My clients turn to me when their website isn’t attracting traffic or delivering conversions. At this point, every other avenue has usually been explored. When technical SEO has been ruled out as the cause of an under-performing website, content is the option of last resort.
But in my opinion, content is the most important part of any SEO audit. Google will forgive a few missing meta tags, but it won’t forgive fluff, poor grammar and dodgy spelling.
And even when the content is OK, I always find areas for improvement. When a client hires me as their business copywriter, the first thing I do is an audit of any existing content. And if there isn’t any content for me to check, I audit the content of a close competitor.
But I have to be honest. This isn’t rocket science. If you have the most basic writing skills, you can write a decent blog post or some compelling website content.
But if you want great results in a hurry, or if you don’t have time to write, I’m here to help. Contact me, and I’ll take a look at your business and tell you how I can improve your online presence with great content.
Until then, I thought I’d give you a few quick copywriting tips. Here are five very simple ways you can improve your website with better content.
1. Talk about benefits first
Forget about how the sausage is made; very few people care. What’s really important is how the sausage tastes. And if you’re feeling confident in your writing, you can also talk about the health benefits of sausages.
OK, enough with the sausage metaphor. Although I actually have written about sausages in the past. The point here is that benefits sell people on the idea of buying goods and services. What’s in it for the consumer? How is what you’re selling going to improve the life of the reader? Write about that, rather than boring features and functions.
2. Create catchy headlines
A good piece of website copywriting is easy to read. Modern consumers are very impatient. And if they can’t find what they’re looking for on a page in just a few seconds, they’ll move on. If you want to minimise your bounceback rates, create content with lots of white space, headings, subheadings and bullet points.
Your headlines are prime real estate; real attention-grabbers. Don’t use them to tell your readers what you’re about to tell them in the following paragraphs. Make your headlines engaging — let them communicate key benefits.
3. Find the right voice
Who are you talking to? Hairy-arsed construction workers or college professors. Only by knowing your audience can you communicate effectively. I find the best way to write sales copy is to be conversational. Imagine you’re having a coffee or a pint with a friend. They ask you what your new purchase is like. What do you say?
If I’m writing technical content, I strike a more formal tone. I stick to facts and avoid humour or conversational phrasing. The worst thing you can do is make your website content neutral or generic — because that’s when content speaks to no one.
4. Always include a CTA
What is a call to action (CTA)? It’s a copywriting mechanism that aims to persuade the reader to complete the desired action. This action might be the purchase of a product. The action might be signing up for a newsletter, or simply clicking through to another page.
Before you can create a CTA, you need to ascertain the goal you’re trying to achieve. Why are you writing your content? Are you selling, generating leads, building a community, or simply growing your brand. Once you have a goal, you can create a CTA that delivers the desired result.
5. Write with personality
Don’t be afraid to develop your own writing style. As long as you’re consistent with your copywriting, writing with personality is a great way to build a brand. Humour works well in certain circumstances, but it’s important to use it wisely.
Create a few copywriting rules for your brand. Choose a style guide. I always create a fictional reader to ensure I’m writing content that resonates. Imagine your reader is called Sharon. She’s a high-earner, a mother, a university graduate and a great friend. She loves walks in the rain, Netflix and working out. Create your Sharon, and give her a life and an in-depth personality. Once you’ve done that, writing for her should be easy.
If you just can’t be bothered writing your own website content, give me a call. I’m a copywriter in the UK with more than 20 years of experience, and I’m ready to help.
