Copywriting Guide

SEO is always evolving, for a page to have a solid chance of ranking in the 2015 version of Search engines, you should be writing 600 words of original text or as close to it as you can (more content is better but 300 words is really a bare minimum).

Google has developed and deployed algorithms which penalize duplicate content and reward in-depth, authoritative information, so don’t copy others work, you will get caught and penalized.When appropriate, how-to’s, paragraphs that use a question in heading and provide the answer in body are also loved by the search engines while being useful to readers.

When appropriate, how-to’s, paragraphs that use a question in heading and provide the answer in body are also loved by the search engines while being useful to readers.

Use of Language

Always when providing content write colorful, engaging content that YOU would actually want to read and share! Please be sure to use variety (don’t use the exact same adjective or keyword repeatedly, especially in the same paragraph). Unless otherwise required, keep things current with the topic/upcoming event talking about “now” as opposed to a boring history lesson.

Be mindful of which country the client is located in and use the appropriate spelling. Canadians and Brits like “colour” not “color” and if your audience is older you will find that quality and accuracy count more than with a younger audience where being a little hipper might be the way to go. Try to avoid negative imagery words. Check your facts and that any phone numbers/links are correct.

Please also double check your spelling and grammar before submitting your blog or webpage. (Microsoft suggests the word “your” in the last sentence be replaced by the word “you’re”…so be careful!)

Blogs

Blogs are meant to be a little fun and informative. Feel free to elongate & romance your sentences with a colorful, conversational tone.

If writing for something travel related, it is ideal to write about upcoming events 2-3 months in advance to allow search engines to rank & display the content to people searching for the topic ahead of time. The reason being is that most people will book their ticket/hotel in advance and our goal is to bring our clients business!

When done right, a blog can generate a lot of traffic and make you or your clients money.

Website Pages

When writing for a website’s main pages, please keep the language professional and on-point. A website is the “voice” for a business online. Your goal is to tell or perhaps sell the visitor something important. What do they really need to know about your business and how do you want them to perceive you? Highlight the benefits of your company, product or services. Answer important questions by providing all the details they need to know (so they don’t have to go to a competitor’s website to find what they want).

Another important aspect of online marketing is taking advantage of CTAs (Calls To Action). Make it clear to the reader what action they should take and why.

Keyword Usage

When you are looking for information in Google, the words you type into the search box are also known as keywords or keyphrases. Search engines look for these keywords in the content of a website to determine relevancy, and then return the search results.

For this reason, it is important to use phrases in your copywriting which relate to things people would be searching for. Keywords will mainly be handled by your SEO team after they get the content, but anytime you can include natural phrases of the topic/event in your writing, so much the better! Just be sure to avoid sounding spammy which will decrease the readability of your message.

Search engines are getting smart and can identify when visitors are not engaging your content. LSI (Latent Semantic Indexing) keywords are understood and welcomed by search engines. This means they understand the similarity and relation of synonyms, which provides variety for the reader. Here are some examples of LSI Keywords:

  • Vancouver hotel
  • Vancouver hotels
  • Hotel Vancouver
  • Hotel in Vancouver
  • Vancouver accommodation
  • Where to stay in Vancouver

In SEO it is important to include the main topic/keyword in the article heading.

Input Captivating Headings

In addition to the main topic’s heading, please be sure to make use of subheadings! Not only does it help to organize the content into logical sections, but most often people will scan over the headings before deciding if they wish to read the whole page. Headings are also used by the search engines to determine

Headings are also used by the search engines to determine relevancy of a topic, so we need to have them for marking up in special HTML tags.

Formatting for the Web

Please use only 1 space in between sentences for the web. Avoid excessive use of commas, as this can make a sentence long winded and distracting. A few shorter paragraphs are less daunting to read than one big one. Use bullet points for lists, but don’t over do it. Writing is about flow as well as content and while lists work best in some cases, don’t be lazy and use them for the majority of your content.

Writing is about flow as well as content and while lists work best in some cases, don’t be lazy and use them for the majority of your content.

Provide Outbound Links

If you are referencing a specific event or website, link to it. There should be around 2-4 outbound links per post (more are ok when appropriate) for SEO purposes. Such links help search engines determine that your content has relevance and thus when used properly add credibility, but don’t abuse links and don’t link to poor quality sites unless you are purposely drawing attention to them.

Such links help search engines determine that your content has relevance and thus when used properly add credibility, but don’t abuse links and don’t link to poor quality sites unless you are purposely drawing attention to them.

Rules For Pictures

If you are going to provide photos, or wish to include a specific photo; the copyrights must be in order. Copyright laws are enforced and the use unauthorized or unlicensed photos or other copyright protected materials can prove expensive, besides avoiding lawsuits is always a best practice. The rules for photo usage are:

  • Purchase a stock photo with basic copyrights
  • If the photo usage rights state that it is okay to use with accreditation, please provide a link to the exact page where you go the picture from, so that we may cite the appropriate photo credit on our client’s website
  • If using someone else’s photo, get written permission from the photographer/business/website.
  • Be organized and file such permissions and receipts where you can find them many years later, perhaps in the client file for proof in the future if needed.

Closing Paragraph

At the end of every page/blog, write a concluding paragraph about what we want the reader to do.

On a regular webpage, this may be a conclusion about the service and how they can take advantage of the offer. For blog posts, the concluding paragraph should be about your business and what you offer (ex: If you are writing about a music festival for a hotel, make the blog about the event and the last paragraph about accommodation for the event). In both instances, the final paragraph should always be followed by a clear call to action such as a way to contact you or link to allow

In both instances, the final paragraph should always be followed by a clear call to action such as a way to contact you or link to allow purchase of what your business is offering.

If you have any questions about SEO while you are copywriting, or just want to say hello, feel free to give us a call 604-630-0767.
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