WritePress.net

Professional SEO Copywriting Services – What They Are, And What They Aren’t

Posted by Melissa Brewer on August 30th, 2010

When you type the words “seo copywriting” into Google, thousands of articles and provider websites come up. But how many of them are truly useful? Is seo-friendly copywriting the standard ? Are all copywriters now seo-savvy? In truth, if you are looking for a professional seo copywriter, you’re going to need to shop around.

There are thousands of seo optimization firms that masquerade as copywriters – which can put them in the lead as far as search engine saturation and rankings. SEO optimization indisputably brings in the traffic to your website. Without it, you’d be lost in the never ending ocean of websites. It’s tempting to hire an seo firm to simply set up your keyworded content, submit your website, and let it go. This is a sad mistake for online businesses to make – once the traffic is delivered, they lose sales. A healthy dose of marketing awareness is the true goldmine when it comes to seo-savvy copywriting services.

Look at the work of some of the top seo optimization firms. Do it now. Google ‘seo optimization’.

SEO firms tend to be rather wordy – they’re pressing the limits of search engine ratios. They know that as an seo firm, their goal is to get a website into the top of the search engine results. Once they’ve done that, they’ve completed their job. They aren’t there to write sales copy or think of a catchy, brand-building slogan. They are there to help you feed machines – not brains. Unfortunately, an seo firm just doesn’t have the marketing savvy to create website content that draws in the essential components of marketing: emotional draw, a compelling message, and an irresistible offer.

Would you ask an seo optimization firm to write your print brochure? Help you plan a script for your tv commercial? Would you ask them to compile a media kit for potential investors? Of course not – that’s not what they specialize in. SEO optimization companies specialize in communicating with search engines – not people.

If you are looking for the “sell factor” – that’s where good copywriting comes in. A techie that knows how to blanket a website in keywords doesn’t specialize in creativity and ingenuity. That’s bad for you because those are the things that make your products stand out, increase your response rate, and drive sales. SEO optimization firms rely on keyword saturation – an often complicated algorithm that checks to see how many of your keywords are being read by Google. Keyword saturation is a great tool to tinker with search engine results – but it’s not necessarily the tool you want to exploit when you’re trying to persuade consumers to truly connect with what you’re offering. (And connect with them in such a way that they come back for more.)

So, what do true seo copywriting services do for my website?SEO copywriters focus first on the message, then the translation to Google. They are expert translators that make a smooth transition from search engine language to customer-centric language. They write your copy with seo keywords in mind (a 2-7% keyword ratio, which is the standard) but they still add style and voice to what you’re selling.

A good seo copywriter steers clear of cookie-cutter product descriptions but still manages to slip your keywords in there for Google and Yahoo to read. They know how to build your brand and your company image using professionally written, believable copy. They are the essential component of a true search engine marketing campaign – they give your company a voice that stands a cut above the rest.

Your website has a voice, and seo copywriting services should build a clear message

The voice of your company is the language on your website – all of the words, product descriptions, link hover text, and meta data that the search engines pick up and deliver – and humans end up reading. A seo copywriter will strike a balance between using keywords and promotional words effectively. They don’t sacrifice quality for the sake of a higher saturation rate. They want copy that is exciting to read – and pulls sales. They want to keywords to simply be integrated into high-pulling content.

A good seo copywriter will know that headings and titles are just as important to the search engines as the people that visit. They know the importance of bold and bullets to make reading easier on the eyes for your computer-weary customers. They also know that Google finds it easier to read as well.

An seo copywriter is a hybrid of both creative ingenuity and tech-savvy – satisfying both search engines and the curiosity of your prospects. They want results that convert into high search engine results, as well as higher sales volume.

Evaluating seo copywriting services – is your copywriter an seo firm in disguise?
So, how do you know if you are truly working with an seo-savvy copywriting service? The easiest way to find out is to read their website. Many seo firms rely heavily on search engine statistics – even in their website copy – but don’t let this alone scare you off. Statistics are how many seo firms see their end of the bargain – the results. Look at their portfolio. (If they don’t have a portfolio or links to online work, run!) Read their website text to see if sounds like a person took time writing it – is there promotional language? A call to action? A clear list of benefits? Is the content persuasive? Are their articles useful and worth reading – or do they seem to grind out information in monotone?

What to look for when choosing a professional seo copywriter:Here are a few things to look for when you choose an seo writer, and why.

Does your seo copywriter have a portfolio or links to keyworded articles? Does it contain more than just seo-related work? (Most seo copywriters either started off in print media, or dabble with it from time to time. Experience in other advertising mediums shows that they understand how to market to people, not just machines. )
Are their articles unique and compelling? Read a few of their seo-keyworded articles by printing them out on paper – does the copy flow smoothly? Is it exciting or informative? Do you notice the repetition of keywords enough that it kills the word flow? Oh, and while you’re at it, Google their articles and see how they rank in the search engines, as well.
Does your seo copywriter have a name? That’s right – a name. (Will Smith. Cathy Bates. Melissa Brewer.) A lot of seo copywriting service providers farm out their work to India and other tech-saturated countries. This is great for pricing – but the quality can vary and is dependent on the English skills of each individual writer. The articles on their website should have a byline and information about their authors – experience, a portfolio, an “About Us” section – everything your own customers would want to know about you.
Does your seo copywriter care about your marketing plan as a whole? Do they offer complementary services – both print and web, to allow your marketing collateral to intersect with your search engine efforts? Do they make referrals to trusted providers in the marketing industry?

