SEP
2009
My initial days of writing were not as interesting as today. In fact I considered writing a time pass hobby and never took it seriously. Thanks to genelia, my friend, who came up with a challenge to me and said I could never become a good blogger. That was the time when I started reading blogs and other useful stuff to build up my level of knowledge. Gradually, I became habitual of reading and started with genuine writing. See, today I am one of those bloggers who can feel a difference in their style of writing.
While studying tips for good writing, I got to know about the concept of SEO copywriting. This technique indeed distinguishes your copy from a general one. I think an SEO copywriter is the actual hero and not merely a writer. He is a chef who has to convert a complex structure into a simple one and blend all the suitable items together. While preparing a write-up, he must have a clear picture of his aim in mind.
My list of 3 basic must-dos in seo copywriting is:
- Define Your Target Segment Clearly – As a first step in seo copywriting, very clearly define your target customers. Who are your readers going to be? Who is the copy meant for?
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Researching Keywords – Once you are over with the job of defining a particular target group, its time to find out the related key phrases and traffic generated through them. This can be easily done with the help of several user-friendly Keyword tools available online. My personal favorite is the Google Keyword Suggestion Tool. This tool shows traffic of the key phrase and competition going in the industry. A must-do again for any seo copywriter.
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Checking Keyword Density – After shortlisting key phrases, start developing the copy. Make sure however to weave the keyphrases judiciously into your writing. Its imperative to ensure not to end up with overuse of keywords. Stay clear of keyword stuffing. This may not only put off the reader, but also lead to your site being penalized by search engines.
Apart from these fundamentals, this article on principles of good writing has always been my true guide in my seo copywriting assignments. The gist of the article is:
- Be specific about your idea. Crystalize and organize your thoughts.
- Use simple and clear words to express yourself.
- Maintain conciseness as well as accuracy.
- Make proper use of punctuation marks.
- Use short sentences. The KISS rule applies here too!
That said, experts have suggested 6 C’s of good writing. They stand for:
- Clarity – Be clear about what you want to convey to your target audience. Do not mislead them by giving vague ideas.
- Conciseness – Expressing more in less words should be one of the qualities being possessed by an SEO copywriter.
- Crispness – The write-up should have smoothness as well as an easy flow.
- Coherence – A write-up reflecting a logical approach might provoke thoughts and instant reaction of the reader.
- Continuity – All the paragraphs in a write-up should remain linked or connected to one another.
- Consistency – From beginning to end, a write-up has to be given a uniform shape. It means the style and format of writing should remain the same to bring harmony among all its various parts.
These points might have given you an idea about SEO Copywriting and how it is different from a normally written copy, say for a brochure. They have worked for me and hope will work for you too. Do share your own experiences!
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