Specifications for Copywriter: Tips for SEO Specialist and Copywriters

What is SEO?

One aspect of copywriting is SEO copywriting. To write SEO texts, you should know what SEO is.

The abbreviation SEO is short for «search engine optimization». On the Internet, among web masters and site builders, it’s possible to hear its synonyms: web site promotion, site optimization, site promotion in search engines and lots of others. What’s the essence?

Most of us make ourselves at home being on the Internet. It is there where we rest, study, socialize, and look for information. For sure you’ve got some search engine as your home page; Most probably it’s Google, Bing, Yahoo! or Yandex. I’ll talk about main parameters, by which search engines sort sites. We won’t go too deep into detail for two reasons:

• nobody has profound knowledge about that except for the search engine itself
• web ranking parameters are being permanently changed

Visibility Zone in SEO

We are all lazy people and while searching for information we usually look through only the first 10 links suggested to us; only a few of us go to the second set of 10 and only the strongest pay attention to the next 10. In general, almost no one goes through more than 30 links upon search query. This is called the site’s “search engine visibility zone”.  Imagine how many sites want to get into this zone: a zillion! Seems improbable? Just look at the number of answers to your request generated by your search engine :-). By the way, I’d love to get there too with this article with the query «What is SEO».

Why do I need to get into the Top 10? That’s because I want to bring you important information in an understandable way. What if you still don’t know what SEO is? 🙂 For people in business, it’s vitally important: after all, as Bill Gates said, «Those who don’t have online business, will soon have no business at all». Such business queries as «tours to Egypt» or « marketing services» are also called commercial queries. There are also other ones: for instance, someone plans a route on a map and then looks for photos and videos.

SEO Methods

To get into Top, site owners use different tricks (good and bad) called white, grey, and black hat SEO methods. To be more specific, they optimize their site for search engines. Consequently it becomes easier for web crawlers to find and suggest a web page, that would give the most exact answer to the question entered in search box.

Generally, the main white hat SEO methods are:

• navigation improvement (usability, see «Designing Web Usability», a book by Jakob Nielsen);
• site download speed;
• content uniqueness, accurate keyword selection and their density;
• interlinking (putting cross links between web pages on a similar site);
• registration in white catalogs, preferably thematic;
• increasing link quantity (with non-anchors entry) to the site (from other web resources preferably)
• authoritative from search engines’ perspective;
• behavioral factors, i.e. the manner of user’s behavior on the site: how much time he spends on the site, how many pages he looks through etc.

An SEO copywriter should appeal to such concepts as content uniqueness, accurate keyword

Specifications for Copywriter: Tips for SEO Specialist

I recently reviewed specifications for copywriter on filling e-store with news and articles. Taking into consideration that search engines implement new algorithms, I had to rewrite it a bit. I was lucky to work with SEO copywriter, who doesn’t need explanations like “What is keyword?”. I divided article into two parts: the first is specifications for copywriters, the second is text publication or nuances SEO specialist should be aware of.

Specifications for copywriter:

1. Write selling text for people.
2. It is preferable to use ordered and unordered lists.
3. Keywords density is 1-3% (complete word paradigm: declensions, conjugations, allologs, transliterations etc.).
4. Text length is approximately 1000 characters per one keyword.
5. Keyword should be contained in H1…H3 titles.
6. Sentence with keyword should be highlighted once using one of the methods:
   • <b>…</b> (“physical” tag);
   • <strong>…</strong> (“logical” tag).

Article publication. SEO nuances:

1. Meta-tag “Description” length is normally not more than 160 characters. Description should start with keyword.
2. Use minimum one image. Uniqualize photo, write alt including keyword staying at the first place.
3. Page address (URL) should include keyword.
4. Title length is normally 60-65 characters. Keyword should be at the first place.
5. Keyword (anchor) must stay in one inner link to relevant promoted page.
6. It’s desirable for keyword (anchor) to be in one external link to trusted site. E.g. Wikipedia or official mission website.

Please remind me if I forgot something in specifications for copywriter.

What does copywriter need SEO for?

Today we’ll understand, why we need knowledge, which seems to be needed only for optimizers and web masters.

How SEO copywriter works

When you’re about to write SEO text, ask your client to provide keywords, which must be used in material, because feature web page will be promoted by them. If there are no keywords, you can pick them by yourself. To do this, there is, for instance, a service «Google Keyword Planner», where one could have a look, what users are looking for this month and how often they do that. The thing is that you don’t have to consider only the most frequent queries since competition there is relatively higher. Find suitable long tail queries and compose ideal text with 3-4% keywords density. It’s OK to use words and word combinations in any form (using singular or plural etc.). It’s needless to say about unicity. There are special services, which let you check the text for plagiarism, e.g. Advego Plagiatus. But let’s respect ourselves, write literate, interesting texts for people (this is exactly what search engines appeal for) and earn well on them. These are only general advices; I will give more detailed analysis of SEO copywriter working principles in further articles.

What does copywriter need SEO for?

• SEO basics proficiency increases general intellectual level.
• It helps communicating with a client and hold your point.
• It expands copywriter’s range of activities, because writing unique SEO texts is nowadays one of the most demanded services.

Text check. Checklist before passing order to client

You have just finished creating sales text. Do not hurry to pass it to client. Check the text once more. I have prepared a checklist for this purpose.

1. Title

This thing is most important. Does it really “catch” attention? If not there is no need to go      further. Title should be short, succinct, intriguing. Additional information about titles you may find here.

2. Text size

Exclude unnecessary parenthesis and adjectives that do not influence text meaning from the text. Leave numbers, arguments and facts. It is said that optimal size for sales text is 4000 symbols with gaps. You should feel the “golden mean”. If you want better option – test the text.

3. Short sentences and paragraphs

Try not to use complex sentences. Write as you talk using short phrases. Information perception is much better in this case. In this way trust relationships are also created. The reader feels that writer speaks the same language.

4. Subtitles, lists

It’s essential to use bulleted and numbered lists and subtitles. They help to navigate text better and attract reader’s attention.

5. Art style

Set yourself free from patterns and cliches. Use bright, original comparisons (it’s useful to read imaginative literature classics).

6. Present time of the verb

Make a reader dive into the present like he is already an owner of products or services. Give him impressions now. The brighter you describe the better.  Images should appear inside the head.

7. Addressing the reader

Write for the people! Be polite with the reader like you speak to an honored person not a buddy. For one usage of “our” and “we” use minimum two “you” and “your”. Describe the problem and what one may loose if he/she won’t act like you need.

8. Call to action

Text should end with contact information and call to action.