Imagine a do-it-yourself website webmaster named Alex.

Alex built a clean, functional website using a page builder, picked a nice theme, wrote some copy late at night, and proudly hit “Publish.” The site looks good. It loads fast. Friends say it’s “professional.” But weeks go by… then months. Google barely notices. The phone doesn’t ring. Traffic is a trickle.

Alex assumes SEO is a technical problem. Maybe it’s speed. Perhaps it’s a plugin. Maybe Google is “broken.”

It isn’t.

The problem is the copy.

SEO Copy Is Not Just Writing — It’s Communication With Google

To understand why SEO copy matters, you need to know how Google works.

Google does not see your website the way humans do. It doesn’t admire your colors, fonts, sliders, or animations. Google reads text, evaluates structure, measures relevance, and compares your content against millions of competing pages.

When Google “eats up” SEO copy, what it’s really doing is extracting meaning:

• What is this page about?

• Who is it for?

• Where is the business located?

• What problems does it solve?

• Is this page more helpful than others ranking for the exact search?

Well-written SEO copy answers those questions clearly and repeatedly — without sounding spammy or forced.

What Every SEO Page Must Contain (But DIY Sites Often Miss)

A common mistake DIY webmasters make is trying to say everything in as few words as possible. Google wants the opposite: depth, clarity, and focus.

A strong SEO page should include:

1. A Clear Primary Topic
Each page should target one main keyword phrase — not five, not ten.
Example:

• “Emergency Plumbing in Lancaster, PA”

• “WordPress Website Design for Small Businesses”

• “Commercial Roof Repair in York County”

This primary phrase should appear naturally in:

• The page title

• The main heading (H1)

• Early in the body text

• A few additional times throughout the content

2. Supporting Subtopics (Secondary Keywords)
Once your main topic is clear, you can support it with related phrases, not competitors.

For example, a page targeting:

“Emergency Plumbing Lancaster PA”

Can also reference:

• 24-hour plumber

• Burst pipe repair

• After-hours plumbing service

• Local licensed plumber

• Same-day emergency service

These secondary phrases help Google understand the context of your service without confusing the page’s focus.

A good rule of thumb:

• 1 primary keyword

• 3–6 closely related supporting phrases

Trying to rank one page for 15 unrelated keywords is one of the fastest ways to rank for none.

How Long Should SEO Copy Be?

This is where many DIY webmasters get uncomfortable.

Short pages feel clean. Long pages feel excessive.

Google prefers useful pages, and in competitive markets, usefulness almost always requires length.

As a general guideline:

• Local service pages: 500–800 words

• Core service pages: 700–1,200 words

• Authority or educational pages: 1,200+ words

Why?

Because longer content allows you to:

• Answer more questions

• Include more related terminology

• Demonstrate expertise

• Reduce bounce rates

• Outperform thinner competitor pages

Google isn’t rewarding word count — it’s rewarding completeness.

Structure Matters as Much as Words

Google doesn’t just read text; it reads structure.

Well-written SEO copy uses:

• A single H1 heading (main topic)

• Multiple H2 and H3 subheadings

• Short paragraphs

• Bullet points where appropriate

This structure helps:

• Google understands the hierarchy

• Users scan content easily

• Mobile visitors stay engaged longer

A wall of text with no headings is a ranking liability.

Why Google “Eats Up” SEO Copy

Think of SEO copy as fuel.

Every paragraph you write gives Google more data points:

• More keywords to associate with your page

• More context about your services

• More signals that your site is an authority

When your copy is thin, Google has nothing to work with. When it’s rich and focused, Google can confidently say:

“This page deserves to rank.”

That confidence is everything.

Google’s algorithm is designed to reduce risk. It prefers pages that clearly explain themselves over vague, minimalist pages that leave questions unanswered.

Common DIY Mistakes That Kill Rankings

DIY webmasters often unknowingly sabotage themselves by:

• Stuffing keywords unnaturally

• Writing one page to cover all services

• Using generic marketing language with no location or specificity

• Copying content from competitors

• Avoiding longer copy out of fear that it looks “busy”.

Ironically, the pages that feel “too long” to the site owner are often the ones Google ranks best.

The Takeaway for the DIY Webmaster

SEO copy isn’t about tricking Google.

It’s about making Google’s job easy.

When your content clearly explains:

• What you do

• Who you serve

• Where you operate

• How you solve problems better than others

Google rewards that clarity with visibility.

If you’re building your own website, the single most powerful thing you can do for SEO isn’t a plugin or a theme or a speed tweak — it’s writing focused, structured, keyword-driven copy that genuinely helps the visitor.

That’s what Google eats up.