Copywriting morphs into SEO Services!

Who would have thought just five years ago that SEO Services would  be a fully paid-up member of the copywriting fraternity.  And yet, Buzzwords now has a new website page of the same name which we’re promoting through Online PR (practise what you preach, eh!).

In many ways, it’s no surprise that SEO and copywriting have become such close  bedfellows.  If you look at the main elements of SEO that Google is rewarding in the wake of its many Panda Updates, you’ll see that the ‘quality content’ which is now top of the greasy SEO pole does in fact refer back to copywriting skills.

Quality content is essential to the various skill sets used in link building programmes.  I’m thinking here of Online PR, for instance, or Corporate Blogging, On-page SEO Copywriting and Article Marketing.

It’s fortunate that copywriting now forms the central essential skill required for basic SEO.  I’ve been writing offline press releases and articles for many years.  Not far behind is the time spent on website copywriting, blog writing and social media posts.

Clients sill think that SEO is a black art that requires an in-depth knowledge of HTML and other esoteric online tricks.  I’m not saying that a knowledge of this aspect of SEO inputs doesn’t help – it does.  Five years ago, I was so much in awe of  this type of geek-speak – I decided to take a course in  it!

As a website copywriter, I appreciated being able to go ‘behind the scenes’ as it were.  It allowed me to look web designers in the eye and – yo! – I could even join in their geeky conversations.  SEO is a similar discipline in so far as it demands enormous attention to detail.  Where it differs is in the sheer application that’s needed over many weeks to achieve a highly specific goal.  Applying On-page SEO is usually relatively quick.  Link building on the other hand calls for perseverance of a totally different order.

Writing high quality articles and guest blog posts calls for intellectual stamina that would exhaust many people – especially when they’re trying to combine this kind of SEO activity with other ‘day job’ activities! That’s why hiring professional copywriters (with enough insight into SEO to really make a difference) is now a sensible option, especially for owners of small to medium-size businesses who want real value for money that doesn’t involve being blinded by science.

The Shifting Sands of Website Copywriting

Catch up on my recent SEO News article at www.sitepronews.com …

Website Copywriting, Keyword Shuffling and the Visible, Video Future

There’s no doubting that website copywriting - and the SEO that accompanies it – is an evolving, moveable feast!  Meta tags and keywords are still important features of SEO copywriting, but there’s been a recent shift of emphasis at Google towards the value of inbound links and link building.

As we all know, Google attributes ‘value’ to what it describes as high quality, ‘relevant’ links.  A web page that has attracted a string of links from highly regarded and ranked websites that are in a similar (or ‘relevant’) field to the site being linked to, has intrinsic value in Google’s eyes and will be more likely to satisfy the needs and expectations of those who are looking to match keywords and content through their online searches.

The SEO rewards now go to those sites with strong link profiles.  Achieving this has a lot to do with producing so-called ‘quality content’ to which people will want to link.  This now goes beyond keyword-relevant on-page content.  We’re talking about videos, photos, Powerpoints, original research and thought-leadership content! 

Alongside this are other off-page elements that will also generate links on the strength of their well-optimised quality content.  This includes things such as articles, news releases and blog posts, as well as new kids on the block from the social media world.

Nothing ever stands still in the dynamic world of SEO – as my article points out.  Google is committed to continually improving the search experience – as well as finding ways of responding to new arrivals which include its very own YouTube videos, social media and social bookmarking sites.  These are all factored into how web pages rank on the current results pages (SERPs).

Of course, Google has to stay one step ahead of the black-hat SEO brigade so they aren’t in a position to manipulate the results.  Nothing new there – but the whole SEO kaleidoscope is shifting all the while to create new patterns and ways of working for everyone in this crazy competitive business.

Strategic Website Copywriting – Part 2

See my recent exclusive article on www.sitepronews.com  …

 Strategic Website Copywriting – Feel Your Online Pulse (Part 2)

Website copywriting encompasses so many issues and skillsets nowadays.  Copywriters and clients alike need to appreciate that a new strategic approach is called for.  Being aware of what goes into creating an effective web page as far as SEO, usability and sales conversions are concerned will help when it comes to deciding on inputs and analysing outputs i.e. results and sales.

The volume and complexity of work involved – not only regarding what appears on the web page, but also with the various copywriting elements that are included in the link building process (articles, blog posts, news releases and so on); as well as the means of content delivery to various readerships on the web (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn); not forgetting social bookmarking sites such as Digg, StumbleUpon and Reddit) – all adds up to a need to find ‘a man with a plan’! 

More specifically, this means finding a truly versatile copywriter, and a client who has the flexibility and courage to allow the copywriter or agency to get on with the job.  Clearly, website copywriting at this level is not a one-off job.  Ongoing involvement and development of both content and linking is a continual strategic process.

Much of this work is part of a wider search engine optimisation (SEO) agenda.  Keeping abreast of constant changes in Google’s algorithms must involve SEO professionals, but SEO copywriting skills must also be up-to-date in both technique and awareness of the latest requirements for the various copywriting skillsets.

High page rankings are crucial to the commercial success of websites.  The investment of up-to-date SEO knowledge and expertise in substantial chunks is the only way to achieve this success.  It’s certainly not a ‘quick fix’, and it certainly involves a lot of hard work and strategic focus. 

Only companies which adopt this approach can hope for a decent return on their online investment.  Sadly, there are many who still think that website copywriting is a single event, as opposed to an ongoing process.

 

 

 

Strategic Website Copywriting – Part 1

See my latest exclusive article on www.sitepronews.com …

Strategic Website Copywriting – Feel Your Online Pulse (Part 1). 

Here’s a brief summary of what it’s about:

Website copywriting is part of a much wider online copywriting skillset - and yet its significance resides with the fact that every other online copywriting activity is designed to increase the number of links with the main website and improve its rankings on the search engine pages.  In other words, website copywriting is about much more that getting the keywords right and making sure that the ‘quality’ aspects go some way towards satisfying the requirements of Google’s Panda Update.  Given the number of copywriting inputs that are affected and influenced by website copywriting, webmasters should think seriously about adopting a more strategic approach to copywriting.  Certainly, experienced website copywriters themselves should adopt a more strategic stance, both in the way that online copywriting work is approached and also in the way they market themselves.

