Does your content piss people off?
A few days ago, my husband and I were watching an ad for Teleflora. It was your typical Valentine’s Day ad – a woman received flowers at work – but they were brown and wilted. She was obviously disappointed. The lesson: If you don’t purchase your flowers from Teleflora, the love of your life may question how much you really care.
The ad made my husband angry. First, he said, why are all Valentine’s Day ads targeted towards men? Why aren’t there any targeted towards women? After all, they buy Valentine’s Day gifts too (good point.)
But what made him the most angry was what he felt was the subtext of the ad. In his words, “OK, so I’m a tool if I don’t send flowers – and I’m even more of a tool if I send flowers and they aren’t the right kind. Men can’t win.”
(Fair disclosure: My wonderful husband celebrates Valentine’s Day 365 days a year. His ad resistance had everything to do with the messaging, and nothing to do with the concept of celebrating your beloved.)
When you’re writing copy, it’s so important to consider how the target audience will feel about your content. On the surface, the Teleflora ad was probably seen as witty and original. But since the target audience is men – and men are getting told yet again that their gifts had better measure up on Valentine’s Day – how effective was this ad, anyway?
This is especially important if you’re writing copy about “touchier” subjects. For instance, think of people who need high-risk car insurance and SR-22 forms. This population is already facing higher insurance fees, and are dealing with the stigma of needing a SR-22 in order to drive. If you are part of this target audience, would you rather read:
“Accidents, violations = OK!” (The General Car Insurance) or…
“This is auto insurance for people that many insurance companies do not desire to insure or for people that have had a policy cancelled” (High Risk Auto Insurance Ontario.)
You see the difference? The General makes a positive statement (OK!) while the other site reminds the visitor that yes, they did mess up royally.
As I stated in “Do You Know What Your Prospects Are Really Thinking”, your target audience is looking for excuses to NOT buy from you. When you write content that disempowers, embarrasses or freezes prospects with fear, they won’t react well. In fact, the only reaction you may see are huge bounce rates.
The important takeaway from these examples is to always – and I mean always – put yourself in your target audience’s shoes. Ask yourself how you’d feel if you read the copy. Would you feel empowered and positive (OK!) Or would you feel like, no matter what you did, it wouldn’t be good enough (Teleflora.)
Focus on writing copy that’s empowering, exciting and informative. You won’t piss people off – and your site conversions will show it.
(Private note to ProFlowers – your site is still focused around Valentine’s Day – and it’s the 16th of February. Oops!)
Want to be a SEO copywriter? Check out these FAQs.
February 9, 2010 • posted by Heather
If you’re looking at SEO copywriting as a career choice, here are the 10 most frequent questions I hear…and the answers I provide:
1. I have zero copywriting experience. Can I still be a SEO copywriter?
Sure you can…after some training.
To be a successful SEO copywriter, it is very important to understand how the search engines work. I can’t emphasize this enough. You don’t have to be a technical wizard who enjoys coding sites in your spare time. But you do need to speak (and understand) “SEO geek.” Otherwise, you are doing your clients a huge disservice. Remember, clients rely on you to understand keyphrase strategy, hyperlink strategy and how content marketing dovetails with their entire marketing campaign. Not understanding SEO best practices means you’ll miss important opportunities (or make mistakes) that can cost your client money.
Additionally, you’ll also need to understand persuasive writing techniques – otherwise known as “understanding how people tick and make buy decisions.” At the end of the day, your clients look to you as a marketing expert. They may not have a good handle on how to boast their benefits or pinpoint their unique sales proposition. If you really want to help your clients succeed (and that means helping them make sales,) it’s crucial that you understand how to create conversion-oriented copy. It will help you write better Web pages, improve your email campaigns – and even help you “sell” yourself on your own site.
2. Do I need to go back to school?
Nope. In fact, I don’t know of any universities that incorporate SEO copywriting into their curriculum.
3. So, if I can’t go to school to learn SEO copywriting…how will I learn the ropes?
Being a self-starter and taking the initiative to educate yourself is extremely important. Unlike some careers, don’t figure that you’ll “learn SEO copywriting” in a few months – and that’s all you’ll need to do. I’m still learning. I’m still researching. It’s a never-ending process.
