When it comes to writing your Web site copy, you must balance the needs of your target audience with search engine optimization. Here are the 5 keys to help you succeed with both site visitors and search engines.
1. Comprehension and Attention Span
Assume your site visitors must understand the primary benefit you offer them in 30 seconds or they'll be gone. This most important benefit must be in your headline.
A strong, enticing headline is the single element of your Web copy you cannot live without. Studies show the right headline can increase response to an offer exponentially - and, only one in five people get beyond the headline to read the rest of the text.
2. Format and Layout
Short copy blocks will serve you well, highlighted by bullet points, keyword-rich links, and subheadlines.
Multiple, specific subheadlines create immediate context when a visitor is exploring your site. Make sure they can always see at least one headline on the screen. Like magazine index headlines, they are summaries of what is to come.
3. Write for Your Readers
Readers of Web copy (in English) most often start in the upper right hand corner, drop their eyes toward the bottom of the page, and then ascend to the upper left. The order in which they read is:
a. Headline
b. Subheadlines
c. PS
d. Price (or order page)
e. Actual Text
Which means, all of these elements must be present.
Above all, write to the needs of your audience. Put yourself in their place and ask: "What's in this site for me?" That's what they really want to know, regardless of whether you are marketing or simply delivering information.
The next two elements are to do with writing for the search engines.
4. Keyword-Rich Copy and Theme Indexing
Determine what key words or key phrase your entire site is about - a keyphrase people use often on the search engines. To pick heavily searched, popular keyphrases, try WordTracker: http://www.wordtracker.com.
Write your entire site around this keyphrase for powerful 'theme indexing', a process used by search engines to determine an entire site's primary theme.
Theme indexing search engines include Altavista, Google, Excite, Lycos and Webcrawler. Each in their own unique way evaluates your site using your page titles, meta keywords, the description tag, page headlines, general content and links. Which means, your keyphrase must be present in each.
5. Word Placement on the Page
Search engines read from the top of the page down in the HTML code, or roughly from the upper left to the lower right of your visible text. Therefore, it's in your best interest to use a keyword-rich phrase in the upper left corner of your Web page.
Use your primary keyphrase in the first 25 words on your page. Use keyword-rich hyperlinks.
Seek a balance of 3-7% keyword-density. Check this before you submit pages with the free Keyword Density Analyzer: http://www.keyworddensity.com/. Better yet, check your top competitors for an exact read on what specific search engines are really looking for.
Words power the Web. Following these 5 basic steps will help you use your Web words to maximum advantage.
*Article by Web copywriter (and part-time SEO guy) Scott T. Smith of
Copywriting.Net. Generate MORE sales with your Web site copy.
For a free consultation visit http://www.copywriting.net or call
1.800.798.4471 (toll-free in the US).
NEWS ABOUT INTERNET MARKETING, TRENDS, SOFTWARE RELEASES
WebTrends Launches WebPosition Gold 3
for End-to-End SEOIncludes Integration with Wordtracker and WebTrends
to Manage Entire Search Engine Optimization Process
August 2, 2004
SAN JOSE, Calif. - WebTrends, the web analytics market leader and a business unit of NetIQ Corporation (NASDAQ: NTIQ), today at the Search Engine Strategies Conference & Expo launched version 3 of WebPosition® Gold, the first major upgrade of WebPosition Gold in two years. WebPosition Gold 3 optimizes a web site's relevancy, visibility and overall performance with search engines. With WebPosition Gold 3, WebTrends offers organizations solutions for managing the entire Search Engine Optimization (SEO) process: organizations can conduct keyword research through the integrated Wordtracker service, increase visibility and improve search engine positions with WebPosition Gold, and understand conversions and revenue from search engines with WebTrends® On Demand and software solutions.
"Today's online marketers must judge the success of their search marketing campaigns based on cost, rankings and conversions," said Fredrick Marckini, chief executive officer of search engine marketing firm iProspect. "Since both pay per click and organic search results can have a dramatic effect on an organization's online visibility, as well as their web site's return on investment, it's important to research, optimize and analyze the entire SEO process. WebPosition Gold helps marketers perform each of these critical functions in a professional, effective way."
