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Web Copywriting for Search Engine
Optimization
Online Copywriting Basics for SEO
Web copywriting for search engine optimization (SEO) is, believe it
or not, all about words. Search engine spiders and robots
read words in html text and other text elements in a web page or
within the website, like the words in PDF files. Text in
graphic files? Cannot read. So, if you don't have words
on your web page (like Flash) or the wrong words or not enough
words, you rarely if ever get good search engine rankings.
One of the online copywriting basics that you need to be aware of if
you are doing online copywriting is that all your hard work will be
wasted if your copy appears only in graphics and not in html text!
If the web designer you are writing for is planning on doing
this, have him talk to us. If YOU are designing the web and
doing the copywriting, have YOU talk to us.
Web copywriting
for search engine optimization is very different from other kinds
of copywriting and is an integral part of the success of your web, not
only to deliver your message to your targeted audience for your product,
service or cause, but also to assure that you are
maximizing your web copywriting for search engines. Page
titles and meta tags are only part of the
search engine optimization copywriting puzzle.
How your page is written and the optimization
of targeted keywords
and keyword phrases are equally
important. It all has to work together in order for it to work
well.
One Subject Per Page
Effective online copywriting basics usually require that any
given web page be about one subject. Otherwise, you deliver a
confusing message to the search engine robots and spiders.
They aren't that smart. The length of the page and how many
words you need depends on a number of factors. Read on.
Web
copywriting for search engine optimization also requires that you
pick the right target or targets. What's a target? How
do you pick the right target or targets? Read about
Keyword Services.
You
can have more than one target and still be successful in some cases.
We have a page in this web that has at present 3 #1 and one #2
rankings on Google for 4 different search phrases. We also
have a page in this web that has a #1 ranking on Google against 80
million plus competing web pages. It can be done.
Doesn't mean it is easy!
Writing copy for a
home page is one of the most challenging writing jobs there is.
Read my Home Page
Copywriting Tips page.
Do
you need a better understanding of what search engine optimization
is all about? Read about our
SEO Project
Process.
A picture may be worth a thousand words, but
a thousand of the right words can make the complex comprehensible, evoke
emotion, incite action, steel opinion or enlist involvement.
Writing well is the hardest work I know, and the most satisfying.
If you are a copywriter, you know all about this.
Regarding the thousand
words, actually, current search engine algorithm research indicates that
an optimum word count for web copywriting for search engine optimization
is 450 to 550 words for a very competitive target.
Can you get by with fewer words? Yes, in some cases, depending
on what you are competing against for the target of choice.
Competing websites for the same target are graded on the curve.
Are more words better?
Maybe, if you have something interesting to say to your human
readers or to my dog,
Miss Lizard, who enjoys reading the newspaper but can
occasionally be coaxed into going online. Longer pages may or may
not be fully read or indexed by search engine spiders. Put the
important stuff first, or, if you have another good target, make another
page.
Here is an online
copywriting basics summary:
-
Words in text, not graphics or flash
-
Choose the right target or targets, do keyword research
-
Put the important things first
-
Have enough words
And here some
additional ideas that you will find helpful to improve the impact of
your copywriting for the Internet:
-
Write new content
that serves your customer's needs FIRST, your own needs second.
-
Write your copy so
that it will target your visitor's exact search query and
satisfy it. Relevance is one of the most important keys to
conversions to inquiries and sales.
-
If your
copywriting is really good, your visitors will be GLAD that they
found - something of true merit that they are likely to read
from beginning to end.
-
Advanced search
engine optimization uses content based on real "behaviorally
based research" rather than guessing at keyword targets.
-
Truly great
content will be written for your specific visitor so that it
flows smoothly and reads well to them. Read your copy out
loud before you put it online, that's what I do.
-
Don't copy some
else's ideas, write original content so that you feel proud to
have created it and, more importantly, so that you can gauge the
improvement of your writing skills.
-
Don't forget to
write copy that has a solid, well written "call to action."
There is more to it than this, but if you follow this advice and
read about our
Keyword Services, or learn to do
that yourself, you will be off to a good start.
If you are a copywriter and need help, we will be pleased to work
with you: You write the copy and we will help you structure it
and your web page for success with search engines.
We offer web
copywriting and search engine optimization services with or without
web design. If you have an existing web that needs help or want to
design your own web but need help with copywriting and optimization, can
do.
Webmasters:
We also enjoy collaborating on projects.
Please contact us.
Did you read this far? If
you want more good info read this report by
copywriting pro
Nick Usborne.
Ron
Castle is SEO certified
by Search Engine Workshops.
Learn
more about
Search Engine
Optimization Certification
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