The Uncomplicated Way to Write an SEO Blog with AI
AI Blogging With Stupid Simple SEO Actually Works (My Maternity Leave Blog Data & Results)
written by Sarah Check & AI Sarah
During maternity leave, I didn't have much business leverage other than time passing. Thankfully, that's a big source of food for SEO (search engine optimization). It’s what gets the algorithms (Google, ChatGPT, etc.) to pay attention to your online stuff. So I decided to go all in.
I was nine months pregnant with a toddler at home. My capacity for client acquisition and service fulfillment became extremely limited (especially after my laptop flew off the roof of my car and I had to revert to my old beater laptop. Oops.).
So… I decided to let my maternity leave be breathing room for my business to build its SEO.
I also wanted to create an arsenal of clearer info about AI to fellow copywriters (through these blogs).
As an AI copywriter, I noticed a theme in the copywriting communities I was in. Established copywriting authorities were talking about AI, but many writers talked about being too overwhelmed to try it. It seemed too complicated or scary.
That's why I'm sharing my unfancy (but effective) approach I took this year with creating SEO blogs with AI. It's not sophisticated, but it's straightforward to learn and easy to implement.
I watched it work on my 8 maternity leave blogs. For example, my blog on "How to Pick a Niche," reached Google's #3 spot in just four months. I didn’t get the blog formally indexed, share it with a huge following, or even use more than one keyword.
In this blog, I'll show you how to integrate SEO into your AI-written blogs without getting overwhelmed – specifically, what I did as a super pregnant stay-at-home-mom giving it a shot, then seeing what worked.
Starting keyword research where it actually matters
Finding the longtail keyword to use
Integrating that keyword while writing with AI
Adding that keyword to some of the technical sides
My actual numbers (and the insights I’ll apply to the future)
Because sometimes, the simplest approach is the one that actually gets done.
Let’s go!
Start Your Keyword Research Where It Actually Matters
Keyword recap.
A keyword is a word that encapsulates a theme in what you’re writing (i.e. for this blog, it’s “AI”).
A longtail keyword is a phrase that does the same thing (i.e. for this blog, it’s “SEO blog with AI”).
We care because keywords tell the algorithm (like Google) what the heck we’re talking about. When algorithms know what we’re talking about – and that we’re experts – they feature our content to the people looking for related info (i.e. people Googling “how to write an SEO blog with AI”).
With that traffic, we can build an email list, sell stuff, build our authority, whatever we want.
Your blogs need longtail keywords. And, as I found out from my maternity leave experiment – even including only one repeated keyword works.
The easiest way to find relevant keywords? Start with the questions you already get asked. No tools required. Just tap into what your customers are actually searching for.
For example, when I was building my copywriting blog, I noticed "how to pick a niche" was one of the most commonly asked questions in beginner copywriter communities. There were the people I wanted to build authority with. That observation alone pointed me toward a keyword that would actually matter to my audience.
That’s great if you’re really familiar with your niche. But what if you're not sure what questions to target? Like, what if you’re writing blogs about hamster breeding for a client, but you know nothing about the hamster breeding biz?
Here's my favorite shortcut: talk to customer service.
Recently, I helped a power washing company with their blog content strategy. Instead of guessing what potential customers might search for, or wandering Google, I spent 45 minutes chatting with their front desk lady. She knew exactly:
What convinced people to book power washing services
Common hesitations before making the decision
What customers loved most about the end results
That single conversation gave me enough insight to use Google to plan six months of SEO-optimized content – 12 blogs worth. The phrases and questions customers use when talking to service reps are often exactly what they type into Google.
Another gem for keyword research? Testimonials, reviews, and case studies. These are packed with real phrases from real customers describing their problems and solutions they want.
When customers write reviews, they're essentially telling you exactly how they'd search for your service. These authentic voice-of-customer phrases are SEO gold.
If you (or your client) is serving local clients, your keywords need to reflect how people actually search in your area. The keywords for brick-and-mortar businesses need to have location words. For instance, someone might search "South Asheville CPA services" rather than just "accountant."
