Web writing is a whole new ball game, very different to academic writing, or creating content for a print publication. Not only do you need to make the content appealing to potential customers – you also need to please the Google gods, so they send a steady stream of traffic your way!

What is Good Web Writing?

A great piece of web content grabs your attention and keeps you engaged. It offers valuable information, and usually will persuade the reader to take an action. It should be easy to look at and read, using formatting features such as headings and bullet points to break up big chunks of text.

These days however it needs to balance creativity with SEO (including relevant keywords), ensuring both people AND search engines find it useful and engaging.

Creating content that people find compelling and useful will likely influence your website’s presence in search results more than any of the other suggestions …

Google Search Central

Yep, Google themselves say that their ranking algorithm prioritises helpful, reliable information that’s primarily created to benefit people, not to gain search engine rankings. So, if you want to rank above your competitors, write for people first. This will help drive traffic to your website, build trust, and convert visitors into customers.

Our Top 5 Tips for Creating Great Web Content

1 – Hook the reader from the very first sentence. For example, you could:

• State a surprising fact: “4 out of 5 small businesses fail within the first five years.”
• Use a quote: “Failure is only the end if you decide to stop,” says Richard Branson.
• Share an anecdote: “My first business ‘failed’—but in reality, I rebranded, and it thrived.”
• Make a bold or surprising statement: “Just because I closed my business doesn’t mean it failed.”

2 – Make it easy to understand.

Eye-tracking studies have found people read web pages in an “F” pattern, scanning across the top and down the left side. What does this mean exactly? You have mere seconds to hook your reader before they scroll away!

To make sure your content isn’t passed over:

• Keep paragraphs and sentences short so readers don’t get lost. Keep them succinct and varied.
• Break text up with headings and bullet points (like this!).
• Use images, charts, or other visuals to break up the monotony.

3 – Inform, entertain, or engage (or all three, if possible).

Some ideas you can try to make your writing stand out:

• Tell stories. People love narratives, and storytelling can bring even the driest topics to life.
• Use humour when appropriate. A well-placed joke or playful tone can make your brand feel more human.
• Offer valuable, unique information. Make sure your audience leaves knowing something new.

4 – Keep it clear and concise.

Who’s got time for fluff? Not us! As William Zinsser, author of On Writing Well, says: “Examine every word on paper—you’ll find a surprising number that don’t serve any purpose.” This is where the KISS (Keep It Simple, Sweetie) principle comes in handy.

Your writing should be lean, but full of substance. Some tips:

• Use plain language. Forget “accompanying” – just say “with.”
• Keep sentences under 20 words and mix up the lengths.
• Write in an active voice for energy and engagement.

5 – Persuade the reader to take action.

Ultimately, the goal of web content is to persuade – whether it’s to make the reader stop and think; sign up for a newsletter; purchase something; or book an appointment. Your writing should always guide the reader toward action.

In Conclusion!

Your conclusion is your final chance to make an impact, so use it wisely.

Circle back to your main point, summarise, and consider ending with a call to action (CTA) that goes beyond the generic “Buy Now”. You might suggest readers “comment below”, “sign up for more great tips”, or even “talk to your family about this topic.”

Experts in Writing for the Web

If you’re feeling overwhelmed or just don’t have the time, consider outsourcing the writing of your web content.

At Front Page SEO, our expert copywriters have been writing for the web for as long as the internet has been around! Contact our team today for a no-obligation chat about your web content needs.

The post Pro Tips on Writing for the Web appeared first on Front Page SEO.

The crux of that 2017 blog post was that all web content writers are not equal.

Any professional copywriter should be able to produce text that:

• hooks the reader from the very first sentence;
• is easy to understand;
• is interesting / informative / entertaining;
• is clear and concise; and
• persuades.

When it comes to web content however, an extra skill set can make all the difference: SEO copywriting – the knowledge and ability to write in a way that attracts the attention of Google and other search engines.

Using a copywriter without SEO knowledge is expensive – very expensive – and I’m not talking about their fee. Without optimised web content, business owners are missing out on a tremendous opportunity to boost their brand recognition AND revenue.

Why then would we ask the question: is SEO copywriting dead? Clearly, it’s not!

The Future of SEO Copywriting

The worldwide web is still relatively new, although it has taken great strides since our Founder Janet hooked up her first computer to the internet, 20 years ago.

With the advent of the web, came the need for web content, which led to the development of SEO.

When Front Page Founder Janet started working as an SEO copywriter at the end of 2012, it was a very different playing field. Not many business owners knew about SEO, let alone actively made it part of their marketing strategy. Ah, the glory days – less competition meant it was a lot easier to achieve front page rankings for our clients!

Clearly, SEO copywriting isn’t dead – it has become mandatory.

The day is coming when you won’t hear the term SEO copywriting anymore, simply because it will be part and parcel of every web content writer’s skillset.

In the meantime however, it’s worth making sure your web content is written by a professional with SEO knowledge and experience, to give you the edge over your slower-to-catch-on competitors.

And yes, we can help you with that 😉 .