 

 

How Important Is Website Copywriting?

Can anyone write website copy well?  Is website copywriting a mechanical process – and does it fall into the ‘content writing’ category on which little value is placed when putting together a website?

Could it be argued that every web page should be a ‘landing page’ and therefore each would benefit from the same skills that a direct response copywriter would bring to the table?  Likewise, is it the case that ‘quality content’ (as stipulated by Google’s Panda Update) is nothing without quality copywriting?

Some would say that content copywriters have a role to play – that they are relatively inexpensive and, so long as major keywords feature in all the right places in their text, then the SEO purpose has been served.  This may be acceptable if SEO is the ONLY function of the copy.  After all, online directories are seldom end destinations for serious readers.  On the other hand, would any copywriter with an ounce of professional pride want to put his or her name to a piece that is empty, meaningless, badly written and which flies in the face of accepted standards of literacy?

As a professional copywriter of many years standing, I could never consider writing anything that fell short of my own self-imposed standards of excellence.  My readers may not agree with everything I write, but at least they don’t have to struggle with bad syntax, spelling, grammar and other basics that we should all take for granted!

Unless the copywriter is writing in English as their second language, there really can be no excuse for turning out text that is an insult to all known norms of copywriting.  Any client who accepts copy of this standard from s0-called copywriters is doing everyone concerned a major disservice.  Even if the exercise is mainly for SEO purposes, it will reflect badly on the company for which it was written, no matter how big a contribution it makes to improving a web page’s ranking.

Many people criticise Google for the endless updates it makes to its algorithms, and its obsession with continually looking to improve the quality of the search experience for its users.  Personally, I feel strongly that applying strict quality criteria to reward or penalize online copy – and especially website copywriting – is the least we can expect in a civilised society where clear communication says it all.

 

Website Copywriting – I Always Do It Backwards!

It may surprise you, but when I accept a new website copywriting project, I never start with the Home page.  In case you’re thinking this is eccentric – that the Home page is the most important on most websites, and certainly the most linked-to - just ponder for a second.

A website’s Home page usually sums up the whole business and provides links off to the other main aspects of the business.  And yet, how can a copywriter describe the true essence of a company without first knowing about the other corporate elements, the products and services?

The client will obviously know what these elements are.  Potential customers – and copywriters – on the other hand, definitely will not.  It therefore makes sense when writing websites to start with the main product pages and/or services – and maybe colour this with information from what will become the About Us page.  Only when these pages are complete does it make sense to embark on that all-important Home page!

This has to be one of the main benefits of hiring a website copywriter.  Bringing together the various strands of a business and organising the facts in a coherent and objective way will stand up to scrutiny by even the most critical potential customer.  Approaching the website copywriting in a way that at first seems illogical does in fact deliver a superior end result.

 

 

30 Years In Copywriting – And FREE PR Too!

Buzzwords has been in the copywriting business for 30 years!  More accurately, that should read: ‘Mike Beeson has been a copywriter for 30 years’, although that doesn’t take into account the myriad other skills I’ve developed along the way.

Young Nicholas Beeson is also on the scene after graduating in marketing this year.  He’s quite an expert on social media and all things online, so he’s useful to have around – and good news for client services.  You may want to take a look at the Social Media Marketing page on Buzzwords’ main website.  Unlike so many other copywriting and PR agencies, we can actually walk-the-walk too!

There are so many strings to Buzzwords’ bow, I often surprise myself.  Having said that, 30 years is a long time in this business.  To celebrate Buzzwords’ achievement, we’re offering a FREE PRESS RELEASE to every new client.  We’ll write the release for you and distribute it to the relevant UK media.

To find out more, why not take a look at our latest press release:

‘Buzzwords celebrates 30 years in business with free PR for every new client’

Advertising Copywriting: Do Drugs Enhance the Creative Process?

I’ve been following a LinkedIn forum about whether drugs help give better results with advertising copywriting projects where ‘creativity’ is an important element.

The word ‘drugs’ was used loosely to include everything from heroin to alcohol, marijuana to coffee!  Amazingly, the discussion became totally bogged down in deciding whether coffee is a drug or not!

Because it alters one’s mental state, it could certainly be called a ‘drug’.  From a copywriting point of view, it’s a drug that can be used (or abused) without it totally impairing the creative process.

Of course, the question was whether drugs actually ENHANCE the creative process.  It’s arguable whether stimulating the central nervous system in the way coffee does is in any way beneficial. 

Conversely, the intense highs of heroin or LSD are virtually incapacitating from a creativity standpoint.  Alcohol in small doses leaves the user  in control but, as many people would testify, what we think is earth-shattering creativity – even under the mildest influence – usually turns out to be mediocre or pretentious stuff in the cold light of day! 

There’s no doubting that ‘drugs’ are useful in taking us away from the mind-numbing routines of everyday life.  So when it comes to wanting to look at life from a unique perspective, it’s hardly surprising that so-called creative types seek out the mental excitement of drugs.

That said, to be creative in a field such as advertising requires preparation, practice and discipline.  If this is occasionally overlaid with the mental changes experienced through alcohol, illicit drugs - or even coffee! – then at least the insights involved with adding another dimension to a creative solution are thoroughly grounded.

There are many people who would disagree with this.  Why upset the natural sharpness and clarity of the mind by introducing foreign substances, they would ask.

It’s all about personal preferences.  It’s also about vulnerability in the face of temptation, and whether one believes that indulging in ‘drugs’ of any type is worth the inevitable hangover. Creativity may get a shot in the arm, but at what long-term price?

Sales Letter Copywriting – Effective In Splendid Isolation!

Anyone remember the halcyon days of ‘direct response’? From somewhere in the depths of my memory, I recall that was in the 1970s and 80s! Sales letters were also having their glory days – long letters with ‘Johnson Boxes’, Reader’s Digest, Drayton Bird and whatever was on TV at the time!

Fast forward to 2011 and all of what was mainstream marketing-speak then would now be more at home in the advertising museum in Norfolk. And yet, I’ve had a gut feeling for long enough that the so-called ‘traditional’ marketing and copywriting skills would make a comeback. In truth, they probably never went away. Perhaps they’ve been lurking in the back room in some other guise. Online newsletters? US-style ‘killer’ e-mails? Or maybe website landing pages?