Not familiar with the area you're blogging about? Just ask your client or their team about:
Common neighborhood names
How locals refer to different parts of town
County or district names that people use
Awesome. Now we know the gist of the long-tail keyword we need, we need to figure out how to word it. Remember – if you’re keeping it ultra-simple, you can use a single longtail keyword throughout your blog, like I did.
2. Turn Basic Keywords Into SEO-Friendly Phrases
SEO tools can be pricy and overwhelming, but you don’t need a paid SEO tool to write quality SEO blogs with AI. Here’s two simple but powerful tools for keyword research that won't overwhelm you with data.
1. Google's "People Also Ask" Section
It’s free, it’s instant, it’s unlimited.
Start with what you know about your niche or what you've learned from your client. Google a basic version of your keyword and scroll past the ads. You'll find the "People Also Ask" section – a collection of real search phrases. When you click to expand these questions, it’ll populate even more of these questions. You're seeing exactly how people phrase their searches.
For example, for that niche blog, I started out by Googling “copywriter niche.”
2. AnswerThePublic.com
Free for 3 uses per day. Here's where you can get more strategic without getting complicated.
Type in a one or two-word keyword related to your topic, and the site will show you three-or-more-word (long-tail) keyword options. You'll see traffic data and cost-per-click information for each phrase.
Yes, there's a lot of data here, but don't let it overwhelm you. Focus on:
Keywords with decent traffic (it’s ok if it’s not insane traffic. Traffic from quality leads is much better than massive traffic from randos.)
Phrases that directly relate to your topic
Terms that feel natural in conversation (how would someone phrase it after “Hey Alexa”?)
Remember, you don't need to use every keyword you find. You don’t even need to use a bunch. Pick 1 to 5 relevant ones with good traffic numbers and save the rest for future content.
We'll cover exactly how to tell your AI writing tool to use these keywords in the next section.
Quick Tip: When I'm planning a blog, I write it section by section, instructing my AI tool to naturally incorporate selected keywords into each part. This keeps the content flowing while maintaining SEO value. I have a blog going in more detail here.
3. Make AI Write SEO-Friendly Content (Naturally)
Want to know how to write an SEO blog with AI without making it sound robotic? These are my 3 main tricks.
1. Clearly Instruct it to include the keyword
Begin your AI writing session by telling your tool (whether it's Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, or another AI) exactly what keyword you want to include.
Don't assume it'll remember on its own. I always start with something like "Incorporate [keyword] into each section of this blog."
2. Check & Remind
After your AI writes the first section, check if it actually included your keyword. If it didn't, simply remind it. I've found that once reminded, AI tools typically maintain keyword usage in subsequent sections. If it sounds a little clunky, I don’t sweat it – I can tweak it in the edits.
This is super important. I have not seen an AI software reliably include keywords without reminders. I’ve also not seen any do well with instructions including numbers (i.e. “include this keyword 3 times.”)
3. Get Keywords in the Headings
While you can ask your AI to include keywords in headings, don't force it if it sounds unnatural. I like to request keyword-optimized headings initially, then adjust them during editing if they feel clunky. Remember, readability trumps perfect keyword placement every time.
4. Natural Flow Matters More Than Perfect Keywords
It's okay to modify your keyword slightly to make it sound more natural. For example, transforming "how to find your niche as a copywriter" into "how to find your copywriting niche" keeps the SEO value..
Remember: Google's algorithms don't just track keywords – they measure how long people stay on your page. An engaging blog that keeps readers reading will usually outperform a keyword-stuffed piece that has readers bouncing off the page.
4. Finishing Touches: Technical SEO Elements That Matter
These are the SEO freebies: including the long-tail keyword in your title, subtitle, and meta description.
1. Titles & Subtitles
While AI can generate title suggestions that include your keywords, I find them typically generic. Remember – you understand your audience better than AI does.
When I was making that niche blog, I got vanilla titles like "How to Pick a Niche for Copywriters | A Simple Yet Effective Guide.” Meh. Low personality.
