Entries Tagged 'Analyzing Your Site Copy' ↓
April 6th, 2010 — Analyzing Your Site Copy, Blog Copywriting, Competitive Copy Research, Content Tools & Tips, Content Types, Events, Keyword Research, Link Building, Local Search, META Tag Copy, Marketing Strategy, Multimedia, News & Events, Press Release SEO Copywriting, SEO Copy and Site Usability, The Optimization Process, What is SEO Copywriting?, Writing SEO Articles, online marketing, small business, social media
Recently, I presented my new magnum opus: The Content Rich Online Marketing Summit. Reviewing all the important online marketing strategies and tactics, the Summit is an action packed, 2 hour seminar that focuses on results. My goal with these events is to distill it down to the most important teachings and give everyone that came a ton of substance – no fluff – minimal storytelling and lots of step-by-step instructions. I don’t know about you, but so many of the seminars I attend are either a total sales pitch or a bunch of stories stitched together by “get rich quick talking heads.” I’m a busy guy, I don’t want “feel good” anecdotes – I want information!
The inaugural 105 min event (outlined below) was attended by small business people from all over San Diego County and is now available for purchase for only $29.95. It’s action packed and covers the entire spectrum of online marketing and from the feedback we’ve received, attendees got A LOT out of the meeting. The goal? To take it to as many places as we can, spreading the good news of online marketing strategy everywhere we go… Everything for the Beginner. Ideas for the Experts. Check out these clips from some of my recent events!
Here’s how we break it down at Content Rich “Live” (as it’s also called):
I. Elements of Strategy
- Keyword Research
- Competitive Research
- Content
- Improving Usability – Design
- Social Media
- RSS/Social Bookmarking
- Blogging
- Link Building
- Sub Strategies based on type of business
- Local Companies
- E-Commerce and other web businesses
II. Tactics Continue reading →
Popularity: 3%
April 28th, 2009 — Analyzing Your Site Copy, Content Tools & Tips, The Optimization Process
I know, a little confusing right? A post for those who dont read blog posts?
Well look, here is the deal. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: There are a ton of businesses out there that are very challenged when it comes to their website and using it as a tool in their marketing arsenal. I have made it my mission to not simply help those companies that come to me and know they need help, but to reach out, be a little evangelical and find those companies that are way behind the times and don’t know how much they can benefit. 
Why? One, you can make a big impact, very quickly and two, it makes my job interesting. Plus, I like to help these types of sites… it gives me a warm fuzzy knowing I have helped those who really need it.
Who are we talking about? Those that put up a website in 1999 and haven’t done anything since. Those people who have a site that looks like an online “junkyard”… different fonts, flashing banners, and bad color schemes. And finally, those who have never bothered to put a site up at all. Oh, and I guess we could include non-profits that don’t have the time, people and money to make changes. I’ve helped a few of them for free.
If this sounds like you..then this post is for you! and for those “in the know” who won’t get anything from this post, perhaps it will motivate you to help a few companies that fall into this category as well.
So, if you consider yourself a rookie when it comes to online content and you don’t have a clue about what to do first, here are some ideas for you to consider: Continue reading →
Popularity: 29%
April 7th, 2009 — Analyzing Your Site Copy, Competitive Copy Research, Content Tools & Tips, META Tag Copy
In my talks with business groups and others, especially those who aren’t as tech savvy, one thing always comes up: a lack of knowledge on how to perform competitive research online. The companies that have a website and can get around the Internet will sometimes check out their competitors websites, but that’s about it. The others don’t do anything. Either they are too busy, don’t care or don’t know how.
In these challenging economic times, where small businesses are failing right and left, it’s more important than ever to know what your competitors are doing and how they are using their web content to, in effect, take business away from you.
So what should you do if you are a small business and want to “spy” on competitors? Continue reading →
Popularity: 40%
March 9th, 2009 — Analyzing Your Site Copy, Blog Copywriting, Content Tools & Tips, Opinions & Comments
They say that the enduring nature of Thomas Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence is the way the words move like poetry across the page. The sentences flow, the adjectives describe and the ebb and flow of the spoken version spawns a deep feeling inside whoever is listening. Such is its majesty – and such is its artistry.
So what do you think the conversion analytics would have been if Jefferson had put the Declaration online in 1776? He could have had a “Find out more” button on the page and measured response.
Do you think it would have done well? Could he have generated some interest?
I think we can all say that it would have been a firestorm of activity. So, yes, when we write for the web, we definitely want to put some flair into the content. How? Continue reading →
Popularity: 42%
December 3rd, 2008 — Analyzing Your Site Copy, Content Tools & Tips, Landing Page Copywriting, SEO Copy and Site Usability
Interesting what happens during challenging economic times – people change. Some get moving, some get desperate, others get smart. For those companies that want to survive, it’s critical to engage in a self analysis and evaluation of current marketing activities. Seems that many are doing just that with what we and many other web, content providers and Search Marketing firms have been seeing in the past few weeks: SEO is red hot right now. In fact, there was a great post on SEOmoz recently that discussed it. They mentioned that online sales, according to Paypal, were up 34% this year over last – another indication that web commerce is where it’s at. As far as we are concerned, copywriting projects have jumped through the roof and book sales of Content Rich have picked up dramatically. I guess you could call it good timing. Bottom line: no matter what state the economy is in, there is always opportunity.
