Copywriting: How To Write Good Copy
“When it comes to” good copywriting, you should definitely avoid any copy that starts like this. It’s so basic, so non-original, so keyword-stuffing cheap copy, that you should run away from this old school formula!
Copywriting weights now way too much in the Internet Marketing. It really makes the difference between average and good sites. The learning machines started to learn deeper, so a good copy will always add value.
Yes, for SEO you need to start your copywriting from the keywords (often keyphrases), and – yes, you should have them spread into your text, even in the title. I totally agree. But do it with style! Do it in a manner that it’s not obvious what your target is. Let me explain in a few steps.
What copywriting is meant for
1. Informative purposes
What’s your article about? Who is going to read it? Let me guess: your potential customers. Name them “public”, “readers” or anything else, they are (or tend to be) customers. Write for them! Help them learn what they expect from the article! A short list of atributes your copy should meet:
– Friendly language. Keep in mind who is your average reader. Even if you write for high-society old people, you can still be friendly. Friendly, not rude! Don’t cross the lines! Put yourself in their place and imagine how you would like a text to be written.
– Easy to follow. Be explanatory, your readers might be newcomers, don’t scary them by jumping directly to the most technical part. Introduce them to the subject. Maybe it is not the case to start from the basis – here you decide, based on the level of knowledge you expect from the readers.
– Original copy. Even if a thousand people wrote on your subject, even if you don’t come with a new discovery: put your own ideas in place. Maybe you disagree with some of the previous articles around the Internet. Maybe you have a different approach in explaining. Be yourself!
2. SEO value
Yes, you want your articles to be found on search engines. Yes, before you start to write, you need to think: “how will people search for the ideas in my article?” Have some research before you decide the best keywords / keyphrases. Do it only after you know what the main ideas in your article are. This way, you will master the keywords. Don’t let them overwhelm you!
– Put the keyword(s) in the title(s). If they don’t fit in the very heading of your copy, think again: what is my article about? Yes, they should fit every time! Don’t be afraid to use them, just find an elegant way! Don’t forget that you have more than one heading size. Use as many as you need, but keep the natural order, from the biggest to the smallest one, h1 to h6 (please search for these if you don’t know what they are).
– Spread the keyword(s) in the article. Obviously, if you write about a topic, it naturally comes again and again into “discussion”. Keep writing natural; don’t mind to count how many times you used it. In the end, you will find out that you matched the “ideal” number of repetitions. (Please ignore that “gurus” that predict a certain amount of keyword repetitions. There is no such a “magical” number.)
– Use links. If it makes sense, you can link your keywords to the proper section of the website. To explain it: if you write a blog article about fashion trends in shoes for girls, you probably write it on an online shop website. So, link the keyword “girl shoes” to the proper section on the site. This explains better to the search engine what your article and website is related to.
Be a copywriter, not a ranking beggar!
See the order I chosen for the two purposes of copywriting? Well, it’s not a random order. You should keep in mind this order, else you are going to end up writing lame texts. Do not take my word for granted! Please, make an experiment: write an article starting from the keyword. Write another article without knowing the exact keyphrase you should use, and then put it in place. Now – compare the articles. See what I mean?
Well, again: do not even think to ever start with “when it comes to…”! People are sometimes smarter than you imagine. Do not underestimate them!
And, now, as you had the patience to read the whole article: how did I insert the keyword “copywriting” in this article? 🙂
In the meantime, if you need to ask me something or consider my help, please do it here: Mihai Dumitrescu Copywriting.