I tweaked the wording and landed on the title "For My Newbie Self: How to Pick a Niche for Copywriting” and subtitle “Picking a Niche | Screwing Up is Harder Than You Think." More engaging and still maintains SEO value.
2. Meta Descriptions
Meta descriptions – that little title and blurb that Google shows you in its search results. For extra SEO oomph, don’t let it put together default content. This is your opportunity to add stuff on the backend.
Here's a simple trick to stand out: format your keyword slightly differently than your original title. And to step it up, tweak some formatting so it doesn’t look like the competition.
For example, instead of using my title as the meta title – or the original keyword (I used "picking a niche for copywriters"), I went with "picking a niche (for copywriters)."
Include this in a brief meta description that sets clear expectations for readers. Including the keyword, of course.
If you’re like “but I don’t know how you even add the meta description stuff on the backend!” Take a breath. Unclench. Open ChatGPT or Claude or Perplexity or whatever. Ask it “how do I add a meta description on [X web host the blog’s gonna live on (Squarespace, Wix, etc.)]”. It’ll guide you. And if you get stuck, ask it for help.
3. URL Slug
That’s the part after web address (it’s the “/seo-blogging-with-ai” part after the “www.checkcopywriting.com part”. In the backend, you can straight-up make that slug the longtail keyword or a variation.
Now let’s talk about Getting Initial Traction
Proper Google indexing is important (and something you can tackle when you have time), but you can jumpstart your blog's visibility by:
Sharing the published link with your email list
Posting it on LinkedIn, a Facebook page, or Pinterest
Getting those first crucial reader interactions
That’s what I did. It clues Google in that you’re legit. I also recommend this to my clients when I write their blogs.
So, we’ve picked a keyword and included it in our blog content and the technical odds-and-ends. Last step is to make sure we don’t get hit with the major SEO penalty – plagiarism.
5. Quality Control: Keeping Your AI Content Original
Plagiarism is a unique challenge when writing SEO blogs with AI. It's not just about ethics – it can seriously hurt your SEO rankings. Google's algorithms are smart enough to detect duplicate content, so it’s important not to ignore it.
AI writing tools pull from their training data, which means they might accidentally reproduce existing content. This isn't intentional plagiarism, but Google doesn't care about intentions. It’ll send you to SEO jail anyway.
making AI blogs original:
1. Feed Your AI Original Material. The best way to get original content is to give your AI original input. Share your:
Personal stories
Real examples
Client testimonials
Case studies
Original research findings
When you give AI unique material to work with, it can integrate it and produce unique content in return.
2. Use Plagiarism Checkers. Don't skip this step. Tools like Quetext (paid & my favorite) or Grammarly's free version can help catch unintentional duplicate content. Think of it as insurance for your SEO efforts.
Pro Tip: I like to be transparent with my readers by mentioning that the content was created by "Sarah" and "AI Sarah" working together. This honesty doesn't hurt SEO – if anything, it builds trust with your audience.
6. Real Results | What This Stupid Simple SEO Strategy Did for Me
When I published my blog "How to Pick a Niche for Copywriters" in July 2024, I wasn't expecting much. I had only integrated 1 longtail keyword, and tweaked the wording throughout the blog. I felt like it was better to try and suck than to skip doing it at all.
But by October 24th – just three months later – it had reached #8 on Google for both "how to pick a niche for copywriters" and "how to pick a copywriting niche." By November 29th, it had climbed to #3.
But here's what really matters: the blog wasn't just about getting visitors. It served as a gateway to my email opt-in – a specialized chatbot that helped copywriters clarify their niche. This strategy worked because:
The blog attracted the right audience
The chatbot offered immediate value
Email subscribers became warm leads for future offers
The result? My email list grew with engaged subscribers who I could connect with personally – and share both free and paid resources they'd actually want.
Awesome! Now, I tried several versions of keyword usage in the 8 blogs, partly to see what would stick. Some didn’t do as well — but they gave me valuable insights I’m going to put into action. Frankly, those insights feel just as valuable as ranking well.