One thing I have been grateful for amid all the self-flagellation that went on behind closed doors in the 70s and 80s – the better to create ‘benefit-led headlines’ or creative concepts that perfectly married headlines and visuals – is being confident that everything involving online copywriting is something I’ve done before in the offline world of yore.

I’d go further. Some of the techniques of yesteryear are set to make a comeback. I would say this is true of something like sales letters for instance. There’s a new conventional wisdom focusing on digital marketing, social media and so on. New rules are evolving where once there were no rules at all. The web was once referred to as ‘the worldwide wild west’. Now, we have ‘website usability consultants’; research into where web visitors’ eyes alight, for how long and why; not to mention focus groups analysing web copywriting to death in search of a winning ‘third way’.

Can it really be that sales letters are dead, simply because conventional wisdom says so? Is this really true? It IS true that UK postage rates are extortionate. And it’s true too that there are so many other ‘instant’ marketing tools competing for our attention. What’s interesting, however, is that the very same conventional wisdom that seeks to consign sales letters to the rubbish heap of history has in fact (unwittingly) created a great opportunity to grab what – in old-currency parlance – would have been described as a ‘solus’ position.

No, that’s not some tantric sex technique, or even a singles dating website. What I’m saying is that when your sales letter arrives with its intended recipient, there are far fewer letters (if any) competing for his or her attention. Providing the proposition is attractive, the chances of converting have been multiplied exponentially!

If this strikes a cord, then the next step is to teach a whole new generation of copywriters about the tricks and techniques of sales letter copywriting. Not to mention the clever design layouts and typography that were obviously the forerunner of many online design techniques used nowadays.

The point of all this is to say that no technique is ever dead. And not even ’til the fat lady sings. Mixing marketing services that work has always been about opportunism. The concept of ‘integrated marketing’ has been around since Adam was a lad. Because we now have a whole new array of online media and techniques to choose from is no reason not to include traditional methods in today’s integrated marketing plans.

Twitter Is The New SEO Songbird

The humble tweet is now a force to be reckoned with in the world of SEO.  Or according to Danny Sullivan at Search Engine Land it is!

Google and Bing now recognise Twitter as a conduit for delivering high quality content from recognised ‘authority’ sources.  Given the ubiquity of social media, this has to be a welcome development. 

As with other types of inbound links, tweets are given a leg up in the SEO stakes by ‘influential’ people tweeting about you or re-tweeting your content.  We’ll probably never know what constitutes ‘influential’, but it’s not difficult to make a few educated guesses.

SEO research has also revealed the not-so-surprising fact that ranking rewards come from an abundance of high quality tweets linking to your site.  From a purely practical viewpoint, bear in mind that your keyword-rich tweet-links will act very much like anchor tags on web pages.

If you’re looking to generate more link juice, make sure your content is good enough to share or re-tweet; make sure you attract a steady stream of new friends and followers; and use highly visible buttons to allow visitors to click your links.

Remember, however, that links from Twitter are ‘NoFollow’.  The river of tweets that go by every minute of every day make it impossible for search engines to monitor the minutiae of what’s going on.  Safe to say from case study research that it is the overall weight of public tweets that give Twitter links both their credence and their SEO ranking potential.

(Download Notes image: Danilo Rizzuti / FreeDigitalPhotos.net)

SEO Copywriting and the Keyword Issue

At what stage should keywords come into the SEO copywriting equation? This is an issue that arises on a regular basis when I’m discussing the optimal approach to SEO copywriting for clients’ websites.

My common sense starting point on this is to work initially with the keywords that arise naturally as part of the client business. What a company does from day-to-day will obviously be reflected on its website.

Keywords are irrelevant, and to try to manipulate Google rankings by inserting ‘artificial’ keywords into the web copy seems to be self-defeating. At best, it will create copy that is wholly unnatural. At worst, the site will end up being marginalised not only in the SERPs, but also in the minds’ eyes of potential customers.

The other side of the debate goes something like this: shouldn’t we be looking at the full range of higher-traffic keywords that apply to a client’s business and then be writing the copy around those?

Yes, the rationale would seem to fit – on the face of it. Unfortunately, for the reasons already mentioned, there’s a massive risk that the web copy will end up describing something that bears no resemblance to the client’s daily business.

There is a certain validity in the logic but, in practical terms, it’s a misguided approach. Far better, I would say, to use the more spontaneous, ‘natural’ approach to keyword selection and then combine this with the possibilities that ‘keyword research’ throws up.

In this way, there will at least be some potentially useful keyword variants to consider that maybe weren’t initially obvious. And it does have the additional benefit of introducing a little intellectual rigour into a process that may otherwise be taken for granted.

That’s not to say ‘intellectualising’ the issue is necessarily a good thing. Gut reactions usually count for more when it comes to business. What it does mean, however, is that another dimension is brought to the table when it comes to considering all the keyword options for optimal SEO copywriting results.

(Image: Danilo Rizzuti / FreeDigitalPhotos.net)

SEO Copywriting – In-house or Out-sourced?

SEO and SEO copywriting techniques are close to the hearts of thousands – if not millions – of businesses out there. 

That’s because they are only too aware of the financial benefits of top rankings on Google – and the costs of outsourcing to SEO copywriters or an SEO agency.

I’ve touched on the issues covered by this in a new article at ezinearticles.com, entitled ‘SEO Copywriters and the SEO Gold Rush‘.

The problem is: there’s plenty of information on the web that tells us what we could and should be doing to maximise web page rankings.  Actually doing it and getting it right so you see measurable results is an altogether different proposition.

In so many ways, page rankings on Google seem to be achieved in an almost random way.  If this sounds confusing, that’s probably because Google prefers it that way.  If we could all predict what takes a page to a Number One ranking , the black-hat boys (and everyone else!) would have a field day! 

I’d even go so far as to say that there are some fairly arbitrary criteria that the search engine throws into the melting pot alongside the more predictable ingredients of quality links and clever on-page optimisation.

Given that SEO as we know it – on the other side of the fence from Google – can only deal with the realities of what is logical and measurable, it makes sense for business owners to invest in professional SEO services as provided by SEO agencies and SEO copywriters. 

