Glazer-Kennedy Blog » Internet Marketing » Brian Horn’s 5 SEO Copywriting Tips

Brian Horn’s 5 SEO Copywriting Tips

by Brian Horn on July 7, 2010

Search engine optimized copywriting doesn’t have to be difficult. The following SEO writing tips ensure that websites will be ranked higher.

A higher rank means more website visitors visit the site which equates to future sales and profits (obvi, right :) ).

Tip #1

Write valuable content

Provide website visitors with valuable information. If the website looks attractive but has poorly written copy, readers will leave.  Does the website offer current news in that specific industry? Is the information “evergreen?” Evergreen content is information that isn’t outdated.

Tip #2

Everyone loves a freebie

What free incentive does your website offer? Include a complimentary consultation or free sample in the call to action. “Click here” isn’t enough to grab readers’ attention. Website visitors need to take immediate action and a site’s call to action needs to reflect urgency. For example, “sign up today for a complimentary Shiatsu massage” sounds more attractive than “click here to receive a massage.”

Tip #3

Readability

Go back and read what you actually wrote. Do you even understand the message? As the writer, if you don’t understand the message then neither will your audience.  Write for the reader and then write for the search engines. Don’t use keywords that sound unnatural and don’t “keyword stuff.” This black hat SEO technique – using too many keywords on one web page – is frowned upon by SEO professionals and will decrease your site’s overall PageRank.

Tip #4

Use bold and italics

The eye is attracted to copy that stands out from the rest. Don’t go overboard but highlight key messaging and points with bold and italics. You don’t want to give your readers eyestrain by overdoing it on the bold and italics.

Tip #5

Use well-researched keywords

Research keywords before using them in web copy. Utilize free online resources such as keyword trackers. Create lists of keyword phrases relevant to how visitors would actually search the site.  Don’t create lists based on how you would search your company’s website. Think like your customers and clients – base keywords around the products and services you sell.

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Author Info:  Brian Horn, of HornDog Search Marketing, is recognized by many as the "Glazer-Kennedy Secret Weapon", because of his role in helping not only Dan Kennedy and Bill Glazer with search engine optimization and social media, but also many of the top Information Marketers in the world. Brian shares SEO tips for small businesses over at at his blog, BeOnPage1Blog.com.


{ 2 trackbacks }

Lindsay’s SEO and Social Media Marketing Alerts – 7/9 Addition | Celebrity Sites
July 9, 2010 at 1:18 pm
Optimizing a Marketing Mini-Site for Search Engine Rankings | Small Business Marketing Blog | Glazer-Kennedy Insiders Circle
August 4, 2010 at 10:01 am

{ 17 comments… read them below or add one }

1 Paul Simister July 7, 2010 at 11:01 am

Good practical tips Brian.

Rightly I think you have content at the very top since social media can spread great stuff like wildfire even if the normal SEO conventions are not applied.

2 Rabbi Issamar Ginzberg July 7, 2010 at 11:04 am

Great stuff, great stuff, great stuff.

when you type the words “click here” into Google… the #1 result that comes up is… adobe acrobat!

because so many people have pdfs on the web that say “if you do not have adobe acrobat, click here” and hyperlinking those words to the acrobat download page, Google thinks that the words click here are most likely referring to adobe acrobat!

using specific, relevant terms in your hyperlinks will go a long way toward seo (brain’s department) as well as getting humans to click in.

It seems to me that the way humans read will actually adapt to the way the stuff we read is written- which is influenced by Google’s algorithm.. no go find me a university looking for a subject to study! :)

3 Steve Sipress July 7, 2010 at 11:34 am

Great tips, as always, Brian. Thanks!

#5 is especially powerful. In my experience consulting with thousands of small business owners, one of the biggest problems they have is the inability to get out of their own heads and think like their prospects and customers. Once they develop this skill, their messages become so much more effective and their revenues and profits really take off!

4 Sajid July 7, 2010 at 12:14 pm

Great tips Brian.
Tip no.5 is the most overlooked.

5 Mark Demers July 7, 2010 at 12:16 pm

Those are some great tips and i will pass them on . Keywords are just that, “Key” to your success so make them good and relevant to your products.

Most of all – think like your customers would when entering search phrases and don`t over stuff your pages with only keywords and make content another key to success .

6 Brian July 7, 2010 at 3:28 pm

Remember to use Google’s Wonder Wheel for keyword research also. Great additional tool.

7 Paul Hackett July 7, 2010 at 4:10 pm

Great tips and I thank you for sharing them. I’m new to the site but if everything you present is as good as this post I will take time out of my busy schedule everyday to read at least 2 post until I have read them all.

Thanks again for taking the time to post, educate us and lead us toward the successes we all dream of.

Paul
“The Medical Billing & Transcription Mastermind”

8 Rob Anspach July 7, 2010 at 9:34 pm

SEO simplified! Brilliant!

9 Cheryl Heppard July 7, 2010 at 10:54 pm

Great tips presented in an easy to digest format! People expect to find free information online, so it’s essential to give away great content in the form of reports, podcasts,consults, etc. It’s also a great way to create a connection with a prospective customer.

10 Sergei Chuksin July 8, 2010 at 7:12 am

Great tips, as always, Brian. Thanks!

11 walter daniels July 10, 2010 at 12:52 pm

The “write for people, not SEO,” has been true since Google started. If you stop and think, Google and its algorithms are trying to “think” like a user. Actually, a Librarian guided user, but still the user. Just as they are _not_ in business for advertisers, they don’t care about you (the site designer).
Google’s customer, is the person searching for info. If you keep that in mind, you will benefit, and not be penalized.

12 Jane Schneider July 10, 2010 at 5:27 pm

Hi, Brian.

All the tips are great. The one that I’m going to use today is bolding and italicizing my posts. I have only had a blog about two months and I’ve worked hard to stylize the type to get the pages read, but never thought of doing that on my posts.

Thanks for the tip. Maybe people will read more of my posts now.

Jane

13 Michael Soininen July 19, 2010 at 3:14 am

Great tips and thanks for posting them.

14 Scott Martin July 22, 2010 at 11:12 pm

Thank you for the post, Brian, and I’m about to reorganize my site…all of this helps. I didn’t know about those tools…

Thanks, Scott Martin.

15 Rebekah October 13, 2010 at 3:33 pm

To be honest I have seen a dozen of these articles that say this exact same message. Even have one on the website. However, when working with my small town clients from College Station, I found out they were completely oblivious. NO clue about any kind of strategy or tips for optimizing their website. Now that I’ve sent them to either mine or articles such as this I can only hope they learn the simple basics. Tip #4 is especially important…. Not TOO many bolds Lol.

16 Video Chat Software June 14, 2011 at 12:02 am

Nice Tips!
I have read your post in which you shared valuable information about seo copywriting. I update my knowledge about seo copywriting after read your post.

Thanks

17 Julius Capua October 11, 2011 at 9:58 am

Great post. Great content. Thanks for your expertise. God bless

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