SEO helps people find your website through search. Good copywriting helps them understand what you offer and whether it meets their needs. The two overlap in the words on your pages: clear, descriptive language helps search engines understand the subject and helps readers recognise its relevance. Understanding what your audience searches for can therefore help you write better website copy. It gives you clues about the language people use and the questions they need answered.
Clear, relevant website copy helps search engines understand what your page is about and gives readers the information they need.
Answer the questions that bring people to your page
The words someone types into Google can help you understand what they are looking for. Someone searching for support may want to find a service they can use. Someone searching for referral information may need to know how to arrange support for another person. Your page should answer the questions relevant to the people you want to reach. Before writing, decide who the page is for and what they need to find out. If it describes a support service, explain who can use it, where it is available, whether it costs anything and how to access it. Put the information readers need first near the beginning. Understanding these searches helps you decide what to include on the page. Copywriting then helps you explain that information clearly and put it in a useful order. People may also use different words from your team. Google’s guidance on anticipating readers’ search terms explains that someone familiar with a subject may search differently from someone new to it. Consider the words people use in searches alongside the questions they ask your team. Use both to identify what needs explaining and which terms may be unfamiliar.
Explain what you offer in words people understand
Someone finding your page through Google may know nothing about your organisation. They should be able to tell what the page is about from its title, main heading and opening sentences. Describe the service using words your intended readers understand. Where relevant, say who it helps and where it is available, so people can judge whether it is suitable for them. A programme name may mean something to your team but tell a new visitor very little. Keep the name, but add a short explanation of what the programme provides alongside it or immediately below it. Clear descriptions can still sound like your organisation. Use a tone that reflects how you speak to the people you support, and include specific details about your approach. Readers should be able to understand what you offer and get a sense of the people behind it. If you are struggling to describe your work, our guide to explaining what your organisation does more clearly can help you decide what readers need to understand first.
Use search terms naturally and accurately
Search terms are the words and phrases people type into a search engine. Include relevant terms where they help describe your service or explain the subject. You do not need to repeat the same phrase in every heading or paragraph. Google’s SEO Starter Guide explains that its systems can understand how a page relates to a search even when the wording is not identical. It also warns against excessive keyword repetition. Write in natural sentences and remove repeated phrases that add no useful information. Consider whether the words people search for accurately describe your work. If a familiar term could give the wrong impression about your service, explain what you actually provide. If you need to use a specialist term, explain it in plain English. Take particular care with language about the people you support. A phrase used in searches may carry assumptions or labels your organisation would not use. You can answer the question behind that search using accurate, respectful language.
Make sure your page provides what the search result suggests
People use the title and short description shown in Google’s results to decide whether to visit your page. Those words give them an expectation of what they will find. Google may use your page title and headings to create the title shown in search. The description usually comes from the text on your page. Sometimes Google uses your meta description, the short summary you can write for search engines. Make sure readers can easily find the information that attracted them to the page. If the search result suggests they can learn how to access support, explain who can use the service and how to apply or make a referral. Put that information near the beginning, then explain any further details readers need to decide whether the service is suitable. Use headings that clearly describe each section, so people can find an answer without reading the whole page. Keep background about your organisation further down if it would delay the answer they came for. For more guidance on arranging content and helping visitors find what they need, see how to make your website easier to understand.
Explain what readers can do next
Once someone has read your page, make it clear how they can act on the information. A person looking for support may need to check whether they qualify or complete a referral form. A potential volunteer may want to view available roles and find out how to apply. Use button and link wording that tells people what to expect, such as “Check eligibility” or “View volunteering opportunities”. If the action involves contacting your team or submitting a form, explain what happens afterwards so people know what they are committing to. This is where good copywriting helps turn interest into action. SEO can help people find the page; the writing then helps them understand whether to take that next step. Clear, useful copy is only one part of SEO. Search engines also need to be able to access your pages, and other factors affect where they appear in search results. Improving the wording alone cannot guarantee a higher ranking.
Your website needs to describe your work in words people recognise and answer the questions that brought them to the page. Grinning Graphics can help you write clear, useful copy that supports your SEO and helps readers understand what you offer, who it is for and how to get involved.