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.

SEO Top of the Flops

Most people would assume being Number 1 on Google would generate more than its fair share of clicks – and they’d be right. Yet how many people can put a figure on it?

Does a top position generate 10, 20 or even 30 per cent more clicks than the page just one place below at Number 2? And what about those pages languishing at Number 6, 8 – or even Number 10?

Don’t forget: they’re all on Page 1 of Google. And this is where everyone wants to be. It’s seen as the pinnacle of SEO success. “We can get you on Page One of Google,” is the sales mantra of SEO salespeople everywhere.

Looking at research done over the past couple of years makes for interesting reading. It may come as a surprise to many people, but the rewards of top ranking are something similar to ‘winner takes all’.

A study by Optify, for instance, revealed that a Number 1 rank delivered a huge 36% of clicks. This plummeted to 12.5% for a Number 2 ranking – and by the time we reach Number 10 (still on Page 1 !), we’re down to a paltry 2.7%.

This miserable level of ‘clickability’ continues unabated throughout Page 2 of Google. And any pages beyond that are simply not at the races!

These results were echoed in a study by Neil Walker of SEO company Just Search Ltd. In this case, Position 1 snared 46% of organic click-throughs, while Position 2 managed 29%, with Position 3 coming in at 19%.

A similar study by Jonathan Allen at Chitika reported that the top spot garnered 34% of impressions, second position grabbed 17%; and third trailed with just 11%.

What all these studies highlight is the disproportionate number of clicks achieved by a Number 1 position. Relatively speaking, all other positions are also-rans.

If more people were aware of these figures, they may just down tools – or simply retire. Whilst it’s true that ‘a smaller percentage of something’ is better than nothing at all, the uphill struggle faced by everyone involved with SEO is mammoth and begs the question whether so much time, effort and money should be invested in it.

The likelihood of achieving top position is remote, especially for competitive keywords. And, of course, there can only be one Number 1! From a pure ‘return on investment’ viewpoint, more businesses should probably consider diverting some (or all!) of their SEO budget to other aspects of marketing where the chances of sales success will be slightly higher!

Google Video on Common SEO Mistakes

SEO and the Page One Gold Rush

For an idiosyncratic take on SEO – and the value of a Page 1 ranking on Google – check out my latest exclusive article on SiteProNews.com:

SEO and the Fool’s Gold Fantasy

In other words, all that glitters may not turn out to be gold!  A Google Page 1 ranking may be the ultimate SEO goal, and one which is hinted at by SEO companies across the world, but will it deliver the returns you expect? 

If your web page is top of the tree – then maybe it will.  Click through rates (CTRs) for a Number 1 web page are two or three times higher than second or third-placed pages (depending on whose research figures you use).  This tails off quite dramatically as you count down Page 1.  By the time you reach the results on Page 2, the commercial significance has dwindled to next to nothing.  Any pages beyond that are off the SEO radar.

Assuming that your page (somewhere on Page 1) attracts at least a few clicks, the next hurdle is whether the page will convert into an enquiry (or another desired course of action).  After that, we’re into the non-SEO world of inter-personal chemistry and marketing issues such as pricing, service and so on.

When SEO techniques have helped a page to rank highly, a company will feel its investment in SEO has paid off.  Whether someone who’s done a Google search will feel the same way is open to question.

It’s true that a Number 1 position implies that Google has used its not inconsiderable selection resources to choose that particular page.  Ergo: it should be ‘good’ i.e. with high quality content that is relevant to the keywords used in the search.

The problem arises when the powers of SEO have outstripped the logic of Google’s complex algorithms.  Has clever on-page SEO or link building distorted the result to such an extent that the Number 1 web page is in fact a disaster area?

One click will reveal all, of course.  Delivering on promises of quality content isn’t something that SEO companies shout about.  Nor is it something for which they have responsibility.  A major flaw of the whole ‘search’ concept  centres on whether the various criteria and variables that algorithms use add up to the ultimate real-life solution?  Or do they simply reflect the fact that clever SEO has distorted reality – and the page rankings that go with it?

To find out more, why not read the article:

SEO and the Fool’s Gold Fantasy

 

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.

 

 

 

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.

 

Buzzwords’ Copywriting Rates – 50% Off Until April 2012!

