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copywriting :: Internet Marketing :: Copywriting
Does Your Copy Look "Fake" To the Search Engines?
If you have even a passing interest in
the topic of marketing, optimization, ranking and seo, then you should
take a look at the following information. This enlightening article
presents some of the latest news on the subject of marketing,
optimization, ranking and seo.
From the early days of search engine optimization, keywords and content
have always been vital to achieving your goals. Starting back in the
days when we used to shove every slightly relevant keyword into our
Meta tags, it has been obvious that search engines love text. The more
advanced the engines have gotten over the years, the more complex and
sophisticated many writers have gotten with their search engine
copywriting.
Supposed formulas, saturation levels, and other mysterious
concoctions have been developed to help us outsmart the engines.
However, what we should have been doing all along was writing for the
visitor first and the engines second. Why? Because creating a site
that's loved by visitors is a prime factor in linking, ranking, and marketing
as a whole. As the engines make great strides with more personalized
and efficient searches (such as semantic search) natural search engine optimization writing is even more important.
Rather than just indexing the copy on your site, engines are
learning to "understand" what a page is about. The ironic thing is, as
the search engines get more complex the "formula" for seo copywriting is actually getting more simple.
Write Naturally
In the future, search engines will be looking for Web pages that
reflect a natural tone with the copy. Is it obvious that keyphrases are
being shoved in wherever possible? Does every headline/sub-head, image
tag, and comment tag have a keyphrase included? Does the copy sound
fake, unnatural, and stiff? If so, then spiders and bots will recognize
it and possibly flag it as something to be wary of.
Take a look at this lovely piece of copy I found while surfing just
the other day. (I've replaced the keyphrases used in the original copy
with the word "wherever" so as not to embarrass the site owner.)
Wherever Holiday Rentals
Holiday rentals in Wherever for holidays in Wherever
Wherever holiday rentals directly from the owners. Rent a holiday
villa in Wherever or perhaps a 2-6 bedroom apartment in Wherever.
Wherever vacation rentals for holidays in Wherever are easily located
by searching the Wherever Holiday website. Wherever Holiday Rentals
offer holiday apartments in Wherever and holiday villas.
Find accommodation in Wherever by clicking on the Wherever map or
the active links. You will then see holiday rental apartments, villas
and townhouses in stunning Wherever accommodation.
Let's suppose someone walked into your travel agency and asked for
help. You would most likely ask what they were looking for. They would
reply, "Holiday rentals in Wherever. What can you show me?" Would you
honestly take off on the spiel above? Can you see yourself talking to a
real client face-to-face and saying, "We offer Wherever holiday rentals
in Wherever and can find you many apartments, villas, and houses in
Wherever"? I don't think so.
Tips for Writing In Natural Language
1) Vary your keywords/phrases.
For example, if a keyphrase you particularly want to target is "14k
gold jewelry" consider also using keyphrases like "14k gold watches" or
"gold wedding bands" or others along those lines. This will give you a
variety of phrases within your copy.
2) Read it out loud. When you read your copy out loud you'll get a
better sense of whether it sounds unnatural. If you wouldn't say, "We
make 14k gold jewelry and have made 14k gold jewelry for 10 years. If
you need 14k gold jewelry just view our catalog" out loud, then don't
put it in your copy, either.
3) Break up keyphrases. As searchers get more knowledgeable about
finding what they want in the engines, they use longer and longer
search queries some of which just don't make any sense. For instance, I
recently had to use the phrase "real estate Pittsburg downtown" when
writing a page of seo
copy. Since this search string was not easily worked in as that exact
phrase, I broke it up. One sentence I used it in said: "When looking
for commercial real estate in Pittsburg check the downtown listings
first for exceptional locations and prices." The words are still in the
same order with minor breaks in between. When you can't use a phrase
"as is" this is a very viable alternative.
Keep in mind the direction search engine optimization
is taking. The closer you can get to writing in natural language, the
better off you'll be. It only makes sense to create a site now that
will last through the long haul. Especially when that site will have a
better chance of favorably appealing to the engines and your visitors.
by Karon Thackston © 2004
http://www.copywritingcourse.com/keyword
About The Author
Karon is author of “How To Increase Keyword Saturation (Without Destroying the Flow of Your Copy).” discover the secrets to creating seo copy with a perfect balance between keywords and natural language. http://www.copywritingcourse.com/keyword
IF PUBLISHING ON A WEBSITE, USE THIS RESOURCE BOX:
Karon is author of “How To Increase Keyword Saturation (Without Destroying the Flow of Your Copy).” discover the secrets to creating seo copy with a perfect balance between keywords and natural language with this insightful e-report.
Those who only know one or two facts about marketing,
optimization, ranking and seo can be confused by misleading
information. The best way to help those who are misled is to gently
correct them with the truths you're learning here.
We hope you found the information on this page useful and will return often to browse
the many articles throughout our site. We will be adding new material on an ongoing
basis in order to keep our visitors up to date on the latest promotion and marketing
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