Milk, Cookies and SEO Copywriting
Posted by Sandy Fitzgerald
Effective SEO copywriting is really such a cut-throat business these days, isn't it?
We're all sitting here trying to figure out the best ways to sneak in our keywords, our key phrases and our wittiest content, all the while keeping it interesting.
We want to be tweeted and re-tweeted and talked about on Facebook, dug on Digg, and stumbled over on StumbleUpon. And most of all, after all that's done, we want to be at the top of Google.
It's enough to give even the bravest blogger a good case of the jitters, when you think about everything you have to do just to get your word out there. But what if there was a simpler way to do it? What if we lived in a world where we really did learn everything we needed to know when we were in kindergarten, like the excellent writer Robert Fulghum wrote in his book "All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten?"
After all, we had some very specific rules back when we were all five years old, and if you think about it, those rules work very well when you're creating your SEO blog posts.
Rule #1: It's nice to share. So many writers seem to think that if they have knowledge, they should keep some of it to themselves so they can mete it out carefully and ensure their own jobs.
Job security is all well and good, but really, if you keep it all to yourself, how are you going to put information out there that people can use? If you have the knowledge about how to solve a problem, share it. The more you share, the more your content will attract readers.
Rule #2: Play fair. While some of the best blog articles are written with passion for or against a cause, it's not fair to ambush a person or business through your blogs, unless you're going to give the ones you're attacking a way to comment. When you don't play fair, you lose credibility, and a blog is only as good as its reputation.
Rule #3: Clean up your own messes. Good SEO copywriting means being as accurate as you can possibly be. If you've made a mistake, admit to it and clean up after yourself. You'll not only keep your self-respect, but you'll keep your readers' respect as well.
Rule #4: Don't take things that aren't yours. That means no copying from other writers. If you refer to another person's work, give that person credit. If you pick up a thought on Twitter, re-tweet it and don't pretend like you thought of it yourself. Do your own work, and you'll be respected in the SEO blogging community.
Rule #5: Live a balanced life. Yes, being an SEO copywriter might be important to you. However, to be a more rounded blogger, don't just read and write about SEO issues only. Read funny blogs and serious ones. Keep up on the news of the day and the popular television shows and anything else that catches your interest. And every once in a while, no matter how hard it might be, get outside away from your computer, get some fresh air, and talk to humans face-to- face. A well-rounded blogger is a good one - and one whose blog visitors will return to again and again.
Rule #6: Use all the crayons in your box and don't be afraid to color outside the lines. Think of unique ways to present your information. Don't only write with your eye toward SEO results, but write sometimes just for the joy of w
riting. Just like there was really nothing wrong back in kindergarten when you colored your skies purple, there's nothing wrong with trying new writing techniques in your SEO copywriting to keep it interesting.
And don't forget, once you're done with all that writing, to either treat yourself with milk and cookies or some recess time!