It won’t bring guaranteed results.  Nor will it necessarily bring rapid results.  What it will do is bring a body of experience to the ever-changing challenges of SEO and SEO copywriting that will maximise the chances of SEO succeeding sooner rather than later.

The science of SEO is in many ways about second-guessing Google’s next move and eliminating certain variables through the application of scientific and mathematical analyses.  It’s not perfect, and it won’t supersede Google’s algorithms. 

It will, however, give you a better chance of achieving ranking success than your competitors who prefer the less expensive in-house option to outsourcing via SEO copywriters or an SEO agency.

View Buzzwords’ article at ezinearticles.com:
SEO Copywriters and the SEO Gold Rush

(Image: jscreationzs / FreeDigitalPhotos.net)

SEO Copywriting – Rank Yourself Stupid!

When it comes to toying with SEO copywriting techniques, what has the biggest and most immediate effect on rankings?

Is it the on-page stuff like meta tags and keyword placement in the body copy? Or should we be thinking about content-related things like blog posts, articles or landing-page-related news releases?

Of course, there are dozens of permutations on this theme. Will tweaking one aspect of a web page make a mega difference? And will a greater involvement in article submissions to a wider range of article directories really make a difference – especially in the light of Google’s Panda Update?

On the face of it, ‘links’ would seem to carry the most weight, and yet… that implies on-page SEO copywriting is dead in the water (which it clearly isn’t). Maybe it’s more about finessing on-page factors to their ultimate level and then backing it all up with longer-term ‘linking thinking’?

Your thoughts please?

Freelance Copywriting – How to Get Ahead (Part 5)

The 21st century route into copywriting requires little in the way of qualifications, or even – dare it be said – very much in the way of writing ability.

The negative result of this ease of entry into what once a respected profession has seen an explosion of self-styled copywriters who arrived as if out of nowhere to meet an insatiable need for online content.

As we all know, ‘content’ is basically basic information that’s arranged logically – web pages, articles, that sort of thing. The more traditional skills of copywriting such as advertising, direct response and sales letter writing demanded a persuasive writing technique.

In the case of advertising – and to a lesser extent with other collateral like brochures and mailers – it also placed an onus upon the copywriter to dream up relevant and creative visual concepts that allowed art directors to have a field day.

Online copywriting is predominantly a low-skill form of writing that can be handled relatively easily without too much writing talent, business experience or ad agency work-outs on creative concepts.

An exception to this is search engine optimisation (SEO) copywriting which has added a new level of expectation of a copywriter’s ability to write succinct, attractive copy that also scores with the search engines.

SEO copywriting aside, it’s good that clear, simple writing is still seen as important (it was ever thus!). In a society where the profusion of marketing messages is daunting, the new emphasis on laid-back clarity is encouraging – a factor given additional momentum by the power of social media.

So how easy is it to survive in a sea of ‘information writers’? Is this type of copywriting that much different to what’s gone before – and does it matter what labels are applied? If we’re all speaking and reading David Ogilvy’s lingua franca, surely everyone – including businesses – should be happy!

Freelance Copywriting – How to Get Ahead (Part 2)

When I said ‘business insights’ (in the previous post – Part 1), I was talking about a certain type of experience. Having a formal business training helps of course. As does a degree in subjects like economics or marketing.

‘Experience’, however, is all about real-life exposure to opinions and thought processes, to the tides of history, micro-economics, news stories, hard-luck and success stories… the list is endless.

In many ways, I’ve lived my life as an ‘accidental’ copywriter. Writing in its various forms was something in which I was always interested. Way back in the day, I fancied my chances as a novelist, but it soon became clear that I was much more interested in the world ‘out there’, as opposed to the worlds I could create inside my head.

Yes, I would’ve loved to be a features writer on a national newspaper or journal, but what editor in his or her right mind would entrust that enormous responsibility to an untried rookie! Maybe if I’d been a high-flying intellectual with lots of family contacts I could have broken into this highly competitive field.

As it happened, I knew a few people who’d made a very good living as marketing professionals in big companies as well as top advertising agencies. It seemed my life was mapped out already. No-one else in my family had gone into marketing. I doubt if any of them knew what marketing was. (In those days, I didn’t know much myself!) But marketing it was – although I still held a candle for the lifestyle of a struggling novelist, starving in my Paris garret!

(To be continued… )

Social Media Marketing – Are We All Getting Too Excited?

Forget about the Jeremy Kyle (Jerry Springer in the US) band of losers who trip themselves up on Facebook about clandestine affairs that half the online world can witness.  

In the middle-class world of marketing, there are stirrings that respectable types are also about to end up face-down in the mire, trampled in the gold-rush into social media, dazzled by its claims to being a panacea for all business ills – and a substitute for real-world selling.

Check out my latest article: Social Media – A Middle-Class Sport for Losers?

The question is: are we heading down the same blind alley as the dot.com crash in the year 2000?  Are we too blind to see the emptiness of social media as a bankable marketing tool  that we’re in danger of aping the bankers who almost destroyed the capitalist system during the noughties?

In the light of what’s happened to the global economy in recent years, it’s probably wise to keep everything in perspective.  If social media and its benefits seems too good to be true – then, hey-ho, where’s it all heading?  Read my article to find out:

Social Media – A Middle-Class Sport for Losers?

Social Media and the Fear of Selling

I’ve just read a fascinating piece by direct response copywriter Daniel Levis. Part of the article outlines what a lot of people have long suspected – that social media is ultimately the perfect excuse for getting you off the hook of having to sell.

Make no mistake: fear of selling is alive and well.  Social media has looked like the perfect soft option for long enough, especially when the ‘gurus’ keep telling us that online interaction is good; ‘liking’ is good; and having an online forum where you can dismantle major brands is good. Yes, it’s true what you’ve heard… God is good and he’s living just a couple of keyboards away.

By empowering individuals at the expense of big business, social media has tamed the advertising lion. No longer do ads roar. Now, the lion explains, rather apologetically, that he’d like to eat you all up – but online etiquette forbids. So is it OK if he whispers?

Revisionist conventional wisdom in the world of social media tells us that quiet persuasion and understated information is the order of the day.  Companies who fail to heed this new order will have a rude awakening in the shape of falling sales and busted brands. 

