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Walton – who isn’t a computer geek and didn’t know anything about search engines – decided to take matters into his own hands.  The Pilates instructor learned about search engine optimization (SEO), took a SEO copywriting training course, and learned how to write copy that gets better search engine rankings. Now, Walton’s site appears in the top 10 of Google for keyword searches like “Portland OR Pilates” and “Pilates mat classes” – and he estimates getting at least five new clients a week from his Website.

SEO copywriting – the art of writing online website copy that makes the page easy to find in the search engines – has been a crucial component of search engine optimization success since the mid 90’s. Unfortunately, small business owners don’t always have the budget to hire someone to write their Website copy – and they don’t think they can learn. The result: nothing gets written.

“I like to write and figured I could do this. That’s why I took a course,” said Walton. “I figure I saved about $5,000 doing it myself.”

DIY SEO copywriting is becoming the option for small and medium-sized businesses that need to be easily found in the search engines.  According to Heather Lloyd-Martin, CEO of SuccessWorks, a firm specializing in SEO copywriting training, “It’s a smart move for companies to learn how to write their own Website copy. That way, they don’t have to pay someone $50 – $500 per page to write it for them.

Lloyd-Martin released her online Small Business SEO Copywriting Training course to help companies bring their SEO copywriting in-house. Although she insists that SEO copywriting is easy to learn, Lloyd-Martin does have some practical advice for time-strapped business owners:

• Set a writing schedule. It’s easy to figure that you’ll write something “when things calm down.” Plan to spend a set amount of time each day working on your Website and stick to your schedule.
• Check out other Websites and figure out what you like and don’t like about their Web pages. That will give you an idea how to write for your site.
• Ask for input from customers, friends – even family members.  Learn what they love about your service. Ask them to review your first writing drafts. Their advice can help you see your site (and your writing) with new eyes.

Today, Walton is planning a site redesign, which includes a blog, more site content and even a Twitter campaign.  “It’s great to know that I can do this myself,” he says. “It’s saved me a lot of money.”

The sun is back But it’s minus 15 degrees Celsius.  Umm, BRRR! I know, it seems like I’m a tad obsessed with the daily weather, I’m not sure what that’s about. Maybe I have cabin fever! I feel the need to get out and socialize, make sure the world is still carrying on through the blizzards … so that’s today’s theme – social media – enjoy!

• Check out Greg Finn’s latest Let’s Get Social column, which gives insight on what to expect from your social media campaign. He also sheds light on some negative aspects of social media. The cons of social media made me think of Drew Barrymore’s latest movie quote, “And now you just have to go around checking all these different portals just to get rejected by seven different technologies. It’s exhausting.” I hear ya, Drew!
• Today is Facebook’s 5th birthday – Happy B-day, FB!  Has it really been five years already? Take a quick peek at how Facebook used to look in the early days, and check out their “Thank you” gift available in the Gift Shop.
• Created by ex-Googlers, FriendFeed is fairly new on the scene, with less than 1M users. They’re gaining momentum, though, and just launched a new search tool yesterday. Marshall Kirkpatrick explains the new features in his article, “How to Use the New FriendFeed Search for Social Media Intelligence.”

You’ve been there. We’ve all been there.

I’ve posted  about how Twitter is way cool for keeping up on conversational trends. It’s also cool for discovering new blogs, new voices and (thank goodness) brainstorming new story ideas.  Here are two ways I use Twitter to generate article ideas for clients.

• If I’m just starting the article research process, Twitter Search is a great go-to place. Yes, you’re certainly wading through many 170 character-or-less random Tweets.  But you can also learn how a person, company or product is perceived in real time.  For instance, Denny’s recent “Free Grand Slam” campaign was launched during the Super Bowl…and the topic was still trending two days later:

• If there’s a topic I follow (such as #pdx for Portland, OR, or #online writing, I’ve set up TweetLater to send me twice-daily search results for those keywords. Not only have I found some great blog posts that have sparked new writing ideas, I’ve been able to connect to new online writing and local communities. And that’s pretty cool.

