More people and companies than ever are using the web to find information as well as research solutions to their problems. Many are using search engines, particularly Google, to not only scope you out, but your competitors as well.
How well does your website rank in search engines? Are potential clients able to find you easily? Research indicates that visitors rarely go past the 2nd page after Googling a search term. With proper SEO (Search Engine Optimization) copywriting techniques, you can greatly improve your business’ ranking on search engines and get a step up over the competition.
Need some help? Here are some ideas to get you started.
Keyword Search Tool
First, you need to know what keywords to use. There are many keyword search tools out there to help you select the keywords you should be sprinkling throughout your content. Google’s tool is one of my favorites and it’s free: https://adwords.google.com
Work on Your Headlines
Once you decide on the keywords, add some of these to the Headlines of your content. Search engines love this. Also, since search engines read content on a website page the same we do—left to right and top to bottom, position your headline on the top left side of each page. Be sure to add a headline to each page of your website.
Think of Number One
Always focus on the number “one.” One topic, one page; One idea; one paragraph. This aids in scanning and makes it easier for search engines to find.
Additionally, the most important information on each page of your site should be located at the top of the page. It’s akin to writing a press release. Think of the inverted pyramid—most pertinent information at the top. Also, use keyword phrases as intact when possible.
Include Bullets
Don’t try to write lengthy copy. As mentioned above, website viewers tend to scan, so use lots of bullets:
- Bulleted and numbered lists make information easy to scan and quick to understand.
- Be descriptive—not clever.
- If you need to, punch up the phrases in bullets with questions or include numbers.
Add Internal Links
I can’t tell you how often I visit a website and see a lack of hyperlinks to the internal pages of a website within the body of the copy. For example, if you mention your dedicated and highly qualified staff on the home page, be sure to add a link to that page within the content. What will be most effective is if you can link the keywords to other pages on the site.
Other SEO Copywriting Considerations:
Some final words of advice:
- Chunk your paragraphs so they are between 150 and 300 words.
- Cut the fluff and get rid of empty words and phrases.
- Short pages may be 400 words or less. If you have less than 200 words, you might not have a page.
- Keep longer pages around 600 words.
Have any suggestion of your own? Include them in the comments below.
Very helpful and right to the point!