By all means soften people up by using Facebook and Twitter to create a frenzy of interest around your brand, but never ever overstep the mark by doing something as vulgar as asking for the sale!  Direct marketing and telesales are the visible villains in this particular piece of the peace – as are forthright online messages that would love to close that sale, if only they were allowed to!

Social media generates masses of activity and information that is exchanged worldwide at the click of a mouse.  Engage your audience is the mantra – but make sure you’re targeting the right people.

Hang on a second!  Did someone say ‘targeting’?  Wash your mouth out and leave this temple at once.  The world of social media is no place for heretical thoughts that hark back to the old order.

This is the new régime where selling is outlawed on pain of attracting strange looks, frowns and a communal shaking of heads.  This, ladies and gentlemen, is passport control at the gates of sales hell! 

 

Writing Landing Pages – A New Page on Buzzwords’ Website!

Every page on a website is potentially a landing page. What I mean is that each page can be optimised with the keywords that chime with your target audience and ultimately lead to a sale!

Unfortunately, even in 2011, so many companies aren’t aware that web pages should be optimised separately to achieve maximum SEO and SERPs benefits. Where that page is highlighting a company’s key product or service, it should be given special SEO consideration as a ‘landing page’ and optimised to tie-in with other online activities such as AdWords, Online PR and Article Marketing.

In addition, it may also be deserving of a little more ‘hard sell’ – as opposed to the ‘informational’ approach preferred for more general pages. This new web page on Buzzwords’ main website goes into a little more detail. To read more, visit: buzzwords.ltd.uk/writing_landing_pages.htm (just add the ‘www’!)

Article Marketing – I’m a Diamond Geezer!

When it comes to article marketing (aka article writing, article PR or article submission), I now have Diamond Membership status at article directory <ezinearticles.com>.

This recognition is only given to writers who meet the highest quality standards. I’m happy to take their word for it that I can indeed walk on water!

Diamond status isn’t without its perks either. These include:

• Unlimited article submissions
• Express article approval
• Shorter articles accepted – provided they meet the required standard

This last point is key to Diamond Membership. Maintaining the quality expected of a top-level author also brings its own responsibilities.

That isn’t a problem for me. As a self-avowed ‘perfectionist’, everything I write has to be the very best.

Do you Heart EzineArticles.com, too?

Copywriting Rates – Sell the Sizzle, Reap the Rewards!

Setting Copywriting Rates is not a perfect science. As in all markets, buyers come up against sellers and the love dance begins. And as with all negotiating processes, arriving at mutually acceptable Copywriting Rates will involve casualties along the way.

Expert sales professionals know this, but where they score is in persuading people who would otherwise fall by the wayside to become de facto clients/customers. This involves various sales techniques, not least of which is overcoming price objections.

When it comes to Copywriting Rates, the problem for a copywriter is where to start?  Potentially, there’s a massive spectrum of rates that may or may not lead to a sale.  Too expensive?  “No deal – I can get it at half the price at a dozen sites on the Internet.”  Too cheap?  “You must be joking – are you any good at all?”

The variations on this theme extend to a copywriter’s experience; the competitiveness of the market in which a copywriter is working; and the specialist knowledge/experience required to justify charging premium rates.

The best – but not necessarily the easiest – way of overcoming price objections is by avoiding a simple ‘copywriting rate’ altogether.  Instead, it pays to focus on what your copywriting work will bring to a client’s business. 

It’s OK to say your copy will lend authority and persuasiveness to a client’s business proposition or brand image.  Oh, and by the way, this will cost you (a flat fee of $X; $Y per day; $Z per page/per word/per anything!).

It’s far better to say that your copywriting solution addresses a range of issues that you will overcome as part of the copywriting process; that it will vastly improve a client’s image or perceived product value; and you will really get under the skin of their business to achieve the best results.

Along the way of course, you will use your experience to explore other avenues and opportunities on a client’s behalf, as well as advising on other innovative and profitable ways in which your copy can be used and/or adapted.

Without being in any way apologetic for quoting professional-level fees, a copywriter should then provide the client with a written breakdown of the project proposals as soon as possible.  This can be achieved by having some form of template – or, at the very least, a fixed format that will allow you to provide the necessary details… with every semblance of the personalised touch!

In all this, it’s important to ‘sell the sizzle’.  Quoting bald Copywriting Rates (hourly, daily or whatever) puts you on the defensive right away where you’re selling your time as opposed to your expertise.  A battle-hardened client can immediately come back at you with questions that will try to undermine the key reasons you charge a higher rate, namely: your skills, experience and suitability for producing a range of expert solutions in that client’s market sector.

Bearing in mind that most copywriters charge too little and that most clients will happily pay the going rate for the peace of mind that working with a professional copywriter brings, it’s important not to be sucked into the scenario where copywriting is seen as a marketing commodity, a mechanised process or a service that can be purchased from the Third World for sweatshop rates.

In the meantime, I’ve also been looking at other issues surrounding Copywriting Rates including the controversial aspects of cheap content writing versus more traditional copywriting where much higher rates have been expected (but are now under threat). For details, see: Copywriting Rates – Get Real, or Get Out?

The sequel to this looked at what other copywriters’ views are on Copywriting Rates in general. Visit: Copywriting Rates – What Copywriters Say

Copywriting Rates – What Copywriters Say!

The hot topic of Copywriting Rates is becoming something of an obsession with me.  As regular readers of this blog will know, I subscribe to a number of newsletters about online marketing in general and copywriting in particular.

It seems that Steve Slaunwhite is probably on the ball more than most when it comes to what copywriters should charge.  According to a recent newsletter from Steve, he spent a large chunk of December and January compiling a comprehensive report: How to Price, Quote & Win B2B Writing Projects

Reading around, the consensus among successful and well-established copywriters seems to be that writers don’t charge nearly enough for their services.  Of course, a part of the thinking behind this is to attract a bevy of copywriters who would like to earn more.  One way of achieving this is to subscribe to, or buy, the offerings of the various online gurus! 

Less-experienced copywriters - writing less formally on blogs and so on – don’t have a commercial axe to grind in that they don’t have a boxed-set of CDs for sale and are therefore less ambitious/more realistic in their expectations.