Many of the top copywriters are self-taught, learning the art through reading books, combing blogs and trial and error. For folks who prefer more “formal” training, there is my new SEO Copywriting Certificate Program (which is online and self-taught.) If you enjoy learning in a conference environment, Pubcon, Search Marketing Expo and Search Engine Strategies run SEO copywriting panels. AWAI runs Web Writing Workshops. And occasionally, there are local workshops too – you can always check with a SEO copywriter you like and see if he/she is running anything in your area.
4. My fav SEO copywriter isn’t planning a seminar in my area. Now what?
Some folks learn well in a mentor relationship, where the SEO copywriter reviews your work, answers your questions and helps you learn the art faster and easier. I’ve mentored a few folks, and it is a very powerful way to learn – especially for folks who prefer a one-on-one learning environment. Some mentors will work with folks for free, in exchange for you doing some writing. Other mentors will charge money. Although “free” is a great price, don’t reject a “paid” mentor relationship if you have the funds available. You’ll probably be able to work with a SEO copywriter faster (and receive more consistent feedback) if you’re able to pay.
If you can get hired as a marketing assistant, it’s possible that you can learn the SEO copywriting essentials on the job. Although most companies prefer to hire folks with at least a little experience, you can work as an assistant at first – and then gradually work on some writing projects as your skills improve.
5. Won’t what I learn be out of date in just a few months?
Nope. SEO copywriting foundational strategies have been stable over time. Granted, there are always new opportunities (such as Twitter.) But the “writing with keywords” basics are tried and true. At the same time, it’s crucial to stay educated in this fast-moving field. If you love to learn, SEO (and SEO copywriting) is a great career choice.
6. How can I find SEO copywriting work?
That depends – do you want to work in-house or freelance? If you want to freelance, think about business owners you personally know who have a Website – is there some way that you can help them? You can also work with advertising agencies, SEO firms, online SEO copywriting agencies and even Web design companies. In short, freelance SEO copywriters have lots of options.
If you prefer to work in-house, you can find a number of SEO copywriting and content marketing jobs online. The site Direct Response Jobs lists some great SEO copywriting gigs (registration required.)
7. How much should I charge for SEO copywriting services?
That depends on a lot of things, including your experience level, your local area (assuming that you are focusing locally,) and the types of clients you want to work with. If your heart is with small business owners, it makes sense to charge small business prices. If you love working with corporations – and you have some experience under your virtual belt – you can charge much more. I know SEO copywriters who have made 20K a year – and others who have made over 200K.
8. Can I be a part-time SEO copywriter?
Yes. Many people when they are first starting out have a “real job” during the day – and work on SEO copywriting assignments at night. This can be a great way to build up a client base while having the security of a regular paycheck. Note that you’ll have to figure out how to communicate with your clients during your “regular” workday – even if your SEO copywriting day starts at 7pm, most of your clients will want to talk to you between 9-5. However, you can always answer emails and take calls on your lunch hour – and really focus on your clients the moment you get home.
9. How can I get paid more money?
That’s up to you. Good – and I mean really good – SEO copywriters are SEO experts in their own right. They understand how the search engines work, and keep up on the latest and greatest algorithmic changes. At the same time, these savvy SEO copywriters are researching topics like NLP, neuromarketing, consumer psychology – anything that will help them write better copy faster. The more you know, the more you can get paid.
If you love learning and uncovering the latest search engine burp is fun for you, you can look at expanding your skills into link building, social media and even consulting and training. Some SEO copywriters even take on full-scale SEO projects, handling everything from technical to analytics and everything in between. If this is the route you plan to take, know that you’ll need to spend a lot of time educating yourself. As I mentioned earlier, your lack of knowledge can hurt a client – so be very honest in what you can do – and what you can’t provide.
