look out for before curating content. They conduct a thorough competitor analysis to identify the best keywords for your website. This approach allows them to target relevant audiences with search terms that competitors may overlook, driving more organic traffic without directly competing with larger brands.
4. SEO Copywriting Services Focus on Relevant Link-building
Since a content writer doesn't have SEO knowledge and expertise, they may not know much about link-building. In most cases, they'll add as many links throughout the content, assuming this will improve rankings on SERPs. However, that's not how it works.
Google and other search engines look for relevant links when crawling through websites. An SEO copywriter focuses on high-quality content, ensuring that links add value. These links can drive traffic to other pages on your site or authoritative sources, providing readers with additional useful information.
5. SEO Copywriting Involves Creating New, Unique Content
Most content writers have a limited understanding of how search engines work. They often rewrite existing website content to create more positive assets, which can lead to duplication. While Google doesn't penalize duplicate content, it doesn't help with rankings either, as it fails to provide real value.
A skilled SEO copywriter understands the ranking factors search engines use to evaluate content. They focus on creating unique, high-quality assets rather than simply rewriting existing material.
Instead of reworking old blog posts and service pages, SEO copywriting services involve thorough research to identify engaging topics and present content in a fresh, compelling way.
Think of it this way: You wouldn't hire an investment advisor just to provide financial information that's readily available online. Instead, you'd want them to assess your risk appetite, understand your investment goals, and recommend strategies tailored to your needs.
An SEO copywriter works the same way. They take the time to understand your business, research your target audience, and create content that resonates with them, driving more traffic and increasing conversions.
6. An SEO Copywriter Doesn't Use Advertising Tactics
Content writers often use catchy headlines and insert generic keywords into titles. They may also capitalize words and apply other writing techniques commonly associated with advertising.
While some business owners may like how the blog post or service page turns out, it may not be as impactful as they think since the content is not tailored to their audience.
On the other hand, an SEO copywriter takes a different approach to generating positive assets. They will only capitalize sentences when absolutely necessary or plug in keywords if it's good for search engine optimization.
An SEO copywriter's main aim is to provide value. Instead of having an empty statement in the conclusion, they'll leave the reader with a final thought.
Are SEO Copywriting and SEO Content Writing Services the Same?
Now that you understand the key differences between an SEO copywriter and a content writer, what happens when both have expertise in search engine optimization? Will they produce the same type of content that ranks, or do their approaches still differ?
This is an interesting question, especially for business owners who want to climb higher in the SERPs. The answer lies in how the professional writes.
An SEO content writer will follow the best search engine optimization practices to curate content that informs, educates, and engages your target audience. They'll write blog posts, guides, and articles while using keywords naturally to improve search rankings. However, the content they produce may not always be compelling enough to drive sales.
Selling a product or service is an art. While persuading someone in person is often easier, writing in a way that boosts sales is far more complex. It requires specific skills and expertise that a content writer may not possess.
An SEO copywriter specializes in creating content that converts. Remember how we discussed keywords being informational, navigational, commercial, and transactional? SEO copywriting focuses on using search terms that attract the right audience to your site.
If you want to sell a specific product, an SEO copywriter can use transactional keywords to attract potential buyers to your website. Through persuasive writing, they address any concerns visitors may have and encourage them to make a purchase.
Is It Better to Hire an SEO Copywriter or an SEO Content Writer?
While both an SEO copywriter and an SEO content writer understand search engine optimization, their writing styles serve different purposes. One focuses on persuading readers to buy a product or service, while the other aims to inform and educate.
Both types of writers are important to your business. While transactional content is essential for driving sales, building a strong brand identity and establishing authority are equally important. Writing informational blog posts and articles helps achieve that.
Elevate Your Business and Attract More Visitors with SEO Writing!
Not all businesses, especially small and medium-sized enterprises, have the financial resources to hire both content writers and copywriters.
Fortunately, Sapphire SEO Solutions is a trusted SEO agency with an experienced team of writers, editors, and SEO experts dedicated to creating high-quality content that builds authority and converts visitors into paying customers.
Since 2007, we've been helping small and medium-sized businesses by providing expert content writing and affordable search engine optimization solutions.
In fact, we are one of the few SEO agencies with SEO-certified writers, ensuring exceptional results for every project. Hard to believe? Check out our case study on how we helped a client achieve a top-10 ranking in just four days!
If you're looking for content or copywriting services, the easiest way to get started is by ordering directly through our online dashboard! You can also call us at 216-600-8091 or fill out our contact form to speak with an SEO expert. Don't forget to request a free SEO audit, which can help identify why your content isn't ranking higher!