A truly competent, creative seo copywriter is a diamond in the rough. When you find a person with a hybrid of marketing and tech skills, you have found a true partner in your online marketing efforts. Don’t sacrifice your business website to search engine feeders. A good seo writer can help your website – and your brand – rise to the top of the search engines as well as the forefront of your customer’s thoughts when they are in a shopping mood. SEO copywriters can also help you create online newsletters, e-books, articles, blogs, and any other copy where words are being used to sell products or services. The right combination of keywords and online promotion will increase sales, attract customers and grow your business exponentially – both on and offline.

Author: Melissa Brewer
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Cellphone news

Fingerprints – Excerpt from 2010 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award entry (Kindle Edition)

Posted by Nathan on August 22nd, 2010

Amazon.com Review

This is truly unlike much of what I’ve been reading; two complete, interesting characters, set in an interesting setting, offers so many possibilities of what can happen. I am drawn to the uniqueness and novelty of the story, and feel that it is in great hands!

Amazon.com Review

Of the excerpts I’ve read thus far, this is the book I’d be most likely to continue reading. The school setting resonates with young adults, as well as the varied peer interactions. The dialog sounds genuine for the age group, and the main character doesn’t display any preternatural wisdom beyond her years. The author has given Lareina a sly sense of humor and a natural, though not cloying, sensitivity to others. I’d be happy to spend more time in her company in this book.

See all Editorial Reviews
(more…)

Kandle LED Book Light by Ozeri, with new WideLip grip designed for the Amazon Kindle, Sony Reader and other eBook readers (with Free Super Saver Shipping)

Posted by Nathan on August 13th, 2010

The perfect accessory for any eBook, the Kandle by Ozeri is designed for the Amazon KindleTM 1, 2, and DX, Sony® Reader Digital Books, and other eBook Readers. The Kandle by Ozeri features a new patent pending design that attaches to eBooks and printed books without blocking the screen or page. It also boasts double pivoting arms that allow for easy positioning and adjustment to tailor the screen illumination. The Main Pivoting Arm rotates 90 degrees from its closed position, and the Upper Pivoting Arm rotates another 70 degrees for complete customization. Unlike other eBook lights, the Kandle by Ozeri is powered by two lifetime x2 LEDs that are optimized to distribute light evenly without creating glare or eyestrain. Petite and light, the Kandle by Ozeri is ultra portable and folds into a closed position where the LEDs are fully protected from scratches or breakage. Ships with 2 CR2032 batteries included.

(more…)

How to Hire a Good SEO Marketer

Posted by Helen Overland on August 6th, 2010

SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is the art and science of making search engines rank your site high in the natural search results when someone types in a query. That’s the intent of SEO, however. Since SEO is still an emerging field, there is no “governing body”, and the rules sometimes change. A good SEO professional understands these changing rules, and knows how to properly apply them. A bad SEO specialist generally makes mistakes, or purposely tries to deceive the system to win “fake” high rankings.

It is not true that you have no control over what appears in the search engines. The content that you put on your site determines where you appear in the search engine results page (SERP). If your site is about “widgets”, you’re probably not going to appear in search results about “bus fares”. The most important thing you can do on the web is to represent yourself honestly. If your site is about “widgets”, and the content on your site talks about “widgets” then you’ll probably appear somewhere in the SERP for “widgets”. A good SEO professional can help you rank higher for “widgets”, among other well-researched, and relevant keywords.

What is the Difference Between a “Good” SEO Service, and a “Bad” One?

A bad (“blackhat”) SEO marketer is like a vendor walking down the street selling snake oil. You may think you’re getting a deal, but you can’t be sure of the consequences. A good SEO marketer is like a pharmacist. They have studied all the tried and true techniques to solve your problem and probably have a good idea of how to safely and effectively address your issue.

The Benefits of Hiring bad SEO:

Your site could shoot straight to the top, ranking #1 for your keywords
You could earn a few new customers quickly and make a quick buck
The cost is far less than what your friends and competitors are paying for SEO

The Costs of Hiring bad SEO:

When the search engines catch on, your site could be penalized (drastically downgraded) in the rankings, ending up worse than before
Your site could be temporarily banned from the search engine (completely unfindable – expect 6-12 months)
Your site could be permanently banned from the search engine (completely unfindable – for good)
When any of the above occurs, there will be lost productivity from having to remove all the search engine spam from your site
It could be hard to track down all the tricks the SEO marketer used to artificially boost the rankings, and therefore it could take a long time to get back into the results pages
Once penalized or banned, you will lose all the potential customers you would have gained had it been done correctly
A professional SEO consultant will probably have to be hired at additional cost to fix it and do the job right

Don’t believe it? In February 2006, BMW was given the Google Death Penalty for employing blackhat SEO practices. They presented a slick design to anyone with JavaScript, and showed everyone else (that means the search engines) a keyword-rich page. Showing one content to visitors and another to Google is a no-no. BMW Germany was banned from Google.

