On-page SEO and copywriting template

A practical template to help content editors improve on-page SEO techniques for content-creation and ranking

How will this on-page SEO and copywriting template help me and my business?

There are several ranking factors that affect on-page copy. Each factor affects the way you structure your content, but balancing all of them while you're trying to write engaging copy can be difficult. This is especially true if you are editing existing content on your website and trying to restructure copy so that is is SEO-friendly.

This on-page and copywriting template is designed as a practical resource to help content editors improve how they create and update pages to improve their organic search rankings. It primarily focuses on best practices for Google. Other search engines, such as Bing, use similar on-page ranking factors.

We created this 18-page downloadable template in a Microsoft Word format so that it can be easily edited for your business. We encourage you to add notes or examples to make it more relevant for your industry as part of SEO style guidelines.

Who is this copywriting template for?

This on-page and SEO copywriting template gives a step-by-step process outlining 10 success factors you’ll need to follow. The resource is intended for content creators, editors, and others who aren’t SEO specialists but need to know the basics of which factors they can influence to rank higher in search results. They may also be looking for more details on how copywriting can be used to improve organic search rankings.

Our main reason for developing this guide for members was the need to improve standards of copywriting for SEO in marketing teams of larger organizations, where several people who aren't usually SEO specialists need to create and review web pages. However, marketers who are part of SMEs and need a quick overview of SEO ranking factors when creating content will also benefit from using this template.

How is this on-page SEO and copywriting template structured?

The template is split into three sections:

• Section 1 recommends 10 steps for content writers to think through when planning and creating site content. In time, these should become second nature when copy-editing.
• Section 2 gives more specific guidance on individual ranking factors. You may want to combine some of these detailed techniques with the elements of Section 1 if you want to develop a single list.
• Section 3 gives you a one-page summary, without the guidance, that you can adapt for your organization. We recommend adding example posts that follow these guidelines to bring-it-to life for your organization.

Resource Details

• Author: Dr. Dave Chaffey, Smart Insights
• Format: Microsoft Word Document for you to amend for your organization. Structured around 10 steps to improve ranking within Google, with detailed best practice guidance and examples throughout.
• Recommended resource:
  • Using AI for SEO with ChatGPT – Learn how you can use ChatGPT to support your SEO activities, such as keyword research, content strategy and content creation

About the author

Dr. Dave Chaffey

Dave is co-founder of Smart Insights and creator of the Smart Insights RACE planning framework. For his full profile, or to connect on LinkedIn or other social networks, see the About Dave Chaffey profile page on Smart Insights. Dave is author of 5 bestselling books on digital marketing including Digital Marketing Excellence and Digital Marketing: Strategy, Implementation and Practice. In 2004 he was recognized by the Chartered Institute of Marketing as one of 50 marketing ‘gurus’ worldwide who have helped shape the future of marketing.