Yes, I’ve returned to my favourite topic – good old search engine optimisation.

What makes me so qualified to talk about it?

Am I an SEO expert? – No.

But, I am a great SEO Copywriter – what makes me so sure? Well, that could have something to do with my website appearing on the front page of Google for the term copywriter which is incredibly competitive (getting on for 7 million search results) as well as several of my other keywords.

OK, that’s my credentials out the way, so let’s get back to the subject in hand.

Writing content that is search engine friendly involves far more than stringing a bunch of words together which include your keywords. Below are 7 things you have to know about SEO content if yours is going to work:

1. The importance of content

Writing great content shouldn’t just be about rankings. If that is what you hone in on, you’ll end up writing drivel. Your content has to be interesting and relevant because not only do you want it to rank well in the search results, you also want other people to link to your site and share its information.  And we’re not just talking about web copy here, it’s also things like articles and blog posts too. These back links are very important to your SEO strategy so attracting them is vital.

Obviously when writing your content you will have to include your keywords, but do it in a natural way. Don’t cram your copy with  them or have them so concentrated it makes it impossible to read. Read your copy out loud, if you find you’re falling over yourself because you have so many keywords, cut them back or re-write it so they are more naturally spaced. Readability is everything.

2. Attention grabbing

Headlines are a great way to grab your readers attention. You obviously want them to be relevant to your copy, but don’t just write decriptive headlines. Think of yourself as a journalist. How would they create a sensational headline to make your reader want to learn more? Try to come up with something that will really capture their imagination and, of course, make sure your primary keyword is in there too.

3. Bionic bio

When you write articles, blog posts or directory submissions, you will be asked for a biography. Again make this as interesting as you can and make sure your keyword is in there.

4. META

META descriptions are often overlooked. They never seem to be thought of as important. But they are. If you are unsure what a META description is, it’s basically 150 characters that are used to describe your content. Include your keywords so your reader can instantly see whether your content is going to be relevant to them or not. Although this may not necessarily directly contribute to your SEO, it will help direct readers to your website.

5. Layout

Just as you would take time to make sure your business letters are laid out correctly, spend the same amount of time ensuring your web copy, articles and blogs are laid out effectively. Lots of white space make them more appealing to the eye and easier to read. Headings and sub headings should be used to attract attention and direct readers through your text. When you use headings, make sure you use the correct tags and in a hierarchical order. H1 tags are your main headings; your sub headings should be H2 etc. And of course, always use your keywords where possible within the headings.

6. Be original

Coming up with continuous and original copy isn’t easy and the temptation to recycle is great. But don’t – unless you want to fall foul of Google’s duplicate content trap, make sure all your content is original. That’s not just your web copy, articles and blog posts, but also directory submissions, biographies and profiles. It is a lot of work but well worth it.

7. Pretty pictures

Finally I want to look at pictures. Images are always a great way to enhance your copy. But make sure the images are relevant to your content and that you have the right to use them. Many people over look the SEO potential of images. The ALT tag is very important as it gives you another opportunity to include your keyword within your site. But make sure the description you use is relevant to the image.

Why do you need to know this?

Many people believe SEO is all down to keywords and content. In part it is, but your SEO strategy should encompass so much more. You have to think about readability, links, images as well as the navigability of your website (for humans and search engine spiders).

Too many companies are still spending thousands on websites without giving a thought to its content. Yes a well designed site is important, but it is the words within it that will do the hard work for your rankings, attract traffic and convert those visitors into paying customers.

If you think SEO copywriting is an expense you can do without, you may as well think customers are an unnecessary annoyance. Investing in well written SEO copywriting is vital for the success of your online marketing.

It won’t be cheap but it will make a huge difference to your bottom line.

Sally Ormond is an international SEO Copywriter. She has worked with numerous companies (SMEs to Blue Chip Companies) from a broad range of industries to create eye-catching SEO website copy that attracts a targeted audience and converts them to buying customers. Find out how you can benefit from her experience by getting in touch today.

