|
|
|
|
An SEO Copywriting Makeover – Turning “Not” Into “Hot” Part 1 of 2
by Karon Thackston © 2003
http://www.copywritingcourse.com
I recently took on a project for a Web site that sells gas logs that I thought would make an interesting case study. As many people ask me what goes through my mind when I write search engine optimized copy, I took this opportunity to make notes as I wrote. I’ll now share that information with you so you can make the necessary changes to your own copy.
The site had a lot of potential, but in its current state the sales orientation of the index (home) page and the keyword saturation were causing less-than-stellar results for the client. My job was to rewrite the index page (from scratch) in order to boost SE rankings.
The Assessment
When I first viewed the index page of http://www.eiklorflames.com my first impression was one of curiosity. I wondered why certain approaches were taken. Rather than draw the site visitor in, it gave me the feeling of being pushed away. I also questioned the use of features and benefits on the page. While features were mentioned, they were conveyed through industry jargon with no explanations. (See the original copy at http://www.copywritingcourse.com/Eiklor/EiklorFlames.html.)
The product was great, the client obviously understood their target audience (proven from the target audience analysis they completed), and other pages within the site were well written – warm and inviting. However the index page needed some help in order to achieve higher sales percentages and search engine rankings.
When I visited Google to check on current search engine positioning for the site, I found Eiklor Flames at number 48. It would take an upward movement of 38 positions to get them into the coveted top 10. So, I set out to complete the task before me.
What To Do?
During projects where copy already exists I always like to take a mental tour of what’s currently on the site before I begin to rewrite copy from scratch. As I reviewed Eiklor’s current copy, I made the following notes of things I wanted to approach differently.
1. Make the copy search engine compatible.
2. Make the copy more inviting.
3. Draw the visitor into the fireplace experience.
4. Make the sale before sending them to the dealer.
5. Don’t just give features… give benefits, too.
How To Do It?
To implement the changes above, I worked
with the copy in sections/phases.
1. Make the copy search engine compatible. This is always in the forefront of my mind when I write SEO copy. Because I want the keywords/phrases to appear in several strategic places, and throughout the body copy, I have to keep keywords in my mind the entire time I’m writing. For this project, the keywords/phrases were: gas logs, and fireplace. While the keyword research was done by an SEO firm, I agreed that only two or three keywords should be used. I’m of the opinion that when you try to work in five or six keywords/phrases per page, you lose your saturation and your focus.
To start, I always try to work a key phrase into the headline if at all possible. While it is not mandatory, you do get a few extra brownie points for having key phrases within header tags ( tags).
Rather than the simple headline of “Gas Logs by Eiklor Flames” that previously existed, I wanted to use a benefit-oriented headline. While the subheads of “The Crème de la Crème of Gas Logs.
The 'Standard' by which you can judge the rest” were not “bad” lines, they didn’t actually tell me anything about gas logs.
Being unsure of the various personality types of all those that would come to the site, I had to write to accommodate everyone (as much as possible). Headlines that give benefits are always winners, so that strategy was a safe bet.
I also drew on my own experience as someone who owns gas logs. I thought back to how I went through the buying process. I remembered the information that was important from my buying experience and applied that to the copy and headline.
The new headline became: “Eiklor Flames’ Gas Logs - Beautiful… Affordable… Energy Efficient.”
It gives benefits, it speaks to the primary reasons people buy gas logs, and it includes the key phrase “gas logs.”
In Part 2 of this series, I’ll finish up the copy, continuing to make it SEO and more “user-friendly” as I turn the jargon-filled features into powerful benefits.
About the Author
Most buying decisions are emotional. Your ad copy should be, too! Let Karon write targeted copy and ezine articles for you. Visit her site at http://www.ktamarketing.com, or learn to write your own copy at http://www.copywritingcourse.com. Don’t forget to subscribe to Karon’s free ezine at http://www.ktamarketing.com/ezine.html.
