The copy on blogs has two purposes. First, you must appeal to your ideal client. Second, your website copy and blogs must appeal to Google. Yes, we’re talking about the big bad SEO. Search engine optimization is how your website gets found. Without it, no one will be reading your copy. However, if you just write for Google, no one will want to read your copy because it will be full of keywords and leave nothing of value for your actual reader. 

Hence, we come to the burning question of today’s blog: How do you find the balance between writing for your client and writing for Google? 

Well, friend, I’m glad you asked. 

As a copywriter for wedding vendors, I follow one strict rule for my personal blogs and the blogs I write for my clients. Write for people first, and search engine optimization second. As with all things in life, you must find a balance between writing blogs that your readers will read and including search engine optimization. 

How to Write A Blog Post for Your Reader 

The first step to writing killer blogs is to write for people. Blogs are still one of the most trusted sources of information on the internet. Plus, people will view three to five pieces of your content before inquiring. They want to know who you are, what you do, and if you’re actually any good at it. 

Your blog is your opportunity to showcase your talent, skills, and expertise. And yes, people will genuinely read them to make sure you’re the expert you claim to be. If you’re a wedding photographer, they’re going to want to hear about real weddings you’ve shot. Are you a wedding planner? Your couples will explore your blog to learn about the different styles of weddings you plan, how you handle unpredictable situations, and what you can offer them. 

Long story short, I’m telling you that your blog is incredibly important to real people. The people you want to inquire with you. So if you’re stuffing it full of keywords and it’s an absolute slog to get through, no one is actually going to read it. And you’re going to lose your lead. 

Here are some quick tips to help you write engaging and interesting blog posts for real people:

• Write about things that matter to them 
• Share stories they care about
• Showcase your work
• Speak to them like a friend

Let your personality and brand voice shine in your blogs. Your readers aren’t just interested in what you do – they want to learn who you are. Blogs are a great way to introduce readers to your personality and give them a taste of what it’s like to work with you. 

How to Write Blogs for Search Engine Optimization 

Here’s the technical side of blog writing. While keyword stuffing is never the way to go, including search engine optimization in your blogs is equally important. Like I said at the beginning, if your blogs aren’t search engine optimized, no one is going to be able to find them. 

So how does one search engine optimize a blog? 

There are a few ways to answer this question, but first, you need to know that search engine optimization is not an exact science. It takes some trial and error – and a lot of research – to figure out the keywords that work best for you. You need to have a strong understanding of your ideal client, what questions they’re asking, and how to answer them. 

But at the same time, search engine optimization is not the big, bad, complicated concept it’s been made out to be, either. With some patience and the right resources, you can learn how to search engine optimize your website copy and blogs. (PSST! I have some resources listed at the end!) 

But here are some basics: 

Keywords

Choose one keyword to focus on per blog post. Decide what your blog will be about and find a phrase that encompasses it. Mention the phrase naturally throughout the blog post, but be sure to include it in your title and introduction! This is how Google decides what your blog is about and where to place it in search results! 

Finding keywords is easier than you think. Often, a good keyword is just a common sense phrase, like “Wedding Florist near me.” If you want to dive more into how popular keywords are (and therefore how hard they are to rank for) I suggest using Ubersuggest! With three free searches per day, you can search a keyword and see how frequently it is searched and even get related keyword suggestions. 

Alt-text 

Including images in your blog posts is great for people and search engine optimization. Especially for wedding vendors! Hopefully, you have a portfolio page where people can see more of your work and hear from your clients, but you can always feature your work on your blog as well. 

Adding images lets your blogs be found in image search results. And adding alt-text is the best way to have your images work for you instead of against you. Including keywords in your alt-text is a great way to increase search engine optimization of your images and the overall blog post. But don’t sacrifice accessibility for your keywords. Alt-text’s first job is to describe the image. If it’s a picture of a bride holding a red rose bouquet, write that. 

However, I guarantee there is a natural way to include your keyword in your alt-text. Some great keywords include locations. For example, if you’re sharing images from a real wedding, include the venue. Write, “A bride and groom read their vows in The Venues at the Factory in Manchester, NH.” There, you have a location-based keyword that fits naturally into your alt-text! 

Meta Descriptions & Title tags 

One of the most overlooked ways to search engine optimize your blog is through meta descriptions and title tags! These are the first things your reader sees when your blog pops up in search results. 

Include your keyword in both. Your title tag should be around 60 characters and tell the reader (and Google) exactly what the blog is about. Your meta description should be around 150 characters (about 2 sentences). It should include your keyword, a very brief description of the blog, and a call to action, like “read this blog,” or “click to learn more.” 

Resources For Writing Search Engine Optimized Blog Posts

If you’re interested in learning more about search engine optimization for your wedding business, check out these resources: 

Ubersuggest: For analyzing keywords by traffic and auditing websites 

Yoast SEO: a free plugin to analyze your blog post before it goes live 

Hubspot Blog: a great resource to learn about all things SEO and marketing

SMB Marketing School: A friend and SEO expert who helps small business owners with their SEO & back-end 

I know all of this information can feel overwhelming, Striking the balance between writing engaging blogs that your clients will enjoy reading and prioritizing search engine optimization can be difficult. But I know that you can do it! And hey, if you really just don’t want to, you can have me do it instead. My monthly blog packages take care of coming up with content, writing it in your brand voice, and search engine optimizing it. If that sounds like a major time-saver, let’s chat! Contact me to learn more about my SEO blogging packages.