So why is SEO content building so hot right now? A few ideas to consider… Continue reading →
Popularity: 50%
October 29th, 2008 — Analyzing Your Site Copy, Content Tools & Tips, Content Types
Lee Odden of Top Rank Marketing is putting together an article on content strategy and SEO and he asked me to participate. Here is our Q & A from that interview:
Q: How would you define “content strategy” and what role does it play in a SEO effort?
Your content strategy is a systematic and planned approach you take to develop site copy, blog content, press releases, articles, newsletters, videos, podcasts, e-book and/or white paper downloads and other forms of content that enhances and builds your relationship with new prospects, current clients, the media and those in your industry. Through developing this relationship, you secure a long-term, two-way “benefit channel” for both yourself and them. People buy from those who they have a high comfort level with. If you have a large network through the relationships you’ve built from your strategic content efforts, you will always have a steady stream of buyers for your products and services.
The role content strategy plays in the SEO effort is simple: Continue reading →
Popularity: 49%
October 21st, 2008 — Analyzing Your Site Copy, Blog Copywriting, Competitive Copy Research, Content Tools & Tips, Keyword Research, Link Building, The Optimization Process
Every single one of us in the online marketing space is here for a reason. Whether you are talking about Andy Beal, Aaron Wall, Heather Lloyd Martin, Lee Odden, Jill Whalen, Danny Sullivan or any of the other 100 or so web marketing leaders out there, we all have a strong desire to help other companies become more efficient and sell more products and services. Of course, all of us are passionate about the web, love to know what makes consumers buy and enjoy building online communities. But each of us also has a treasure chest of resources that we have gathered over the past few years that have lessoned the learning curve and help us help others every single day.
So, for the first time ever, I put together a list of my personal favorite online marketing tools and resources for you to take a look at. In total, this is a very large, very comprehensive and very good list. Continue reading →
Popularity: 100%
October 13th, 2008 — Analyzing Your Site Copy, Content Tools & Tips
I thought I would do something a little different for this post by showing you some copy I recently wrote and why it works. Let me first mention that it’s an interesting topic – Pork Rinds! MMMM… good eating! Okay, maybe not this guy, but I guess there are millions of people out there that like these things. It’s just a simple home page, but I think the copy can illustrate some of the key points that I always talk about whenever I’m preaching the tips and tricks of online content creation.
First, so you understand what we are dealing with here, the keyword phrase that they want to rank for, not surprisingly, is “pork rinds.” The site is focused toward their target consumer, a Southern and Mid-western, blue collar male in his 40’s-50’s. Continue reading →
Popularity: 39%
September 4th, 2008 — Analyzing Your Site Copy, Blog Copywriting, Content Tools & Tips, SEO Copy and Site Usability, What is SEO Copywriting?
One of the best ways to connect with visitors to your website is to write like you talk. In fact, I would say the most under appreciated aspect of good writing is the flow of the words and how they sound when spoken. Good “flow” can make the message resonate. It makes it memorable. 
Like a good song with a hooky melody, conversational writing can cause the reader to recall what they read over and over again through the course of the day. This kind of command over written language creates a strong connection with your audience and …makes them come back for more. Take for example a good blog. What makes you come back again and again? The informal and conversational tone is a big part of it. The substance of the message is critical too – but it’s not everything. It’s how you say it, right? In this case, it’s how you write it.
Of course, you’ll want to remove all the “ums”, “ahs” and pauses. You don’t want to make your website copy exactly like the way you speak. The other good thing about writing is that you can think about what you want to write before you write it. The spoken word usually requires instant answers and quick-on-your-feet replies. That’s the good news: for those out there who aren’t the best spoken communicators, conversational writing may be made for you.
A few tips and tricks of capturing a conversational tone:
1. Think about how you talk – what makes people want to listen to you? Modulating your voice (changing the volume or pitch) is one way – it makes what you’re saying more interesting. The written equivalent? Combine short and long sentences in what you’re writing. Don’t make them all the same.
2. Use emotion and passion – use bolding, underlining and emotionally charged words to get your message across. Again, just like how we talk – most people use strong adjectives to describe something or emphasize certain words based on the importance of what they are saying.
3. Break the “rules” of English – use run-ons and one word sentences occasionally. After all, isn’t that how we talk? Try it out!
4. Use repetition – use the same emphasized word in 3 consecutive sentences. People do this all the time when they talk. Why? To make a point and drive the message home. You can do the same thing when you write copy.
5. Analyze other good conversational writing and try to mimic it. – Not to toot my own horn, but check out the copy I wrote for www.customcopywriting.com. A big part of what I was trying to do there was write the content in an informal tone – in a way that everyone would understand: from a 3rd grader to a PhD.
So, when all is said and done, why does conversational writing work?
Because it makes it easier for your prospect. It makes it easier to get the message across. It makes it easier for them to understand…There’s less thinking involved. Plus, it’s a warmer way of communicating. It makes people more comfortable. And after all, we have become a more informal culture anyway. People almost expect it.
So, try it out on your site and see what the response is. You may be surprised.
Good luck!
Popularity: 90%
July 1st, 2008 — Analyzing Your Site Copy
by Jon Wuebben
How do you analyze your site copy? What’s the process that a copywriter goes through when they are rewriting a site?
The Copy Itself – What’s Written?
The first thing to look at when you’re analyzing a page of copy is the copy itself, naturally. Ask yourself: Does it make sense to me? Would I understand what it is all about if I was on this site for the very first time? Remember, copy is better comprehended when it’s written the way people speak. Continue reading →
Popularity: 35%