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SEO copywriter

Search engine optimisation is everywhere you look these days. There are companies all over the world promising to keep you on the front page of Google.

But if you don’t have the budget for that type of service there are a few things you can do to improve your website’s SEO.

First off, I want to remind you that SEO isn’t a one off activity. If you want your website to work hard for you, you must constantly work on your SEO strategy.

Yes, strategy. You do have one don’t you? If not, you’d better devise one if you don’t want to get left behind.

5 ways to improve your website’s SEO

If you are serious about optimising your chances of online marketing success, here are 5 simple techniques you can employ. Remember, if you’re going to do this, it has to be a long term strategy. If you play at SEO you won’t succeed. SEO is a long game that requires dedication.

So, here goes. Here are 5 ways you can improve your website’s SEO.

1. Schedule new content

Creating a weekly schedule is the best way to ensure you keep on top of your SEO strategy. Decide how many blog posts you’ll write each week and set aside time to produce them. If you have a news section on your website, diarise to regularly up date it to keep the content fresh and current. If you are using social media, keep those regularly updated.

By scheduling each of these tasks, you will keep on top of your SEO strategy.

2. Link build

One of the most effective ways to gain great search engine rankings is by link building. Especially one way anchor text links. Diarise every few days to create a new blog post and articles (which will contain hypertext links back to your main site), write guest blogs, submit your website to directories and create content for your website that will attract links from other sites (especially information that is topical and current).

3. Keywords

Although you would have spent a lot of time doing your initial keyword research, review it regularly. Watch what your competitors are doing. Look at which keywords are driving the most traffic and concentrate on them.

4. Analytics

Make sure you utilise the data from Google Analytics. It’s easy to set up and provides valuable information such as where your traffic comes from, and how visitors view your website. This is especially useful in determining the user friendliness of your website and will help you enhance its usability.

5. Optimise your content

Every 3 to 6 months check your content. Is it still relevant? Can it be updated to bring more value to your readers? Check for broken links and new opportunities to add fresh content. Also look at your anchor text links within your copy – are they varied? Do they utilise all your keywords?

As you can see, SEO is a process of evolution. It is driven by your company’s direction and your customers. To keep ahead of the game, you must constantly tweak your strategy.

Sally Ormond - freelance copywriter

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There you go, probably the shortest blog post in the history of blogging.

But, I guess you’re going to want more than just a resounding YES; you’re going to want evidence.

If you’re sitting comfortably, I’ll begin

There have been various debates about whether SEO copywriting is really so different to your normal, run of the mill website copy. Some people say there is no difference, whereas others say there is a vast difference between the two.

From my point of view, yes, search engine optimisation copywriting is very different from normal website copy.

For a start you are writing for two audiences simultaneously – your reader and the search engines. But the trick is to write your copy in such a way that your reader doesn’t pick up on your SEO.

Case Study: Landspeed

I was recently asked to write SEO copy for Landspeed’s new website. Landspeed is a car MOT and servicing centre based in Ipswich. They wanted copy that was easy to read, interesting and written to help their on screen SEO.

The copy had to target various keywords such as Ipswich MOT, Car servicing Ipswich, MOT Ipswich, Ipswich car servicing.

Less than a week after the site going live, it was on the first page of Google for all these terms (as at 1/4/10) – want proof?

Ipswich MOT                                  Car Servicing Ipswich

Ipswich Car Repair Shop           MOT Ipswich

Ipswich Car Servicing

And, that was achieved without doing any link building.

Take a look at the site…

…unlike the sample I showed you in my last blog post about how not to do SEO, the copy isn’t crammed full of keywords. It is readable, simple copy that tells the reader exactly what the company does. The keywords have been used where they are most effective – headings, sub headings and as internal hypertext links.

When writing SEO web copy another key aspect that your copywriter should know about, is the value of the title tags (or page titles). Getting your keywords in here (but in a natural way, not stuffed) will help your rankings no end.

Now I’m not saying that every website I’ve ever written ends up on the front page of Google within days. SEO can take time. It all depends on how competitive the terms are that you’re trying to rank for. Something as generic as freelance copywriter will take longer than a more localised term such as Suffolk freelance copywriter.

