ValuableContent» Writing

SEO copywriting – taking it to the next level

Sharon Tanton — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 14:25:45 +0000

We’ve given you the basics, now here’s an expert view on copywriting for search engines. Louise Nelhams of Advanced Writing Solutions is a Twitter friend, a lovely contact we’ve made in cyber space who really knows her SEO stuff. Here are some advanced tips from Louise on writing valuable content that clients and search engines rate.

Valuable Content Meets SEO

A copywriter’s job is to create valuable, persuasive and engaging copy that will generate leads and hopefully convert to sales. However, with the Internet expanding at an alarming rate, and more and more businesses all fighting to be found in the search engines, it’s now absolutely vital to create your content with a view to SEO, or Search Engine Optimisation.

Learning SEO in-depth, in order to be able to implement every element within your copy, takes a lot of time and a lot of dedication. However, there are plenty of things that the average copywriter can do in order to make a website more accessible and give it a greater chance of being found by your target audience – and unless your client operates within a niche industry, this useful marketing tool can help you to rise above the competition and corner a good portion of your market.

Keyword research

The first and most important element of SEO is keyword research – while there are plenty of highly complex ways to identify the best keywords to use, the Google Adwords tool is a good enough starting point for the inexperienced. Look at search volumes and competition levels – however appropriate you may think a keyword or phrase is, if nobody is using it as a search term, then it’s simply not worth including. During your keyword research, it’s also a good idea to undertake some competitor analysis; look for your biggest competitors and take a look at the page source on their web pages. This will allow you to identify the keywords that they’re using in their meta data and help you to optimise your web content more effectively.

Once you work out the best keywords to use, you need to decide which pages to use them on. If you’ve got a fairly expansive collection of potential keywords, try and target one or two on each page. While you can use the same keyword across multiple pages, this duplication will ultimately lead to you being competition with yourself – although having several pages ranking on the same SERPs (search engine result pages) obviously can’t do any harm.

The clever crafting of keywords

Now that you’ve decided on the keywords you want to use on each of the website pages, you need to think about how you’re going to incorporate them into the copy for the best effects. Usual practice for a copywriter is to keep the content as succinct as possible – we tend to want to avoid wasted words. However, since the Google Panda update, it’s generally believed that every page needs a minimum of 400 words in order to be indexed properly by the search crawlers. This means lots of research and a good relationship with your client; you need to make sure that every page is original and offers something different to the other pages on the website.

H tags are an SEO copywriter’s best friend – ensure that you use your keywords in the main heading and subheadings where possible, because the search crawlers give a higher point ranking to keywords placed in these positions. It’s also important to create a good internal linking structure across the website – use your keywords as anchor text to lead the crawlers to other pages on the site, making sure that your anchor text is relevant to the page you’re linking to. This helps the search crawlers to navigate around the site with ease, which in turn helps them to index the overall site more effectively. It’s also worth bearing in mind that words in bold or italics are also given a higher precedence when a page is being indexed.

The SEO balancing act

Of course, the real trick is getting a good balance between readability and utilising as many SEO strategies as possible. Clunky copy that has been saturated with a high concentration of keywords will not only drive your visitors away, but could also see you being penalised by the search engines. If the keyword adds something to the text, leave it in; if it sounds forced or silly, take it out!

Many freelance copywriters find that they optimise web content to some degree without even realising it; knowing your client, understanding their service and using a little bit of common sense will often lead to appropriate keywords being used almost accidentally. However, it’s certainly worth bearing the above rules in mind if you want to focus your content and get the very best results.

You might like this too:

Find out more on Louise’s website - Advanced Writing Solutions

The Valuable Guide to SEO and Content

Sonja Jefferson — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 12:26:45 +0000

What you really need to know about SEO (and nothing more)

Search Engine Optimisation is crucial if you want a consistent stream of leads from the web, but the jargon around it makes me glaze over. Luckily it’s not half as complex and technical as the terminology makes out. In this valuable guide I’ve ditched the jargon in an attempt to demystify SEO for you once and for all. Use these simple tips to get your content found by people searching online.

