Writing Good Website Copy for People and Writing Content for Search Engines

Writing good website copy is very different from many other types of writing, yet it is still something your 9^th grade English teacher could be proud of.  Sound confusing?  Then allow me to explain…

The single largest reason writing website copy is challenging is because, if done properly, you’re not just writing for people – you’re writing for the search engines, as well.  In essence, what this means is that you need to write clean, appealing, informative copy for people while simultaneously mentioning certain “key words” just the right amount of times that the search engines will also find it “appealing.” Unfortunately, like all writing, there is no magic formula.  Rather, you should base your writing on good principles – as they apply to both people and the search engines.

Writing Website Copy for People

This is the part your 9^th grade English teacher would approve of.  Simply put, no one cares to read sloppy, poorly punctuated, grammatically incorrect copy. Nor does anyone care to read copy that is boring, uninformative, or lacks creativity. So what constitutes good writing for people?  Of course, good writing is an incredibly subjective topic, however, I find most people agree with the following guidelines:

• Write cleanly, and stay on topic.  If you’re writing the text for your home page, don’t go on and on about one particular product or service.  Your home page is an introduction to your company.  Keep it that way.
• Use good grammar.
• Be informative.  Yes, we all want to sell our products and services, but writing that is informative provides value to the reader and it keeps them engaged – both of which are good for gaining the trust of the reader.
• Expose your industry knowledge.  Using industry terms without being confusing can display your expertise.
• Write creatively.  No one cares to read boring, mundane text.
• Easy on the sales pitch.  Remember, everyone wants to buy,  but no one wants to be sold.

Writing Website Copy for Search Engines

Search engines – especially Google – prefer a keyword ratio of 2% to 5%.  This means that before you write your first word, you should have an understanding of what keywords you want to focus on.  This is a post topic all by itself, however, in essence, these “keywords” are searchable terms likely to bring people to your site.  What products/services are people looking for that you provide?  What potential terms might they search by when looking for those products/services?  These questions should lead you to determining what keywords might be valuable.  Aside from the keywords, there are a few additional things you should be aware of:

• Don’t plagiarize.  Not only is it illegal, but you can get “blacklisted” by search engines for doing so.
• Don’t duplicate.  Using the same copy can dilute your web presence, but minor changes in text and reuse can be useful
• Write succinctly, preferably with good structure and/or logic
• Use keywords in groups they are likely to be searched like “IT Support Milwaukee” but also don’t be afraid to use it normally in a sentence like: “If you need quality IT support in the Milwaukee area contact ITP at 414-453-7100)
• Better yet use both methods above to work towards good keyword density

Okay, enough about website copy.  Next time… how to tag and label the pages of your site in a way the search engines love.  Stay tuned.

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