That’s not the end

But even when you do achieve front page rankings through your copywriting, it doesn’t stop there. You have to consolidate that position by building quality, inbound links to your site through:

• article marketing
• blogging
• inclusion to relevant directories

There’s a lot of competition out there. When you reach the top of the Google pile, someone will be waiting to knock you off. SEO is a constant process and one you can’t take your eye off for a second.

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In days gone by, most ‘SEO copywriters’ thought it enough to achieve that magical keyword density within their web copy to keep their clients happy.

WARNING - if your SEO copywriter tells you keyword density is still important, get yourself another copywriter.

There was an ad in my local paper recently from a company looking for a freelance SEO website copywriter. Intrigued, I responded with a few examples of my work and a brief explanation of SEO copywriting and what I would be able to do for them. The next day I got a call from them wanting to meet up.

That meeting was very enlightening. The guy told me he had spoken with a few people who’d responded to his ad – most of the SEO ‘experts’ couldn’t write and most of the SEO ‘copywriters’ obviously had no idea about the whole concept of search engine optimisation.

I had been called in because I was the only one who’d mentioned in my email that keyword density was not an important factor anymore. We had a very enlightening discussion.

Just plain chicken for me, forget the stuffing

You still see today websites that have their content stuffed to bursting point with keywords. In fact the copy is so jam packed it is unreadable.

Sure keywords are still important – more so in where they are positioned – but you’ll find natural writing will attract the required frequency of your keywords anyway. What is more important is the construction of well thought out, relevant copy that will be of interest to your readers.

Today SEO is more about relevancy and popularity – your writing has to make you an authority.

Come link with me…

In today’s internet environment, if you want to get great rankings you have to get people to link to you.

Links from other sites are like gold dust as far as Google is concerned which could have something to do with the strong emergence of social media marketing.

Before you can get any links you have to get your stuff noticed – sites such as Digg, Delicious, Stumble Upon (there are loads more) are great for this. Self submission can be frowned on so get a friend to submit for you. Creating strong headlines will give your stuff a great chance of being picked up.

Use a blog, Twitter, Squidoo or Hubpages to generate more links too.

Basically the more links you have coming into your site from other websites (relevant to your field), the more authoritative Google will see you and the higher in the search engine results you’ll appear.

Concentrate on…

• Relevant copy that people will want to read
• Making sure your keywords are in your headings, subheadings, page tags
• Use social media marketing
• Blog, Tweet, Squidoo and Hubpage
• Creating copy that will attract links

Need advice?

If you’re not sure how good your webcopy is and just need a bit of advice or guidance, get in touch and I’ll take a look for you (no tricks, no charge, no obligation).

Sally Ormond – freelance copywriter

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“Anyone can write – this copywriting malarky is money for old rope!”

Is that right?

Many people believe they can write sales copy. Others appreciate how difficult it can be to produce something that:

1. sells
2. is interesting
3. appeals to the reader and resounds with them
4. appeals to the search engine spiders

I’ve been a freelance copywriter for about 2 ½ years and I learn something new on every project I work on. There is so much you have to take into consideration when writing:

• what format will your copy take?
• what media will you be using?
• what message do you need to get across?
• who is your audience?
• what problem do they have that your copy will solve?
• what tone should I take?
• is there a ‘house style’ I have to stick to?

…and that’s just for starters.

SEO Website Copywriting

This is a biggy – everyone is beginning to realise their website has to work for them rather than just look pretty.

But if you want targeted traffic you have to appear in the search engine results.

In the past (and sadly it still happens today), some copywriters felt the way to achieve this was to stuff their copy full of keywords.

Wrong!

Keyword density isn’t important – what is important is writing in a natural style which your reader can understand and finds interesting. If you can achieve this, you’ll automatically include the optimium number of keywords in your copy.

To be a great SEO website copywriter you also need to know where the keywords should go, how to structure your pages, you need to understand internal linking structure….