Why Search Engine Optimisation is so important

There are various ways to get people to your website: you can tell them about it, giving them a link to your URL; you can entice them there by sharing links to useful articles on social media sites; you can share links back to your site in your email newsletters; you can write a blog so valuable that people willingly refer it to their contacts.

Do all this and you will get visitors to your website. If your content is good enough when they get there you’ll build their trust, generate a lead and ultimately win their business. But if you want to maximise your investment in valuable content it’s vital to think about search engines too.

With 77% of all UK adults using the Internet to search for information on products and services, Google has become an indispensible part of modern life. As a business, harnessing the huge opportunity that search engines provide is crucial for making your online presence as effective as it can be.

Search Engine Optimisation, or SEO as it is known, is a tool any business can use to ensure their content is as visible as possible to those searching for answers on the web. By getting to the first page of Google’s search results people will be able to find you more easily.

Google loves valuable content

Google loves valuable content. Creating high quality content for your site is by far the most important thing you can do when it comes to SEO. Adrian Knight of Digital Investments UK (resident SEO expert here at Spike Design) explains:

“Google’s mission is to serve the highest quality and relevant material to its searches. Help them to do this by producing high quality, valuable content created with the user in mind, and you will do well.”

Like the rest of us, Google hates spam. Thankfully it is getting far better at distinguishing and ranking sites with genuinely valuable content from those who try and manipulate search results with techniques such as keyword stuffing or bogus link building.

“Google is trying to make it so you don’t have to do SEO,” says Matt Cutts, head of Google’s webspam team. But we’re not quite there yet. Google still needs a bit of spoon-feeding so it understands your content, indexes it appropriately, ranks it and serves your content over your competitors’ to those searching on the web. Here’s what you need to focus on.

How to write content so that search engines will find you, and people will like you

Sharon Tanton — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 12:24:34 +0000

The rush to make the most of search engine optimisation has led to a plethora of crummy websites, and a few good jokes.

Have you heard the one about the SEO expert who walks into the bar, public house, pubs, bars, public houses, Irish pub, liquor house, drinks, beer, ale, wine, wines………?

Stuffing your web copy with keywords might fool a search engine into ranking you highly (although Google has wised up and won’t rate you if you look like a keyword stuffing spammer), but it won’t make a reader stick around for long.

No one likes copy that doesn’t make sense. Writing becomes meaningless when it’s overloaded with phrases that add nothing to the flow of an argument, so squeezing in as many keywords as possible won’t win you any friends. The key to pleasing search engines and people is to create well targeted valuable content, written in a natural and engaging tone of voice.

1. Start with people, not Google

A keyword search can help you plan your article, but your first point of reference should always be your clients and customers, as your aim is to create content that’s genuinely useful to them. Google can help you do this, by showing you the terms that people are searching for in the wider world – throwing up some related search terms that you hadn’t thought of, maybe offering a sideways route into your subject that you didn’t initially think of – but it can’t replace the real people that you deal with, and that you build your business around.

2. Keep your article focused on the issue

You’ve defined the problem that your clients want help with, and you’ve checked with Google that there’s an interested wider market searching for material on your subject, so write that article succinctly. Both readers and SEO bots like content that sticks to the point. You don’t need to hammer home all the keyword search terms, but do use them as a framework for whatever it is you’re writing. Use your keyword research to keep you on a tight rein. Don’t wander off!

3. Be natural

Write as if you were talking to someone sitting next to you. When it comes to putting pen to paper, or finger to keyboard, write for a real person. Keep the real person in mind, not an SEO bot. Your SEO keyword research has framed your thinking and planning, but it shouldn’t influence the phrases you use, or the tone of voice you adopt. If you’re writing helpful content that answers a genuine need, it will please everyone.

4. Use your keyword in the title

Headlines need to grab attention, they have to cut through an awful lot of chatter on Twitter and all the other places you’ll be publicising your blog. Make it easy for people to find you by crafting the search term they’ll be using into your title. For example, if you were writing about the benefits of reclaimed flooring, say so upfront. SEO bots search for relevant titles, so your article will be found and ranked if it’s called – ‘How reclaimed flooring cuts renovation costs’ – but not if it’s called ‘Flooring it – a guide to cost cutting.’ If you keep the title short, you can give yourself room to add some funny/punny words around it to give it a lift on social networking sites, but make it easy for people to see exactly how relevant it is to their query by giving it a clear title upfront. Don’t be too clever.