The Costs of Hiring Good SEO:

The initial cost will be higher
There will probably be an ongoing subscription fee
The implementation time will be longer (for the site to rank high)
There will be changes to the content of the actual site, and probably the structure, as well

The Benefits of Hiring Good SEO:

Higher rankings overall
The high rankings tend to stay there
The keywords you are ranking high for are relevant to your organization and the people who are trying to find you
It is more cost-effective in the long-term
Future pages that you add the the site will be easier and faster to rank higher
No blackout periods or customer loss because of penalty

What Is “Bad” SEO, and Why is it So Undesirable?

First, let’s examine some of the techniques available to the blackhat SEO marketer. Here are just a few:

Doorway Pages: Many pages stuffed with keywords are placed on the web, and all link back to your site
Cloaking: Showing one version of the site to visitors, and another to search engines.
Dynamic Content: Not all dynamic content is bad; in fact, most is perfectly legitimate. But having the server generate large lists of keywords that change frequently is generally a bad idea.
Scraping: Some sites visit high ranking sites, copy bits of the content that has the keyword they want, and post it on their site. This is a very good way to really annoy other websites.
Hidden Text: Keywords on a page that are the same colour as the background, or that are hidden by CSS are a bad idea
Setting up links pages that use the keyword-rich link text of other sites to gain ranking. This makes the link page appear to be more relevant for the desired keywords. This annoys not only the search engines, but also the visitors.
Keyword Stuffing: Writing almost meaningless text in the site that is basically a long list of keywords. Responsible SEO will use keywords carefully in the text, but like all things, you can overdo it. Search engines appreciate good grammar.
Overdoing RSS: Go ahead and syndicate large portions of your website. But syndicating all of your website may raise a flag. There are rumors suggesting that there might possibly be changes in the way Google indexes RSS in the future.
Bait-and-Switch: Submitting the search-engine friendly page to the search engine, then after it’s indexed, uploading the “real” page. This is a very temporary boost in your rankings.
Irrelevant Keywords: WHY would you promote the keyword “sex” on your site about “widgets”? Do you honestly think someone looking for “sex” will see your site and say, “oh wait a minute, I think I wanted a widget”? If you sell “widgets”, then promote “widgets”, so people who want to buy “widgets” can find your “widgets”.

Why do Search Engines Dislike All This?

Search engines are in the information business. Specifically, search engines provide helpful answers to questions. Sites which use these techniques dilute the relevancy and usefulness of the search engines. The search engine that allows their results to become irrelevant is useless and out of business. No-one will search that engine, no-one will click on their ads, no-one will want to buy or display their ads, and eventually no-one will want to invest in them. Search engines are protecting their investments and their future by ensuring the continuing relevancy and usefulness of their results.

How to Hire a Good SEO Professional

Let’s first look at some of the signs that indicate the possibility of a blackhat SEO marketer

If you hear anything like “we guarantee top placement”, don’t hire them. A good SEO marketer cannot guarantee you a good ranking any more than your broker can guarantee you a great return. All they can do is a good job, or not.
If the company representative talks to you about the advantages of Meta Tags, don’t hire them. Meta Tags are very obsolete in terms of search engine marketing (SEM).
Get a list of previous clients and check their current site and rankings. If their rankings are now low, or if the client sites seem to have spammy content, or little content, don’t hire them.
If first contact with the SEO company is made through an unsolicited phone call or email, be wary. Why? SEO is not an aggressive marketing technique. SEO is the art and science of providing people with what they were looking for anyway. It is fulfilling a need in response to a request about that need. In a sense, it is an entirely passive marketing technique, because it is only triggered when a person is actually seeking it. Be wary of search engine marketers that seem overly aggressive.

My personal pet peeve is the ones that call and announce that we are not at the top of the search engines but they can “help” us. Rest assured, we are listed at the top for every keyphrase we’ve ever really targeted. When they are informed that we are at the top, they start demanding to know which keywords we rank high for. Such valuable keyphrases should not be given away so cheaply. I politely hang up on these people.

These are a few signs of a good SEO marketer

A good SEO marketer will insist on content changes to the website, and perhaps the structure of the site
A good marketer will thoroughly research the keywords they are going to be targeting, making sure that the keywords or phrases are relevant to the people trying to find you
They will generally provide you with regular reports, or at least suggest a strategy for collecting reporting data
Good SEO marketers will probably charge an ongoing subscription fee. This is because the web is a growing, organic network, and web marketing is an ongoing process.
Good SEO should be able to provide client names & sites from a few years ago that you can look up online. If you are unsure, then feel free to contact the owners of the site for a reference.

Life provides us with so few quick fixes. As in all things, hard work and dedication pay off, and those looking for the “quick buck” generally get it, and not much more. If you are serious about your online business, or the ongoing “findability” of your website, it is absolutely worth investing in long term strategies for search engine success. After all, search engines are not going away any time soon.

Author: Helen Overland
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Duty on LCD/Plasma TV