See, it’s not as easy as you thought is it?

So I guess you’re wondering why the ‘Yoda-like’ title for this blog – well, after sitting through the recent re-runs of the Star Wars saga I came across a recent post on Copyblogger which made me smile.

In The Force is Strong With This One: 10 Ways to be a Copywriting Jedi, David Wright and Sean Platt take a Jedi look at Direct Response copywriting. Having gone through the stages of deciding to embark on a career as a freelance copywriter and building up my business to the success that it is today, their words of wisdom resounded with me and I thought you might get a lot from it too.

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Copywriting demand will always be strong.

It doesn’t matter whether the economy is strong or weak. In past decades, it was easy to get away with a strong product and some marketing. But today there is far more competition in all markets and the way to stand apart is through marketing.

For many consumers, the only way to be able to discern the differences between competing products is through the marketing. This ensures that freelance copywriters are needed.

Any companies looking to send a consistent message to their targeted audience will employ copywriters. Some companies not looking ahead to the future may cut their advertising budget when they hit weak sales, but that is not a smart move as explored in my recent blog post 4 Reasons Why Copywriting Services Work.

There is a growing demand for copywriters in one particular area – writing for the Internet. With the Web up past four billion web pages, the demand for search engine copywriting has continued to increase. To do this, the search engine copywriters must write well to attract two different audiences – the people searching and the search bots.

Great copywriting will:

1. increasing your sales through targeted website traffic
2. creating continuity in your marketing materials on and off line
3. portraying an image of trust, credibility and confidence in the eyes of your customers

So it’s a no-brainer really. Companies that are serious about marketing and survival will see the benefits in utilising the services of copywriters. It’s the only way to turn a surviving business into a thriving business.

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Search engine copywriting continues to develop each and every day.  Copywriting as a field continues to grow but this particular niche is growing at a much faster rate. As the Internet continues to grow, more and more companies are relying on it for a higher percentage of sales. This will ensure that search engine copywriting will continue to be in demand.

Why?

The number of searches done on the Internet is in the hundreds of billions annually. The way that most people are able to get to a website these days is through search engines.  It is much harder for your website to be highly ranked without being optimised for search engines.

The number of pages on the Internet has grown to over 4 billion so increasing importance has been placed upon the fact that your web page is easy to search and is indexed by search engines.  If not, you will find that you will not have the sales results that you would like from the Internet.

You can buy traffic to come to your website but you will find that you are missing out on an important piece of the sales ‘pie’ by not focusing on organic traffic.

How?

To get your website indexed within the search engines, you must have original content that is in high demand.  Search engines index web pages by sending their search bots through these different web pages.

The search bots are looking for many different factors but the key is your website’s content. The information must be valuable both to the search bots so that they index you as well as to your readers.

For more information about SEO, take a look at SEO, Keywords and Stuff – 3 Golden Rules.

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I’m sure you’ve all heard the buzz about keywords and SEO.

As a freelance website copywriter, it is something that I deal with regularly for clients. And something that I often see done badly. Time and time again people try to cover all their bases in one hit. Don’t!

What do I mean?

Well, often people decide on their keywords and stuff a typical paragraph (about 200 words) with them. Does that work? No.

Think about this for a second. Who is going to be influenced by what is written on your website enough to make them want to buy your product? Your reader or the search engine spiders?

Your reader right? That is why you should only use 2-3 keywords per page. Don’t forget, the overall text must be reader-friendly.

3 Golden SEO Rules

1. Location, location, location – This is the next thing you must think about. Get your keywords in the right places – title tags, headings, links and your content.
2. Keywords aren’t the be all and end all – The structure of your site, links (inbound, outbound, internal, external) and number of pages all have an influence on your Google SERPs.
3. Be patient -If you start on your SEO campaign expecting instant results, you will be VERY disappointed.

SEO takes time, patience and stamina. Get it right and you’ll be laughing all the way to a top ranking.

Don’t forget there are people who can help you. By working with an SEO website copywriter you will get the best possible copy for your site.

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