I am in the middle of writing copy for a client’s new website. He’s a remodeler and wrote all the copy for the website and then sent it to me to search engine optimize (SEO) the copy and ”polish it up.” What he didn’t expect was that I completely rewrote the copy.

He really liked the website copy I wrote for him but had concerns because I changed it so much and left out or “rephrased” most of him telling people how great his firm’s work was and how honest they are and how they use the best materials, etc.

He was wondering if I just rewrote it that way to help the search engines generate more “hits.”

This is how I replied to him:

I do take a different approach but it’s not just to generate hits. I want to generate phone calls. The approach most business people take when they write copy for themselves is to tell people how honest they are and how good they are and how we use only the best materials, etc. Unfortunately, then you wind up sounding exactly like every other business in your field because they all make the same claims.

I take an informational approach so it sounds like you’re trying to talk to the visitor about their problem rather than about yourself. People aren’t going to believe what you tell them about yourself because they’ve been lied to too many times and they can’t see your face and body language when they are visiting your website.

So you need to tell them what they really want to hear. And that is that you understand their problems and their fears and here’s what they need to know or watch out for or be concerned about. This way you sound like you’re there to help rather than there to sell them something.

I’d love to know what you think of this. I want my clients to stand out and appear unique and helpful rather than just sound like exactly every other website in their field. Yes, the search engine optimization is extremely important. But professional website copywriters know we also have to write the copy to generate sales. Because, essentially, that’s why we have websites in the first place.

What do you think?

Bob McClain or WordsmithBob, has been a website copywriter in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, since 2000. He has focused on developing new, more effective approaches to web writing, web content, web copywriting and Search Engine Optimization. Starting with a BA in Technical Communication and a minor in Creative Writing from Metro State University in St. Paul, McClain has worked diligently to end the use of "corp-speak" and "technospeak" online. His approach is to “humanize” the Web, using real information to guide people to buy rather than turning websites into advertisements that people can easily ignore. McClain is also the creator of Cheap SEO Website Marketing, a website devoted to helping people with the best solutions to DIY SEO at an affordable cost with tips and software reviews. More at Cheap SEO Website Marketing

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Originally posted 2010-05-17 09:00:18. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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