5. Use keywords in sub headings

Web readers skim read, so guide them through your writing with sub headings to keep them on track, and show them what’s coming up next. Tying the headings to keywords helps Google see that your article is relevant, in the same way that it reassures readers that your article is targeting the promised issue.

6. Keep producing relevant helpful content

One well written, targeted and engaging article is great for customers and your website’s ranking. Ten is good, a hundred is even better. Adding more and more pages of genuinely useful content will make your site more attractive to your customers, and it will help your site get found by more people. The thing that will help search engines find you, and will make people like you, is quality content that serves a real purpose. Both Google, and your customer, want you to help them. At heart, it’s as simple as that.

As Adrian Knight of Digital Investments (resident SEO expert here at Spike Island) says:

“Google’s mission is to serve the highest quality and relevant material to its searches. Help them to do this by producing high quality, valuable content created with the user in mind, and you will do well.”

Stop, look, EDIT – 5 things to check before you press ‘publish’

Sharon Tanton — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 16:58:05 +0000

If your New Year’s resolution is to blog more for your business, then we congratulate you. Creating a steady stream of valuable content really is the best way to carve out your niche and get your message out to the right people.

Once you’ve got into the swing of writing, you’ll come to recognise the euphoria that accompanies the finishing of a great blog article. There will be five minutes when what you’ve just written is the most important thing that’s ever been written in the entire world on that subject. There’s not a moment to waste – you have to share it now, this very second, your life and the sanity of the world depends upon it!

There’s also a drive to be finished with it. Ticking it off your things-to-do list would make you feel better, so you’re itching to upload.

The very best thing to do now is not to press send, but to save the document, close it, and go back and look at again tomorrow with clearer, more cynical eyes.

Just a few hours distance should make you better able to check the piece for the following common mistakes.

5 things to check before you press publish

Is your article on target? It felt like it was at the time, but writing can be deceptive sometimes. Ask yourself, is the content genuinely useful for your clients? It might be that some simple tweaking is all that’s needed to pull it back in line, or it might be that you need to put it on hold for longer. Great ideas are never wasted, but they do need the right format to fly. Don’t be scared of pulling something if you know it’s not right.
Have you missed any words out? Easily done when the prose is flying. Check your copy slowly and carefully to make sure it makes sense.
Have you repeated words? Again, it’s a common mistake when you’re writing fast. Check again.
Is it spelt right? Is it the right word? Spell check picks up most errors – but it won’t pick up mis-substituted words. Don’t let something go out until it makes perfect sense.
Is the grammar correct? Developing a natural and engaging tone of voice doesn’t mean you can stop writing proper, like. Inaccurate grammar stops readers in their tracks, and it makes your writing hard to understand. If you’re not sure, ask someone else to check too. Even if you are sure, a second pair of eyes is a never a bad idea.

So, do keep writing, but make sure you build a window of editing and reflection time into your blogging schedule. And Happy New Year!

How to write a good enough article

Sharon Tanton — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 22:30:50 +0000

You know that writing articles is a sound, cost effective way of building your reputation, and getting more inbound leads to your website. You’ve got a couple of ideas of things you could write, but still, there’s something holding you back. And it’s the big one. How do you actually do it?

This blog was originally going to be called ‘How to write a brilliant article,’ but I realised that I’d be adding to the pressures holding you back if I threw being brilliant into the mix. So this is a guide to how to write a good enough article, because that’s all you need. Here’s everything you need to know to get you started – a quick checklist to structure your writing and keep it on track. All you need to do is roll your sleeves up, and get writing.

1. Know who you’re writing for.

It helps with relevance, tone and focus. Keep this real person in mind throughout the process – what questions do they have? What issues can you solve for them?

2. Be useful.

Choose a subject and angle that will help your readers with a real problem, and they’re more likely to want to read it.

3. Keep it focused.

The temptation when you start writing is to try and get everything into your article. All those ideas buzzing around suddenly pour out onto paper, and you find you’ve written something that dashes from A to B via L, Z, P and Q. Tighten your focus, and write clearly about one thing. Save your other ideas for the next one.

