Writing for the web is different from any other kind of writing. It needs to be clear, concise, and strongly emphasize keywords and SEO. When you’re creating content for websites, online magazines or blogs, it’s important to keep these things in mind to make your articles or blog posts as search engine friendly as possible. Suppose you are new to copywriting or want a refresher course on some good tricks to make your content more reader-friendly and search engine-friendly. In that case, this article will help you understand the intricacies of copywriting for the web. Let’s get started!

Meet the (Copywriting) Guru(s)

If you were to ask an SEO expert or a web content writer about their favorite person, there are two names you might hear: Marie Forleo and Laura Belgray. These two women have taught thousands of people how to hone their words and voices to become copywriting experts. I learned from them, and it skyrocketed my career.

They distill copywriting to its very essence – which is exactly what copywriting itself does. Copywriting is all about distilling things to their essence and persuading people to do what you want.

Marie and Laura understand that copywriting for the web is different than copywriting for a magazine, TV or radio ad, or any other medium.

Why is that? Because online, people can instantly search for your competitors. It takes a few simple clicks for them to go from your website to your competitor’s site instead. That means you’ve got limited time, words, and space to persuade them that you are the best.

So how do you do that?

Know your Audience

It’s important to understand your audience if you want to connect with them. Although you can’t always know who your audience is, you can usually guess based on the niche of your blog or article. If you’re running an eCommerce website, you can make a guess based on the demographic of your customers.

If your site is geared toward a younger audience, you’ll want to write in a way that appeals to that demographic. If your site is more geared toward an older audience, you’ll want to adjust your copy accordingly. If you’re unsure about who your audience is, you can do some research to find out more about your readers. Once you know your target audience, you can write for them.

Use Short Sentences

If you look at the top-rated content online, you’ll notice one common thing—it’s short. It’s not a coincidence. Long-winded articles with lengthy sentences can be a chore to read, even if it’s an interesting topic. Keep your sentences short and to the point, and keep paragraphs short and readable. This not only helps readers, it also helps your article show up higher in Google’s search engine rankings.

Remember, you’re not just writing for humans; you’re also writing for the search engine robots that will be reading your content. If you have long sentences, it will be much harder for search engine bots to read and understand your content. Short sentences are key to SEO success.

Write Unique Content

You may think you’ve come up with a brilliant idea that’s never been done before, but before you get too excited, Google has probably already indexed the same article. Copyright and plagiarism are serious issues online. Even if you’re not actively trying to steal an article from someone else, you might get caught if you spend too much time reading other people’s content. The best thing to do is write unique content for your articles and blog posts. You’ll not only avoid the risk of getting in trouble, but you’ll also make a stronger connection with your readers by giving them something original.

If you’re worried about coming up with new ideas for articles, there are many ways to generate content. You can survey your audience to see what kind of content they want to read. You can also search for trending articles to see if there are any topics you can relate your blog post or article to.

Make Keywords and SEO a Priority

Search engine optimization is a serious thing that can make or break your blog or article’s popularity. If your article is poorly optimized, it might not be found by the search engines. If you really want your article to be popular and seen by many people, you need to prioritize keyword research. When you’re coming up with ideas for articles, use your brainstorming time to develop several keywords that would be useful for your article.

Ensure the keywords you choose are specific and do not appear anywhere else on your website. Don’t just use the same words over and over again. Mix it up a bit, so you don’t come across as spammy.

Write for humans, too!

While SEO and keyword research are important aspects of writing for the web, don’t forget to write for humans too. Getting caught up in the technical side of things is easy, but don’t forget that your articles and blog posts are meant to be read. Your articles should be easy to understand and follow, even for the people who have no interest in your product or niche.

When writing your article, try to imagine yourself as the reader. What questions do you have about the topic? What are you looking for in the article? Once you understand what your readers are looking for, it’s easy to write something that appeals to them.

Provide a Call to Action

A call to action (CTA) is an instruction that tells your readers what you want them to do next. You may want them to click on a certain link, purchase a product, or sign up for an email list, for example. It’s important to include a call to action in your content because it helps people use what you’ve written and take action based on it.

A call to action doesn’t have to be in bold letters at the end of an article either. You can incorporate your call to action in various ways, including using descriptive language and asking questions that prompt your readers to take action.

Some CTAs are so subtle that people don’t even recognize them as such.

Tips for Writing Great Copy for the Web

If you want to write great web copy, there are a few rules that apply across the board:

• Write in the first person. Instead of writing in the third person, write in the first person. This makes your writing less formal and more relatable to your readers.
• Write as you would talk to a friend. Stay away from overly technical terms and complicated language. Instead, talk to your readers like you would talk to a friend and let your personality come through in your writing.
• Use bold and italic type sparingly. You don’t want to overdo it. If you use bold or italic too much, it loses its meaning.
• Write short, concise paragraphs. Long paragraphs can be hard to read, especially if your readers are skimming through your article. Keep your paragraphs short and to the point, and break up longer paragraphs into shorter ones if needed.
• Be creative. Don’t be afraid to be creative with your articles. You don’t have to write a boring, straightforward article. Be creative and try to engage your readers with creative content.
• Keep things interesting. People will skim through your article, so don’t bore them with a boring topic they don’t care about. Keep your readers engaged by making your article interesting and relevant to your readers.
• Edit, edit, edit. Once you’ve written your article, read it repeatedly until you’re sick of it. Make sure there are no typos, no spelling errors, and that your article flows well. Mistakes can make you seem unprofessional, and a poorly written article can deter readers.

Copywriting is a special kind of art, and it needs just the right touch. After reading this, you may be inspired to try your hand at it. Or you may have read all this and concluded it’s not for you. If you’ve decided it’s not for you, reach out for a free consultation. You still need great copy for your business, so why not see if you and I are a good fit? I can give you the copy you need, and you can feel confident publishing copy that is unique, tailored to you and your business, and meant to convert. Let’s talk!