Do You Need an SEO Expert, a Copywriter, or Both?

If you’re a small or medium business owner, you’ve probably been told about the importance of SEO in getting seen online. You’ve also likely heard that good copywriting is what turns visitors into customers. This can be confusing, as these two things are often sold separately, even though they’re so closely linked on your website.

So, do you need an SEO expert, a copywriter, or someone who does both? Read on to find out!

What an SEO expert does

An SEO expert focuses on how your website performs in search engines like Google. Their job is to help your site appear when potential customers search for services or products like yours.

Typical SEO work includes:

• Keyword research e.g. what people are searching for

• Technical SEO e.g. site speed, structure, indexing, and mobile usability

• On-page optimisation e.g. headings, meta data, and internal links

• Strategy around content, backlinks, and authority

A good SEO expert understands algorithms, search intent, and data and knows how to identify gaps, opportunities, and technical issues that may be holding your site back.

However, SEO expertise alone doesn’t guarantee persuasive content. A page can rank well and still fail to convert if the writing is unclear, boring, or sales-focused in the wrong way.

What a copywriter does

A copywriter focuses on words that persuade, explain, and connect. Their role is to guide website visitors from interest to action, whether that’s making an enquiry, booking a call, or buying a product.

Copywriters usually focus on:

• Website copy e.g. home pages, service pages, landing pages, and blog posts

• Brand tone of voice

• Messaging that builds trust

• Calls to action that feel natural

Good copywriting is about understanding human behaviour. It answers questions, reduces doubt, and makes a business sound confident and credible.

Without SEO knowledge, even excellent copy may never be seen. If it’s written without search intent in mind, it can struggle to rank, especially in competitive industries.

Why SEO and copywriting often clash

Historically, SEO and copywriting were treated as separate disciplines. SEO was technical and keyword heavy, while copywriting was creative and human focused.

Examples of SEO and copywriting being seen separately include:

• Pages stuffed with keywords that don’t read well

• Excellent writing that never ranks

• SEO changes that dilute brand voice

• Copy rewritten for optimisation that doesn’t promote engagement

For small and medium businesses, this can be expensive, as you don’t have the budget or time for work that only solves half the problem.

An SEO copywriter does both

An SEO copywriter has both skill sets and understands that ranking and converting are not separate goals, they’re two parts of the same journey.

An SEO copywriter:

• Researches keywords and search intent

• Writes content search engines can understand and people enjoy reading

• Structures pages for visibility without sacrificing flow

• Builds trust while supporting SEO strategy

• Knows when SEO rules matter

Instead of adding SEO onto copy afterwards, it’s built into the content from the start.

Why this matters for small and medium businesses

SMEs need their websites to work hard as they’re often your main sales tool, first impression and best salesperson.

Working with separate specialists can mean:

• Higher cost

• Slower turnaround

• Conflicting advice

• Rewriting the same content multiple times

A combined approach is usually more efficient and more effective. You get content that attracts the right traffic and speaks directly to that audience once they arrive on your website.

Local perspective: Folkestone, Kent, and beyond

For businesses in Folkestone, Kent, and the surrounding areas, SEO isn’t just about competing nationally. It’s about being visible to the right people in the right place, often with strong local intent.

An SEO copywriter working locally understands:

• How people search for services in Kent

• The balance between local SEO and broader reach

• How to sound human, not corporate

• What small businesses need from their websites

This local understanding helps shape content that feels relevant, engaging, and trustworthy, while still performing well in search.

When you might need one or the other

There are situations where a single specialist makes sense:

• If your site has major technical SEO issues, an SEO expert may be the priority

• If you already rank well but struggle with conversions, a copywriter could help

• If you’re running large-scale SEO campaigns, you may need a dedicated strategist

However, for most SMEs building or improving a website, those needs overlap far more than they differ.

SEO brings people to your website while copywriting convinces them to stay, trust you, and take action, and treating them separately often leads to wasted effort and higher costs.

For many small and medium businesses, the smartest option is working with someone who understands both the algorithm and the audience. This is what an SEO copywriter does, saving time and delivering content that converts.

If you’re looking for an SEO copywriter working with companies in Folkestone and beyond, contact me today to find out more about the services I offer.