For all those people out there who think they can’t afford a top copywriter – here is a great opportunity!  Until April 2012, Buzzwords is offering all new clients an amazing discount of up to 50 per cent on typical copywriting rates.

For as little as £250 per day, companies of all types and sizes – including advertising, design, PR or digital agencies – can avail of the copywriting services of Mike Beeson.  That means you can finally get that website written, you can dip your toe into the waters of SEO copywriting, or maybe have those ads, brochures or case studies written to a standard you never thought was within your reach!

Of course, I exaggerate slightly – but, hey, isn’t that what copywriting is all about?!  To find out more, contact Mike Beeson today on 01565 654023 – or visit Buzzwords’ website at buzzwords.ltd.uk.

SEO & YouTube Marketing: 6 Great Ways to Optimise Your YouTube Videos

By Nicholas Beeson, Marketing Associate, Buzzwords Manchester

Since Google acquired YouTube back in 2006, videos have begun to feature more prominently in searches. Combine this with Google’s latest Panda update where the addition of useful and attractive visual content is rewarded with higher SERPs page rankings, and we can see why videos have become so important.

Many of us forget that videos are found on the Internet just like websites – through search engines. (And YouTube is a search engine.) Just like websites – using search engine optimisation (SEO) – videos can be optimised to rank highly on YouTube’s search engine as well as on Google or Bing. The principles of optimising videos are not much different from the SEO optimisation processes applied to web pages, blogs and so on.

Here are 6 ways to optimise your YouTube videos so they rank highly:

1. Optimise your tags
YouTube calls keywords “tags”.  Tags are a great way to enable people to find your video. The tag field is the most important element of optimising your video. Add the appropriate “tags” and your video should be a hit!

2. Choose an appropriate title
Just like the ‘title’ meta tags used on web pages, YouTube also uses the keywords in the title of your video to match searches. You only get 100 characters to use, so make sure the title appeals to your target audience.

3. The video description is key
The ‘description’ of your video also gives you an opportunity to include keywords that viewers may be searching for. The description is very much like the SEO ‘description’ tag on your website pages, but remember: don’t keyword stuff, and keep it organic!

4. Linking
Just like other forms of SEO, inbound links are vital to improving your video’s ranking. The more websites you have linking to your video, the higher your rankings will be. Likewise, you can improve your video’s ranking by having it embedded on your web pages.

5. Comments and ratings
Encouraging viewers to comment and rate your video will also benefit the rankings of your video. The more comments you have and the more your content is shared, the higher your video will rank!

6. It’s a numbers game
Perhaps the most important factor in determining the search ranking of your video is the number of views it receives. More views equal higher rankings!

Video for SEO – Get the Picture?

You may have noticed the increased numbers of videos ranking highly on Google search pages.  The obvious conclusion to draw from this is that videos are good SEO vehicles.

Nowadays, videos can be created and optimised quickly and easily.  The quality of what currently ranks highly isn’t always the best – but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing for those on a tight budget who want to achieve something extra with their SEO. 

Google’s recent Panda Update stressed the importance of improving the search engine experience.  This included creating pages that will deliver a more ‘complete’ search experience for users who are maybe looking for something more visual to back up the on-page text.  This could include things like PowerPoint presentations, screen-grabs, charts – and videos, among other things.

Research has shown that web pages featuring videos will consistently achieve higher organic rankings and click-through rates than those that don’t.  In a televisual age, the reasons for this are obvious.  Until recently – perhaps coinciding with the time when Google bought YouTube? – on-page SEO and search results were focused on keywords, written content and links.

This mindset still prevails in the way videos are ranked, with ‘information’ (and not high production values) being the predominant criterion.

From a SEO standpoint, videos can achieve massive exposure on YouTube and other video search engines.  Social media links are also achievable with a well-planned distribution strategy. 

If you’re looking to maximise returns on your video as a piece of ‘content’, it’s a straightforward process to transcribe from the visual content and distribute it with the text alongside.  This ‘belt and braces’ technique gives the best of both worlds – approachable, clickable user content on the one hand, plus indexable and optimised text in a PowerPoint, PDF, podcast or other format on the other.

The potential for videos as a SEO vehicle is massive.  First, consider the low cost of informational video production, then add the opportunities to re-format the content in ways that are search engine friendly.  Whichever way you look at it, videos are probably one of the most under-rated SEO tools around. 

