Internet Marketing
SEO GUIDE

Copywriting and Content Development

Description: In the world of websites, content is definitely king. That's why it's important to brush up on your writing skills, in order to put yourself head and shoulders above your competition.

When search engine spiders crawl your website they are not looking for images and stunning graphics. In fact, these spiders are very selective - and they can only actually see the words your site is made up of.

It's small wonder then that the art of copywriting and content development is so important and so sought after online. Anyone who can write well will often find themselves called upon to produce worthwhile and highly readable content to fill the pages of countless websites all across the world.

Make no mistake - copywriting is a highly specialized skill that takes years to hone and perfect to the extent where it appears to look easy. A skilled copywriter can make any subject sound fascinating, blending information and technique together to product articles and web pages that draw visitors in and persuade them to stay. Just as importantly they are capable of blending a list of keywords into the article so seamlessly that you wouldn't even realize they are there.

But if you can't afford to pay for the services of a professional copywriter it's possible to learn enough to do the job yourself. However important it is to be selling whatever it is you're selling on your site, content will always remain the most important aspect.

Why? Because content is what gets people to come back again and again, to read what else you have to say.

When you are faced with building a new website (or overhauling the one you have currently got) it can be difficult and daunting to know where to start. The best point of entry is to create a site map on a sheet of paper. This will help you to figure out what kind of content you should be creating, and helps to break down the task into manageable chunks.

From here it's a good idea to do your keyword research and create a list of strong keywords and phrases to include on each page. You can then incorporate these into your web copy. You should also consider what the purpose of each page is, to ensure you get the right mix of content on each one.

This can be trickier if you have a site whose primary function is to sell things. Most people want to make money from their website but this can be done in a variety of ways. The good news is that if your site is set up to sell goods and services, you can enhance the site even further and attract more potential customers by including good content that will help them make an informed decision about the items they are considering buying.

Let's say for example that you have a site which sells e-books on all kinds of subjects. You might have a page with e-books about eBay, another page with e-books about making money online, a third page with e-books about various different hobbies and so on.

So for the eBay page you could write an article on the benefits of trading on eBay. This would link nicely into the list of e-books you have to offer, and it would be easy to include your list of keywords in the title and body of the article itself.

One further point here - if your website is focused on selling a comprehensive range of goods, think about the main keywords and phrases associated with the goods on each page before you write your copy. This may include brand names or particular types of product that are currently selling well and being searched for on a regular basis. Check your keywords regularly and tweak the article if necessary to ensure it remains fresh and well targeted.

If you are fairly new to writing you may find it helpful to jot down a rough outline of each article before you write it. Ask yourself what the purpose of each one is and make a list of the main points you want to include.

As you will discover, copywriting is an ongoing process and it's not enough to fill your website with useful and well constructed content once and once only. You should always keep an eye on how you are going to develop that content so that it raises the profile of your website and gets you more customers at the same time.

While keywords play an important role in attracting visitors and potential customers, they are not the only element that needs to be focused on to receive the results you want.

One key aspect of all good web copy when it comes to drawing attention to your products is to have a positive outlook. Make doubly sure you don't use any negative words in your articles, as these cause the reader to focus on any possible downsides to your products.

For example, instead of focusing on what a product doesn't have, concentrate on the benefits and how they will help the customer achieve what they want to achieve. Your e-book about making a living on eBay may not be as cheap as the one offered by your competition, but it may contain extra items that theirs doesn't. Focus on these and describe how the potential customer will receive an outstanding deal and plenty of comprehensive information when they buy your product.

Finally, make sure you prune ruthlessly. Get rid of any needless words and ensure your writing is packed with information that the reader can take away and use for their benefit. What you write has a great deal of power, and it's vital to make sure that power is used in the right way and doesn't trip you up.

Good copywriting is a skill that can be learned, but it takes time. As your site develops and you begin to get more traffic, you can analyze what's working and what isn't and see which web pages are the most popular. It's then a question of working on the content development of your other pages to bring them up to the right standard.