What SEO Copywriting Is… and Isn't

I've been frustrated lately.  It seems people just don't get it.  There's lots of talk about SEO copywriting these days, but hardly any of it is on target.  The majority of the conversations, posts and articles I've seen deal with topics like keyword density, allowable limits, over optimization and such.  These people are making search engine copywriting all about the search engines.  They are forgetting the fact that SEO copywriting is still copywriting.

What that means - generally speaking - is you are still writing promotional copy designed to cause a *person* to take a specific action.  Your target audience (your site visitors) should come first.  The elements designed to help the copy rank well absolutely come last. 

What good is all the traffic in the world if your site copy doesn't convert visitors into buyers?  Not much.  That's why - when writing SEO copy - the human visitor comes first.

Unfortunately, SEO copywriting is getting a bad name because so much of what is being cranked out is repetitious babble. Most of these pages would never have made it on to a site, except for the fact that the site owner wanted to rank highly for certain key terms.

So, in the interest of salvaging the good name of search engine copywriting, before it's too late, let me offer some guidelines.

SEO Copy Is:

· first and foremost - written for the visitor.

· unique and purposeful.

· natural-sounding - it flows.

SEO Copy Is Not:

· written exclusively with the engines in mind.

· mirrored, adjusted or altered to create new pages by simply changing keyphrases.

· stiff, forced or overly repetitive. 

The Dos of SEO Copywriting

When writing SEO copy, you'll want to:

· understand who you are writing to.

· choose what the focus of the page will be.

· create a plan outlining the message you want to convey.

· decide how best to communicate that message to your particular target customers.

· choose which keyphrases will be incorporated into the copy.

· make sure those keyphrases work well with the page and the planned copy.

· incorporate keyphrases as you write (not after you write), so they flow naturally with the planned message.

The Don'ts of SEO Copywriting

When writing SEO copy, you should never:

· create a plan based solely on how to rank high.

· replace *every* instance of a generic term (car) with a keyphrase (red, convertible car).

· add pages of copy simply to appease the search engines.

· rely on useless keyword density ratios and formulas.

· shove keyphrases in everywhere possible. (No, it won't get you banned, but it will sound completely ridiculous!)

SEO copywriting is not the process of writing exclusively for the search engines.  It is the process of writing copy to appeal to your visitors, while including elements to help the search engines and your visitors understand what the page is all about. 

If you remember who truly makes or breaks your site's success (your customers!) and focus on them, you're sure to create SEO copy that rings true.

Why are Keywords so Important?

Keywords and phrases are the words and combinations of words used by Internet surfers when searching for information on any particular subject.

They can also be used to provide an overall indication of what an article or document discusses. Choosing the correct keyword phrases can be the difference between the high volume traffic you desire and your web site becoming a virtual ghost town.

 If your goal is better search engine ranking, it is an absolute must that you master the art of selecting the right keywords to bring in traffic. Search engines rank your page according to the keywords that are included in the text on your web page.

 Choosing the right keywords can mean a world of difference in your search engine ranking. The better your ranking is the more likely it will be that you receive traffic from those who are looking for what you have to offer.

Choosing proper keywords for your site may be the most important SEO (search engine optimization) work you can do and is essential to all SEO efforts. Before you make any decisions about the content on your web page you need to decide which keywords you wish to target. Not only do you need to have very specific and well defined keywords for your web pages but it is also vital that you choose keywords that are targeted to your audience as well as those that are searched often or you risk being the top of the rankings list and still getting little or no traffic from the search engines.

 Keywords are also important because they allow you to define your target audience. What this means is that by selecting the right keywords you can attract buyers to your site that are looking for what you have to offer rather than those who are just window shopping or looking for something completely unrelated to your product.

Targeted traffic is the Holy Grail in Internet marketing because it maximizes your effort and profit potential. Be sure to use those keywords liberally throughout your web page, article headings, sub headings, and the title of your web page itself.

You should also consider targeting a few choice keywords on your web page that are related to one another so that the search engines have more than one term to identify. It is important to understand the importance of keywords in building your web page. If you don't properly understand the importance of keywords you will have a difficult time building a profitable website.

