Why you shouldn’t “write for SEO”
When I started copywriting, I was genuinely proud of my work. It was clear, compelling, human. Beautiful stuff.
Then I’d get a spreadsheet full of painstakingly researched keywords that “had to be included.”
Some were fine. They were already in there naturally. But others were… weird. Clunky. Phrases no real human would ever say out loud.
(Exhibit A: “CRM software platform tools free trial.” Ew, nobody talks like that.)
I’d hand the draft to my manager, and we’d have the same conversation every time:
Me: “This sounds terrible.”
Her: “Yeah. But it's our process. Not much we can do.”
So we’d force the keywords in, publish something awkward, and call it a win because it technically followed “best practices.”
Today, we've got good news: that version of SEO is dead.
The bad news, though: most of us have no idea what replaced it.
Why this matters — especially if you’re a local business
If you’re still obsessing over exact-match keywords for rankings, you’re playing the wrong game.
Today, visibility comes from being the clearest answer to a specific question, not from cramming all the “right” words into your H1.
Here's what's happening now:
Long-tail, intent-driven searches drive rankings (real questions that real people ask).
AI overviews and chat-based results are pulling direct answers from sites.
Google Business Profiles are doing more heavy lifting than entire websites.
Trust signals from reviews, forums, and community mentions are gold.
The best content shows who you are, what you do, and where you do it (so the SEO bots don’t have to guess).
If your site is vague, jargon-riddled, or clever-but-confusing, you don’t just lose rankings. You lose:
Clicks from potential customers — because it’s too hard to see what you offer.
Leads who bounce — because they can’t tell if you’re the right fit.
AI visibility — because your content isn’t explicit enough to quote.
Today's SEO — especially local SEO — rewards clarity, structure, and specificity.
This sounds SO simple. But how do you put it into action?
6 things to do for SEO in 2026
If you want to actually move the needle…
1. Be obvious.
You still can and should have personality. But don’t make people work to understand you.
If you’re a wedding photographer in San Diego, don’t headline your homepage with:
“Capturing love, one moment at a time.”
Instead, say:
“San Diego wedding photography that captures every moment.”
Tell us what you do and where you do it. Immediately.
Write at about a 5th-grade reading level — not because your audience is dumb, but because clarity converts and ranks.
2. Provide answers, not essays.
Nobody “reads” websites anymore. We scan them. And so do search engines. Here's what they see:
H1: What this page is about
H2: The main subtopics people care about
H3: Supporting details or follow-up questions
Body copy: Direct, skimmable answers
Walls of text and random one-liners mean nothing.
This shift helps humans and bots understand your content without guessing. For once, we get to please both.
(Love that.)
3. Put literal questions on the page.
If people are searching:
“Is X product/service worth it?”
“How much does Y cost in [area]?”
“What’s the difference between A and B?”
Put those questions verbatim in your copy — then answer them clearly.
This is why FAQ sections are suddenly SEO gold (who woulda thunk?).
AI tools love pulling clean Q&A content they can trust and quote. And as a bonus, humans love getting clear answers with minimal effort.
4. Make your Google Business Profile dazzle.
This matters more than you think.
A few underused wins:
Choose the most specific primary category (not just the obvious one)
Use the Q&A feature yourself to publish real questions + answers
Add short, descriptive updates (they’re indexed faster than blogs)
Make sure your services match your website's language exactly
Your GBP is often the first thing AI and humans look at — not your homepage.
5. Focus on intent with internal links.
Link between related pages using natural, descriptive anchors. For example, when linking to your services page:
Instead of: “Click here” or “Learn more”
Say: “Explore my services” or “View all services”
You’re helping search engines understand how your services connect — and helping users find answers faster. Both matter.
6. Prioritize accuracy over reach.
Not all social captions directly rank. But profiles, bios, and publicly indexable posts absolutely contribute to your brand’s visibility.
Same with forums like Reddit and Facebook Groups.
Don’t overthink these platforms — just be present, helpful, and genuine. Consistent, real mentions that tie back to your brand go a loooong way.
P.S. If your site technically “ranks” but still doesn’t convert… that’s usually a messaging problem, not a traffic problem.
I have an audit built *exactly* for that. If you want a second set of eyes on what to fix first, check it out:
This article was originally shared in my embarrassing, brutally-honest newsletter: Sloppy Copy.
If you want to get totally-transparent copywriting lessons like this every week, pop in your email to join the party. 👇
