Words work. Though they’re a far cry from the grunts and gestures our language originated.

Used in the correct combination, you can accomplish amazing feats like evoking emotion and amassing a crowd. (A useful SEO copywriting technique we’ll address in a moment!)

When it comes to copy, great content depends on it. Your audience expects it. And the search engines demand it.

But do you need to spend another $10,000 in school to perfect your SEO copywriting skills? Maybe not. Our CEO, Eric, breaks it down in under a minute.

Holding your reader’s attention could be as simple as creating sticky and succinct copy. Here’s what our content marketing specialists recommend.

Stick it to Them

 ‘Sticky’ SEO copy will encourage users to stick around after they land on your page

Whether you’re looking to increase your Google ranking and build your business or improve your marketing automation emails, sticky copy is key.

What do we mean by ‘sticky’ SEO copy?

In short, it’s well-worded and thoughtfully-styled content that beckons users to stay and explore your site. You’ll know it’s working when you see increased traffic coupled with decreased bounce rates.

Effective SEO keywords are no doubt important. However, they’re only part of a successful strategy.

They may identify you in a search, but how do you lay down the proverbial flypaper? Let’s investigate.

Keywords Take the Wheel

First we need to understand why effective keyword-driven copy is so important.

Keywords help you speak the language of both man and machine. (More on this in a moment.)

The right turns of phrase essentially promise an answer to your audience’s most burning questions. They also alert the search engine crawlers to push your content to that magical first page.

Use keyword research tools like Google Keyword Planner and write them into your copy in a variety of natural-sounding ways. Don’t be afraid to use synonyms, analogies and metaphors to vary your copy while still illustrating your point.

Curiosity Killed the Copy

See what we did there? Actually, curiosity is just one of the methods you can use to make your copy extra ‘sticky’.

What are some additional ways to grab a customer’s attention and get clicks that transform into conversions?

Curiosity falls under the emotion-based marketing umbrella. It’s one of the tactics we use when re-fueling a client’s rebrand strategy.

Speak to a reader’s emotions on a guttural level and their curiosity will drive them to resolution. It’s also a great way to differentiate your brand from the competition. Try sharing your company’s values and beliefs to stay elevated in the emotional minds of your target audience.

Man vs. Machine

Always prioritize the reader experience over the search engines

In life, balance is everything. Same goes for skilled SEO copywriting. The best rule of thumb is to follow the search engine optimization “rules” while always thinking about and writing to your audience first.

There is no shortage of ways to strategize your content. A few of our favorites include:

• Inverting your paragraph pyramid. You know we love a good pyramid analogy. When it comes to content, put your most important sentence–the solution or topic–first. Use the short supporting sentences to back up your text.
• Write subheads to break things up. It’ll give readers a roadmap of your content.
• Use bulleted and numbered lists. Like we’ve done here.
• Increase the white space. It’ll make your content more ‘readable’.
• Create visual breaks. Images with captions are good way to highlight certain points.
• Emphasize certain concepts. You can embolden or italicize

Regardless of which combination you choose, the end goal remains the same: make your content skimmable.

Let’s Review

Don’t know where to start or want to perform a quality control check before you take your content live? Use Forbes’ writing checklist in the editing room.

1. Does the copy honor the promise of the headline?
2. Does the first paragraph grip the attention of the reader?
3. Is the content understandable to a 6th grader?
4. Does your copy make promises, guarantees, and statements that are true?
5. Is the copy persuasive?
6. Is the copy specific?
7. Is the copy concise?
8. Is the copy relevant?
9. Does it flow smoothly? Read your writing out loud to determine if there are any hiccups in the way.
10. Does it call for action? An appropriately placed call-to-action button in your email composition will do wonders to expand your email list.

No matter your industry, the end goal of your content should be to grab people’s attention. Once it does, make sure to hold them there with sticky, succinct copy. When in doubt, weave a web of words that people want to share it because they enjoy interacting with your brand.