Written by a Contributor
Once upon a time, getting found on the internet was a pretty simple process, as firstly you weren’t competing with millions of similar sites and the search engine algorithms were a lot more simple, meaning you could get away with dumping a heap of keywords at the bottom of your page and Google would rank you on those keywords.
Today, with contextual search and Google’s advanced algorithms that actually punish content producers for such practices, the importance of good copy has never been more critical.
Just to define what is meant by the term “copy” it’s basically the words you use; i.e. your content. This might therefore seem to have much more relevance to a blogger than say someone that sells items on Etsy or Amazon, but when you consider the amount most retailers spend on crafting compelling copy that not only engages its audience, converting them from browsers to buyers, but is also search engine friendly so that their product ranks highly in Google.
Indeed, there are even specialist tools, such as the WordTree Amazon keyword tool that are designed to ensure your product description ranks highly for the category your product represents; as even Amazon is a competitive marketplace where hundred of people are competing for the same search results, even within niche categories known as the long tail, search terms are highly competitive and make all the difference between being found and not found.
If we move away from business, and toward the increasingly popular arena of online dating, we can see the importance of good copy comes into play, even here. Indeed, we have all become copywriters without even realising it – from our facebook notifications to our LinkedIn profile. The importance of good copy has never been more pertinent.
When it comes to online dating, for instance, we all know that most people skim the photos and read what is said as an afterthought, yet we are having to sell ourselves all the time, with our words today – and for this reason you need to get to grips with what creates good copy.
In that vein, here are three simple tips you can use to enhance your copy:
- USE SUB-HEADERS
The majority of people, particularly when reading content online, are going to skim read, meaning you want to break down your content into key points, and use sub-headers to guide them toward the content that’s relevant for them. This way, they are more likely to engage with the content as people read in a similar way to eating at a buffet restaurant, rather than a sit down meal, where they must digest everything in the order it is given.
- USE SHORT PARAGRAPHS
Break up your copy into short paragraphs, as nobody wants to plough through long pages of content – using short paragraphs keeps people’s attention, as it builds flow and momentum, which means they will naturally cascade through the content rather than feel overwhelmed by the amount of words they must get through.
- USE IMAGES
A picture paints a thousand words, is a saying known throughout the world, yet often we try to use our words to convey something an image conveys in a split second. The key practice here, is to use an image with a short sentence describing the point – as this way, it will engage readers much more than bland text which can feel intimidating and arduous, particularly to impatient online browsers.
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