SEO Copywriting Checklist for B2B Startups
SEO copywriting is a crucial aspect of digital marketing, especially for B2B startups. It lies at the intersection of art and science: writing website content that is both engaging for the reader, and optimized for search engine crawlers like Googlebot. The goal is to improve the website’s ranking on search engine results pages (SERPs) and attract more organic traffic. Following a tried-and-true SEO copywriting checklist can speed up your optimization efforts and increase the ROI of your content marketing strategy.
In today’s competitive online landscape, it is essential for B2B startups to prioritize SEO in their marketing strategy. By leveraging certain on-page SEO copywriting tools like SEMrush, Surfer, Google Keyword Planner, and Ahrefs, marketers can elevate their most important pages on key SERPs. By appearing at the top of search engine results for relevant keywords, B2B startups can establish their authority in the industry, improve website engagement, and generate leads from their target audience.
However, with limited resources, many B2B startups may be wondering how to apply modern SEO copywriting techniques effectively. This comprehensive small business SEO checklist will walk you through the proper steps and best practices to help you improve your website’s search engine ranking, on a budget.
Why is SEO important for B2B startups?
The internet has become a primary source of information for businesses, and most people who are actively looking for a solution to their particular problem will likely start with a Google search for potential products and services. As a result, appearing at the top of SERPs for keywords that describe your unique value is vital for attracting new customers and building out an efficient inbound marketing funnel to nurture those users, and ultimately convert them to paying customers.
In addition to attracting new customers wherever they are in their buying journey, SEO web copywriting can help B2B startups establish their authority in their industry. By creating high-quality, informative content that is optimized for search engines, B2B startups can demonstrate their expertise and knowledge in their field.
SEO also plays a crucial role in improving website engagement. When visitors find your website via organic search, they are more likely to spend more time on your site and interact with your content because the intent of that search is usually higher than if you used an outbound marketing advertisement to gain traffic, for example. This can lead to increased conversions and sales, and improve the overall user experience if you make sure to optimize each page around a specific keyword profile relevant to the searcher’s intent.
Examples of Good SEO Copywriting
Good SEO website copywriting strikes a balance between being informative and engaging for the reader, while also including keywords and phrases that will help the website rank higher in search engine results.
For example, a B2B startup in the technology sector might write an article on the latest developments in AI, including long-tail keywords such as “modern artificial intelligence” and “machine learning trends for startups”. By creating these thought-leadership type pieces, they can attract new customers in organic SERPs and build brand recognition.
SEO copywriting for technology companies is one of the most important marketing operations a startup can engage in, but simply creating the content is not enough to grow organic visibility and traffic. Applying the following SEO copywriting tips will help your startup get a better ROI on your writing investment.
SEO Copywriting 101 eBook
Writing web copy is easy. Writing optimized copy based on the rapidly changing best practices of SEO requires an in-depth understanding of keyword research, content strategy and technical optimizations, among a host of other modern techniques.
Learn how to rank on page #1 with this curated list of 20 tips for practical SEO copywriting.
SEO Copywriting Checklist: 20 Practical SEO Copywriting Tips
If you aren’t interested in downloading the SEO copywriting 101 eBook with full details on the 20 practical SEO copywriting tips, read on for a summarized version. Make sure to implement these techniques throughout your existing page content, as well as with new content creation efforts. Let’s get into it!
1. Identify the Quality Content to Write About (or optimize, if it’s already on your site)
The first step in a successful SEO copywriting campaign is identifying the right content for your target audience. This means taking the time to understand your target market, their pain points, and what type of content will resonate with them.
When you understand your audience, you can create content for each level of the sales funnel that speaks directly to their needs and provides value to them at the right time. This will help your target audience connect with your brand and increase the chances of them converting.
2. User Intent and Keywords
The next step in our SEO content creation checklist is to strategize the purpose of your content and try to match that to how your new users will interact with it. You’ll need to determine what the substance of your content is, and create a relationship between the user intent and keyword research.
Understanding user intent is key to creating successful SEO copy. When you identify what people are searching for and what information they need, you can create content that addresses their needs and provides value. To do this, you need to conduct keyword research and identify the keywords that your target audience is using when they search for that information. This will help you create content that is optimized for search engines and reaches users in your ideal personas that actually want to read your copy because they’re actively looking for answers.