If there is a consensus among this relatively small group who are willing and able to spill the beans on copywriting rates, it is that all copywriters should fine-tune their skills and experience to the market place and what clients are willing to pay.

It’s interesting to note the difference between experienced and inexperienced writers.  Apart from the issue of confidence, this boils down to their ability to negotiate and fend off price objections in the face of cost-averse clients.  These skills aren’t confined to copywriting of course and, in their more sophisticated form, are the difference between successful sales strategies or otherwise.

Inexperienced copywriters are unlikely to be aware of the subtle and spontaneous techniques needed to handle price objections when their main concern is still on mastering their craft!  Rather than allowing client-copywriter negotiations to become bogged down on anything as lowly as price, the most savvy and businesslike operators take a more strategic view and emphasise the added value their services bring to a client’s business.

Selling copywriting as a highly professional service or package is the way to persuade clients that you’re not just a jobbing writer who can be pushed around on price.  A pre-prepared approach is essential  – as is the age-old skill of ’selling the sizzle’.

For tips on setting and negotiating Copywriting Rates, see: Copywriting Rates – Sell the Sizzle, Reap the Rewards!

I’ve also been looking at other issues surrounding Copywriting Rates including the controversial aspects of cheap content writing versus more traditional copywriting where much higher rates have been expected (but are now under threat). For details, see: Copywriting Rates – Get Real, or Get Out?

 

Copywriting Rates – Get Real, or Get Out?

This post about Copywriting Rates follows on from my recent introduction to a perennially popular theme. It doesn’t drill down into the way other copywriters see Copywriting Rates (that’s for later!). What it does is take a general, ‘soap-box’ view of what is a big subject, in copywriting terms at least!

So where to begin? Let’s start with plain old-fashioned market forces. Copywriters want to maximise their earnings without pricing themselves out of the market; clients want professional copywriting work that doesn’t break the bank. Somewhere in between, there’s a match made in heaven for everyone involved.

There’s no doubt that the Internet has muddied the waters. On the one hand there’s a vastly increased demand for commercial words. On the other, it’s opened up the floodgates to an army of so-called copywriters who primarily provide ‘content’ at ridiculously low rates.

The ease of entry to copywriting as a market where the inexperienced (and often untalented) can earn a crust has devalued – nay commoditised – what was once regarded as a skilful, creative occupation.

Fortunately, creativity and quality copywriting are still needed by big companies, ad agencies and those clients who appreciate the value of sparkling, persuasive words and ideas. Even better, they are willing to pay realistic rates for a copywriting job well done.

This is looking at copywriting rates from the client end of the telescope. For weaker copywriters in the market place, there are still plenty of opportunities to be gainfully employed, especially if the rates offered are along the lines of $10 for a 500-word article (and this, apparently, is the going rate on some of the ‘Dutch auction’ bidding sites out there).

Whilst offering rock-bottom rates may bring in work, it has the unfortunate knock-on effect of devaluing the copywriting profession for those who are serious about perfecting the craft and providing clients with a professional, cost-effective range of services.

The provision of mass, optimised online content has its place in a fast-moving world that consumes words and advertising messages in the blink of an eye. It’s important to be realistic and accept that the world has changed. Being ‘precious’ about creativity flies in the face of what copywriting is all about, namely: providing a hard-hitting commercial service that helps clients sell or persuade.

What needs to change is either the description of differing types of copywriting which obviously involve enormously different skillsets - or (and this is more difficult) there needs to be a shift in perception among clients that copywriting is a ‘catch-all’ service where, for example, dozens of optimised e-commerce descriptions are seen in the same light as writing persuasive sales letters, web pages or ad copy.

There’s no mileage in denigrating the role of content writers, however. They provide a valuable service. The danger of course is where the term ‘copywriting’ overlaps to include skills of a totally different nature and, arguably, of greater commercial worth. The downward pressure on copywriting rates has prompted many old-school copywriters to question whether freelance copywriting is still a viable occupation.

The sequel to this looks at what other copywriters’ views are on Copywriting Rates in general. Visit: Copywriting Rates – What Copywriters Say

For tips on setting and negotiating Copywriting Rates, see: Copywriting Rates – Sell the Sizzle, Reap the Rewards!

Buzzwords’ new SEO Copywriting page

There’s all-new content on the SEO Copywriting page of Buzzwords’ main website – buzzwords.ltd.uk/seo_copywriting.htm

This was written in response to the big SEO changes which have taken place in the past year or so.  The way Google looks at web page copy has changed, especially with regard to keywords and fluency of style.

Social media sites and the ability to share and link pages has also had a big impact on what succeeds online and what doesn’t.  Content is still king but this constant change must be making the king a little sore in more ways than one!

‘PR Packages’ Articles Complete the Online Jigsaw

Of the recent articles I’ve written for online submission, there are three (so far) in the PR Packages series.  Each of these focuses on a range of PR and copywriting skills that can be bundled together to achieve various objectives.  These could be for SEO purposes, generating a wider awareness of a company’s products and services, building business or protecting reputations.

The articles are, of course, as much about the SEO process of article marketing as they are about the benefits of Buzzwords’ PR Packages!  I make no apologies for that.  Everything that’s written online should, wherever possible, have the capacity to be re-cycled and fit into your online jigsaw.

Copywriting is a time-consuming business, so it makes sense to make it as cost-effective as possible.  Article marketing is probably at the top end of the spectrum as far as time input is concerned.  And yet, a lot of people don’t realise just how much of a ‘slow burn’ process SEO and link building actually is!

Blogging and online PR will probably give a quicker return per hour spent, but for staying power and generating a wider awareness of you and your field of expertise, articles are more expansive – and definitely more enduring.

Over and above the ‘slow burn’ effectiveness of article marketing, another concern that clients have is centred on how much skill and hard cash need be invested to do a good job.  As a copywriter, I have the skills at my fingertips, so the cost is nil (except for my valuable time, that is!).

What I would say to companies who doubt the power of article marketing is that it will pay off in the medium-term (we’re not talking ‘quick fixes’ here), especially if you hire a professional copywriter who can also help you to integrate all your social media activities.  Like any other form of marketing, you need to invest in the best to see a decent return.

SEO Copywriting – Google’s Mayday Update Takes Us Back to Reality

Plenty has been written already about Google’s 2010 Mayday Update and the effect it will have on SEO and long-tail keywords.