10. The most important question of all: Is SEO copywriting a fun career choice?
For many people, yes, SEO copywriting is a darn fun career choice. Some folks choose to turn SEO copywriting into a lifestyle business, where they fit in copywriting gigs around family, fun and other responsibilities. Other people dream of having a full-fledged SEO copywriting and content marketing agency, complete with employees, downtown office and signage. While others would prefer to work in-house with a team of talented people. If SEO copywriting is your desired career choice, you have the freedom to create the work environment you’ve always wanted. And having that kind of freedom, combined with doing the work you want to do, is a great gig.
Filed under Commentary, Content marketing, Copywriting, Freelance SEO copywriting, In-house SEO copywriting
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Why some SEO firms don’t employ copywriters
February 2, 2010 • posted by Heather
This nice man had been working with a SEO firm for a few months. The firm had been doing all the back-end stuff that needed to be done: Cleaning the code, creating new Titles, building links and generally sprucing up the site. In general, the company did an OK job making the site more visible to search engines.
But here’s the thing: The prospect comes from a marketing background. He knew his existing copy didn’t “pop.” And he knew that better writing would equate into higher conversion rates.
When he expressed his concern to the SEO firm, they handed him a list of “SEO copywriting best practice guidelines” and told him that they “didn’t do SEO copywriting – he’d have to write the copy himself.”
His question to me was: “Shouldn’t all SEO firms employ SEO copywriters? Isn’t it such an important part of SEO that they’d want to have that part covered?”
Well, yes and no. It depends on the SEO.
Many SEO firms are technically focused, meaning that they are masters at untangling the most ugly bits of code, making it easy (or easier) for search engines to access the site. A savvy technical SEO shop can work wonders with a site – and a few technical changes can unlock the positioning floodgates.
However, technical SEO firms aren’t filled with marketers. Their job isn’t to help your copy convert better. Their job is to make your site better for the search engines.
There’s a difference.
Other SEO firms work with copywriters, but the copywriters mostly add keyphrases into copy and create new Titles. Granted, keyphrase editing (or what some firms call “on-page optimization”) is very valuable to the SEO process. But the focus again is to make the existing copy “better for search engines.” They aren’t addressing the conversion aspects of the page. That’s not their job.
This is a challenge for clients who really need writing help. After all, if your copy wasn’t converting before it included keyphrases, adding keyphrases without changing the copy won’t magically help. It won’t make your writing “pop” to the user and entice them to read more (or buy more.) It’s just that the page is better for search engine positioning.
This is where asking the right questions before you sign with a SEO firm comes in…
If you know that your conversion rates are low (or maybe you’re not sure – but you know that your copy is dirt-dull boring,) ask the SEO firm about their approach to SEO copywriting. They may say that they don’t handle the copywriting. Or that they “edit” copy – but they don’t rewrite it. In that’s the case, you have some options:
1. Handle the writing in-house, and give the new copy to the SEO firm. If you have smart in-house copywriters, they can learn how to create top-converting and keyphrase-rich copy. There are also resources such as (shameless plug) the SEO Copywriting Certificate Program that will teach you the ropes.
2. Find a technical SEO firm that does employ SEO copywriters. They are out there – you just have to be very specific about what you need (content marketing services.) If you do go this route, it’s important to gain writing samples from the writer who will be handling your account. That way, you can request another writer if the original writer’s work doesn’t “speak to you” (and don’t worry – the original writer won’t take it personally. Different writers “click” with different clients, so it’s OK to be picky.)
3. Work with your “technical SEO” and hire a SEO copywriting and content marketing agency for your content creation. This may seem clunky at first, but it’s actually very workable. The technical SEO worries about your site architecture and links – and the SEO copywriter focuses on your customer persona and your conversions. Since good SEO copywriters are also SEOs in their own right, they can easily work with other SEO providers. Plus, both firms get to focus on what they do best.
Whatever option you choose, you can easily have the best of both worlds – a technically-savvy site and top-ranking copy that converts like crazy. Once your copy and site are top-notch, you’ll truly enjoy the power of “good SEO” – and you can start building on that success.
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Do you know what your prospects are really thinking?
January 19, 2010 • posted by Heather
When prospective buyers visit your website, they are looking for more than just their desired product or service.
The secret is, they’re looking for reasons to NOT buy from you.