Haven’t tried Twitter yet?  I’ll be writing a post called “Twitter for online writers” soon.  Stay tuned!

It’s also the day after the Super Bowl 2009, so I want to touch on some of the best commercials this year (at a whopping 3M bucks for a 30 second spot, they’d better be fabulous!):

• Step aside Mean Joe Greene, the Anheuser-Busch Clydesdale Super Bowl ad (starring Hank the Clydesdale and his unnamed trainer, the Dalmation) won the hearts of America this year. It’s a classic story of the underdog (or horse, in this case) training to win a place on the team that will be pulling the Budweiser wagon. Everyone loves a story about the underdog achieving his dreams. In this article Newt Barrett shares 5 marketing lessons to learn from Hank the Clydesdale.
• Mean Joe Greene’s Coke ad had a seven year winning streak as the Super Bowl ad fave. The original ad was so popular, in fact, that Crispin Porter + Bogusky  unveiled a remake of the 1980 commercial, this time starring Pittsburgh Steeler Troy Polamalu and featuring Coke Zero. This commercial is a classic case of, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!”
• And last but not least, Tide’s talking stain ad was in the top 3 this year, too. AdSavvy.org looks at why the comical, albeit obnoxious, talking stain commercial works and how it can be duplicated as a general marketing principle.

What were your favorites this year? GoDaddy.com, FedEx, Bud Light? We want to know!

This is what came to mind when I was browsing The Origin Solution’s site. The company, based in Malaysia, specializes in Web design. There are certainly some things to tweak from a SEO copywriting perspective, but I’m going to ignore every single one of them for now.

Let’s delve right into the messaging.

Here’s their services page:

If your first reaction is, “Wow, is that gray type on a dark background,” the answer is “sure is.”  Low contrast between the text and the background makes this page hard to read right off the bat.  But I digress from the messaging…

And the messaging  sounds like thousands of other design shops that offer similar services. It’s, unfortunately, boring and benefit-statement free.

Part of this could be because there’s not a clear target audience focus. The beginning paragraph states that the company “provides services to any organization.” But is that really true? For instance, does the company (just by virtue of the client list) work with a lot of attorneys? Or small, home-based businesses? Or ecommerce sites? If you want to connect with your audience, you want to speak to them in their language and mention benefits that are important to them – not you, and not another target audience. A one-size-fits-all copy approach is just like wearing a one-size-fits-all dress. No matter what, it never quite brings out your best qualities…

I would recommend that The Origin Solution (and you, too, if you’re in the same situation) figure out their primary and secondary target markets and brainstorm the benefits. Is the price point lower? Is Origin so specialized in X niche that it can increase client sales by X percent? Those “what’s in it for me” benefits are crucial – and what helps make the sale.

One incredibly powerful way to differentiate is by simply inserting personality in the copy. My two favorite examples are Eva Rosenberg’s Ask TaxMama site (Eva’s a long time Web expert and Enrolled Agent) and Peter Shankman, PR genius and owner of Geek Factory and Help A Reporter.

Review these two sites and tell me that you don’t automatically like these people. And even trust them…even if you don’t have any reason to trust them.

(Side note: Eva is wonderful, and she’s been a dear friend for years. I don’t know Peter (follow him on Twitter @skydiver) but he sounds like a fun guy to grab a coffee with.) THAT’S the power of targeted copywriting. They know their audience, they speak to their audience, and they let their personalities shine.

So, folks at The Origin Solution – I say define your target audience and speak directly to them…not the masses.  Find your voice, whether that be highly corporate, or casual like Eva and Peter.  And clearly discuss what’s in it for your target audience and what makes you different.  Sometimes, giving your site a tone and feel makeover is all you need for better conversions.

Want your site profiled in the next SEO copywriting snapshot.  Ping me on Twitter (@heatherlloyd) or zip me an email, today!