|
|
|
|
|
| Guide to Academic Writing Article - Management - University of ... |
| University of Canterbury-- Te Whare Wananga o Waitaha. UC Home | Courses | Departments | Library | Teaching | Research | Students | Contacts | Search ... |
| www.mang.canterbury.ac.nz |
|
| Writing the Empirical Journal Article |
| File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat - View as HTML |
| Your browser may not have a PDF reader available. Google recommends visiting our text version of this document. |
|
| Writing article about audio systems and need enthusiasts to ... |
| Yahoo! Autos Custom Forums - Writing article about audio systems and need enthusiasts to interview - I'm looking for enthusiasts willing to be interv. |
| forums.custom.autos.yahoo.com |
|
| Writing article about audio systems and need enthusiasts to ... |
| Yahoo! Autos Custom Forums - Writing article about audio systems and need enthusiasts to interview - hey buddy i got a premmie system in my car i have a. |
| forums.custom.autos.yahoo.com |
|
| Writing Article About G2 - Seeking Input | Gallery |
| Writing Article About G2 - Seeking Input. steveohm. Joined: 2005-10-28 Posts: 2. Posted: Mon, 2006-01-16 08:16. Hey there,. I'm writing a how-to article for ... |
| gallery.menalto.com |
|
| (5.30) Not a directory writing article file -- throttling |
| (5.30) Not a directory writing article file -- throttling. This typically means that in the spool there is a directory in the spool that thinks it is a file ... |
| www.faqs.org |
|
| (7.25) Server throttled No space left on device writing article file |
| (7.25) Server throttled No space left on device writing article file. If df still shows you plenty of space then look if you have enough inodes free. ... |
| www.faqs.org |
|
| 10 Ideas for Writing Article/Blog Online - lifehack.org |
| 10 Ideas for Writing Article/Blog Online. Ever wrote some articles online and they have hundreds of people bookmarking and linking, on the other hand others ... |
| www.lifehack.org |
|
| Writing article reviews |
| Writing article reviews. What is an article review? Reading and noting; Writing the first draft; Revising and redrafting; Using feedback ... |
| www.unisanet.unisa.edu.au |
|
| "The 'Mane' Event" (Shotgun Writing - Article #3) by Barbra L ... |
| try your own tag:. "The 'Mane' Event" (Shotgun Writing - Article #3) ... Shotgun Writing (Article #3) (11.22-28.06). Palominos. . . golden-colored horses ... |
| www.gather.com |
|
| Muslim Man Kicked Out Of Mosque For Writing Article Criticizing Al ... |
| Muslim Man Kicked Out Of Mosque For Writing Article Criticizing Al Qaeda ... Muslim Man Kicked Out Of Mosque For Writing Article Criticizing Al Qaeda ... |
| tailrank.com |
|
| Muslim Man Kicked Out Of Mosque For Writing Article Criticizing Al ... |
| Hat tip to Atlas Shrugs . Yes, you read that correctly. He criticized Al Qaeda, so he got kicked out of his Mosque. And, this is no small Mosque. |
| tailrank.com |
|
| Articles About Freelance Writing Index |
| Freelance Writing Article Index. Getting Started · How To, Tips & Samples · Getting the Writing Done · Rewriting & Editing · Your Writing as a Business ... |
| www.aboutfreelancewriting.com |
|
| Todays-Woman - Short Story Writing: Article 1 - Introduction |
| Short Story Writing: Article 1 - Introduction Date: Tuesday, September 26 @ 22:01:33 CDT Topic: Writing Advice. Author:Ian Mackean ... |
| www.todays-woman.net |
|
| SEL: Presentation + Writing Article for SMS |
| Presentation + Writing Article for SMS. I have a presentation to prepare for, plus I'm writing an article for the Search Marketing Standard. ... |
| www.searchenginelowdown.com |
|
| Writing article introductions HOWTO (English) - ArchWiki |
| Writing article overviews HOWTO (English). Writing article introductions HOWTO (English). Effective use of headers HOWTO (English). Related articles ... |
| wiki.archlinux.org |
|
| Writing article overviews HOWTO (English) - ArchWiki |
| Writing article overviews HOWTO (English). From ArchWiki. This article discusses article overview writing techniques. Article overviews are short textual ... |
| wiki.archlinux.org |
|
| Seeking a guide to the quality of web writing : Article : Nature |
| Nature is the international weekly journal of science: a magazine style journal that publishes full-length research papers in all disciplines of science, ... |
| www.nature.com |
|
| Resume Writing Article - Resume Falsification |
| Resume Writing Article - Resume falsification: Would you lie on your resume? |
| www.resume-resource.com |
|
| Resume Writing Article - Now What? How to Ensure Your Resume ... |
| Resume writing article: How to ensure you resume produces top results. |
| www.resume-resource.com |
|