4. Use simple words.

It’s not dumbing down to make your writing easy to read, it’s kind to your reader. Pick the shorter word over the more longer one. Make it easy to read, and easy for people to share with friends and colleagues.

5. Beginning, middle and end.

a) Start with a clear introduction – who are you writing for, and why? Set up the question you’re going to answer, or the problem you’re going to solve.

b) Answer it. Structure your thoughts, step by step. Imagine taking the reader with you – you’re guiding them on a journey. Changing track suddenly is like chucking them out of a moving car, so keep things moving smoothly

c) Sum it up. Readers like to know they’ve finished. And they all lived happily ever after isn’t necessary, but it’s a good idea to reiterate your main point again at the end. Add a call to action if you’d like your readers to get in touch. Add a question if you want to keep the conversation going.

6. Basic grammar and spelling matter.

I’m all for freedom of expression and playing with words, but the articles on your website need to demonstrate that you can communicate clearly. If your spelling is a bit wonky, ask a friend to read through and check before you press ‘publish’. Spell check will only pick up mis-spelt words, not mis-substituted ones. Even if you’re confident about your writing skills, getting a friend or colleague to check is still a good idea.

7. Think about headlines.

Your headline is your hook to pull readers in, so give it some thought. (Article on writing headlines for you here)

8. Break it down.

Busy web readers skim using headers to pull them through. Break your writing down with signposts that sum up your points throughout your article.

9. Size matters.

Around 500-700 words works for us as a good length for a website article – room for some useful detail, not so long it’s a chore to read. No longer than it takes to drink a cup of tea is a good rule of thumb.

And that’s all there is to it. It doesn’t have to be perfect, the important thing is to start. (It might make you feel better to know that Sonja and I are both a bit embarrassed about our early blogging efforts – I fell into the trap of trying to say too much, Sonja slipped up on trying to be too clever.) Once you start writing, it will get easier. The more you write the better you get. And once you start seeing results, it will become more rewarding.

So, now there’s no excuse. What are you waiting for?

20 article ideas to get you writing again (and again)

Sonja Jefferson — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 11:40:48 +0000

Here is a list of different types of articles you can write for your website or blog. I hope it gives you a bit of inspiration if you are struggling with what to say.

Lists of tips or ideas, like this one. Numbered lists work well.
Reviews of books that you recommend
‘How to’ articles
Your comment on news that’s relevant to your clients
‘Why?’ articles
Articles stating the benefits of your recommended approach
Your response to a question you have been asked by a prospect or client
Articles that state what your clients should avoid like the plague
Add a seasonal twist – refer to a recent celebration or seasonal event
An interview with one of your clients or customers
A critique of someone else’s article or opinion, with your view on what works or what does not
Like a journalist, review what you learned from a recent talk, industry conference or event
Ask other experts a question and share their response
A case study on a company you have worked with or who can demonstrate success in your field
Conduct a survey and share the response (Survey Monkey is simple way to do this)
A roundup of topical news for your community
Share slides from a recent presentation you have given (Slideshare is excellent for this)
Feature guest posts/articles from experts in your field
Information on products or services that will benefit your audience
Share or create a cartoon or graphic that sums up your argument nicely

Experiment. Mix it up a bit. Help, educate or entertain your clients and contacts in different ways. Variety adds to the value.

Have I missed anything? What type of articles work for you?

6 rules for writing content to get you remembered

Sharon Tanton — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 07:21:41 +0000

We all want to be remembered and recommended. The best leads come via our contacts, because the ground work is already done; you’ll already have been talked up, so there’s less explaining to do. Your website should fill this role of referrer too, it should be full of useful content – tangible examples of how you help, so it’s easy for potential clients to remember you as ‘the people to go to for….’

Writing memorable copy is what copywriters are paid to do – we create those catchy little phrases that hook brands and products into customers’ minds. But you don’t need to be a copywriter to start creating unforgettable content, you just need to pay attention to the following rules.