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?

Google’s Panda Update Gives New Pseudo-Spam Two Black Eyes!

It would seem that a big part of SEO involves second-guessing Google. With Panda Updates, Mayday Updates, algorithm changes, PageRank influences, Matt Cutts and Google’s blog, there’s a sackful of goodies for SEO types to play with.

The problem, of course, is that Google won’t broadcast their intended changes in advance, and it’s usually up to SEO professionals to apply retrospective analyses to SERPs results (ie. how web pages rank for certain keywords).

Armed with this data, it may be possible to come to conclusions about what’s changed with the new algorithms, which sites have been affected, and by how much.

There certainly seems to be a frenzy over Google’s February 2011 Panda Update.  The company’s blog confirmed that around 12% of sites in the US have been affected so far  - with another 2% to come if plans to target certain content re-cycling sites and article directories  come to fruition.

To be fair to Google, they have been explicit about this on their blog.  There’s nothing sinister or ‘Big Brother’ about what they’re doing.  As ever, their sole aim is to provide users with the best possible search experience.

A recent post on Google’s blog by their very own Amit Singhal informed us that the Panda ‘algorithmic improvement’ would soon be rolled out across all English-language Google users.

Given the inherent delays in the ‘search-cache-ranking’ process, Panda’s full impact has yet to be felt outside the US – and that includes the UK, my own country.

There is evidence that UK-based sites in the US have been affected already.  What isn’t clear at the time of writing (29 April, 2011) is the scale of changes that will eventually affect websites across the UK.

What IS clear, however, is that Panda echoes the Mayday Update in that rewarding quality content is a recurring theme.  Conversely, weak articles published with the sole intention of generating links, or recycled information that offers users nothing new or original, will both be downgraded.  What’s so surprising about all this is that it’s taken so long to happen.

It seems that this is like a new slice of ‘spam’.  Existing spam filters have done sterling work in stamping out old-style spam.  Now, Google has taken up the torch to eliminate sub-standard pseudo-spam content.

At a stroke, this will cut out massive swathes of dross from the Internet and add a fresh dimension to the search experience.  It will help to keep competitors like Bing at arm’s length and demonstrate that the Panda Update will be handing out a few black eyes to sites that have hitherto remained unscathed.

Buzzwords’ new SEO Copywriting page…

There’s a new SEO Copywriting page on Buzzwords’ main website:
buzzwords.ltd.uk/seo_copywriting.htm (just add the ‘www’).

The previous content has been edited hard to take into account the recent changes to Google’s algorithms. As we all know, successful SEO Copywriting is now more about presenting high quality and original content with a certain clarity and fluency of writing style.

The whole idea of course is to provide visitors to your website with a more attractive and informative experience. The days of ‘keyword stuffing’ are long gone!

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!

Free Articles on Copywriting, SEO and PR

Are you looking for free articles you can reprint on your website, in your newsletters, or just about anywhere else where your online readers will appreciate a quality article or two?

Buzzwords currently has 16 articles available, the latest of which focuses on the perennial issue of Copywriting Rates. You’ll find plenty about PR Packages, SEO Copywriting and Article Marketing too. As a freelance copywriter, I’m always looking for a new angle on hot potatoes! (Watch out for my latest article on Social Media which is due to appear any day now!!!)

All I ask in exchange for free access to these articles is that you include a link back to Buzzwords’ website, plus the other biographical details at the bottom of each article.

(Finding the page is easy. Just click on Buzzwords’ logo on the right, then click the ‘Articles’ tab.)

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 – An Introduction

The Copywriting Rates page on Buzzwords’ website has a ridiculously high hit rate! This isn’t a casual observation based on a couple of weeks stats. The page has featured prominently on Google UK for many months, hitting the Number One spot for the keyword/keyphrase ’Copywriting Rates’ in the autumn of 2010.

Obviously, ranking highly on Page One brings a lot of hits so it’s probably wise not to draw too many conclusions as to the importance of what I have to say Yes, the SEO is good (even though I say it myself!), but what about the content? To find out more about Copywriting Rates in general, I decided to take a closer look at what my competitors are saying. 