Founded by Elizabeth Bojang, HowToSayThatName is a given and surname pronunciation guide. The site contains audio recordings to help users properly pronounce names in as many as 15 different languages. She started this site to provide executives and customer service representatives the help they need to reduce language barriers in a global marketplace.

I asked Elizabeth about her online marketing goals, and she told me her primary mission is to raise awareness about the site and reach out to businesses that would benefit from the services they offer.

So I thought to myself, “How can this company choose the right keyphrases when people don’t know that the service exists? And how can they build the *keyphrase bridge* between what people are searching for online, and what they’re actually offering?” Now, you’ve heard me say this before, and you’ll continue to hear me say it — proper keyphrase research (KPR) and selection is the foundation of a quality SEO campaign.

Let’s take a look at the page below.

In reading this blurb, I noticed the term “communication challenges.” They’ve also touched on the importance of “reducing language barriers.” Hold on, though, these aren’t necessarily the *right keyphrases*, but it’s a good place to start the KPR.

Quick Tip: Just because a keyphrase gets great hits according to KeywordDiscovery or WordTracker, for example, does not mean it’s the right keyphrase. Go to Google and type it in … see what kind of results you get and make sure they’re relevant. “Communication challenges” might yield marriage counseling results, for instance, and you don’t want to target the wrong audience!

Read more about free keyphrase research tools in my previous SEO Copywriting Snapshot.

To start brainstorming some keyphrases to further research, some points come to mind:

• What “problems” are potential prospects having? i.e.: communication challenges, proper name pronunciation, language barriers
• What solutions are available for these problems? i.e.: pronunciation services, learn to pronounce names, communication tools
• How can this site differentiate itself from similar services? i.e.: translation services, language services (it will be important for them to clearly define the solutions they offer in comparison to, say, a translation company)

Remember when compiling your keyphrase research to think outside the box. Dig deep into the user’s psyche to uncover how they’d search online for this particular service. And don’t forget synonyms (ie: translate/decipher/interpret) and word derivatives (i.e.: translation/translate/translating, communicate/communication

Build buzz with social media…

While achieving top search engine rankings is important, the ultimate goal is to generate awareness and drive more targeted traffic to the site. Good news! Social media strategies can help them get the word out and gain site visitors. Building relationships with other blog owners and offering guest posts is a good idea for these folks. They could also talk with other bloggers about their services and ask to be mentioned and have a link back to their site. For example, a business etiquette blog could highlight the importance of customer service representatives properly pronouncing their clients’ and prospects’ names, and back link to HowToSayThatName as a quality resource.

OK, so that’s all for, well, this year! Wishing you all a wonderful holiday and prosperous new year!

Cheers to health, wealth and happiness

Aimee

And now, it’s just you and the computer and the pressure.

It’s not like you don’t like to write. You like to write. Hell, some days you love to write. If the writing Muse just visited a tad more frequently…

Think of it this way: getting in the writing habit – whether that means blogging or creating your latest SEO copywriting masterpiece- is like getting in the exercise habit. Starting fresh is hard work.  You sweat and strain and hate every moment of it.  Then one day, it all clicks.  You realize that you start feeling “off” if you don’t take that lunchtime Pilates class (or write your latest blog post.)  And without knowing it, you’ve suddenly replaced your old habit (being a literary couch potato) to one that’s much more productive.

So, here’s your SEO copywriting challenge: Write for 15 minutes before you do anything else tomorrow and keep that habit going every business day for a solid month. Don’t check email first (checking email and the anxiety it provokes can be the biggest writer’s-block cause of all).  Don’t stress about the “perfect” topic. Just write. It’s OK if all you write is “this is stupid” over and over. It’s OK to create a grocery list if nothing else comes to mind.

Just write.

Set a timer and tell yourself you can stop the second the timer buzzes.  Don’t worry about form or tone or structure.

Just write.

You’ll notice three things:

• Like exercise, your 15-minute writing assignment will seem torturous some days. You will be staring at the clock waiting for the pain to end. But just like exercise, the writing process will gradually start feeling better and better.