Rule 1. Get to the point fast. You know the way it is when someone asks for directions: ‘Left at the Queen Victoria pub, straight on, right at the second lights, third exit at mini roundabout, second on the right.’ All we remember is the ‘left at the Queen Vic’ bit. When you’re writing about what you do, be succinct. Don’t add too many layers to what you’re saying. Say the most important bit, clearly, and deal with the rest separately.

Rule 2. Shine a light on memorable details. There are hundreds of IT consultancies that deliver better systems and an abundance of leadership consultancies that help businesses develop their management teams. So how do you stand out?

Who do you work for? We met a Financial Advisor recently whose clients included many premiership footballers. That kind of detail is great for referrals – he’s the man who advises top footballers.
What campaigns are you proudest of? Be known as the people who got deliveries to customers in the harshest winter Britain has ever known.
What’s unique about your service? Is there anything you do very differently to your competitors that will improve the lives of your clients?

Create content on your site that breathes life into these details, so that readers can quickly understand them and relate them to their own situations, and those of their friends and acquaintances. I mean content like case studies, Q and A’s, blogs – well written information that roots your offer in the real world. It’s show not tell, again.

Rule 3. Think heart not head when constructing your messages. We remember things that pack an emotional punch more easily than those that are purely rational. Do your potential clients care most about implementing their HR strategy, or do they just want a day when the phone isn’t ringing off the hook? Consider how your services connect to your clients on a human level, and give these messages top billing on your website. Use these emotional hooks as the basis for strong home page messages with clear calls to action.

Rule 4. Engage, don’t preach. Back up your messages with content that demonstrates how your service makes their working lives easier – think about creating an ‘is this you?’ quiz, ’service health checks’ video blogs as well as more traditional testimonials from happy clients.

Rule 5. Use memorable analogies. Analogies and metaphors are great for bridging the gap between head and heart quickly. They’re useful when you’re thinking about your key messages, and also when writing blogs that develop and deepen your theme. However, if you compare your help desk to a box of cats, no one’s going to forget it, so think of comparisons that are useful as well as memorable.

Rule 6. Make people smile. Humour can be a tricky one on websites, and we wouldn’t advocate filling your site with a stream of ‘have you heard the one about the…..’ and YouTube viral funnies. But using wit in headlines and body copy, and creating engaging content that surprises is a great way to get people to want to share your site with others.

Content is key to getting referrals. It’s the proof you need to show what you do, and it’s memorable material for your contacts to spread the message for you. Use these 6 writing rules to create unforgettable messaging, and develop creative content that makes it come alive.

The 7 deadly word sins

Sharon Tanton — Wed, 18 May 2011 18:57:52 +0000

7 words you won’t find on Valuable Content websites, and which shouldn’t be on yours.

We write lead generating websites for businesses, so we get through a lot of words – thousands of the things. There are some we try not to use any more – either because they’re overused, or because they’re not clear, or because we just don’t like them.

1. Solutions.

Offering solutions to a client’s problem is a hackneyed way of saying you can help. Next time you’re sitting in a traffic jam count the number of vans with ‘solutions’ written on them. Dry rot solutions, office furniture solutions, decorating solutions. Be more specific about exactly how what you do will improve your client’s situation.

2. Facilitate.

Don’t use it if you mean ‘set up,’ or ‘organise.’ It’s a bit of a prissy word, sounds like you’re trying to make something simple sound more important.

3. Orientated as a suffix, like results-orientated, or worse, solutions-orientated.

Of course you work towards resolving the client’s problem. Just bunging ‘orientated’ on the end of a word doesn’t help show your method or describe your USP. Say how you do it, specifically.

4. Focused as a suffix.

Or worse, focussed. See above. Results-focused, solutions-focused, we don’t like it.

5. Dynamic.

Maybe we’re getting old, but we don’t really like dynamic agencies. For a start it’s a bit of a cliche, a lazy way of saying you’re not lazy. Plus, if you say you’re dynamic we imagine you wearing patterned socks and running round screaming into your Blackberry like an Apprentice wannabe. We’d rather see examples of original thought and genuinely helpful content.

6 Passionate.

Being passionate about customer service makes you look a bit silly. No one believes it, so don’t say it. Caring is good, so is attention to detail, but passion? Save it for your lovers.

