What’s the first thing you think of when writing with keywords?  Probably one of the first is that keywords and phrases are descriptive of the products and/or services you’re writing about.  But, what happens in those circumstances where you can’t (or don’t really want to) use your chosen keyphrases descriptively? Is Your Product/Service Really Cheap? [...]

As a search engine optimization (SEO) copywriter, I’ve seen my share of keywords and how they work in different types of copy.  Sometimes I research the terms myself; other times clients choose their own keywords (or have someone else choose them) and send me the list to include in their copy. It’s absolutely imperative that [...]

It’s a common question.  “What copywriting mistakes should I avoid?”  There are many, but the 3 I chose might surprise you.  Why?  Because while these can potentially cause the greatest amount of damage they are not ones most copywriters talk about. Why?  Because these aren’t the “sexy” copywriting mistakes.  They aren’t the quick-fix aspects. They [...]

It’s a common approach to writing copy.  You begin by asking questions.  Why?  To evoke thoughts in your readers’ minds, to stir up emotions, and to get customers thinking in the way you want them to think.  But have you ever thought about how you phrase your questions?  Are you doing it in a way [...]

I just had to laugh! During a recent conversation about how often you should change your copy, I had one person tell me “Well, if there were any good copywriters out there, they’d be able to write it once, and it would work forever!” Oh really? Actually, nothing could be further from the truth. It [...]

It’s funny how we, as website owners, don’t always think like our visitors. A course of action that might seem perfectly obvious to us may stop our visitors right in the middle of their buying process. Take, for instance, e-commerce–type copy. Do you realize that what happens after your customers read your copy could make [...]

Whether you’re a virtual assistant, copywriter, web design pro or search engine optimizer, keyword research is a useful and necessary service you can add to your lineup.  Anyone with a website or blog who aims to rank high in the search engines can benefit from professional-quality keyword research. Why Would Others Pay You to Perform [...]

It’s one of the best pieces of copywriting advice I’ve ever been given. “As often as possible, start your paragraphs with sentences that hook readers and drive them deeper into the copy.” Why? Because – after the headline – the first sentence in any paragraph is what gets read most often. After that point, customers [...]

I shake my head every time I read one of these blanket statements. I’m amazed at how so many people still think that one size of copy still fits everyone. It’s just not true. Here’s an example. A while back, I read, “Prospects hate being bombarded by text-heavy pages, especially on a home/landing page.” This [...]

Have you shopped with Lands End lately?  If so, you may have noticed that the women’s pants sold on their site come in Fit 1 (modern), Fit 2 (original) and Fit 3 (traditional).  But have you paid attention to the way they target the ladies who probably wear these pants?  It’s a prime example of [...]