Want to achieve better Google rankings with your web copy? Of course you do! So it’s got to be SEO-friendly. But don’t be fooled by this ‘friendliness’ - SEO copywriting is all about compromise.

Thanks to Google’s Hummingbird algorithm, this compromise involves producing strong, engaging content to attract readers whilst naturally applying relevant keywords in an appropriate density for interpretation by Google bots. Here are some top tips for writing foolproof SEO-friendly copy…

• Readability & relevance

There’s no point in attempting to gain great rankings if the copy you’ve written isn’t likely to convert. Humans are the priority here, right? So make your copy really interesting, punchy, and relevant. Unique, frequently added, quality content makes search engines happy. Aim to make the copy at least 250 words long – lengthier text with more info tells Google the website has substance, making it seem more trustworthy. Avoid copying text from other sites at all costs, else you’ll be penalised.

• The key to keywords

Keywords are essential for helping copy to rank on Google. It’s important, however, to check their popularity – consider how your service/product can be differentiated to rank better for more unique keywords. Expand your vocabulary using semantic variations to target different keywords, and extend to long tail phrases and questions that people may ask. These longer phrases have a smaller search volume, but the more motivated visitors searching for these terms will be more likely to convert. Result!

• Balancing act

Getting the correct balance of keyword density and readability really is an art. Not inserting enough keywords into your text could disrupt your rankings, yet if you’re guilty of keyword stuffing, Google is likely to penalise you. Keywords should be included primarily above the fold to give a greater sense of their importance for your web pages. A keyword density greater than 5.5% of the overall content could mean you’re keyword stuffing.

• Link up

Another great method of proving to Google your authority as a website is to link your page to related content using keywords instead of ‘click here’, telling Google more about what you’re linking to. Simple! Provide links early on in the body copy, and around every 120 words. And only acquire links from authoritative websites like news sites and research pages to relevant interior pages of your own site. You’ll gain the indexing benefits given to integrated linkage.

• Create conversation

One way of really spreading your content around the internet is to share it via social media. By distributing it to similar groups of people who are interested in relevant information, you can gain greater traffic, they can spread it further, and as a result, Google may recognise your content as being trustworthy and thus rank it higher. Try sharing your copy via relevant forums, newsletters, and social media platforms.