Yes, that’s right. Your prospects – no matter how motivated they are – are coming to the virtual table with a chip on their shoulder. Like the person burned by too many bad dates (you dated that person too?) they want you to prove to them how you’re not just like all the others.
But the problem is, just like in the dating example, you have no idea what the “others” did to your prospect. She’s not coming to you and saying, “Here’s what happened to me – and I’m expecting you to pull the same stuff.” But here’s what she could be thinking…
…The last PR company I worked with took my 10K and didn’t generate a dime in buzz. How can you help me?
…The last time I bought something online, the package arrived late – and the company overcharged me for shipping. Will you do the same thing?
…The last time I hired a writer, he copied an article from Wikipedia and tried to pass it off as original content. How do I know that I’ll get what I’m promised?
…These prices seem high. Are your services really worth it, or are you overpriced?
Think about your own buying behavior. Do you jump into a new purchase willy-nilly, buying from the first vendor in the search results? Or do you carefully compare Websites, send exploratory emails and check reviews so you can work with the right company?
(As a side note, that’s why well-written persuasive content is so important, It’s more than just “getting a good ranking.” It’s providing a fantastic customer experience through the power of the written word.)
Here’s what this means to your online content.
You have to overcome those objections within your copy and show the value of working with you. Rather than waiting for your prospect to bring up every objection they have (guess what – they won’t,) you have to face the known issues head-on and overcome them. No, that doesn’t mean hammering your prospect over the head with how cool you are. It means recognizing that your prospects need to be 100% assured of the value they’ll receive when they work with you.
Plus, if you don’t overcome these objections immediately in your Web copy, you may not get a second chance.
For instance, Domino Pizza’s old campaign of “Pizza in 30 minutes or less” was perfect for thousands of hungry pizza-lovers anxious for immediate-gratification food.
The U.S. Post Office’s campaign of “Celebrating a simpler way to ship” helps promote their online services and overcome the objection of “Will I have to stand in line for hours at the Post Office?”
Or FedEx’s, “When it absolutely, positively has to be there overnight…guaranteed” – which is important for businesses who need on-time, trackable shipping.
How do you “figure out the known issues” if you don’t know exactly what your prospect is thinking? Simple. Do your homework.
Wondering how to write persuasive content that gains top search engine positioning. Learn more about the new SEO Copywriting Certificate Program – perfect for SEO practitioners, online copywriters, marketing gurus and advertising professionals.
Filed under Commentary, Content marketing, Copywriting, Direct reponse copywriting
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What’s the one SEO copywriting step you should never, ever skip?
January 12, 2010 • posted by Heather
And some advice makes me bang my head against the wall.
Why? Because the advice is confusing, only applicable in certain situations, or just plain wrong. Here’s an (unfortunate) example.
This post by Michel Fortin makes some good points. It really does. But there was one line that concerned me, which was:
“Personally, I don’t spend time on keyword optimization, keyword density, or things of that nature.”
Now, to some new SEO copywriters – or folks who don’t understand the medium well – it could sound like, “Hey, that’s an entire step that I don’t have to worry about! Now, I know if I just write good copy, I’ve covered my SEO copywriting bases.”
And that’s not true. SEO copywriting is both art and science. It’s figuring out how people search for what you have to offer, and wrapping that information up into a compelling package. If you haven’t done your keyphrase research – and you’re not including keyphrases in your copy and Titles – you are hurting your SEO campaign. Keyphrase research is a step you should never, ever (ever) skip. Ever.
For those who are interested in the “should I optimize for keywords” debate, here’s my response to Michel’s post. Enjoy!
I would agree with you on keyword density. I’ve been teaching audiences and copywriters how to write for the engines for over 12 years, and I have never once measured keyword density. That’s an old holdover from Alta Vista days (remember them?!?) when SEO experts knew that a 5.5 percent keyword density would gain a good ranking.
That’s not even close to being true anymore – there are way more ingredients in the algorithmic soup to make that relevant. However…
If you don’t research your keyphrases, how do you know what words to include in your copy? It’s more than just writing “good copy.” For example, print catalog marketers write fantastically compelling copy every day. But when those catalogs are brought online, the sites don’t position well. The reason why is because there are no keyphrases in the content.
