Don’t Just Create Traffic

Bringing traffic to a website is every SEO copywriter’s utmost desire. There is no doubt about that. But if that is the only purpose a SEO copywriter wants his website to achieve, then his work is as good as a dead fish. SEO copywriters are given the task to create attractive web contents that will not only lure online visitors, but also convert these visitors to buyers. There is no point in having thousands of visitors if every single visitor will just walk away with nothing.

A SEO copywriter can convert traffic into loyal customers by first understanding his client’s product and service. There is no way a copywriter can create a convincing copy if he has not personally experienced the product or service he will write about. Most likely, he will just come up with a copy that lacks substance and might even possibly mislead visitors. Moreover, a good copywriter will take time to research keywords that will work best for his copy, so he can help establish the website to key search engine positions. Truly respectable SEO copywriters are concerned with even the parts of a website that can only be seen by search engine bots.

Unique and valuable contents are the primary requirement of a website to gain sales. Good SEO copywriters are capable of producing fresh contents that have powerful words and phrases that are proven to increase the possibility of turning visitors into paying customers. The success of a company in the highly-competitive world of online marketing greatly depends on SEO copywriters who are knowledgeable in effective copywriting techniques and the basics of online marketing.

Be Personal

Copywriting, whether in print or web, is basically selling. A copywriter may not personally promote a product or service to a perspective buyer, but its method of convincing is the same as any other conventional sales work. In order to win the hearts of customers, copywriters need to create a personal connection. Salesmen who close million-dollar deals are those who were able to successfully empathize with people, and copywriters need to follow their example.

There are several ways on how to connect with people. The most common, and often neglected by novice copywriters, is speaking directly to one person. When doing a face-to-face sales call, a salesman will not speak to hundreds of clients at once. He will meet the need of one client at a time. The same principle holds true for web copywriters. Those who write copies intended to be read on the Internet have to make their message personal.

Knowing the target audience is the primary step in communicating on a personal level. Know their age, social status, gender and peculiar need. After which, when its time to write the copy, a copywriter should remember to use “you” or “your”, instead “we” or “us”. Second person pronouns make statements look friendlier. Instead of writing “We will greatly benefit from this new computer software,” write, “You will greatly benefit from this new computer software.” A web copywriter must learn the vernaculars and jargons of its target audience. Customers are drawn more to copies that speak exclusively to them.

Don’t Beat Around the Bush

Online readers will be eternally grateful for web copywriters who were able to give what they want through clear and concise texts. As what has always been said, online readers somehow take on a different persona when they are in front of a computer screen. They tend to become impatient. Looking for a product or service in Internet is not like shopping in the mall; where one can sift through racks of clothing without feeling restless. Because of the strain computer screens can do to the eyes and the attention-grabbing websites of different companies, online readers find it hard to relax and remain focused when they are trying to buy something from the Internet.

Web copywriters can make online shopping easy and enjoyable for everyone by producing copies that are short and direct to the point. More than avoiding complex words, web copywriters should also refrain from using anecdotes, metaphors or other lengthy phrases tangential to the main topic; these phrases will only frustrate readers and compel them to look at other websites. Indirect beginnings can work on novels and other forms of literary pieces, but not on contents intended to be read on the web. People on the web are hasty in getting what they want, so web copywriters should adapt accordingly to their harsh demands.

Many web copywriters fall into the trap of believing that using indirect introduction can show intellect and sophistication. They are to be pitied because they are not aware that using such an introduction only shows superficiality and lack of basic knowledge in web copywriting.

Let Your Headings Attract

Much of the success of a website depends on its headings. A good heading will entice readers to finish the whole article; bad ones will repel readers to other websites, losing potential buyers. People will usually come across your article in a crowded webpage – where it is hardly noticeable – or worse, in a page full of search engine results. Your only chance of getting noticed in a page full of websites screaming for attention is by having a powerful heading. Website copywriters only have a few seconds to capture the attention of readers. In those few precious moments, the heading becomes the center of focus.

Writing headings for web articles is a skill not many copywriters possess. It has been said that four out of five people will not read past the headline, so when a copywriter was able to entice a reader to read the whole content using his headline then he is considered exceptional. Web copywriters should perhaps look up to newspaper writers as examples, because nothing sells a newspaper better than the compelling front-page headlines these writers create.

When writing a headline, copywriters should keep their word count to eight words or less, and should include important keywords. The use of extravagant phrases will only distract readers from the actual message of the website. If a reader failed to get a quick idea of what the page is all about, they will not hesitate to leave. A clear and concise style of writing will be greatly appreciated by online visitors, or rather potential customers.

Keep It Short and Simple

It’s time to elaborate the Less is More principle of web copywriting.

Long and convoluted sentences may read well in print, but will appear forbidding on the computer screen. To attract customers, web copywriters should keep their copies short and simple. Flowery words and lengthy sentences will only distract readers from finding the message of the website, and will also give readers the impression that the copywriter is a showoff.

