SEO Help: Tips to Write SEO Headlines
A friend messaged me this week with a problem: he’d hired an SEO expert a few months ago but with the launch of a particular offer looming, he wasn’t feeling happy with the new headlines & SEO “stuff.”
He was looking for SEO help & asked:
“Can I change this headline that the SEO expert I hired suggested I go with without messing up my website & angering the SEO gods?”
I’m paraphrasing here, but he wanted to know if he’d royally mess things up by changing the headline so close to the launch.
Well, me being me I wanted to know more so I asked if he’d share: testimonials, the SEO deliverables, & the landing page link.
He did & immediately after perusing the data I spotted a problem…
→ I couldn’t tell what keywords were being targeted for each page
→ The SEO strategy didn’t make sense to me—the key phrases / strategy didn’t match the best audience for him (I’m not only a friend, I’m also in this guy’s world because I admire his work—I am his ICA)
→ The new headlines had 0% of his personality (and for someone kind of known for personality copywriting—this was a huge problemo)
It was a this point a 💡 went off in my brain!
There are 2 camps of thought when it comes to copywriting:
SEO copywriting: copywriting that seeks to get you found online; uses keywords & is thought of as robotic or lifeless
Personality copywriting: words with life & pizzaz; often based on connection, emotion, & wittiness—and if it’s really good—clarity
Well… it turns out I’m in the middle of this Venn diagram situation. Exhibit A:
Image is of a Venn diagram. The left circle says, “SEO copywriting.” The right circle says, “Personality copywriting.” And the middle part where they overlap says, “SEO & Personality copywriting.”
I love balancing SEO & personality because I believe that that is where the magic happens!
SEO → brings the right people to your site (drives traffic).
Personality → builds that Know Like Trust factor.
So… I went to work on creating an SEO Packet for him.
I asked him the 3 questions I ask all my SEO clients
Analyzed his testimonials, pulled out keywords, & repeated points people made
Brainstormed (with pen & paper) possible Google searches
And then tested my theory with actual keyword research
Then I compiled keywords along w/ Search Volume
Pulled the top 10 into a chart
And filmed a Loom video walkthrough for him
Image is a text from Brittany’s friend & client that says, “Ok… CLEARLY, I hired the wrong person. You just gave me everything I was looking for. This is fantastic. Ridiculously helpful. Thank you!”
His response ➡️
simultaneously warmed my heart & reminded me of why I do this work…
To demystify SEO
Guide people with SIMPLE step-by-step SEO basics
Protect others from being taken advantage of by other experts
(that last one didn’t happen here, but this does matter to me so I’m sharing it)
This whole exchange inspired this blog post where you’re going to learn:
How to write SEO headlines that will rank, attract ideal clients to your site, & help people connect with & trust you quickly.
What makes a good SEO headline?
If we’re simply talking about making a good H1 headline:
It incorporates keywords and personality
It helps the reader easily self-identify
It calls attention to a problem or desire/solution
…did I mention it includes keywords?
I promise I’m not trying to be cute here! This is really the MOST critical component of writing a solid SEO-ified headline.
Here are a few additional tips for those other headline check points:
“Incorporate personality”
I love what Marisa Corcoran shares about including personality in your copy. (Listen to Marisa’s personality copywriting tips on this podcast episode!) She recommends creating a word closet—your language library—it’s a compilation of all the words & phrases you say frequently.
Example (from my library): 1000%, jazzed, stoked, what the what.
PS: if you’re reading this in real time, be sure to sign up for Marisa’s free masterclass happening this September ⬇️
“Help the reader easily self-identify”
By this I mean help the reader figure out if they’re an ideal client or not. This is more critical on certain web pages than others. It would be imperative to include this on a sales page, but could prove to be less important with a blog post title.
Example: say things like “solopreneurs” “beginners” “copywriters” or “podcasters.”
“Call out a problem or desire/solution”
We’re all looking for something. It’s why we talk with friends & consult Google. We want to know what the perfect solution is! Think of the questions your ICA is typing into that search bar. Where are they stuck? What do they need? What do they want? What would be oh-so-nice?
Example: “the perfect white t-shirt” “a natural deodorant that doesn’t stain” “drive more traffic to my site” “make more money without feeling tethered to social media”
What is the best practice for headline length?
A best practice for H1 headlines is to ensure it’s 60 characters (or less) in length.
This is especially important if you find you like to repurpose your H1 headline for your SEO title (aka: title tag) for the page.
⬆️ Go up to the previous section to ensure those elements are taken into account with the headline copy as well.
This at first feels like a tricky task, but with practice it gets much faster & easier! #PinkyPromise
If you like using tools, I recommend this headline helper:
Can you improve SEO yourself?
Yes! You can 100% improve SEO by yourself. Go Google away! Ask questions! Dive down internet rabbit holes to your heart’s content.
Or save yourself a wee bit of time and a boatload of frustration by working with a pro. 🤓
Visit my digital shop or see if one of these services suits your fancy.
If I may make a couple suggestions…
…if you have thoughts like:
“I should have an SEO strategy for my site!” “How can I make sure my site is ranking?” “I just want someone to give me information to copy+paste in my site.”
…if you have thoughts like:
“I’ve tried to do keyword research before, but got so overwhelmed.” “I don’t know what to write a blog about.” “I’m not sure what to record a podcast about to reach new listeners.”
In the meantime, if this stirred up any clarifying questions for you—drop them in the comments ⬇️ or share them with me on Instagram!