Web Consultancy UK

It’s about time too.  A recurring theme at yesterday’s TFM&A show (well, apart from recession marketing) was how the big agencies are finally cottoning onto the fact that online copy writing is a marketable (read sellable) tool to have in their box.  In the past, it’s always been Design, SEO, PPC and usability that floated the big boys boats.  Copy writing was never seen as all that glamourous (and let’s be honest, it actually really isn’t) - but the move towards content led SEO has meant they have to play ball.

But how easy is it for a big agency to write online copy.  Actually, how easy is it for any of us?

Well, here are a few tips that you, gallant reader, might find useful if you want to write your own web copy.

• How you speak, isn’t necesserily how your customers speak.  Perfect example.  In my industry, we regularly use the term ‘banqueting’.  the number of customers outside of the industry who use that term?  Zero.  They prefer the term ‘eating out’, or ‘going for a meal’.  Make sure you use language that your customers use and you’re 90% of the way there.
• CSS.  Not just just the name of a successful pop band (Brazilian I think), but also stands for Cascading Style Sheets.  This is a powerful tool that your coders use to make their lives easier when making changes to your site.  They’re a series of rules that, when applied to text, images etc. format them in a particular way, or style, creating a tiered hierarchy to your content.  Change the rule, and all the associated content throughout the site will also change.  They’re a great way for Google to understand what content is important on your site, by reading header tags (H1, H2 etc.) and suchlike.  If you’re really keen on learning CSS, I recommend Dave Raggett, from 3WC’s page.  Alternatively, do what I do, and cheat by using Styliser.
• Use Google’s free tools.  By an amazing coincidence, the tools Google gives you for free for your PPC campaigns are also a great way of understanding your users search trends and behaviour.  Use Google insights to get up to the minute user behaviour on key terms you think people are searching for (also really good for understanding seasonal user behaviour), or use Google adwords key word tool to generate key word ideas for your site,  If you use this version, you don’t even need to have a keywords account!
• Compromise.  Having keyword heavy text is no use if it affects the readability of your page and drives away customers.  There’s been a cultural shift that means your readers will cut you a lot more slack regarding key word placement in your content than they would have five years ago, but remember, the real trick is balancing the demands from Google, with your customers own experiences of the site.

Now, what are you still reading for?  Get out there and write something!