Writing for the Web. An seo copywriting primer.
Nigel Lew

Writing for the Web
An SEO copywriting primer
What does search engine copywriting mean?

SEO copywriting is a methodology employed to write effective content for a website. Search engines love properly formatted and unique content. This content should immediately convey your Unique Selling Proposition (USP). It is impartive to get across why you or your service is unique from the competition.
USP comes first

Clearly conveying your USP is vital to getting your point across. Visitors want to know what you offer and why they should choose you over your competitors. One very effective way of doing this is to pre-load your paragraphs with info from your headings. This lends for better rentention of th info and search engines often view importance based on how close your actual content is to your tags.
Visitors don't, read they scan

Visitors don't stop to read your content until you have gotten their attention. This means again it is vital to make effective use of your head tags. This ensures the page can be quickly scanned but still get your point across. You should be able to clearly understand the jist of your page at a glance.
Break up your text

Along with header tags being integral in formatting your page, it is important to furthur break up your text with italisized text, bold text, bulleted lists, and theme specific graphical elements.
Instill a sense of trust

Do you feel comfortable buying something from your website or inquiring about a certain feature? Things like spelling and typo errors will 9 times out of 10 cause visitors to leave your site and not come back. Clean presentation is a must. You don't go to a job interview wearing shorts and a t-shirt do you? It is also important have your legal documents in place, such as privacy policies, return policies etc.
Visitors love to be able to contact you

Always post physical address, phone number, hours of operation, and email address so it is easy to inquire about a product or service you offer.
Titles and descriptions are key

In terms of your meta info, the title and description tags are the most important. Google for instance does not look at keywords. Make sure you have targetted key words in a clear title and description tag. This is the most effective method of a good page ranking when discussing your meta tags.
Let's sum this up

In order to write effective copy keep the following in mind:

1.Content should be clear, concise, and convey your USP.
2.Create an environment of trust with proper spelling and clear ways to contact you.
3.Make effective use of your title and description tags.
4.Break up your text with header tags, italics, bold text, and bulleted lists.
5.Good SEO copywriting does not limit your page to one or a few search terms.

About the Author

Nigel is the owner and E-Commerce project mangager for Ultimatech Computer Consultancy located in Aspen Colorado.