SEO Content Writing vs. Content Writing: What's the Difference and Which One Do You Need?

In the world of digital marketing, there are two types of content writing that are commonly used to attract website traffic and improve website ranking: SEO content writing and content writing. While they may seem similar at first glance, there are several key differences between these two approaches.?

SEO content writing is the practice of creating content that is specifically designed to rank well in search engine results pages (SERPs). The primary goal of SEO content writing is to drive organic traffic to a website by using specific keywords and phrases that are relevant to the business, product, or service.?

SEO on-page and off-page?

To achieve this goal, SEO content writing typically involves research and analysis of the target audience, identifying high-value keywords and phrases, and optimizing the content to improve its visibility in search engines. This may include various on-page and off-page optimization techniques such as keyword research, title tags and meta descriptions, header tags, content optimization, and link building.?

On the other hand, content writing is the creation of high-quality, original content that is designed to educate, entertain, or inform the target audience. The primary goal of content writing is to engage the reader, build brand awareness, and establish the company or individual as a thought leader in their industry.?

To achieve this goal, content writing involves creating content that is shareable and engaging across various platforms, such as social media, blogs, and other marketing channels. This may include techniques such as audience research, storytelling, formatting, editing, and proofreading.?

The goal determines the approach?

One of the key differences between SEO content writing and content writing is their goal. While SEO content writing is focused on improving website ranking and driving organic traffic, content writing is focused on engaging the reader and establishing the brand as a thought leader.?

Another difference is their approach to the audience. SEO content writing focuses on optimizing the content for search engines and may not always meet the needs and interests of the target audience. Content writing, on the other hand, is designed to meet the needs and interests of the target audience.?

In terms of style, SEO content writing typically follows a more formulaic approach, using specific keywords and phrases, while content writing is more creative and flexible in its approach. Formatting is another difference between the two approaches. SEO content writing often involves the use of header tags, bullet points, and other formatting techniques to optimize the content for search engines, while content writing may use more creative formatting techniques, such as storytelling and anecdotes.?

Keep an eye on trends future-proof your strategies?

With all the above being said, significant changes in how search engines determine rankings are happening frequently. More emphasis is being put on natural; content that provides real value, rather than that written solely for the search engine. Factors like time on page, exit rate and return to search are having an increasing impact on rankings, and traditional SEO copywriting seems to be fading. Whilst some of these may not hold as much weight now, with the ever-changing SEO landscape it’s important to always have an eye on future trends and ensuring that your strategies are future-proof.?

For example, content strategies which once had a positive impact on rankings, such as exact match anchor text, highlighting targeted keywords in bold and having x number of iterations in each paragraph are now seen as spammy, and will negatively impact your SEO efforts.?