It’s a business website and you wrote the content for it yourself (You are not a professional writer)- Your website ranks on page 75 (or even worse) for most keyword phrases connected to your business in almost all search engines
- Your kid who’s a 4th grader can spot grammatical errors in it
- You have 100 hits in a day but not even one is converting into a lead
- Your web designer wrote the content for you
- The content on your website is one huge chunk of text
- It takes you 20 minutes to read the text on one page
- You BORROWED (?????) the content from several other websites
- Visitors say that the copy on your website lacks the PUNCH
- You are serious about generating more business from your website.
Posts Tagged ‘keywords’
10 Telltale signs that your business urgently requires a Content Expert
Friday, September 2nd, 2011Words should talk: Personalized content and the difference it can make
Friday, December 19th, 2008It’s easier to write content for a large amorphous mass of people. You have no audience demographics to look into. You are not catering to a niche. You create generalized copy that appeals to all. But talk about the World Wide Web and you are immediately writing to a special interest group, a group that has very little time and is looking for results within that limited time frame. All the more reason for webmasters and internet copywriters to pull up their socks.
I have browsed through thousands of websites till date and still do. In fact, a large percentage of my work hours are spent in browsing and finding quality websites. But, I also come across some very inutile web pages. And based on my analysis of the copy on these websites, I have found that they can be categorized into three different categories.
Robo text
The internet is like a labyrinth and search engines are like the labyrinth key. Millions of internet users use them everyday to find what they are looking for in the gargantuan World Wide Web. For webmasters, it is the only free source of never ending passive traffic. So naturally, each and every website out there wants to be listed in search engine results pages. Search engines on the other hand are trying their best to ensure that only the best and most relevant websites get listed in results pages and the rest is filtered out easily
So they analyze a website on the basis of several parameters and the web copy is one of those parameters. Hence, each and every website tries to write copy that is optimized for search engines. The attempt is to make it easier for search engines to find and list the website. But, my friends, it is so easy to get carried away in the process and end up with ROBO copy on your page. (This isn’t the robots.txt file that we are discussing here) Robo Copy is copy written solely with the purpose of getting better search engine rankings. The very essence of the copy is to make it easier for spiders to scan and list it. But people using Robo copy forget that it is human users who read a web page and it can be a very jarred reading experience reading such a page. Here is a small example of Robo Copy.
Example: Why California SEO services are the best
‘California SEO services’ is a company that caters to the people of California. It can help you get your California business listed in top search engines. ‘California SEO services’ has helped hundreds of businesses in California to climb the Google ladder. If you are a California business looking to generate better sales and ROI, then come to ‘California SEO services’. We also cater to businesses outside California and inside California.
Got the gist? If search engines don’t penalize your site for using Robo Copy, audiences definitely will.
Mechanical Text
Next in line is mechanical text. Mechanical copy is not as worse a culprit as Robo Text. But it surely aint any better. Mechanical copy is informative but not many users are able to derive any information from it. Sounds difficult? Mechanical copy is copy that looks as if it was created by a machine or automated software. Now that might sound like too far fetched a concept but it is true. A lot of new writers looking for assignments try to impress clients and showcase their command over the language by using complex words and technical jargon that can put a geek to shame. And you can kiss your SEO goals goodbye with it. Not required. Copywriting for the web is about crafting a message that delivers tangible results. The user is least bothered about your language proficiency. All that matters to him is that his purpose of visit to the site is served.
Words that talk, move, amuse and persuade
A writer writing copy for the internet has to write with a clear and concise understanding of the target market, write with brevity and play with words. There is no room for banal copy on the internet. The content should talk to the reader. Readers love interactive copy and they respond. It’s about making them feel in command all the time – giving them complete authorial power.
We always love it when we receive a personalized email newsletter. One that says ‘Hey Stanley, it’s been a busy week…’ rather than one that says ‘Hi reader, we have just launched…’ The same stands true for web copy. There is no way to personalize copy for each and every user that lands on your website. But you can ensure that the copy is interesting enough to make most users read through it completely or visit the more profitable sections of your website. It is about building a relationship with the visitor within the few seconds that he/she spends on your website.