You can avoid a great deal of the learning curve that many beginning, and even intermediate, Internet marketers struggle with by mastering the art of keyword selection early on in your Internet marketing efforts. You should also avoid over-saturation of keywords or keyword stuffing as these can harm your SEO efforts more than help them. Also remember to have the keywords spaced out within your content rather than bunched together to look as though you are “stuffing” your content with keywords.

You Have Your Perfect Keywords—Now What?

You've laboured long and hard to produce the perfect keywords that are sure to bring the money rolling into your website. Now, what do you do with these amazing money making nuggets?







Keep this advice in mind when deciding how to proceed with the creation and search engine optimization of your website by using keywords creatively. If you are are unable to do the copy writing yourself, it is a good idea to invest in a qualified copywriter to do the job for you.

Not everyone has a way with words and some people find that writing is tedious and put it off so long that projects never get completed leaving these wonderful keywords to waste away along with all of your effort in finding them.

If you are able to lend a “voice” to your business, you are in a good position to do the writing yourself. Who knows your business better than you do, right?

 While video and audio are gradually creeping in to all manner of websites, content remains king—this includes written content. There are few ways around the importance of keywords and written content for getting the attention of search engines and ranking well on them.

When writing content that is going to convert into sales, it is important to appeal to your target audience on an emotional level while promoting your products or services ethically and ensuring that you are working the target keywords into the content whenever possible.

 To make the most of your optimization efforts be sure to include your keywords in the title, subheadings, wording within the content that is either in bold or italicized for emphasis, as anchor text for links, and in the first and last paragraph of the text. New technology is enabling websites to recognize close matches to your keywords but for now it is still important to use your keywords exactly throughout the content in order to maximize your optimization efforts.

You can use synonyms, plurals, and other similar phrases as additional keywords and to supplement your optimization efforts but your primary focus should be on the exact keyword phrase. Make sure your keywords are also included in your meta tags.

This is something that website owners who use programs to build or create their websites often overlook. If you feel you lack the expertise to do it yourself, be sure to pay someone to do this for you. It will be money well spent just as investing in written content will be if you struggle with the written language or have no interest in writing at all. Once you've created your site, written the content, and have everything ready to go, it is vital that you track the results in order to see where your investment of money, time, energy, and effort is paying off the most.

By using tools like Google Analytics, you can keep track of visitors as well as how your keywords are performing for you. Use the information you learn from this valuable service to change and adjust your keywords whenever appropriate and refine your keyword research efforts for future projects.

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SEO or PPC: Which One is Right for You?

There are two major search engine marketing strategies in use today: SEO (search engine optimization) and PPC (pay-per-click). Both strategies are entirely different and it is tough to decide which one or which combination is right for you.

To decide which strategy is best for you, consider the basics. It is easier to judge the pros and cons when taking the big picture into account. People will continue to battle for the top search engine positions. Search engine marketing is undoubtedly one of the best sources of targeted traffic.

As people continuously try to find new and unique ways to get additional traffic to their web sites, the SEO industry continues to grow. PPC refers to advertising on a search engine that charges on a per click basis whenever a visitor clicks on one of your ads. The order of ads is usually based on bidding prices, meaning that the advertiser who bids the highest price per click will be listed first. These sponsored listings are known as PPC listings.

SEO tries to change your search engine ranking by looking at a number of factors including link popularity, Page Rank and so on. If your web site is search engine optimized then obviously you are more likely to have a good ranking in the search engines. A well-optimized and marketed site will be listed in the top results whenever a person searches for related keywords. One of the best benefits of SEO marketing is you don’t have to pay for any clicks! So, how can we decide which method is better? Both methods actually serve different purposes. However, one is likely to be a better fit for your business than the other one.

PPC

PPC traffic, rankings and results tend to be more stable and predictable than SEO, and, combined with its low cost, this makes PPC one of the more popular ways of advertising. Most companies try PPC before they try SEO, because it’s seen as more stable. In many cases PPC lets you rank well on the search engines, without having to do the tedious work involved in SEO – no finding link partners, posting links, creating content and so on. As long as you have the budget for it, the ranking is yours. Another advantage is that the listing will get posted when you want it and not when the search engine gets around to it. With PPC’s popularity growing day by day, the market is also getting competitive. You will find that CPC’s (costs per clicks) are steadily rising, and for a common man it is getting tough to invest much. As with most auctions, the more people bidding on PPC, the higher the prices get.

