SEO (search engine optimization) is moving on up. Both the BBC News and Huffington Post have recently announced plans to use SE optimization in their online content. It’s one of the latest attempts by the journalism field to compete with user-generated content and maintain a presence. It’s also an example of SEO’s gradual shift into the mainstream. As content optimization becomes more widely adopted, the number of companies (and writers) specializing in SEO copywriting will also be on the rise.

Great writing never calls attention to itself – this statement is frequently repeated in Composition 101 courses. While it is essentially true, it immediately begs this question: what about bad writing makes it so obviously bad? If you’re paying SEO copywriters for services, you need to be able to spot poor work, even if you’re not a writer yourself. Here are some great tips for identifying writers you need to cut out of the payroll.

No one likes spam. Now, while the narrow definition of spam refers to unsolicited marketing content, I think it would be safe to broaden that definition just a bit to include content that people have tacitly agreed to (for example, by signing up for a newsletter) that provides nothing of value to the reader.

The purpose behind a blog is to increase your search engine rankings. Content is by far the best method for attracting search engines, and populating search pages with URLS that lead directly to you.

It may be tempting for some companies to use content as a ballistic attack to get the attention of search engines. After all, if one article is good, then ten versions of the same article must be better, right? Well, maybe not, according to many SEO experts who are studying the shifting rules of search engines like Google and Yahoo!.

Well, there’s a short answer to your question, and a long one. I’ll give you both.

The short answer is that only well written content, plenty of high quality links, and maybe some Pay Per Click advertising will increase your traffic. It’s going to require some investment.

There’s a big debate among SEO companies about whether it’s cost effective to outsource content creation to third parties, both for company use, and for use in client projects. Because quality content is critical for SEO, it’s not the need for content that’s debated, but whether or not it’s necessary to pay for it.