It’s about talking and listening and then talking again. Can your copy talk and listen?
The importance of good content: Converting visitors to customers
Friday, December 19th, 2008A standardized or generalized answer to this question (How to convert a visitor to a customer) would have been a holy grail for the business world. But alas, each and every customer walking on the face of this planet has different expectations, requirements and a completely different mindset. You cannot generalize customer management. What you can do however is ensure that you provide the bare minimum that each and every customer will look for and then let the customer decide from there on. And in the online world, almost every customer first looks for a quality informative website.
Here are three stages in sequential order that best describe the mindset of an average visitor reaching a website from a search engine or some other source on the internet.
- Hopeful
- Impatient
- Frustrated/Satisfied (Result depends on the website)
Firstly, he is hopeful of finding the information/product that led him to the website. But after spending a fruitless few minutes on the home page, he starts getting impatient for he has no time to browse through the entire website. A million other equally good, if not better, websites await his coveted attention. Quick copy and link scanning follows. Lastly (usually within a couple of minutes), he is frustrated when he can’t find the information/product that he came looking for in the first place. His mind, fingers and the little mouse in command scan through the page and move the cursor closer and closer to the ‘close window icon’ (The lil ‘X’ at the top right corner of the browser).
There, another sales proposition bites the dust. Chances are high that the same person will never visit the same website again. Oh yeah, all that you heard about internet visitors having a bad memory is crap. Internet visitors have a memory like an elephant. I still remember most websites that have pop under advertising (I hate them) and avoid them like a plague.
Stage 2 and the power of words
Hopefulness is a common trait in each and every internet user. They are all hopeful of finding a better deal, a nicer website, a cuter girl. It is stage two mentioned above that can actually convert an ordinary visitor to a customer. Picture this: You reach a website looking for ‘packaging and moving services in Kansas’. However, all that you find is an enormously large webpage that has about 8 largish paragraphs of text. There are no headings, no bulleted lists, and no highlighted text. Would you be comfortable to read through the entire webpage hoping to find some information or links out of it? Not for all the tea in china.
What a visitor needs
Every visitor coming to a webpage should be greeted by high quality personalized content. Content that is easy to scan through, is separated into small chunks, has powerful headings, is linked to other useful pages on the website, has relevant highlighted keyword phrases, is informative, original and written for human beings (but optimized for search engine bots) only. The visitor should either find what he is looking for, in the first couple of minutes on the page or should be attracted to stay on the website for a sufficiently long period to read through the sales copy and then make a purchase. Either ways, it’s the content that is going to make him do it.
Isn’t that what every customer on the face of this planet looks for and deserves?
Isn’t that the mantra for success followed by successful corporate for years?
Then why not employ it in your online business as well?
Like Nathaniel Hawthorne once said, ‘Easy reading is damn hard writing’. (Source: http://thinkexist.com/quotes/nathaniel_hawthorne/)
The power of content in the online world is evident from the success of blogging as a business tool. Today, there are bloggers who earn six figure incomes each month solely from their blogs. Why is the Wikipedia so popular? Why does Google scan through each website before deciding whether to list it or not? The secret lies in the content. The relevancy of the content to your website is not only important for the visitors, it is equally important for your site to be accepted for listing in search engines. Now that’s an entirely different topic. Browse through my articles on content and SEO to know more about it.
Good Content, Pricey but Nicey!
Sunday, December 14th, 2008I was recently contacted for writing content by a website design company who were working on a large web portal. Upon further discussion, it was revealed that they wanted about 30 pages of quality SEO oriented content written for their websites. We discussed everything from the keyword phrases to the length of the articles to the niche audience that the website catered to. And then, ladies and gentlemen, I quoted my price (which happens to be quite reasonable as compared to market standards). The reaction though unexpected, wasn’t completely new to me. The guy sitting opposite me showed signs of amazement and then shock at the rates quoted by me. Then, he entered the next phase which usually follows shock. Questionnaires! Boy, do I love them!
Don’t you think that the price quoted by you is too steep?
