SEO copy

First of all: the pure “SEO text” written mainly for search engines no longer really exists. In search engine optimisation, it's about helpful content for people, into which the criteria for good findability flow naturally.

Whether a text is meant to sell something or inform – without genuine value it won't be read or rated well by Google. Anyone writing SEO copy therefore increasingly needs journalistic and editorial skills as well as subject expertise. What matters is the quality of the content, not how often a keyword appears. A good text recognises readers' needs and answers their questions completely and clearly.

What Google expects from texts

Google wants to show users the most helpful results and constantly develops its systems to evaluate content the way a human would. With the helpful content system and its guidelines on E-E-A-T, Google has made clear what counts: content written for people that shows genuine experience and expertise and fully answers the search query. Good SEO copy fulfils both at once – the search engine's requirements and readers' expectations.

How do you write good SEO copy?

There are various aspects to consider when writing search-engine-optimised text. It starts with the target group.

Define the target group and search intent

Before you start writing, it should be clear who the text is for and what readers want to know or do. Buyer personas help here. This also settles questions such as formal or informal address and the right tone. Search intent is just as important: does someone want information, to compare products or to buy? A look at the current search results shows what type of content Google expects for a term.

Unique content

Every text should be original and offer its own value. Of course, you can't always reinvent the wheel on well-known topics. That makes it all the more important to add what only your own shop or company can contribute: your own experience, data, examples, customer questions and the concrete benefits of a product for the target group. Copied texts – whether from other websites or manufacturer descriptions used by many shops – offer no added value and lead to duplicate content. AI-assisted texts are possible but should be reviewed by experts and supplemented with first-hand experience.

Using keywords sensibly

Every SEO text needs a clear main topic and a main keyword. It should appear in the important places:

• In the introduction

• In the H1 heading and, where appropriate, in subheadings

• In the alt text of an image, if it matches the image content

• In the page title and meta description

Keywords help you be found for the right search queries. Tools such as the Google Keyword Planner, KWFinder by Mangools, Sistrix or Semrush are suitable for research. Secondary keywords, synonyms and the questions users ask about a topic are just as important.

Caution: the main keyword should appear naturally but not be repeated excessively. Keyword stuffing violates Google's guidelines and harms readability.

Cover topics completely instead of counting keywords

In the past, attention was paid to a specific keyword density; later came TF-IDF analysis, which shows which terms the top-ranking pages use on a topic. Such analyses and modern content tools can help discover missing aspects of a topic. However, there are no fixed target values. Today, Google mainly assesses whether a text covers the topic comprehensively and clearly. Anyone writing with expertise uses the right related terms anyway – a quick comparison with a tool can still make sense.

SEO copy and its structure

Good structure helps readers and search engines alike. Many users don't read texts in full but skim them in search of the relevant information. Texts should therefore be divided into meaningful sections with descriptive H2 and H3 headings. The most important answer belongs at the beginning of a section. AI search systems, which select individual passages, also benefit from this. A text also needs an introduction that leads into the topic and – depending on the goal – a clear call to action.

Meta data, alt texts, links

Meta data is not directly visible to visitors on the page. Search engines use it, however, to display the page in the search results.

Page title and meta description

The page title and meta description appear in the snippet in the search results. Google limits both by pixel width; as a rule of thumb, around 50 to 60 characters for the title and around 150 to 160 characters for the description. Longer texts are truncated. The main keyword should be as close to the front of the title as possible and also appear in the description. A description that sparks curiosity brings more clicks. However, Google often replaces the description provided with its own text excerpt if it better matches the search query.

Alt texts

Good texts are complemented by suitable images. These images receive alt texts that describe what can be seen; if the keyword fits, it may appear. Alt texts help Google understand images, are displayed if an image doesn't load and are read aloud by screen readers for blind and visually impaired people.

Links

Good SEO copy links to relevant pages on your own website – for example from the guide to the matching category. This requires descriptive link texts that say what awaits the reader. Internal links help Google find pages and assess their importance.

Links to external, trustworthy sources also make sense if they back up statements or offer further information. They strengthen a text's credibility.

Further elements of good texts

Depending on the content, further elements help if they make sense for the reader: highlighting important statements, tables, lists, graphics or videos. An attractively presented page convinces readers – and therefore search engines too.

Good content isn't magic. It comes from expertise, a clear target group and careful work. Readers and website owners benefit equally – or, put simply: those who are serious will be seen.