Ph: 0421 757 424
Email: admin@frontpageseo.com.au

The post Is SEO Copywriting Dead? appeared first on Front Page SEO.

After all, what’s wrong with writing your web content yourself? In some ways, this does make sense – nobody knows your business, service or product like you do!

Or maybe you realise that you are good at what you do, whether it’s digging trenches or lash extensions, but not so much at writing. A lot of people hate writing anything. So you decide to hire a copywriter.

In both cases, you would be doing your business a disservice – and all because you don’t understand the value of an SEO copywriter.

Why You Need an SEO Copywriter

Think of your business website as a piece of virtual real estate – after all, it is your 24-hour-a day shopfront.

Let’s say you want to start a cafe aimed particularly at the breakfast crowd. You will put a lot of time and effort into choosing your premises – because what’s the first rule of real estate? You guessed it – location, location, location.

You’ll want to pick somewhere that’s handy to a cluster of workplaces like one client we’ve worked with, Caffe Etto in Fortitude Valley. Somewhere that’s highly visible, convenient, and gets lots of foot traffic from people on their way to work or school, the bus or train so they can grab a grazing box or coffee to go.

You’re not going to open your cafe set in the middle of an acreage block in the middle of nowhere, or tucked into a dingy old back street and down a lane way, where nobody can find you.

To make your cafe a success, you need to be visible, and have lots of passing traffic.

It’s the same with your business website.

A Visible Website with Lots of Traffic

What you need is a visible website, with lots of traffic – and the way to do that is to make sure it ranks well in the search engines.

While any skilled copywriter can write content that people actually read, that is persuasive, includes calls to action and converts, this is not enough when it comes to website content.

Why Hire an SEO Copywriter?

An SEO copywriter can do all this, PLUS knows how to attract the attention of Google – the secrets to making sure your website gets noticed, by the right people, for the right reasons.

Back to our breakfast cafe example. You don’t particularly want people searching online for a cocktail bar, to find your website via Google – because that’s not what you do!

What you want is for online searchers to come up with your website when they are looking for “takeaway coffee” or “acai bowls” in your local area.

In the end it’s your choice. But by choosing an SEO copywriter with a proven track record, you are giving your website – and your business – the very best chance at success.

And that’s priceless.

Contact Front Page SEO today about putting your website to work!

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That’s because according to eye tracking research, this is how people view websites – in an “F” shaped pattern.

What the “F”?!

Reading on a screen is a completely different experience to reading on a page. It seems we *don’t* read everything on the web page in front of us (devastating news for me as a copywriter!) – or at least, not at first.

Instead, this is how people view websites: we scan.

Our eyes flick over the screen in an “F” shape: we start at the top, scanning the headline, navigation menus, the first sentence.

Then our eyes scroll down the left of the screen, stopping at any items of interest, before scrolling down again.

It is only if we are hooked by what we have seen in the “F” pattern, that we will actually read the content of the web page properly.

Writing Copy Based on How People View Websites

For the best chance of captivating the visitors to your website (the first step in getting them to do business with you), try the following when writing web content:

• Keep paragraphs short and sweet;
• Break text up with headings;
• Use bullet points;
• Insert images – they not only please the eye, but also help tell the story (a picture is worth a thousand words and all that);
• Include links where relevant (not only is the eye drawn to the highlighted text, it can be good for your SEO).

If you are struggling to write compelling web copy for your website, Front Page SEO is here to help. Contact us today about your next web content project.

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If you have a business, chances are you will need to produce any or all of the above.

But what if writing is really not your strong point?

Get a Copywriter!

If you want to be a success in business, you need to work to your strengths – and get help with the rest.

A professional copywriter writes copy – or content – for a living.

Note: Many people get confused between copywrite and copyright – the first term is generally used in the context of a copywriter, or getting some copywriting done. The second is a claim to ownership of something that has been created: for example, a book, music, or a photograph, and is often identified with the © copyright symbol.

A copywriter needs to have a solid grasp of language – the technical aspects of spelling, grammar and punctuation; but also a “flair for words” that makes people want to read them! 

A skilled copywriter can take a subject that is dull as dishwater, and turn it into something that hooks your interest. In the hands of a skilled copywriter, even those annoying 404 error pages can be turned into something fun and engaging, so visitors to your website will want to stick around!

A copywriter can sell an idea, product or service through their use of the written words. Some copywriters write to inform; others write to try and get you to take an action. Often, copywriting involves both.

As part of their job, a copywriter may find themselves doing so much more than just writing copy. They will also likely need to research their topic, conduct interviews, source images, edit and proofread. A thirst for knowledge, and a passion for words are essential!

Which is why, if you are needing any copy written for your business, you can give yourself the best chance of success by hiring a professional: get a copywriter!

Explain an SEO Copywriter then?!

At Front Page SEO, our specialty is SEO copywriting: writing web content that pleases the reader, and also gets found by the search engines.

When a potential customer searches online for your particular product or service, you want YOUR website to be on the front page of search results. If you are looking for an SEO copywriter, we can help make this happen!

If you are keen to get a copywriter working for you – contact Front Page SEO today.

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