I know of one big brand company that researches their keyphrases before they name a product. Why? Because they learned that no-one would search for “Tranquil Moments Companion” when the product was actually a white-noise machine to help people sleep.
Additionally, some marketing departments think about their products and services in a different way than their customers. What they call a “multilingual global communication system” may really be (in prospect-speak) “free IM chat.” If that company optimizes for “multilingual global communications systems – no matter how good the copy is – they probably won’t get many (if any) qualified leads.
Keyphrase research should always be the first step in a SEO copywriting campaign. Not only can copywriters make sure that they are targeting the phrases people really use, but they can find new keyphrases to target. They can create content for all phases of the buy cycle. They can use keyphrase research to answer questions. And most importantly, the copywriters can make sure that what they are writing is great for prospects – but also accomplishes their SEO campaign goals.
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January SEO content marketing challenge: Create an editorial calendar
January 5, 2010 • posted by Heather
Sound familiar?
As early as the first week in January, it’s easy to let our good intentions (and resolutions) fall by the wayside. You may have swore to yourself and anyone else who would listen that you’d post three blog posts a week. And now you’re thinking, “I don’t have time to write a blog post – much less figure out what I’d write about.”
And yet again, your content marketing plan falls by the wayside.
I get it. I really do. Heck, I don’t know how many times I’ve meant to write a blog post – and then a client calls, the day is wacky, or (and I bet this sounds familiar,) I just don’t feel like writing.
This year, 2010, is the year to get over it. Here’s the secret to making it happen: Create an editorial calendar.
I’ve waxed poetic before on the benefits of editorial calendars. Basically, what they entail is sitting down and planning what you’ll write about, who’s responsible for the writing, and when you’ll upload the work. Editorial calendars force you to get your ideas out of your head and on paper. They force you to plan in advance (which is challenging for many “write by the seat of their pants” writers.) And they force you (or your writers) to be accountable. After all, if you have a blog post on, say, creating editorial calendars due on Tuesday – and you’ve known about this deadline for awhile – you don’t have much of an excuse to say, “I don’t have time.”
Creating a calendar is simple. Some people use their Outlook calendars to plan. Other people use spreadsheets. Plan on spending at least an hour every month researching the latest and greatest information in your industry, reviewing your site for pages that need updating and developing content ideas. Maybe you know that you’ll need to write at least two sales pages this month. Or you plan to create an article every week. The point is to get all plans down on paper so you can look at a calendar and immediately say, “If it’s Thursday, that means I’m writing the new home page.” Or, if you’re an editor working with multiple writers, you can instantly see who is writing what article and the associated deadlines.
The main kickback I get when I talk about “editorial calendars” is the time argument. If you are already time-strapped (and really, who isn’t,) spending an hour plus every month on “planning” can often make you feel like you should be doing something different. Say, responding to the 50 emails waiting for you. Or updating your Facebook status.
But the reality is, editorial calendars not only save you time – they can actually make you money. I’ve seen clients sit on old, stagnant pages for years because they “didn’t have time” to update them. However, the problem wasn’t one of time. It was overwhelm. Once they sat down, generated a content calendar and created a gameplan, they could more easily integrate the writing tasks into their normal day-to-day.
The result? Piping-hot fresh content that helps drive traffic and – more importantly – conversions. Isn’t that worth an hour a month?
So for this month’s SEO content marketing challenge, create an editorial calendar. It doesn’t have to be fancy. You could literally take a monthly calendar, hand-write in the writing deliverables and deadlines, and zip it to other folks on your team. That’s it.
And hey, I’m taking my own medicine this month. Before I started writing this post, I printed out a January 2010 calendar page and scribbled in my blog post topics through January 28th. Was it hard to sit for an hour and plan? Yes. Do I feel much, much better. You bet. Organization can be freeing like that.
Go ahead, try it. And let me know how it goes. It won’t be as painful as it sounds. Really.
Coming soon, I’ll be announcing my new SEO copywriting certificate program. If you manage folks who are great writers, but need to learn the SEO copywriting ropes – or if you’re looking for an in-house gig and want to differentiate yourself from other competitors – completing a certificate program could be the perfect solution. DM me on Twitter for more info, or contact me here!
