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The Do’s and Don’ts of Writing for SEO

Launching a new website? What is your copy saying? Print this out and make sure you are following these simple rules. Best practices go a long way and can dramatically impact your site’s visibility.

Do:

  • Vary sentence structure to have a combination of longer and shorter sentences for rhythm. Keep sentences under 30 words.
  • Keep paragraphs short and break them into logical sections with headers. Readers need the white space for legibility. Headers also help a page look more visually interesting and are easier to scan. This goes double for mobile view!
  • Use bullets to break up paragraphs and help readers scan list info quickly.
  • Maintain the right tone for target readers.
  • Don’t copy sections of other websites in order to appear more content rich. You may be penalized.

Don’t:

  • Be boring
    • Attention spans are super short. The more readers you lose early, the more your SEO takes a hit. Be dynamic. Web copy isn’t a white paper. It has a mission—give readers what they need quickly and drive them to action.
  • Forget to answer questions
    • Visitors are coming to your site to answer a question, make sure you are answering it so they come back or engage more.
  • Create dead-end pages
    • There must be clear, focused calls to action on every page.
    • Primary CTA—get potential clients and partners to contact
    • Secondary CTAs—newsletter sign up, link to related content