The use of short stories, metaphors or anecdotes at the beginning of web articles is not appropriate. Online readers are hasty in finding the information they want to know. If the web page failed to satisfy their want because of unnecessary sentences and phrases, they will not hesitate to go to other websites. Readers will only give each web page ten seconds to capture their interest, meaning they will scan right past an article that doesn’t have an attention-grabbing introduction. Web copywriters should introduce a product or service with short and clear statements.

A call to action in a short and simple copy will attract traffic and ultimately create sales. In order to encourage a reader to buy the product or to avail the service of a website, a web copywriter should learn to create urgency by using phrases such as for limited time only, limited supplies, or free registration within June. When creating urgency, however, it is important to keep one’s credibility and honesty. It is downright wrong to offer a discount that has already expired or to offer a gift that is no longer available. Destruction is the eventual end of a company that practices dishonesty.

Web copywriters are not writing to impress but to communicate. The aim of copywriting is about getting the information across with the fewest words possible. A single copy should have fifty words or less, with its sentences limited only to 15 to 20 words and its paragraphs limited to 40 to 70 words.

Tips to improve a Content Writer’s skills in Copywriting

Are you aware that it takes a great effort to become an effective copywriter?

Anyone can learn how to write. It may take a few minutes to produce a full blown essay or story but how about writing to promote a product or a service? It is not as easy as 1-2-3. There is a very thin line between marketing the product or the service and hard selling. Think about this.

In Wikipedia, Copywriting is defined as is the process of writing the words that promote a person, business, opinion, or idea. It may be used as plain text, as a radio or television advertisement, or in a variety of other media. The main purpose of writing this marketing copy, or promotional text, is to persuade the listener or reader to act — to buy a product or subscribe to a certain viewpoint, for instance. Alternatively, copy might also be intended to dissuade a reader from a particular belief or action.

Copywriting can also be done online or what we know as “www” or the World Wide Web. The copywriters then need access to internet to be able to carry out their tasks. The online copywriter commonly known as the content writer is a traditional copywriter with a twist. It is not just plain writing for marketing or selling purposes. It is a lot more than more than traditional writing. Being a content writer is more on knowing how to choose the right and effective wordings to make a certain website rank and increase in traffic. Traffic here means the number of visitors. This includes the ability to select powerful keywords and placing these in the right places in all the web pages. Complicated? Well, I prefer to address it as something challenging.

Being a Web Copywriter or Content Writer involves skills that need to be continuously improved. The following are tips to improve a Content Writer’s skills in Copywriting:

LESS IS MORE

This applies to anything – less straight to the point words mean more defined concepts. This is to avoid the readers from getting bored and confused. Reading a whole paragraph can make the readers tired and loose interest. It is advisable to use bullets. This will certainly make reading a lot easier and the important points can be seen fast.

LET IT FLOW

Thoughts are sometimes hard to gather and it takes time to actually write from top up to the bottom. Organize first the ideas, try to write it down. This is of great help. Once everything is organized, you will find yourself with more thoughts. Let the words flow. Do not be pressured. But of course, be cautious with the tone, the grammar and other important elements that will have an impact to what you are doing.

ALWAYS WRITE WITH THE SPECIFIC INDIVIDUAL IN MIND

Write as if you are just talking to a specific person alone. In this way, you can limit the conversation and focus on more important points.

CREATE INTEREST IN THE FIRST LINE

Catch a reader’s attention with the very first line. This will pull them in just by reading the first line alone. This is a challenge to all content writers – a little hard but very possible to produce.

WEAR YOUR READER’S SHOES

Always put yourself in the shoes of your readers. Address what you offer and what it can do for them. Know their interests. Be a reader too. Keep them interested in the piece of writing you have for them. Remember, to become an effective writer, you must be am attentive reader first.

To wrap things up, being a Copywriter requires skills to be improved as time goes by. Any task is not easy not unless you learn to love doing it. Therefore, love copywriting first before you can be the best copywriter that you want to be. And the good thing is, you can go online and penetrate more of the readers – through the World Wide Web.

Happy (copy)writing!!!

SEO Copywriting Techniques

Most of the copywriters do not have any idea about SEO so they are just creating their articles the way that they think it is right and that it will give the right tone for the readers to understand what they are trying to say.

As an SEO there are factors that need to consider aside from the basic rule of copywriting. Some of which are the use of the targeted keywords on your website, and the tone to use for the web or blog content.

Here are some techniques to guide you on keyword integration in your copy:

1. Titles

• It is important for your keyword to be present on your website titles. Your title should be creative; that it will catch user’s attention. The title must have the main keyword that will describe what your site is so the user will know that your site is what their looking for.

2. Subheadings

• This will act as the introduction to the next relevant section of the page.

3. Related Words

• Using related words or synonyms of your keywords will result to a good copy rather than using the same word on your page that it will look like your keyword spamming.

4. Specific

• Using specific words rather than using bland general terminologies that will just give different meaning to different people reading your copy. Use your specific keywords within the context of the copy rather than use the generic words

5. Call to Action

• Let us not forget that we want to have a conversion on each visit that the website’s received. The copy should have a call to action that visitor will go within your website.

The key to high-quality on-page SEO copywriting is crafting your content that flawlessly integrates your targeted keywords in a way that it will not offend the readers. The readers should not notice that keyword repetition is employed on your copy.