Being a copywriter is one of the most glorified careers in the advertising industry. Thanks to shows like Mad Men most people have a general idea about what a traditional copywriter’s role is at an agency (or at least what it was in 1962). Traditional copywriting aims to drive target audiences to take action in the form of buying something or becoming part of a brand’s lifestyle. SEO copywriting does the same thing, but its main priority is getting found on search engines before the pitch.
Unlike traditional copywriting, SEO copywriting is often overlooked. Here are a few of the major differences between writing SEO and traditional copy:
SEO copywriting is very similar to solving a puzzle.
Some of the biggest differences between writing traditional and SEO copy is the structure, content and keywords the writer uses. Both forms of copywriting have requirements, but to be effective, SEO writing must be consistent with a few important factors.
Experienced SEO writers know changing what seems like the smallest aspect of a sentence’s structure can create big results.
For example, when researching a blog topic about copywriting let’s say, looking at what specific words people search can be the difference between a lost and lonely blog and one that is the life of the party.
One of these keywords has low competition and a good amount of traffic, while the other one has lots of competition and not many visitors. The SEO copywriter pays attention to these things.
Good SEO copy is relevant to a brand’s industry, has links to highly ranked pages, targets specific keywords, is long enough for Google to care and structured in a way that someone would search. Once you have all that set in place, your page should start getting more organic search traffic.
SEO copywriting can be tracked through Google Analytics.
Traditional copywriting is great. We all love seeing well-written copy that makes us laugh or stop what we’re doing and think. But, how many people actually saw your print ad in the latest issue of Sports Illustrated or Good House Keeping?
Sure, media reps will tell you their CPM and promise that your brand will be seen by their audience, but where’s the proof that someone actually took the time to interact with your ad? I guess you could include a tracking phone number in the copy and get some form of proof, but when was the last time you chose to call a business instead of opening your web browser and checking them out first?
Google Analytics gives us the ability to track the exact number or unique visitors who came to your page, where people are visiting from, how long they stay on a page, what type of content they prefer, how they found the page, what links they clicked on and so much more.
SEO writers use Google Analytics to see what type of content their audience responds well to. Once they know the subject of the content, they must do keyword research and include specific terms throughout the content.
What type of analytics does your business prefer? Exact numbers or estimated figures based on CPM and a media company’s audience size?
SEO copy not only speaks to a target audience, it also has to speak the right way to Google.
Unlike traditional, SEO copy does not usually play with the audience’s emotions. SEO copy must speak to Google’s little crawl spider in order to be seen by the target audience.
Here is an example of a simple article on pushups. One is written with SEO in mind, the other is written like a traditional copywriter:
SEO Version
Push-ups are an age-old way to get in shape, as well as to tone and build muscles. The standard push-up might be just right for you — not too hard, but not too easy either. But if it’s quickly losing its challenge, there are ways to get back to feeling the burn. We can’t promise that the following push-ups will be easy; they’ll challenge you big time, but that’s what you’re looking for, isn’t it?
Traditional version
Have you ever wanted to get in shape for a reunion or special event and didn’t have a clue where to start? Most people rush to the nearest magazine aisle or online site and look for the newest trend or quick fix for trimming up the waistline in a hurry. Stop looking at the magazine aisle though and think back to gym class. An often overlooked technique for getting back in shape is the push-up.
If you were the average reader and wanted to know more about push-ups, which version would give you more direction right away? This is an important difference in how writing for SEO can drive more targeted traffic.
Is your business struggling to drive traffic to its site? Give us a call at (214) 414-3035. We can help your business.