The SEO market overall is dynamic and ever-changing, so to be successful and remain a step ahead of the competition, organizations must continuously research, analyze and optimize their search engine results. Offering built-in expertise and recommended actions through the continuously updated Page Critic module, WebPosition Gold allows businesses to understand how their sites perform for various keywords and what they can do to achieve higher search positions on each of the major search engines. With WebPosition Gold 3, organizations can now:
- Identify the optimal keywords and phrases through the Wordtracker Keywords module with over 50% more keywords than the version of the service available to the general public.
- Differentiate the performance of organic and paid search listings through detailed keyword ranking reports.
- Report on activity from more than double the number of global search engines than version 2 including shopping engines.
- More easily organize, manage and navigate through missions, reports and web pages in one place through a new, intuitive user interface.
- Analyze results from search engines and specific keywords all the way through to conversion, revenue and ROI through integration with WebTrends (requires separate purchase). Organizations can import keywords directly into WebPosition from Wordtracker, WebTrends, META tags and saved keyword lists at the press of a button.
"We used to deploy several different tools to measure site performance for organic, paid, and shopping engine listings. But now with the new WebPosition Gold 3, we can streamline the process and measure all three together," said Kent Lewis, president, Anvil Media, Inc. "We are able to get an accurate picture on the state of our client and their competitor's search engine marketing, allowing us to better allocate their marketing budgets. For a full-service client like InFocus, the world wide leader in digital projection, this is a tremendous benefit."
"It's been a great experience working on WebPosition Gold 3 with such a well-established analytics company that truly understands the importance of SEO. I'm excited with the direction that they are taking WebPosition Gold," said Brent Winters, CEO of FirstPlace Software, Inc.
"Search engine marketing is increasingly becoming a greater part of the online marketing mix, so we are committed to finding additional ways to help our customers get better results from the search engines," said Greg Drew, senior vice president and general manager of the WebTrends business unit of NetIQ.
Availability
Available today, WebPosition Gold 3 is offered in two editions, Standard and Professional, to meet the needs of a range of users, from small business owners, to SEO professionals, to marketers or web developers within large enterprise organizations. In addition to all the enhancements included in the Standard edition, the Professional edition enables SEO consultants and large organizations to optimize an unlimited number of domains and to customize reports with their own logos.
A new WebPosition Platinum upgrade is available for users of both editions, providing support for additional search engines as well as three modules to manage META tags, eliminate broken links and defend web pages from competitive copying.
The Page Critic Service is a recommended monthly subscription, which continually monitors the SEO environment and provides real-time updates to respond to changes and keep organizations on the pulse of issues that may affect search position.
WebTrends is also available to WebPosition customers in both software and hosted service versions for an additional purchase.
About WebTrends
As the worldwide leader and trusted standard for web analytics, WebTrends delivers award-winning solutions that help marketing executives improve their return on investment. From campaign performance and search engine marketing to web site conversion and customer retention, WebTrends provides marketers a complete solution to accelerate their web results. Thousands of organizations worldwide, including more than half of the Fortune and Global 500 companies, rely on WebTrends everyday to measure and optimize their results. Offering both an On Demand service and software solutions, WebTrends uniquely provides customers with complete choice and control to ensure the solution can adapt with their dynamic business needs. WebTrends is a business unit of NetIQ Corporation. For more information, visit www.webtrends.com.
About NetIQ
NetIQ Corp. (Nasdaq: NTIQ) is a leading provider of Systems & Security Management and Web Analytics solutions. Historically focused on managing Windows-based applications, NetIQ now delivers cross-platform solutions that enhance business performance resulting in higher returns on infrastructure and web investments. NetIQ products are sold across all continents directly and through a network of authorized NetIQ partners and resellers. The company is headquartered in San Jose, Calif., with development and operational personnel in Houston, Texas; Portland, Ore; Raleigh, N.C.; Bellevue, Wash. and Galway, Ireland. For more information, please visit the company's web site at www.netiq.com or call (888) 323-6768.
NetIQ, WebPosition and WebTrends are trademarks or registered trademarks of NetIQ Corporation in the United States and other countries. All other trademarks mentioned are the property of their respective owners.
The information in this press release does not constitute, and should not be construed as, a promise or commitment by NetIQ to develop, market or deliver any particular product, feature or function. Promises or commitments to deliver any specific product, feature or function are only valid if made in a legally binding contract. The timing and content of NetIQ's future product releases could differ materially from the expectations discussed herein. NetIQ reserves the right to change its product plans or roadmap at any time, without obligation to notify any person of such changes.
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