Here’s the data & Insights on my SEO blogs with AI test:
I wrote 8 ~2k/word blogs centered on 8 core beginner copywriting topics. I pulled them together with the help of my blog-writing GPT I built. I then scheduled these blogs to go out every other week for 4ish months.
2 blogs had a long-tail keyword featured 7 times.
2 blogs had a long tail keyword featured 4 times.
2 blogs had a long-tail keyword featured 1 time.
2 blogs had no longtail keywords, just one-word keywords and vibes around a topic.
Is it the perfect study with a super robust sample size? No. I’m a mom at home working from her laptop, not a Neil Patel megabiz that can do huge studies. Love you, Neil. Look, I realize that these blogs Google rankings will be skewed by keyword competition, the length of time these have been live, and the relatively low volume of blogs I’m measuring.
But did this experiment give me valuable insights and clear direction for improving my personal (and client’s) SEO? YES. That’s what’s important to me. I now have very customized results with actionable insights. Everything I need to make substantial course corrections.
Here’s the breakdown, then I’ll give you the insights pulled:
“How to Pick a Niche for Copywriting” | keyword: how to pick a niche for copywriting, used 7x | #3 on Google
“What I Wish I’d Known About Picking Software“ | keyword: tech stack for copywriters, used 4x | #8 on Google
“You’re Not Bad with Technology” | no longtail keywords | no data to collect
“Personal Branding for Copywriters” | keyword: personal branding for copywriters, used 1x | #20 on Google
“When to Use a Human Copyeditor vs Copy Editing Tools” | no longtail keywords | no data to collect
“Pricing for Beginner Copywriters” | keyword: pricing for beginner copywriters, used 4x | Not within top #50
“Client Acquisition for Copywriters” | keyword: client acquisition for copywriters, used 7x | #8 on Google
“How I Manage Time & Get Work Done” | keyword: managing time as a copywriter, used 1x | Not within top #50
Here’s the insights I gained and how I plan to apply them:
A single repeating keyword helped the blog rank higher. Once was good. Four times was better. Seven times was even better. This helped me see how even only one longtail keyword could have a huge SEO impact. Now imagine including 2! For future blogs, I plan to include the top keyword at least 7 times, especially in the title.
Putting in even one keyword gives you a benchmark for data collection. Write your blog, note the keyword you used, check on it in a few months. I’m embarrassed to admit, but the two blogs I had that didn’t have longtail keywords were because… I didn’t double check to make sure they were included. What data was I supposed to collect when I didn’t create a target? For future blogs, I plan on having and tracking a specific keyword — and not winging it.
3 months minimum seems to be a decent amount of time to wait to see if your SEO is picking up traction. The more recent the blog was posted, the lower it seems to rank (makes sense). For future blogs, I’m not going to worry about SEO until month #3.
Variations on keywords didn’t seem to dilute SEO. For example, I used “how to pick a niche for copywriters”, but I tweaked the wording at times to give it a little variety. For future blogs, I’m not going to worry about minor grammatical changes that make a keyword fit better.
I can update blogs any time I want! The blogs without keywords — or the ones not ranking well — can be edited to include the keywords I forgot. For future — and current — blogs, I’m going to give myself permission to see how it performs, then make edits to course correct, then see how they perform.
7. Let’s Recap: How to Write SEO Blogs with AI
Here’s the stupid simple steps I used to write an SEO blog with AI:
Pick the topic by knowing your audience well or asking them/those who serve them (example: “copywriting niches”)
Google that topic to see what common questions come up in the “people also ask” section.” Use the question – or a part of the phrase – as your keyword. Or go to answerthepublic.com and enter the topic to find the long-tail keywords with the best traffic. (example: “how to pick a niche for copywriters”)
Pick one to use in your blog. Pick up to five if you’re ambitious.
Write your blog with AI, integrating that long-tail keyword into each selection, the title & subtitle, and the meta description. Feel free to tweak the phrasing of the keyword to make the flow more natural.
Ready to Try It Yourself?
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