Just like any other creative task, writing a good copy can be a nightmare. It gets even worse when you realize that creating content that ranks high on search engines is more than just drafting a good copy. Rather, creating high-ranking content involves using proper paragraph divisions, keywords, optimizing HTML tags, and the list goes on and on.
In this guide, we’ll take a closer look at some of the best content writing and editing tools that will help you create optimized content for search engines.
Let’s get down to brass tacks, shall we?
Yoast’s Real-time Content Analysis
If you’re looking for a handy content writing tool, then Yoast’s Real-time Content Analysis is your best option. Basically, this two-pronged tool combines SEO advice and writing processor features.
Using this tool, you can easily create and edit your titles and meta descriptions and get a glimpse of what it would look like on the SERP. You also get an in-depth analysis of your content and editing suggestions. This way, you can create optimized content and fish out any SEO no-no’s from your copy.
The best part? It’s absolutely free.
SEMrush Writing Assistant
Most expert website content editors and writers swear by SEMrush Writing Assistant – and for good reason. This SEO content hero comes with high-grade features that can be roughly divided into four categories:
SEO recommendations
SEMrush Writing Assistant offers SEO tips and recommendations to help users create optimized content that will rank high on the SERP.
Usually, before you start writing with this tool, you’d need to put in your focus keywords. During the writing process, the target keywords will then pop up as green if you’ve used them in the text or gray if you haven’t used them yet. This saves you the trouble of having to double-check your content for keywords manually. You can also hover over any keyword to check for keyword difficulty and volume.
SEMrush Writing Assistant also offers insights into link building. For instance, it lets you know if you’ve included the optimal number of links in the text.
Readability
This is another helpful feature as it helps users make sure that in addition to using the right keywords and meta descriptions, they’re also creating readable content for their audience.
This feature is typically calculated using the Flesch readability score. You get a readability score of 100 points along with further insight into the aspects of your text that need improvement.
Namely, the tool alerts you when you have overly long paragraphs, complex words, and hard-to-read sentences. You can then click on the sentence to find out more about the issue and view alternative suggestions.
Originality
If you’re trying to rank high on SERPs, you need to ensure that your content is completely original and free of plagiarism. Fortunately, you can do this using SEMrush’s Writing Assistant. Typically, you can only perform five plagiarism checks a month, but if you create content regularly, you can purchase ten extra checks for just $5.
Tone of voice
The tool also offers suggestions and recommendations about your content’s overall tone. For instance, it shows you how formal or casual your copy sounds. The tool also lets you know if the tone of your text is inconsistent (i.e., if you’re mixing up formal and casual sentences).
Surfer SEO’s Content Editor
SurferSEO is a handy tool that’s just right if you’re looking for an affordable content editor. All you need to do is set up an account and click on “Content Editor”.
As you write, this tool scores your text and offers recommendations on what should be changed and what works well. The metric shows the number of paragraphs, words, headings, and images you should ideally use and displays the actual number you used in your text.
But that’s not all. Surfer SEO’s content editing tool also lists your potential competitors and offers focus keyphrase example recommendations based on competitors’ content.
Frase Content
Frase Content is one of the cheapest SEO writing and editing tools on the market, and is the perfect option if you’re working with a really tight budget. It comes with many handy features – not as exhaustive as in SEMrush’s tool, but it certainly offers great value for your money too.
Frase has in-built custom templates that can help you create a well-structured outline in no time at all. It also comes with topic suggestions that you can add to your content to make it better and more optimized.
Final Thoughts
If you’re looking to rank higher on search engines without having to hire SEO writing services, the tools listed above will set you on the right track. SEMrush’s Writing Assistant is an in-depth tool guaranteed to give you the best results, but if you’re looking for cheaper alternatives, it’s advisable to go for Frase Content Editor.
Good luck!