7. Synergy. Paradigm. Proactive.

Just stop it.

That’s our hit list of business gobbledygook. What’s on yours? Anything you’d like to add?

The Valuable Content guide to ‘things to give up for Lent’

Sharon Tanton — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 11:42:10 +0000

Chocolate, wine, and shopping for shoes – just three of the things that aren’t on Valuable Content’s list of things to give up for Lent.

We hope you’ll find our real selection more useful. Read on for a quick-fire list of the things we’d like to kiss goodbye to today.

1. Jargon. There’s always a better way of saying it. Make your content clear and accessible to all your clients – like this. An independent view on what you’re writing can be handy to ensure you’re not slipping in phrases in that will alienate your readers.

2. Flashy websites with no useful function. There are still a few about, and we’d like to see them gone. Design your website with your user in mind. We guarantee they’ll want useful information that helps them solve a problem over something gimmicky any day.

3. Spamming people with unrequested sales messages, over and over again. If you’re not getting results, you need to try something else. Search our content toolkit for a better approach.

4. Websites you can’t update yourself. Your website should be the hub of your marketing – the living breathing centre of your business – bursting with relevant news, blogs, and information that potential clients will love. If every change demands a phone call to your designer, the chances are you won’t make them. Switch to a platform you can update, we’re sure you’ll thank us for it!

5. Tweeting without listening and engaging. As more and more businesses wise up to the marketing potential of Twitter, the good Tweeters are becoming clearer, and rarer. They’re the ones that talk as well as promote. Good Tweeters retweet others’ links, and say ‘thank you’ when you retweet theirs. Twitter is not a free listings page, it’s a conversation that can engage and entertain as well as inform. Join in and play nicely, that’s the Valuable Content way.

What’s on your list? We’d love to know. And if we can help you with social media, new websites, or content for your business, please get in touch.

You are my one and only

Sharon Tanton — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 15:33:08 +0000

With love in the air it feels like a good time to get a bit Match.com, and to explain what writing love letters got to do with great business copy.

I’m not talking about flowery language, and perfumed envelopes, I’m thinking of writing that makes a genuine connection because it’s been shaped with a real person in mind.

My blog pieces are written like this, for a special somebody. While I’ll pick a subject that I hope has a wide appeal – branding, writing tips, web design – I’ll construct my thoughts around someone I know is facing the issue in their business life.

Focusing on one person, and helping them shed light on a problem, will make your writing come alive. It’s the details that give your writing a sense of depth and interest. Generally speaking, generalising makes for weaker copy.

Valuable content is created by writing to meet a need – using your knowledge to help potential clients. Use your clients, and potential ones, as sources of inspiration. Ask them about the frustrations they face, and use this as a basis for blog pieces and articles that are genuinely useful.

My recent newsletters post is an example of this. My friend John BD was having difficulties persuading others in his department that a newsletter was a good idea, so I wrote something for him that set out the benefits clearly, and gave some tips on creating one that would help his business.

Having John BD in mind not only focused my attention on a particular issue, drawing together what I knew on the subject and writing something from his perspective, but it helped with the tone of the piece. You’ll write on a level with your reader if you’re writing one to one. Talking either up or down to a reader is a turn off, so it’s a good way to keep yourself in check.

Writing to your one and only makes business sense.

So, here are nine reasons why you should write with that special person in mind.

1. It makes your writing warmer.

2. It makes you think of the best and clearest way of saying something. Friends don’t talk in jargon.

3. It makes you want to engage, make them smile, share something – all good ways to make strong connections.

4. It makes you focus. Cutting out anything unnecessary gives your writing more impact.

5. It gives your writing immediacy. You’ll choose words that connect, rather than distance your reader.

6. It will make your writing pacier. We use active verbs rather than passive ones when we’re talking to friends.

7. It will give your writing more impact. Authenticity is valuable, and writing from the heart is how you’ll achieve it.

8. It will make your content more valuable. Something written for a specific client will be genuinely useful.

9. It will demonstrate the way you apply your knowledge to help businesses succeed. Although you’re writing to one person, your reader will see that you absolutely know your stuff.

Happy Valentine’s Day,

Sharon.