SEO

The main benefit of SEO is that it does not cost per click. The disadvantages are that the traffic to your website is more unpredictable and requires a lot of work. With SEO, you have to adapt and constantly change strategies as search engines change their algorithms. SEO is also slower than PPC, as many search engines don't list new sites. So what should you choose? Well, it depends on how much money you are willing to spend, what your time line is, and what your return on investment is. If you have cash then PPC should be your first choice, as it produces fast results. PPC can also be used for testing the effectiveness of web sites. If you have time and money to invest in long-term results, SEO is an excellent option as well.

All and all, the best marketing strategy is typically to go with PPC in the short term to get immediate traffic and analyze conversions. SEO should then be taken with a long term view in mind, so you can reap the benefits of free traffic later on.

The 10 Frightening Pitfalls That Can Turn Your Visitors Off

While designing your website, you cannot afford to make room for any flaws that might be taken seriously by the users. There is, for sure, not a lack of websites which inadvertently contain serious mistakes, and worse still people fail to attribute poor performance of the site to such flaws. The fact is that these potentially crippling pitfalls often seem to be either trivial or marginal, or even not thought of having any say in how the site fares at the end of the day.


Here's is a concise exposition on some pitfalls which might easily escape your attention. Or the other way around, you do not deem it worthy of your consideration. But, mind it, these seemingly insignificant aspects of your website can scare your visitors away and ruin your business reputation beyond redemption.


1. The flashing up of under construction sign.

Your instance of resorting to under construction sign on your site sends off a wrong signal, tacitly says that you are a struggling beginner. The thumb rule here is that if you find your site not yet ready, do not show it in public altogether.

2. Your site is replete with overuse of technology.

There are some really astounding and cool new technologies available, but it does not necessarily mean that you end using all without assessing their impact on usability. It can adversely work against you. Be sure that when it comes to choose between new technology and simplicity, you opt for the latter as it is crucial for your website's functionality.

3. Inclusion of Visitor Counter on your site.

 Visitors commonly do not care enough for the visitors of your site. However, by virtue of a visitor counter if they witness a low number, they tend to be distracted. Moreover, a too high number displayed on the counter has the potential to make it seem like fictitious one. Therefore, it is advisable not to have visitor counter at the first place.

4. Your site lacks copyright statements.

Everything you write and create on your site warrants copyright declarations. So, it is in the fitness of the things to include it on every page of the website, and to make it up-to-date with changing times.

5. Mindless use of passive verbs.

The more you avoid the use of passive verbs, the better it would act in your favor. Instead, use active verbs as far as practicable as this sort of verb lends energy and activism to your site's copy.

6. Use of long and cumbersome sentences.

Long sentences are tedious to read for most of the users. So, better make it short, lucid and simple so as to add to its readability and understandability.

7. Pages on the site are lengthy .

If the cyber behavior of users is anything to go by, keep your pages brief and concise. People are too often bored of reading of lengthy stuff, so you have to take into consideration the attention span of users. If you have to say a lot, you can but do it with a series of well navigated and well explained links.

8. Not calling visitors to action.

You must give it a thought to incorporate such features on your site. You should think over giving a space designated to tell your visitors what you want them to do next. For example, Sign up for my newsletter, Order now, etc.

9. Not highlighting the benefits of your products or services.
 
People make purchases to get rid of pain and to get pleasure out of buying products and services. So, it is imperative on your part that you help users discern how your products or services are going to help them lessen their pain and get pleasure in turn.

10. You site contains typographical and grammatical errors.

Your typographical errors on the site will be noticed by your visitors in no time. This lapse your behalf is almost always considered as a sign of a novice, not a professional who is in business trying to make a living. And to keep such possibility pretty away from haunting you, what you need to do is to be a little serious in approach and a bit careful in methodology.

Hence what can be inferred upon here is that if people are going to believe that you do not take your site seriously, they won't either.