For an SEO copywriting take on the issue, you may want to look at my latest article ‘SEO Copywriting – Embracing Google’s Mayday Update’ – at www.ezinearticles.com – or at Buzzwords’ main website on the ‘Articles’ page (buzzwords.ltd.uk/free_reprint_articles.htm – don’t forget to add the ‘www’).

From an SEO copywriting viewpoint, this is a welcome continuation of Google’s move towards ‘real’ language. For SEO types who’ve been creating huge amounts of low quality website content in the hope of capturing a share of the lucrative long-tail keyword search market, their come-uppance hasn’t come soon enough!

Buzzwords’ Article Marketing – Free Reprint Articles

For a taste of article marketing in action, visit the new Free Reprint Articles page on Buzzwords’ main website.  You can read a selection of  Mike Beeson’s recent articles at buzzwords.ltd.uk/free_reprint_articles ( just add the ‘www’ and stir!).

These cover SEO copywriting, article marketing, PR packages and case study copywriting.  All articles are available for FREE reprinting by webmasters, bloggers and publishers of e-zines and online newsletters – anyone in fact who needs high quality online content.

All that’s asked in return is that the article wording isn’t changed and that Buzzwords’ URL as it appears in the ‘resource box’ is included in full.

SEO copywriting articles on Buzzwords’ website

I’ve added a couple of SEO copywriting articles to Buzzwords’ main website – see: /seo_copywriting.htm. They reflect how search is constantly changing and, with it, the skills and approach demanded of a SEO copywriter.

For a more effective website – Buzzwords has a FREE download!

Visit the Home page on Buzzwords’ website (buzzwords.ltd.uk) for your FREE 59-page download where you will discover how and why Content Management System (CMS) websites are so effective.

This easy-to-read PDF provides a perfect introduction to things like website copywriting, SEO, how to use images, domain names, hosting, e-mail and Pay-Per-Click advertising.  More importantly, it takes you through the benefits of having a CMS website – namely: flexibility, ease of management and cost-effectiveness.

SEO copywriting and meaningless links

We all know that link building is today’s main mantra for sucessful SEO copywriting with Google. And yet, I don’t see that links generated through article directories are necessarily a good guide to a site’s ‘authority’.

The quality of articles on some directory sites are pretty dire, even if they are the bees’ knees for search engines. The article directory concerned may have a respectable Google PR (Page Rank) but when they’re publishing dross, the net effect flies in the face of Google’s aim of delivering a quality search experience.

Which brings me back to a hobby-horse of mine that those pages at the top of the SERPs aren’t necessarily the best in that subject area. They are in fact the ones that most closely meet Google’s SEO criteria and are unfairly rewarded because their webmasters know how best to play the SEO game.

You could say that life – and publicity in particular – is like that.  Advertising and PR has always rewarded those who know how to shout the loudest. It’s just that Google claims to apply ultra-sophisticated methods (algorithms) to bring us a new marketing paradigm when the reality is that things haven’t really changed. In years to come, the likelihood is that building ‘links’ in this way – or any way? – will be seen as a wrong turning for SEO  .

SEO Copywriting – 10 Steps to SEO Heaven!

New SEO copywriting content has been added to Buzzwords’ copywriting website (buzzwords.ltd.uk/seo_copywriting.htm).   ‘SEO Copywriting – 10 steps to SEO success!’ is all about the various steps that Buzzwords goes through when conducting an SEO copywriting makeover for a client. These include:

• STEP ONE – Analysing the website structure and sitemap
• STEP TWO – Keyword appraisal
• STEP THREE – Optimising every page with the appropriate keywords
• STEP FOUR – Including keywords in URLs
• STEP FIVE – Optimising for business leads from the immediate locality
• STEP SIX – Writing for people, not robots!
• STEP SEVEN – The time lag between SEO copywriting changes and visible search engine results
• STEP EIGHT – Results and the limitations of on-page SEO copywriting
• STEP NINE – The need for strategic off-page SEO copywriting
• STEP TEN – Persistence pays off with free online advertising!

 

SEO copywriting and the problems with ‘search’

I’ve just posted an article on Buzzwords’ main website (see: buzzwords.ltd.uk/news_links.htm) which highlights the shaky ground on which the conventional wisdom of online ‘search’ rests and how it relates to SEO and SEO copywriting.

Many people assume that the web pages which come top in a Google search are ‘simply the best’, when in fact they are probably only the ‘best-optimised’. Of course, the search engines are working tirelessly to find an algorithm that delivers the ultimate search experience, while SEO types (including SEO copywriters) are working equally hard to manipulate their clients’ websites into pole position.

Whether the ultimate dream of matching round pegs with round holes will ever happen is doubtful.   Until then, clients looking for marketing success should embrace SEO and SEO copywriting with every dollar at their disposal!

SEO Copywriting – relevant results or quality content?

Buzzwords recently switched to a content managed website (CMS) to speed up the addition of new content.  To make sure new pages were indexed as soon as possible, the decision was taken to upload ‘skeleton’ pages to start with and then add quality content later.  The initial pages comprised a relevant, robot-friendly URL, appropriate meta tags and some examples of previous work.  

Although some of these new pages were for low-competition, long-tail keywords, I’ve been amazed to see them feature on Page One of both Google and Yahoo.  This begs the question about the extent to which ranking is based on quality content, and how much depends on relevance.  (The other criterion of  ‘inbound links’ doesn’t apply to these all-new pages and can therefore be discounted from the equation.)

For those who search for a long-tail keyword (or something less than generic), there would seem to be little guarantee of quality content.  All they can hope for is that ‘relevance’ will ultimately deliver the quality content and information they need.  In the meantime, could this be seen as a flaw in the system of ‘search’ that only I have noticed?  That’s highly unlikely, but it does suggest that care should be taken when interpreting the worth of top ranking search results pages (SERPS).

Buzzwords launches online copywriting packages

With the emphasis very much on SEO copywriting, Buzzwords has launched a range of online copywriting packages.  These should be of particular interest to SMEs and the budget-focused departments of larger companies.

The synergies which come from combining SEO copywriting with website copywriting and the link building activities which encompass online PR and article marketing make complete commercial sense. 