Not really, unless you believe that words are meant to be cheaper than peanuts. Look around you. Professional content writers usually charge about $10 a page of original plagiarism free copy. And if his/her work has been published in magazines or newspapers, then the price almost doubles. Hiring a good quality experienced content writer is definitely going to cost you more than what hiring a college student looking for pocket money or beer money will cost you. Yes, there are writers who will work for $1 every 500 words they write. But you get what you pay for. If that’s your budget then be prepared to get copy that is loaded with grammatical errors, is scrapped off other articles on the internet and has little or no relevance whatsoever to your product. Better forget your SEO goals.
Is it worth the price? Why?
Yes. It is totally worth it because search engines love good content and so do users. Search Engines are smart creations. They have silently evolved faster than any Operating System has in the past decade or so. I don’t know the duration of time that you have been accessing the internet for. But if you compare the search results of today with the results a few years back, then you would notice a marked improvement in the quality of websites that come up now. Search engines today are constantly monitoring and modifying their algorithms to ensure that each website that turns up in the search results is ‘closest’ (in terms of relevancy) to the term searched for by the user. In simpler words, quality informative and keyword rich content takes you one step closer to that elusive top spot in search results pages. If that isn’t worth a few dollars more, then I don’t know what is.
The price almost equals the price quoted for website design
Yeah, so what? The success of a website on the internet today depends on several equally effective factors. The website design, the content and the marketing strategies go hand in hand. Not one can be considered inferior to the other. Why look down upon content as something that should cost only a fraction of the actual cost of the website when it can very well make a significant difference to the final outcome? Even the most attractive and sophisticatedly designed website cannot survive without content. And it’s not mere words to fill up the spaces that we are talking about over here. It is good quality original copy that can inform, inspire and initiate.
Pricey, but nicey! 
That was my reply to the website design company rep.
A few tips for writing the right content
Monday, December 8th, 2008Getting loads of traffic to your website is one thing and getting traffic that converts into loads of business is another. I am sure you are looking for the later. Every web user who reaches your website via a search engine is looking for something. It might be a product or just information regarding it. Now, if you are successful in providing the user what he wanted within the first few minutes of him landing on your website, then chances are that you have got yourself a loyal visitor who will return or in some cases, a customer who will give you business. Either ways, the content on your website plays a very important role in making the user feel comfortable and like your website. Spare a moment to think about the websites that you frequently visit on the internet. What makes you visit those websites again and again? Ease of use, quality tutorials, helpful links and quality information are some of the factors. So you see, compelling content goes a long way in making or breaking your website.
Write the right content
The user should be able to find the content easily. In other words, it should be rich in keywords or keyword phrases. If you are a freelance copywriter and have a website that doesn’t use the words ‘freelance copywriter‘ anywhere, then the chances that search engines will list you are highly unlikely. Secondly, the content on your website must be evergreen. In other words it must not be outdated. I have seen many websites on the internet with content that dates back to 2003. No wonder they are languishing at the bottom of the SERPS. The mere thought of going online with such content is scary. Other than this, it is very important that the user is able to find what he wants using minimum number of clicks. You can try this out yourself. Log on to the main page of your website and then try to find your way through and keep a track of the number of clicks it takes you. Anything that takes more than 4 clicks of the mouse is placed too deep in the website. Chances are that the user will close the website and opt for another one. And remember there is no dearth of competition online.
Present it to the user
Patience is a very rare virtue on the internet and web users are the perfect example of this. They do not have the time or patience to read through every webpage on the internet. They will simply scan through the page looking for interesting lines or phrases that may prove to be helpful. So ensure that the content is split into small scanable paragraphs with interesting headings. This way, the user can easily scan through the whole page. If I have managed to get you to read this article till this point, then I have been fairly successful in writing a readable as well as a scanable article. And take a look at the words that are highlighted in bold. These are keywords or keyword phrases.
Let’s sum it all up once again.
- Quality updated content
- Short and sweet sentences
- Broken up into paragraphs
- Smart headings and titles
- Easy to find and scan through
- Keywords in the right density
So you see, I have tried to write an informative article with keywords and the keyword density is also acceptable. This is a perfect example of SEO content.
