Search Engine Optimisation & the Importance of Copy

Be seen and therefore heard

Having a website for your company is like having a sales team working for you 24/7. But with over 186 million sites out there¹, how can you make yours heard? It's all in the writing.

In today's volatile business climate, effective marketing is one of the key tools to success. And as shoppers head online, websites and online media are becoming fundamental ways to attract new customers - whether you're targeting business-to-business or business-to-consumer markets.

But there's more to it than creating a simple web page and hoping people will find it. Google, the most used search engine out there (accounting for around 90% of UK searches²), will show you whether your website is working for you or not. If you're up on the first or second page, you'll be ready to catch new business. But if you're hidden away on page one hundred and forty three, no one is ever going to find you.

Getting on Google's good side

The way that search engines like Google rank websites is to look at the content you have written and decide how relevant it is. If for example you are an accountant, yet you only mention the words "tax planning" on the first page of your site, then Google will not realise that you are in fact offering full accountancy services.

However, if you repeat "accountants, accountants, accountants" over and over again you still won't receive high search engine rankings. Search engines are fastidious things - you can't con them into thinking that your site is more relevant than the next. You actually have to work at it and craft the copy to make them understand that your site is the real deal.

And how do you do this? With Search Engine Optimisation (SEO). SEO is a fast-growing business that specialises in getting great search engine results. One of the main jobs for an SEO specialist is to come up with keywords and phrases that are particularly relevant to your website, and will push you up in online searches.

Not only are these keywords and phrases used to show the search engines that your site is relevant, but they are also in line with what searchers on the net (potential customers) are typing in to try and find services and products.

The importance of good copy

Once the SEO pros have a list of words, they then need to work them into your existing site copy. And this is where problems can lie: good content cannot be sacrificed at the expense of SEO. The keywords and phrases need to fit seamlessly into your site's copy, or readers will be put off by content that is either repetitive or quite clearly doesn't make sense. Which is where creative copywriters and design agencies come in.

Writing is an art form, and the importance of good copy can be seriously underestimated in the business world. No matter what form of marketing communications you are using, if the message isn't exactly right then you won't attract new business and you'll struggle to keep existing clients.

Professional copywriters excel in catching the public's attention with memorable messages that will spark positive reactions. To make your website work, you need to keep content that packs a punch, and incorporates the SEO phrases at the same time - and there's a real art to doing that. Good copy can never come second to optimisation. Both need to work hand in hand, together.

Another way to utilise great writing on your site, and to push yourself up through the pages of Google, is to add new and relevant content all the time. By refreshing content, you'll see continuous improvement of your site's ranking. Copywriters can create feature articles and blogs for your site that will link into your business' core aims, and these can attract readers who may never have heard of you - a pretty cost-effective way to get new business.

Push your site up

There is of course more to the SEO process than just well written copy, but without it your site can fail miserably. A good design company will ensure that your website is perfectly built for SEO. They'll create code that is search engine friendly. They will help you work your way through Google campaigns. And they'll use creative copywriters to get your messages across to potential customers, seamlessly.

With SEO writing that works, you'll soon find that your website is topping the search engine pages, making it easily visible and attracting new clients. Find out how you can make your site work, contact ifour design agency today on 01892 541111 or visit our offices (Nr. Tunbridge Wells, Kent).

1 Netcraft December 2008 Web Server Survey http://news.netcraft.com
2 Hitwise - December 2008, 76% google.co.uk and 14.32% google.com www.hitwise.co.uk