3. Research Keywords Based on Intent and Marketing Funnel
In addition to understanding user intent, it’s also important to understand where your target audience is in the marketing funnel. Are they at the top of the funnel, just starting to research a topic, or are they at the bottom of the funnel, ready to make a purchase?
Researching search terms in your industry, the ones you already rank for, and those your competitors are targeting will help you create an effective keyword mapping strategy that will enable you to determine the right keyword profiles to use in your content.
Top of Funnel (ToF)
For example, if your audience is looking to learn more about a broad topic, you may want to create a long-form blog post to rank for a higher volume search term like “Modern Marketing Strategies”.
Middle of Funnel (MoF)
If users are already familiar with the topic and are in the consideration phase of the marketing funnel, you should create or optimize an industry or use case page around keywords that match the intent of the searcher, such as “SEO copywriting techniques for on-page optimization”.
Bottom of Funnel (BoF)
Finally, if potential customers are in the bottom of the funnel and are actively looking to convert, you’d likely want to optimize a landing page with a call to action for gated assets like case studies. For example, the asset could focus on the technical details of your product and how it supported a previous customer, using long-tail keywords such as “digital marketing case study for tech startups”.
4. Determine Seed Keyword
Now that you’ve gotten more familiar with the intent of your page and potential keywords users might search for, the next step in the search engine optimization process is to determine the seed keyword for your content. This is the primary keyword that you will use to optimize your content for search engines.
When determining your target keyword, be sure to consider both user intent and your target audience’s place in the funnel. However, for a small business, you might want to start with lower search volume keywords that are easier to rank for, and ladder your way up as you build more domain authority from your site-wide optimizations.
5. Determine Supporting Keywords
Once you have determined your seed keyword, it’s time to gather your supporting keywords. Supporting keywords are related keywords that will help you further optimize your content for search engines. This content should be related to your seed keyword and help provide additional context and information for your readers. For example, like this blog post, if your seed keyword is “SEO copywriting checklist” you should include keywords to support the same theme such as “checklist for effective copywriting”.
6. Optimize Page Title
The page title is one of the most important optimizations to make when working through your SEO content strategy. The page title should provide a clear and concise description of what your content is about. The page title should be between 40-65 characters and include your seed keyword (ideally closer to the front of the title) to help improve your search engine rankings.
7. Optimize Meta Description
The meta description is another important element of the on-page SEO checklist. The meta description provides a brief summary of your content, similar to the page title but a bit more descriptive. It should be between 140-160 characters and include your seed keyword and a supporting keyword if possible to help increase the relevance with your content for a better chance to rank on SERPs.
8. Optimize H1 (Header 1)
The H1 tag is the main header on your page and is extremely important to optimize. Similar to the meta title and description, the H1 tag should include your seed keyword and provide an overarching summary of the page content. This will help both users and search engine crawlers understand what your page is about, thus boosting your user experience and chances of ranking organically.
For example, the H1 for this blog is “SEO Copywriting Checklist for B2B Startups”. This H1 includes the seed keyword for this blog post at the beginning of the header, as well as a descriptive phrase to narrow who the blog is intended for.
9. Optimize H2 and Beyond
In addition to optimizing your H1 tag, it’s also important to ensure your content optimization strategy includes H2s, H3s and other headers. These headers should provide additional information based on what different topics and questions your audience may be looking for, setup in a cascading, outline type-structure (e.g. try not to jump from an <H2> to an <H4>). Be sure to use supporting keywords in your H2 and other headers where possible as a best-practice.
10. Insert Internal Links
One of the key SEO copywriting best practices is ensuring that internal links are used to connect related pages within your website. By doing so, you can provide users with a clear navigation path, help search engines understand the structure of your site, and boost your overall authority. Make sure to use descriptive and relevant anchor text that accurately describes the linked page.
For example, if we were to link to our ultimate guide to SEO copywriting eBook in this section about internal links, potential customers would be able to read in further depth about the best-practices of SEO as it relates to content creation and on-page optimization, while improving the page rank of the landing page we’re linking to.
11. Insert External Links With High Domain Authority
Incorporating external links to reputable sources can be a great way to improve your credibility and boost your search engine rankings. By linking to high-authority sources, you can show search engines that your site is trustworthy and relevant. It’s important to use anchor text that accurately describes the linked content, and to avoid over-linking or using irrelevant sources.
12. Optimize Images
Image optimization plays an important role in the success of your website, and can greatly impact your SEO performance. Make sure to use descriptive, keyword-rich file names, and to use alternative text (alt text) to describe each image. This will help search engines understand the context and meaning of your images, and will also provide a better user experience for visually-impaired visitors.
