Specialist Copywriter for Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)

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  T: 07813 062 231     E: oliver@seo-copywriter.co.uk
SEO Copywriting

Selection of brands that I have written online copy or consulted for:

Bertelsmann
Mazda Europe

Nokia
Norwich Union
NHS
NTL
Panasonic
Sainsbury's Bank
Thurrock Council
United Nations
Bucks County Council
Essex County Council
Department for Education
Fish4Jobs
Huhtamaki

 

SEO Copywriting

Page contents:

SEO Copywriting Introduction
Scope of Optimisation Work
Editorial Standards
Ethical SEO Policy
Rates

SEO Copywriting Introduction

Ensuring that the editorial content is optimised for target keywords is at the heart of every serious search engine optimisation project.

Regardless of how many inbound links there are - or how well coded the site is - without optimised editorial content it is almost impossible to get a page ranking high on the search engines.

As an independent SEO Copywriter, I work on the optimisation strategy along with my client's technical SEO advisors.

Once the strategy is agreed, I will produce the optimum amount of fresh content and update existing editorial where necessary.

I do not favour any particular search engine algorithm when writing optimised content.

Instead, I work on the basis that the best long term strategy is to keep the human end-user happy and deliver quality content that is also deliberately keyword rich and search engine friendly.

If a client needs assistance with the technical aspects of the optimisation project I will help in the selection of an experienced technical partner.

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Scope of Optimisation Work

As an SEO copywriter, I always aim to stick to the elements of the project that involve words: namely the selection and distribution of keywords into existing or freshly generated content.

In practical terms, that means I focus on the following elements of a web page:

  • The body copy: This is the most crucial editorial factor in terms of search engine optimisation. Search engines place huge emphasis on the main body of copy on a page containing the right keyword density and distribution. Incorporating target keywords strategically into the copy without compromising on editorial standards is an art as well as a science.

  • The page title: This refers to the contents of the html <title> tag which appears in the top of the browser frame. This is very important copy for two reasons. Firstly, the choice of words in the page title has a major bearing on search engine positioning. Secondly, this text is usually what the search engine results page uses as the link to the website, which means it will heavily influence a potential visitor's decision whether or not to click through.

  • Alternative (alt) text for images: This is the text that appears usually in a little yellow box when the cursor hovers over an image, and in place of the image if it fails to load. Not only is this vital from a web accessibility angle, it's also considered important by most search engines.

  • Meta description and keywords: While many people overemphasise the importance of the meta description and the list of meta tag keywords, they still have a significant role to play. It is essential that the keyword list is not overly repetitive and the description is both informative to the reader (as it often appears in the search results pages) and contains the right balance of keywords.

  • Press releases: The number and quality of in-bound links to your website is a key aspect of an optimisation project. Most search engines place great importance on how many websites link to you - and vitally, how reputable those websites are themselves. A highly effective method of encouraging quality in-bound links is by distributing press releases about your organisation's products, services, research and other activities of interest.

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Editorial Standards

First and foremost I write for people. As an NCTJ trained newspaper, magazine and online journalist/copywriter I have ten years' experience of writing compelling copy to brief.

Ethical SEO policy

I am 100% committed to ethical search engine optimisation.

I will never knowingly work with a technical agency that does not have a strong commitment to ethical SEO.

That means no cloaking, no link farms, no keyword spamming, no hidden text and so on.

Rates

My rates are flexible and will depend on project requirements and the budget. However, as a rough guide:

  • Sometimes I charge by the page (e.g. 250-300 words); anything upwards of £100.
  • If it's short chunks of copy that are needed (e.g. lots of product descriptions), I may charge by the hour; upwards of £20/hour.
  • Alternatively, we can arrange a mutually agreed fixed fee in line with a budget.

The best approach is to have a discussion about what you want to achieve. Please contact me to request a quotation.

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Copyright Oliver Lewis, 2005