| |
| |
|
Copywriting Information |
|
|
|
Copywriting Makeover: Search Engine-Friendly Can Also Mean Visitor-Friendly
When it comes to search engine optimization, copywriting plays a big role. You want to have excellent copy that appeals to both your visitors and the engines in order to create pages that will rank highly. However, sometimes there can be potential problems with fitting copy into certain types of sites. Due to space constraints, page layout requirements or other issues, some site owners hesitate to include SEO copy thinking it will detract from the visitor's experience. It won't if you do it right! Gigmasters.com is a database site that allows visitors to search for any number of entertainment options then book them directly from the site. They segmented their target audience by the events visitors would book entertainment for (i.e., wedding entertainment, birthday party entertainment, etc.) Pages were then created for each entertainment type. The Problems Gigmasters.com wasn't ranking highly for its keyphrases on a number of pages. In fact, for the page we're focusing on in this article (see the original copy here: http://www.copywritingcourse.com/gigmasters-original-wedding.pdf), Gigmasters.com wasn't ranking in the top 50. The page desperately needed more copy. The concern was that visitors would be distracted by the addition of more text. After all, customers who come to a site to book entertainment are going to focus on the information in each performer's bio? not the copy on the category page, right? As we found out, this was not at all true. In addition to quantity (word count), the page also needed quality. The one paragraph of copy that was on the page was rough and sounded awkward. The Solutions Writing copy that appeals to the site visitors and the search engines should be the goal of every SEO copywriter. You never want to sacrifice one for the other. However, I knew that adding a long block of copy right in the middle of the page would not be using good judgment. Good thing nobody ever said all your copy had to be in one place! By breaking the copy up and adding short blips under each section of the page, we were able to include enough text to support the chosen keyphrases. At the same time, we were able to help visitors make the best choices for their wedding entertainment. The Rewrite For this particular page, the target customer was someone in need of wedding entertainment. The visitor might be a bride or the mother of a bride looking for a wedding band (a wedding music band, that is), a DJ or some other form of wedding reception music. Most often the site visitor was a bride, however. I never want to include copy strictly for SEO purposes if possible. The copy should always have a dual purpose: to help the visitor and to boost rankings. To accomplish this with Gigmasters.com, the introductory paragraph of copy spoke directly to the bride-to-be. It gave her the feeling that Gigmasters.com understood how important the music for her wedding and reception are. Under each music classification, the bride was given ideas or suggestions. Statements like, "The gentle melodies played by a harpist or flutist during the prelude to your ceremony can add an air of distinction" and " Do you want your guests to dance? Consider a Latin band or swing band to pick up the beat" prompted visitors to think through their selections and evaluate all their options before deciding. Each section of copy used at least one primary keyphrase to boost support of those terms with the engines. The copy was carefully written so as not to sound forced or stiff when including search terms. The Results You can view the updated copy here: http://www.copywritingcourse.com/gigmasters-updated-wedding.pdf. What happened after the changes? Within just a few weeks the page began to rise in rankings dramatically! Currently, the page has great rankings with various engines for various keyphrases - several in the top 10 with Google and Yahoo. And conversions? They are holding steady if not increased some according to site partner Kevin Kinyon, further proving that search engine copywriting can be helpful to real people, too. by Karon Thackston © 2005 Copy not getting results? Learn to write SEO copy that impresses the engines and your visitors at http://www.copywritingcourse.com. Be sure to also check out Karon's latest e-report "How To Increase Keyword Saturation (Without Destroying the Flow of Your Copy)" at http://www.copywritingcourse.com/keyword
MORE RESOURCES:
Copywriting - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
The Secret to Web Copywriting Gurudom Have you seen those copywriting gurus, working it on the web? How'd they get so darned famous? How can YOU get what THEY have? Here are some creative ideas for you to kick around and use in your copywriting escapades.1. Memorable Sales Copy -- How to Write it Want to know the secret of creating MEMORABLE promotional copy? Sales copy that actually stays with your customers long after they've finished reading it?Then master the art of using words to create pictures in your customers' heads.If you can describe your products or services in such a way that it forms images in your customers' heads, well, then you've just created something that will last long after the marketing is over. Headline Writing Can Lead To Fortunes: Here Are The Basics Of Writing Headlines Headlines attract attention. Headlines generate interest. Accelerate Your Freelance Copywriting Master Business Plan! Ever wish for your own copywriting business?Ever wish you could become one of those internet marketing gurus and live out your dream of being who you really want to be?Well, what's stopping you? Is it time? Money? Fear of the unknown? These are the roadblocks that prevent so many of us from achieving our full potential for greatness.If you're good at something, and I'm sure that you are. Writing for People and Search Engines Writing for the search engines is much different than writing in any other medium. Search engines are finicky, but they love text, so you're talking their language. Deciding What Voice to Use in Copy You have to choose a character or an angle that you, the copywriter plays. Copy is interactive. Five Tips for Writing Eyeball-Grabbing Headlines If you made it this far, the headline for this story has caught your attention. Hot headlines are a hit with readers because they stick out, grab attention and urge them to read the rest of the story. Finding Your Clients Business Problem Leads to Better Copy WHAT'S THEIR PROBLEM?How do you begin a dialogue with a prospect, be it in person, on your website or in print?You talk about your client's business problem.What IS your client's business problem?Answering this question is the hardest part of marketing. Knowing Copywriting Basics - How To Get Ahead In Your Copy Writing Business In order to get ahead in your copy writing business, you need to know copywriting basics. There are several things that all business owners need to know, and here, we will touch on just a few. Its the Headline, Stupid! - Writing Powerful Headlines "It's the headline, stupid," is the sign that hangs over my computer screen. It reminds me that to write effective articles, press releases, sales letters--whatever I want people to read--I need a powerful, grabber headline or title. Some Important Tips On Proposals And Price Here's a critically important copywriting technique I use when writing sales letters and proposals for our own direct marketing services and for our clients.It's all about "price". Killer Ad Copy Not everyone is a writer. Good copy writing is a science and can be learned over time. Is Your Web Copy Plain Talk? It's true, we were all taught in school to express ourselves differently on paper, than the way we speak. To follow rules of grammar, and inject an artificial air of formality. 3 Tips For Writing Better Headlines The single most important element of your website's copy is the headline. Take away practically everything else and you can still manage a sale (if the headline's good enough and you have a strong enough call to action). Hook Your Direct Mail Sales Letter Readers With Good Transition Sentences Anglers in Maine catch trout using dry flies with barbless hooks. Unless they keep tension on the line all the way to the net, they lose the trout. How To Write Direct Mail That Really, Really Works! So, you have something you want to sell. It may be a product, a service, or a cause. Making Your Purpose Your Business Step #4 - Organizing & Developing Online Content If you have done your homework then you are ready to organize and develop what will be your online content. Your content is very important as it will be used for promoting you, your work, and your website. Freelance Technical Writers - How Much Are You Worth? Where can you find out about freelance technical writing pay? Is there a place where you can go and find out where you stand? As with any field, pay is determined by several things, not just because you can do the work. Instead, it is about how you work, what type of work you do and how well you work with other people. 10 Tips for Aspiring Freelance Copywriters Every week I receive a couple of emails from people seeking advice on how to get into freelance copywriting. While there's no simple answer, and no answer which applies to everyone, there are a few tips which I believe will help most people make the move into freelance copywriting, and survive the first few months at least. How To Write Headlines That Get Attention No doubt, the headline is the most important part of any advertisement or sales letter. The reason is very simple.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2008 |
