Crafting Web Copy that Works

Internet businesses experience low ranking at one time or another. The cause is unclear, but there is a solution. With a little brush up, our websites can generate the traffic they once did. All it takes is an understanding of how search engines work, and the creation of words that drive target traffic to your site.

To keep with the times, businesses need a web copy writer on board that is highly experienced in SEO (Search Engine Optimized) keywords. If you're creative enough, you can take a stab at it yourself. Use caution though, you want the content to be rich in keywords but not overpowering.

A few tips to consider...

Forget everything you learned about writing, to put yourself in the right frame of mind. The web copy you write should be in a conversational tone. That means 'fragments' and sentences that end with 'prepositions' are ok.

Be careful to employ a font that doesn't hurt the eyes of your readers. Fonts like Verdana, Arial, and Times New Roman are good for web copy. And remember, you want the content to flow so that the reader does not get confused and need to reread things.

SEO Guidelines

People visiting websites are not known for their patience and often only scan the content to see if it is something they are interested in. With that in mind, less is more so be sure to keep paragraphs short and to the point. Just stick with the basics and don't even try to sound smart as it is likely to irritate readers.

Headers: 6-8 words only Sentence length: 15-20 words on average Paragraph length: no fewer than 3 sentences, 5 maximum Word Count: approximately 350

The keyword dilemma is a never ending vicarious cycle that leaves you feeling numb at times. What are keywords? Who will use these keywords? What search engines should I use? And the list goes on.

Google or Yahoo (search engines) use the text (keyword/ keyword phrase) typed in the search box to locate websites. For instance, if you're looking for a maid, you would type the words "maid service", "maid", or "housecleaner" in the search engine. The search engine then finds all of the websites associated with that word. Keyword positioning on your web page will determine how fast the search engines locate your site.

Before you begin, carefully create words that are associated with the product or service you sell. Keywords and keyword phrases should be realistic. A true web copy writer can weave the words and phrases into the web page content easily.

You need to concentrate on your home page. Headings should have at least 5 words but no more than 8. Make certain that your keywords are positioned within the header as it will increase your odds.

Acting as a sales letter, this page needs to be easy to read yet clear and to the point. Introduce your visitor to your business as if you were chatting with a friend. But, fill the content will keywords that flow, weaving in and out of paragraphs.

Common Errors

Crafting effective web copy takes time and a lot of practice. It is a huge mistake to take a stab at writing web copy without an understanding of how keywords actually work. Your pages will have a lot of keywords but make no sense and people will not visit your site.

Selling is about educating customers about the benefits of buying from you. Don't waste time on the features, they can learn about them in later pages. People always want to know what is in it for them should they buy from you so this is what you need to concentrate on telling them.

Failing to edit your copy for grammar and spelling errors can lead to problems and lost customers. If possible, have another person read over your copy to get a fresh perspective.

Remember, web copy is merely a serious of informative pages. Each page on your website invites the visitor to go one step further. Ultimately, you hope they will purchase your product or service. But if search engines are not reaching you, you'll never have the opportunity to introduce potential customers to the benefits.

Article Source: http://www.articlemonk.com

About the author: Vlad Ehrsam writes exclusively for Full Info on Business, it's one of the webs most up to date Business sites, why not sign up for the free Business newsletter.
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