• Some of your writing will be absolute drivel. Be OK with that. Just know that within that drivel, you’ll discover gems of absolute copywriting brilliance.  Learn to appreciate the brilliance when you see it and be gentle with yourself around the other.

• Amazingly enough, some days you will write longer than 15 minutes. Your fingers will fly over the keyboard while you experience the drug that keeps writers..well…writing – the writer’s high. Enjoy it. The more you write, the better your writing days will be – and you’ll be writing faster (and better) than ever before.

Keywords…

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, the foundation of any quality SEO campaign relies on keyphrase research. Choosing the right keyphrases for your pages can make or break your success in achieving top rankings. Jivita has included a keywords tag:

There are a few problems here. First, this tag is the same on every page throughout the site, so there is no clear keyphrase strategy. Second, some of the keyphrases are too vague, like “trainer” — this could mean dog training, training bras, or any kind of fitness regime. The same holds true for “health” or “emotional” or “fusion.” These keyphrases do not clearly represent what the user might type into the search box of an engine when they’re looking for personalized yoga classes.

How can they improve?

There are some free tools available to get them started in their keyphrase research.

1. Wordtracker, for instance, lets you use a limited version of their software on a trial basis.
2. Google Adwords keyword tool lets users dig deeper to find possible keyphrases for their pages.
3. Yahoo! and Google search assist: when you start typing a keyphrase into the search box, a list will drop down of potential keyphrases that have been recently searched.
4. Competition. Look to see which keyphrases the competition is using — but be careful. The competition may not have a savvy SEO strategy in place, so you don’t want to follow any bad habits. Still, it’s a good place to start your creative juices while brainstorming a keyphrase seed list.

I cannot emphasize enough the importance of researching and selecting the right keyphrases for your site pages. Not only will those keyphrases go into the Meta keywords tag, but you should generally select 2-4 specific keyphrases for each page and use them in the Title tag, Meta description tag and throughout the content as well. 

Note: This is the editor in me coming out, but as we’re talking about a Toronto-based company, they should follow The Globe and Mail Style Book, which means the comma goes on the inside of the closing quotation mark.

Using keyphrases in the body copy

Once Jivita has researched and selected the appropriate keyphrases for each page, they’ll want to gently sprinkle them throughout the body copy. But where? And how? Here’s a screen shot of the home page.

Headlines. The first headline reads “About Us” in plain font. This is a great opportunity to write a short, catchy headline that includes a keyphrase. The keyphrase feeds the engines, and the “hook” pulls the reader in to learn more.

Emphasized text. On this page you see that they’ve emphasized Jivita, Jivita Wellness, and CAREN COOPER. But those are likely not the keyphrases people are searching to find their services. Instead, they might be searching for “yoga classes in Toronto” or “yoga at work.”

SEO Copywriting best practices. One point that jumped out at me is in the first two sentences. They start by explaining what “Jivita” means, and follow it with a benefit statement about what they do. Personally, I’d start the paragraph with the benefit statement, not only to quickly explain to the reader who they are and what they offer, but also to include a keyphrase or two at the beginning of the page copy.

Another suggestion for the home page might be to pull out the bio on Caren (and move it to a separate About Us page) and concentrate more on the solutions they’re offering to their clients. When people search online, they are looking for answers to their questions. For instance, this page mentions that they provide “customized health and fitness programs directly to your home or workplace.” This could be fleshed out more to explain what kind of fitness (yoga, Pilates, meditation), and what kind of programs (class sizes, frequency, any other extra benefits that come with the “program”). Not only will this give Jivita the opportunity to work some keyphrases into the copy (feeding the engines), but it will also give the reader the detailed information they’re seeking.

The good news is that JivitaWellness is nicely written, so these are quick and easy tweaks for them! Stay tuned for next week’s SEO Copywriting Snapshot … and until then have a fab weekend!

Cheers!

Aimee