Copywriting Secrets of the Masters: SEO Copywriting is a Waste of Time for Blogs
Brian Clark
This special report is brought to you free courtesy of www.ProCopyWritingTactics.com
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SEO Copywriting is a Waste of Time for Blogs Good copywriting skills can help you sell with your blog. But if you think by "copywriting" I mean "SEO copywriting," you'd be wrong. In fact, you're probably wasting your time even worrying about traditional SEO techniques when it comes to blogs. Here's why. Writing for Search Engines Search engine optimization ("SEO") copywriting means writing web page copy that is optimized to rank well in the search engines. This includes inserting targeted key words in certain places (like titles), and in frequencies and densities designed to satisfy a particular search engine algorithm. Why isn't this as important anymore? Essentially, SEO experts think traditional SEO for blogs is a big waste of time. Humans Matter More The gist of the argument is that when it comes to search rankings, what'swritten ona web page isless importantthan whatother people sayabout that web page, and how many times. It all comes down to links. First of all, referral traffic (links from other bloggers) is of higher quality for the things that matter most - subscriptions and sales. It's like the difference between a prospect who is sent your way from a happy former client, measured against someone who finds you in the Yellow Pages. But this also impacts your search engine rankings. The algorithms favor sites and pages with incoming, non-reciprocal links from body text - in other words, express recommendations fromother people. And much more weight is placed on the words used in those links (anchor text) than the words on the page linked to. Just ask George W. Bush. You won't find the words "miserable failure" anywhere on the biography page of the current U.S. President, and yet that page ranks number one for the www.ProCopyWritingTactics.com
search term in Google. That's because a whole bunch of other people (mostly bloggers) decided to link to W's bio with the anchor text "miserable failure," and obtained top ranking. The trend of search engine's favoring what others say is intensifying. Just like offline, word of mouth matters most. As mentioned above, search engines like Google already incorporate user feedback (links + anchor text) in their algorithms. When people link to and tag the posts of other bloggers on social book marking sites, and tagging is more fully integrated into the current version of search, rankings will rely on recommendations even more. The end result will be better search, and the end of traditional SEO techniques. Content Matters Most This is why traditional (not SEO) copywriting skills that catch and hold reader attention are important for bloggers. I would argue that great copywriting is the new SEO for bloggers, if it gets you positive links from others. And since blogging is a new form of public relations, and PR depends on great copywriting... Well, you get my point. So, maybe you should quit worrying about SEO and start producing incredible content and networking in your niche. Copywriting techniques will help you excel in both. Don't be Search Engine Ugly Now, for that grain of salt. There's no reason to completely ignore things like keywords in your writing. For one thing, it can influence the anchor text that is used to link to you, which is a good thing. For example, take this article. It's got the keyword phrase "seo copywriting" right up front in the post title, and yet the headline still manages to be provocative. There's no reason why you shouldn't strive for human titillation and keyword relevancy. But... if you have to choose between the two, go for the human factor first and foremost.
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So, optimize your post URLs and include your keywords, but beyond that, let it go. Search engine algorithms come and go, but human nature remains the same. Tread the fine line between writing to please your human visitors and the search engine spiders with AWAI’s SEO Copywriting Success Course.
Brian Clark is the founder of the popular and highly respected blog www.copyblogger.com Over the years, we’ve been fortunate that people say a lot of nice things about Copyblogger and Brian:
Advertising Age ranks Copyblogger as a top marketing blog in its Power150 list. The Guardian named Copyblogger one of the world’s 50 most powerful blogs. Brian Clark was ranked #3 of the 100 Most Influential Online Marketers of 2009. Technorati says Copyblogger is one of the most popular blogs in the world. The editors of Performancing named Brian Clark the most influential blogger of 2007. BusinessWeek says entrepreneurs should follow Copyblogger on Twitter. Dunn and Bradstreet says Brian Clark is one of the most influential people in small business on Twitter www.ProCopyWritingTactics.com
Brian has been featured in the following books:
Linchpin by Seth Godin Meatball Sundae by Seth Godin Trust Agents by Chris Brogan and Julien Smith Internet Marketing From the Real Experts (Contributor) The New Rules of Marketing and PR by David Meerman Scott Free Agent Nation by Daniel Pink Problogger by Darren Rowse and Chris Garrett e-Riches 2.0 by Scott Fox Gravitational Marketing by Jimmy Vee and Travis Miller Career Renegade by Jonathan Fields The Referral Engine by John Jantsch
Brian will be sharing his expertise with participants at the AWAI Fast Track to Success Bootcamp and Job Fair which will be taking place on October 26 – 29th 2011 in Delray Beach. At Bootcamp Brian will teach you proven content marketing strategies before showing you how to use them with your clients to further increase your value — and your fees! Click here to find out more.
This special report is brought to you free courtesy of www.ProCopyWritingTactics.com
www.ProCopyWritingTactics.com