To approach all of these in a piecemeal way misses the point.  It may save money in the short term but, by ignoring the benefits of cross-referencing all these powerful skillsets, money is undoubtedly being left on the table.

Buzzwords’ online copywriting packages can be tailored to every client’s needs, with budgets being dictated by activity levels.  With online marketing becoming a mainstream activity, to ignore the benefits of SEO copywriting implicit in online copywriting packages is to leave a gaping hole in any company’s marketing strategy.

SEO copywriting meets PR – hello Article Marketing!

Submitting articles to publishers – online or offline – is a highly effective way to generate interest in a company or person, especially in a niche market which has its own specialist media. ‘Selling in’ feature articles has always been – and remains – a mainstay of PR and media relations.

The advent of the Internet as a marketing tool has seen the evolution of many traditional offline methods into full-blown techniques which boost search engine rankings through the clever use of search engine optimisation (SEO) and SEO copywriting.

Article Marketing relies for effectiveness on linking the websites of online directories, e-zines, blogs and other websites to the landing page URL of the article sender.  Also vital is ensuring that every article has keyword-optimised content for maximum search engine recognition of the landing page published.

The skills of the SEO copywriter (and other online marketers and SEO professionals) in identifying appropriate keywords and using them in opportune ways as the article and landing pages are written creates a wonderful synergy.  Google also rewards the quality and relevance of inbound links with potentially higher rankings for website pages to which published articles are linked.

 

 

SEO copywriting beats the economic slowdown!

Search engine success starts with SEO copywriting.  It’s the most cost-effective marketing tool around.  You’ll see a clear and rapid return on your investment in the shape of higher search engine rankings and more website traffic.

For REAL immediacy, of course, there’s Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising.  Whether this counts as SEO copywriting is a moot point, although PPC does rely heavily for its success on good keyword selection that relates to tightly configured AdGroups, well-optimised landing pages and keyword-focused small ads.

It hardly matters, but PPC is firmly rooted in the search engine marketing (SEM) stable.  For purists who see SEO copywriting solely as a way to achieve higher website rankings, we have to be talking about optimised website copy, complete with appropriate keywords, meta tags and smooth, semantic syntax!

Other link-building tools which also draw on SEO copywriting skills include online PR and article marketing although, in this context, their SEO uses are focused on improving a website’s search engine rankings.

For businesses looking to generate sales and qualified leads in the most straightforward and cost-effective way, SEO copywriting and the improvements it can make in organic search engine ranking make it an essential secret weapon in any marketer’s armoury.

Buzzwords Copywriting Manchester at Squidoo!

Buzzwords has taken another step into the Web 2.0/social media world with Squidoo!  Check out this ‘lens’:

www.squidoo.com/buzzwordscopywritingmanchester

Buzzwords’ website copywriting page is #2 on Google!

Ah, the mysteries of search engine optimization (SEO)!  I thought I knew a bit about it, but the recent rankings of the website copywriting page of my main website (www.buzzwords.ltd.uk/website_copywriting.htm) have puzzled and pleased me in equal measure.

After languishing in the bottom half of the first page on Google since the page was re-written last year – a ranking many people would die for, but not really good enough to attract the premium enquiries in what is, let’s face it, a pretty niche neck of the woods! – the website copywriting page of Buzzwords’ website now ranks at #2 for the keywords ‘website copywriter/copywriters’ and #5 for ‘website copywriting’.

Nothing’s been added or taken away (as they say).  So what’s happened to make this important change?  The page had been optimized in the usual way for meta tags and so on, and the copy had the ‘right’ keyword density.

There are only two factors I can think of which may have made the difference.  First, the content has ‘matured’.  To explain: if older links are looked upon more favourably by search engines, will body copy be seen in the same way?  Second, Google’s latest algorithms may very likely include a weighting based on Latent Semantic Indexing (LSI).

In other words, linguistic analysis gives a site brownie points for using clear,  approachable syntax.  If that’s what’s happening with my website – or if anyone out there can give me some other good reasons for the sudden improvement in the ranking for the mainstream keywords I’ve mentioned - please let me know.

SEO copywriting – and the small matter of link building

If you want a higher ranking website, make sure you work on those inbound links!  SEO copywriting is a great tool for doing this and I’ll be looking at the various ways to approach this massive subject over the next few weeks.

Suffice it to say: Google now sees the number and quality of links pointing to a website as probably the most important factor in deciding that site’s fortunes.  The part that SEO copywriting can play in this is enormous – on-page SEO, article marketing (aka ‘article PR’), online PR and systematic directory-led link building… all of which is based on solid keyword research.  It’s enough to make your eyes water!

Copywriting is king… inbound links are courtiers

On the web, inbound links affect a website’s position in the search engine rankings.  Generating quality links that win search engine brownie points is best achieved through article PR and online PR. 

A huge amount of copywriting work is involved, especially when it comes to writing worthwhile, informative articles  – suitably optimised with appropriate keywords of course.  Online news releases are more straightforward to write, and bring better returns on time invested – providing you have something to say on a regular basis.  Again, SEO and keywords play a part, but frequency of output is vital to achieving meaningful success.

If you can post articles and releases on your website a couple of weeks before launching them into the outside world this allows time for the content to be indexed by search engines and helps in the linking process (although it may be wise to write an edited version of your content to be doubly sure of avoiding ‘duplicate content’ penalties.) 

Apart from anything else, continually adding to your website is viewed favourably by the likes of Google – hence the power of blogs to surge through the search rankings, and stay there, providing content is updated on a regular basis (daily is the ultimate, but weekly keeps the pot simmering). 

The links associated with blogs are of course generated through tags.  Social media links to Technorati, StumbleUpon, Squidoo and so on also help.  Main websites which incorporate a blog therefore have a head start over their ‘unblogged’ counterparts.

Creating links is hard work – hard copywriting work that is also very time consuming.  The dividends are impressive, however,  especially if search engine rankings equate to new business enquiries for your company.

Finding the time to do all this – the writing, distributing to online directories and media etc – is usually a problem for most companies.  Employing a specialist freelance copywriter to handle it all makes lots of sense. 

Not only do you get quality writing and the regularity of output that comes with commercial commitment.  You’re also buying-in specialist knowledge of the market and, crucially, how the market works.