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

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

A Great SEO Copywriting Tool – the Google ‘Wonder Wheel’

SEO copywriters (and anyone interested in SEO copywriting) will appreciate the Google ‘Wonder Wheel’. This little-known free tool responds to your keyword search with a word or words at the hub of a ‘wheel’ and a selection of related keywords at the end of ‘spokes’.

You can click on each of these keywords to create another ‘Wonder Wheel’ – it’s very simple, quick and effective. To the right of the page, Google presents its keyword findings, as with a typical search.

To reach the Google ‘Wonder Wheel’, you simply type in the search term you’re looking for. On the left side of the page (below ‘Everything’ and ‘Standard View’) you will see the ‘Wonder Wheel’ link.

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!

Article Marketing – A Revival!

Writing articles is back on Buzzwords’ SEO agenda – as is blogging! It’s all part of an inter-linked approach to generating more traffic to the main website using social media sites like Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.

There’s a lot of scepticism about using Facebook and Twitter for business. Personally, I think the best approach is to leverage every digital marketing opportunity to generate a buzz around what you’re up to! Simple, but there’s no doubting the rewards that plenty of online activity brings in the SEO stakes.

To illustrate the point, every article I write is linked from ezinearticles to Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. My blog posts go direct to LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Squidoo. Twitter goes straight to Facebook. And there’s a dedicated ‘Free Article Reprint’ page on Buzzwords’ website - buzzwords.ltd.uk/free_reprint_articles.htm – which features all my articles (as standalone and optimised web pages) for use by anyone, anywhere.

The net effect of all this is to create a virtuous cycle of activity and interest in what Buzzwords is doing – and of course generating traffic to the main website. A major reason why social media doesn’t work for so many companies is because they aren’t active enough in writing and creating the various blog posts, tweets, Facebook entries, articles and website updates needed to shake Google’s tree.

The reasons for this are really quite simple: lack of time, commitment and the opportunity cost of time and attention wasted doing what is a non-core activity – not to mention the lack of confidence in some quarters to write what’s needed to the standard that won’t let the side down.

All of this is a great shame. To give social media a fair crack of the whip needs confidence and commitment. Without it, the endeavour is doomed to failure. To coin a phrase, it’s really a question of reaping what you sow.

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.

Copywriting and the social media mix

How can a busy copywriter find the time to indulge in social media, if ‘indulge’ is the right word?  This implies social media is some kind of luxury, a bit of fun that copywriters can have instead of doing the crossword.

Well, I must admit, I’ve decided to make a fist of the social media thing and try to make it work in a B2B context.  I’ve dabbled with blogs in the past, opened an account with LinkedIn and even had a brief dalliance with MySpace some time back.

The blogs I had were fine but they took up a lot of my time, and without any apparent benefit.  When they were banned for using too many links back to my main website (or was it too many tags?), I shrugged my shoulders and got on with life. 

What I didn’t realise at the time was just how much SEO-juice the blogs were feeding back to my main website.  The content itself wasn’t earth-shattering, although I guess the spin-offs from being more industry-aware had some value (to someone, somewhere!!!).

So why the conversion (or re-conversion) to social media?  What’s brought on this Damascus-like change?  This may sound pathetic, but it’s mainly to do with my tweets ranking on Google!

My first venture into social media was in the dark days before Twitter, so I do have some kind of explanation!  It was also to do with blogs linking with Twitter, and online articles linking to Twitter and so on.  (You’re right, it still sounds pathetic – but I will persist, dear reader!)

Another reason I’m re-visiting social media is because clients are actually hinting that I should be offering this as a service or, at the very least, offering advice on its feasibility for their company.

I must confess that it feels a bit limp-wristed to say to them that social media doesn’t really apply to companies – that it’s a ‘social’ thing!  The fact is, if it can be used to benefit SEO – and even help in opinion-forming by hooking up with even a small number of customers – then B2B social media must be ‘a good thing’.

Whether it’s a ‘cost-effective’ thing or not is a moot point.  This type of SEO is not measurable in its splendid isolation.  It may add to the weight of a full-blown SEO campaign, but assessing the ROI of B2B social media strikes me as tricky.

Having said that, tweets that are ranked by Google – albeit because they have links to other content – obviously have value.  Blog links have value too, and even the content on sites like Facebook may have some PR value.

So, yes, I shall be persevering with social media, if only to say to clients: “Yes, it works!” – or: “Don’t go there!”  With first-hand experience, I will have a leg to stand on, and a bag full of mixed metaphors to boot!