Filed under Content marketing, In-house SEO copywriting, SEO Copywriting Tips, What to do now
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View my SEO copywriting presentation from SES Chicago
December 15, 2009 • posted by Heather
For the first time this year, audience members seemed hopeful. Maybe it’s because 2009 is drawing to a close. Maybe it’s because the recession is (finally) unhinging it’s iron-locked jaws off everyone’s pocketbooks. Whatever the reason, the SEO copywriting session I did with @byronwhite was darn near standing-room only. Not to mention, the audience was fantastic!
For those who missed it, here’s my presentation from the “45 Minute Copywriting Boot Camp” session. Enjoy!
Filed under Conferences, Content marketing, In-house SEO copywriting, SEO Copywriting Tips
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PubCon presentation: Real-world winning tactics for content creation
November 17, 2009 • posted by Heather
Filed under Conferences, Content marketing, SEO Copywriting Tips, Small business SEO copywriting
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New SEO copywriting and content marketing blog for Target Marketing Magazine
November 16, 2009 • posted by Heather
My new Target Marketing Magazine blog about SEO copywriting and content marketing has finally hit the streets. I wrote my first post on the way home from DMA ‘09 – a conference, where I (sadly) saw marketer after marketer ignoring their content marketing strategy.
Check it out, read, comment and enjoy! C’mon – I’d love to hear from you!
Filed under Content marketing
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5 reasons why this fitness website kicks SEO copywriting butt
November 3, 2009 • posted by Heather
Hardly.
I want to share a site that “gets it” from a SEO and a content marketing perspective. The man who owns it, Daniel Iversen, isn’t a SEO expert. Nor is he a full-time copywriter (although, granted, he’s a naturally talented writer.) But, his combination of video, good messaging and a firm understanding of his target audience (plus some smart SEO techniques) has his site top of the search engine charts.
You’ll find the site at PortlandBootcamp.com. Here’s why I like it:
1. The homepage immediately showcases the benefits. Statements like “Lose weight – up to 12 lbs in 4 weeks” and “Energy all day,” quickly helps the visitor understand what’s in it for her.
2. The homepage overcomes objections without hitting the reader over the head. Afraid that you’ll be the token size-22 sweating in a room full of size-0 women? One bullet point discusses a “Supportive environment, with women just like you.” The testimonial on the left was provided by a “normal” woman – not a model with every hair in place. And the “Discover how to eat” bullet point targets women who think “Yeah, I can exercise – but I don’t know how to get my eating on track.
3. The testimonials are tremendous. Every site selling a product or service should include testimonials. Why? Because testimonials provide third-party validation for your products and services and can skyrocket conversion rates. People read testimonials and tend to think that if it worked for someone else, it may work for them, too (it’s called the “bandwagon effect” in consumer psychology.) The Portland Adventure Bootcamp site has an entire page devoted to testimonials, plus sprinkles other testimonials throughout the site. This power combo of written testimonials, engaging stories and video showcase the fitness program and helps women feel like “If they can do this, I can do.”
4. A good, descriptive Title. Granted, the Title could be written better for conversions (and it’s certainly something that can be tweaked later.) However, the current Title clearly states the target audience (women) what it is (fitness bootcamp) and where it’s located (Portland, OR.) This is great for local search, and positions well in the SERP’s.
5. The meta descriptions are top-notch.
I know that a lot of folks ignore the meta description, or use a basic template that’s more functional than enticing. But check out the power of a strong meta description on the SERP. Benefit statements like, “Lose weight, get in shape fast” scream off the page. “Burn maximum fat in minimum time” is a fantastic motivator. Makes you want to immediately click-through, doesn’t it?
This Website is a great example of how small businesses can rock the SERPs, create fantastic messaging that resonates with the target audience and connect with customers. Heck, it sold me – and as you can imagine, I’m ultra-critical of every Website I visit. Now if I could only get as good at jogging as I am at SEO…
Filed under Case studies, Content marketing, Copywriting
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