When you type the words “SEO copywriting” into Google, thousands of articles and provider websites come up. But how many of them are truly useful? Is SEO-friendly copywriting the standard? Are all copywriters now SEO-savvy? In truth, if you are looking for a professional SEO copywriter, you’re going to need to shop around.
There are thousands of SEO optimization firms that masquerade as copywriters – which can put them in the lead as far as search engine saturation and rankings. SEO optimization indisputably brings in the traffic to your website. Without it, you’d be lost in the never ending ocean of websites. It’s tempting to hire an SEO firm to simply set up your key worded content, submit your website, and let it go. This is a sad mistake for online businesses to make – once the traffic is delivered, they lose sales. A healthy dose of marketing awareness is the true goldmine when it comes to SEO-savvy copywriting services.
Look at the work of some of the top SEO optimization firms. Do it now. Google ‘SEO optimization’.
SEO firms tend to be rather wordy – they’re pressing the limits of search engine ratios. They know that as an SEO firm, their goal is to get a website into the top of the search engine results. Once they’ve done that, they’ve completed their job. They aren’t there to write sales copy or think of a catchy, brand-building slogan. They are there to help you feed machines – not brains. Unfortunately, an SEO firm just doesn’t have the marketing savvy to create website content that draws in the essential components of marketing: emotional draw, a compelling message, and an irresistible offer.
Would you ask an SEO optimization firm to write your print brochure? Help you plan a script for your TV commercial? Would you ask them to compile a media kit for potential investors? Of course not – that’s not what they specialize in. SEO optimization companies specialize in communicating with search engines – not people.
If you are looking for the “sell factor” – that’s where good copywriting comes in. A techie that knows how to blanket a website in keywords doesn’t specialize in creativity and ingenuity. That’s bad for you because those are the things that make your products stand out, increase your response rate, and drive sales. SEO optimization firms rely on keyword saturation – an often complicated algorithm that checks to see how many of your keywords are being read by Google. Keyword saturation is a great tool to tinker with search engine results – but it’s not necessarily the tool you want to exploit when you’re trying to persuade consumers to truly connect with what you’re offering. (And connect with them in such a way that they come back for more.)
So, what do true SEO copywriting services do for my website? SEO copywriters focus first on the message, then the translation to Google. They are expert translators that make a smooth transition from search engine language to customer-centric language. They write your copy with SEO keywords in mind (a 2-7% keyword ratio, which is the standard) but they still add style and voice to what you’re selling.
A good SEO copywriter steers clear of cookie-cutter product descriptions but still manages to slip your keywords in there for Google and Yahoo to read. They know how to build your brand and your company image using professionally written, believable copy. They are the essential component of a true search engine marketing campaign – they give your company a voice that stands a cut above the rest.
Your website has a voice, and SEO copywriting services should build a clear message
The voice of your company is the language on your website – all of the words, product descriptions, link hover text, and Meta data that the search engines pick up and deliver – and humans end up reading. A SEO copywriter will strike a balance between using keywords and promotional words effectively. They don’t sacrifice quality for the sake of a higher saturation rate. They want copy that is exciting to read – and pulls sales. They want to keywords to simply be integrated into high-pulling content.
A good SEO copywriter will know that headings and titles are just as important to the search engines as the people that visit. They know the importance of bold and bullets to make reading easier on the eyes for your computer-weary customers. They also know that Google finds it easier to read as well.
An SEO copywriter is a hybrid of both creative ingenuity and tech-savvy – satisfying both search engines and the curiosity of your prospects. They want results that convert into high search engine results, as well as higher sales volume.
Evaluating SEO copywriting services – is your copywriter an SEO firm in disguise?
So, how do you know if you are truly working with an SEO-savvy copywriting service? The easiest way to find out is to read their website. Many SEO firms rely heavily on search engine statistics – even in their website copy – but don’t let this alone scare you off. Statistics are how many SEO firms see their end of the bargain – the results. Look at their portfolio. (If they don’t have a portfolio or links to online work, run!) Read their website text to see if sounds like a person took time writing it – is there promotional language? A call to action? A clear list of benefits? Is the content persuasive? Are their articles useful and worth reading – or do they seem to grind out information in monotone?