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.

Technical copywriter vs technical writer

I recently added a new technical copywriting page to Buzzwords’ website (buzzwords.ltd.uk/technical_copywriter.htm) in which I discuss the differences between a technical copywriter and a technical WRITER. 

Although this may seem like doing battle with semantics, I feel that the term ‘technical copywriter’ is always going to have a marketing association.  When it comes to the efficacy of online search, this is massively important.  From a webmaster’s standpoint, he will want to select the keyword that best does the business.  For someone conducting the search, they will want to know that the results best match their needs. 

A technical copywriter will likely bring essential marketing skills to the table – if this is what the searcher wants.  If they want someone with the detailed and specialist skills of a technical writer, then the term ‘copywriter’ will dilute the relevance of their search results.  This example alone highlights the shortcomings of search engine optimization (SEO) and keyword research.  For those people who may not be familiar with the word ‘copywriter’ and who are acquainted only with the term ‘writer’ (even in a commercial context), organic listings will do them a major disservice, although it has to be said that a little keyword research could help here!

This is only one example of the potential anomalies that SEO and SEO copywriting can unearth.  To the initiated, it all seems simple.  Get your head down and keep drilling down for the results you want.  For those who may be thrown with something as simple as plural versions of their chosen keyword, they should really be consulting SEO copywriters (and other SEO professionals) who can help them avoid elephant traps that could be costly both in financial as well as informational terms. 

 

 

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  .

Website Design page added to Buzzwords’ website

Buzzwords now offers bespoke website design services for clients looking for more than the website copywriting and SEO copywriting services currently on offer. Many clients – especially SMEs – prefer to deal with one supplier rather than having to source and co-ordinate an army of website professionals. Buzzwords has worked with website designers and programmers for many years so it makes sense to roll it all up into an optional turnkey service. 

(Buzzwords’ website copywriting and SEO copywriting services continue to enjoy great popularity and are still provided as standalone services.)

Web development packages introduced by Buzzwords

Manchester-based copywriting agency, Buzzwords Limited, has introduced three web development packages to complement its website copywriting and SEO copywriting services:

• Bespoke website design – Everything from a five-page ‘brochure’ website to an an all-dancing e-commerce catalogue.
• Content Management Systems - Buzzwords will manage and write the copy and content for your website.  Design and hosting are all part of the CMS package.
• WordPress blog development - Add a blog to your existing website.  Or create a standalone blog ‘website’.

“A choice of one-stop solutions is what more and more clients want when it comes to their online marketing, especially the smaller company which often doesn’t have the time or the know-how to shop around and co-ordinate all the website services ” says Buzzwords’  Director, Mike Beeson.  “With this new service from Buzzwords, clients get expert website copywriting and SEO plus whatever type of website or blog suits their needs or their budget.”

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 Ongoing Optimisation

When it comes to SEO copywriting, one of the biggest problems I face as an SEO copwriter is persuading clients that optimising their websites is an ongoing process.  Most think it’s like writing a brochure.  Choose a set of keywords, wait awhile – and hey presto!  Google loves me!  Not.

Probably one of the best vehicles for encouraging clients to embrace SEO copywriting as an ongoing concept is to sign up for a content managed website (CMS).  There’s no substitute for being in control – whether the client writes the content, or a copywriter is commissioned to do it.

Of course, this involves finding out about basic on-page SEO copywriting skills like keyword research, meta tags and knowing what goes where.  An even bigger potential problem is with off-page SEO copywriting and link building.  Even with a CMS, the downside to building links is that it takes lots of time and effort.  That’s why it makes sense to leave it to a professional SEO copywriter.

Ongoing optimisation is definitely not a quick fix when it comes to creating a successful website.  Fine-tuning keywords and meta tags, for instance, doesn’t generate results overnight.  Nor does article marketing. 

With all the other demands of running a business, ongoing optimisation will inevitably slip down the list of priorities, especially if progress is slow.  Employing a copywriter who also monitors the results of SEO copywriting activities is probably the best way to approach optimisation.

Set a six-month target.  Monitor the rankings of the web pages you’ve optimised.  (Remember: Google ranks pages and NOT websites!)  Monitor and compare rival keywords.  Search for new keywords and compare their performance.  And look closely at which aspects of your SEO copywriting are working – and those that aren’t!