An example of alt text is also within this blog. The image above has the alt text “A visual diagram indicating some key elements within the best SEO Copywriting Checklist for B2B startups”, which not only does this alternative text include the seed keyword, but it also provides users with visual impairments to understand the content we’re placing on our page.
13. Avoid Keyword Stuffing
Keyword stuffing, or the practice of over-using keywords in your content, can be a major red flag for search engines. This spammy technique can result in penalties or even a complete ban from search engine results. Instead, focus on creating high-quality, user-friendly content that uses keywords naturally and in moderation. Learn about the best ways to avoid keyword stuffing.
14. Avoid Keyword Cannibalization
Keyword cannibalization occurs when multiple pages on your site target the same keyword, competing against each other for search engine rankings. This can lead to confusion for both users and search engines, and can result in lower rankings for both pages. To avoid keyword cannibalization, conduct thorough keyword research and develop a strategy for assigning unique keywords to each page.
15. Considering Voice Search
As the popularity of voice-activated search continues to grow, it’s important to consider how your website content can be optimized for virtual assistants such as Siri and Alexa. To focus on voice search optimization be sure to include long-tail keywords, natural language, and clear answers to potential voice search queries. Make sure that your website content is easy to read and understand, and that it accurately reflects your target audience and their needs.
16. Embed Video to Improve SEO
To further round out your SEO copywriting skills, you should explore placing video content on your web pages. Incorporating video content into your website can be a great way to improve engagement and boost your search engine rankings.
Videos can be used to enhance user experience, provide valuable information, and even drive backlinks. Make sure to use descriptive, keyword-rich video titles and descriptions, and to optimize video files for search engines by using proper tags and video sitemaps.
17. Leverage Google Ads for Omnichannel Benefits
Google Ads can be a powerful tool for increasing visibility and driving targeted traffic to your website. By creating targeted campaigns and leveraging the right keywords, you can drive more qualified leads to your site, and help your target audience find the information they need. By combining your SEO and PPC efforts through a comprehensive omnichannel marketing approach, you can maximize your visibility, user experience, and lead generation efforts.
18. Location-Based SEO
If your business serves a specific geographic area, it’s important to optimize your website for location-based searches. This means using local keywords, incorporating maps and location information, and using local directories and listings to boost your visibility. By focusing on location-based SEO, you can help potential customers find your business and understand what you have to offer.
19. Remember, Google is "Mobile-First"
With the increasing number of smartphone users, Google has shifted its focus to mobile-first indexing, meaning the mobile version of your website will be considered the primary version for search engine ranking purposes.
This means that your website needs to be optimized for mobile devices, with a responsive design and fast loading speed. Ensure your website is mobile-friendly by using a responsive design, and by keeping your pages short and sweet with just the necessary information.
20. Evergreen Content
The last element of our SEO writing checklist we will touch on is evergreen content. Evergreen content is a term used to describe content that remains relevant and valuable to the reader, regardless of the date it was published. This type of content is particularly important for SEO purposes, as it can continue to drive organic traffic to your website for years to come.
Examples of evergreen content include tutorials, how-to guides, and informative blog posts that provide value to the reader. When creating evergreen content, it’s important to focus on topics that are both relevant and timeless, and to keep the content up-to-date with the latest information and industry trends.
By creating evergreen content, you can help establish your brand as a thought leader in your industry, while also improving your SEO rankings over time. You can learn how to measure marketing effectiveness of evergreen and other types of content to find insights on how to optimize over time.
SEO Copywriting Techniques in Review
Learning modern SEO copywriting strategies is a crucial aspect of digital marketing, especially for B2B startups. By following the tips outlined in our SEO copywriting checklist, you can ensure that your website and content are optimized for search engines and the intent of your target audience.
For more details on each of these on-page optimization techniques, please download the SEO checklist PDF: SEO Copywriting 101. This comprehensive SEO copywriting book covers everything from keyword research and user intent, to optimizing images and leveraging Google Ads for omnichannel marketing benefits. If you want to improve your SEO rankings, drive organic traffic, and establish your brand as a thought leader in your industry, then the in-depth SEO checklist for content creation and optimization filled with examples, tips and tricks is a must-read.
Furthermore, contact us if you’d like to hire one of the best SEO copywriting consultants in the industry!