~~~Search Engine Marketing Copywriting~~~
I've been reviewing an interesting thread called "Is SEO a Waste of
Time?" in the bCentral Digest.
Yes, there were SEO fans posting, trumpeting the importance of strong
rankings. But others complained that strong SEO positioning was just
"too hard" to obtain - so why try?
I'm not saying that people haven't had bad SEO experiences. In fact,
it's common to hear that a firm or individual tried to achieve high
rankings...but it didn't happen. After that, many folks are gun shy
about trying another SEO strategy and they figure that rankings are
only for "the big boys" who understand the elusive "spider secrets."
Are you considering revving up your own search engine marketing
campaign? Before you hire a firm - or take the gig in-house - beware
of these common SEO writing mistakes. If you do, you'll increase your
high-ranking chances and enjoy strong text your prospects will love.
1. Not having suitable text for search engine spiders.
Yes, you need visible HTML text on your home page and important inner
pages. And that does mean that your text should be hearty and meaty.
Remember, about 200-250 words per optimized page is a good rule of
thumb. Any less than that, and you reduce your marketing message
efficiency AND it's hard to include your necessary keyphrases. Check my article for more information on this.
Remember, you don't want pure marketing fluff filling your 250-word
count. Keep your copy tight and wired, and focus on what your
prospects want to know. If you don't include the benefits of working
with your company, or make your product/service/information enticing,
it will make no difference how much traffic you drive to your site.
People will ignore your content and surf to your competitor.
2. Ignoring keyphrases at your own peril.
Trying to snatch high positioning without keyphrases is like trying to
drive a car without gas. Sure, your site (or vehicle) may look hot
just sitting there, but you won't be able to show it off (and get the
rankings you want) without keyphrases powering the engine and making
it zoom to the top of the charts.
It's simple to include keyphrases into your copy, whether your site is
informational or marketing oriented. Just research for your most
useful phrases first, then include them in your visible copy. If you
want more information about keyphrases, how to research them, write
with them and why you should love them, review my article on the topic.
3. Thinking that "if other sites use X (insert hot, yet useless
technology here), why can't I?
Did your mom ever ask you, "If your friends jumped off a building,
would you do it too?" Just because a "big" and reputable site has a
Flash home page doesn't mean that your site needs one. Or, just
because your competitors love whirling graphics doesn't mean that's
the best thing to do for your site. Prospects (and the search engine
spiders) want TEXT. That means your copywriter should be heavily
involved with your SEO process, and your designer should know what the
search engines can index...and what they can't.
The truth is, there are a lot of well-branded sites out there that
make some horrific search engine marketing mistakes (like not having
strong text on their home nor inner pages). So, unfortunately, saying,
"I want our site to look just like their site" can mean trouble down
the line.
Remember that you want your site to be as spider and prospect friendly
as possible. Shari Thurow of Grantastic Designs, as well as Shirley Kaiser, provide some great search
engine-friendly design tips. For more information, you can also read this article.
4. Believing that SEO is "impossible" anyway, why try?
Like everything else in life, if you think something is impossible,
you probably won't get it. SEO is not impossible, nor is it rocket
science. However, the sometimes-conflicting SEO writing information
can be confusing. Sure, experienced SEOers understand that strong
content, good submission strategies and killer tags are the name of
the game. But, if SEO is just part of your job, and you have a
whopping 30 minutes a week to spend on research and implementation,
you're probably having a hard time.
Our humble publication, as well as I-Search
and forums like IHelpyouservices, can answer
your burning SEO writing questions. You should also review the Search Engine Watch site and sign up for Search Day for the latest
search engine information and reviews. Although you don't have to
intimately understand the search engines to write for them, you should
be as search savvy as possible.
Yes, SEO is worth it for most sites. By avoiding the most common
search engine writing mistakes, you'll be halfway to a strong strategy
that drives traffic to your site - and converts them when they're
there. Happy writing!
Heather
~~~Send Us Your Questions~~~
If you have questions about online copywriting or search engine optimization (or both!), just zip us an email to questions@rankwrite.com. We've had some folks ask if their question
was "too basic" to be printed - and you don't have to worry about
that! There are no "stupid" search engine optimization or copywriting
questions, so ask away!