The importance of your website as the focal point of all your online marketing cannot be over-stated.  It follows therefore that the effects of your site’s rankings on sales lead generation makes SEO copywriting and ongoing optimisation one of the most important online activities in which your company should be investing.

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 and a new website

From an SEO copywriting viewpoint, any major changes to a website are interesting to say the least.  Before your very eyes, you have a living laboratory of how new additions to the site – new pages, edited pages, meta tags and so on – are performing in the search engine rankings.

It’s common knowledge, of course, that it can take several weeks for a web page to be indexed by the search engines.  (I have to admit, I’d always thought Yahoo took longer to index than Google, but this no longer appears to be the case – any thoughts?)

The indexing process is highly frustrating.  Perhaps the worst part is having to wait so long to see how the search engines are going to rank your page initially – and even after that, wondering whether the ‘ageing’ process will see your page gradually creep up the rankings.

What is fairly common, as I understand it, is for a page to go straight to Page One on Google – only to drop down to what is best described as its ‘natural level’ over future weeks.

Another interesting aspect is the indexing of pages in a highly competitive keyword category.  I’ve noticed that ‘long-tail’ keywords are indexed fairly readily and appear in high SERPS positions quite quickly.  This is obviously because of lack of competition for that keyword.

What I’m driving at is whether the ranking of pages for highly competitive keywords is more depedent on link popularity than on-page SEO copywriting elements?  And is the contribution of inbound links equally successful with a generic link to the core URL as it is to page-specific links?

Unless someone out there has secret access to Google’s algorithms (or you’re Matt Cutts!), these are questions that are probably more rhetorical than measurable.  All comments are welcome as ever, but one thing’s for sure: having a new website certainly sets an SEO copywriter’s mind racing!

A Merry Copywriting Xmas!

It’s been a pretty momentous year, what with the world economy and all that!  On the copywriting front, I have to say that things are holding up pretty well.  With Buzzwords’ new Content Managed website and growing demand for SEO copywriting services, 2009 looks promising. 

I guess it’s about being flexible and cost-effective.  Providing clients with the right type of copywriting and PR services means making sure that clients can see a good return on their investment.  There are, of course, no guarantees when it comes to customer response rates – especially in a recession.  Safe to say, however: some things work better than others. 

I’ve already mentioned SEO copywriting.  To that could be added sales letter writing, creating effective website landing pages for those clients who want to do Pay-Per-Click advertising and generally making sure that all aspects of a website are working well from both a usability and SEO point of view. 

Online PR and article marketing could be worth considering – and there’s always the added bonus of generating quality inbound links (an important factor for improving search engine ranking).  The creative use of newsletters and case studies could also pay off.  It depends largely on your target audience.  Horses for courses and all that! 

Anyway, it’s Xmas Eve – so I’m outta here!  Have a good Christmas, and a prosperous New Year!

Is outsourcing your copywriting to India a good idea?

Western businesses tempted by the low rates charged by Indian companies for copywriting services – SEO copywriting, web content writing and so on – would do well to consider the styles of English which Indians use. 

For many, English is not their first language.  Hindi is the majority language among many others.  The likelihood is that outsourced copywriting may come back as something which is not what would be regarded as ‘standard English’.  Even worse, it may read like ‘Hinglish’, a hybrid argot which has acquired a certain cachet among India’s middle classes! 

That’s not to say that Indian companies dealing with SEO and website design don’t produce good work.  They do.  Copywriting, however, is different in that English has many hues.  In the same way that Chaucer’s English is divided from modern English by a big chasm of time, so present-day Indian English (or even American English) is separated by geography.  To paraphrase the saying: the UK and US are divided by a common language.

Indian copywriting tends to reflect the more formal English syntax used 50 years ago – or more.  Before any work becomes usable, a time-consuming editing process is usually necessary.  Suddenly, this can make the low fees much more expensive.  As any copywriter will tell you, there’s often as much work involved in a ‘re-write’ as there is in producing original copy. 

Where more colloquial English is needed – as in ads, sales letters and (to a certain extent) with websites – it’s essential for the copywriter to be on the same cultural wavelength as his audience.  Without cultural empathy, the sales process is severely compromised.

 

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.