The copy on your website needs to be appealing to potential visitors but also optimized for search engines. Many business owners naturally want copy that is optimized for traffic because they associate more traffic with more sales and an increase in revenue.
While this can be true, you still shouldn’t ignore the copy’s ability to convert visitors into sales. Think of it like this: Google wants to make sure that the person using their search engine gets what they are looking for. Which means that you can’t just use some SEO tricks to get on the first page. Google wants helpful information that helps. Use your SEO tricks, but make sure the copy is good enough to satisfy user intent and Google will reward you with the top results on the SERPs.
How can copy be optimized for both organic traffic and sales? You can always pay for copywriting services, but with the following tips you can construct an article yourself that will satisfy both.
1) Include keywords but make it readable
First, copy that is optimized for a website’s search engine rankings must not be keyword-heavy. Instead, content should focus on one or two main keywords and incorporate multiple variations of those terms naturally instead of just repeating them over and over again.
This forces copywriters to think up more creative ways to use the words and phrases that are long-tail keywords, middle-tail ones and head terms. Copy should focus on one main product or service but be able to incorporate information about other products too. These details don’t have to be obvious because including them will make the website seem more trustworthy.
This copywriting technique can be used if the copywriter is writing copy for a microsite or one page site (a single page that highlights only one product) or on a landing page that focuses on one main product. Make sure to be hyper focused and not have too much information that doesn’t nudge people into the funnel or to make a purchase.
2) Use subheadings wisely
Although Google’s RankBrain is very good at understanding what a web page is about, it is still fairly crude in its execution. It relies on a lot of signals from the user to know if the content is good enough.
You can help the bot understand what the article is about by using effective subheadings. This is your chance to use secondary keywords that are similar enough to your target keyword to signal to Google what the article covers.
The subheadings also help the reader to find the relevant information that they need. Most people prefer to skim articles and rarely read the entire text. By using subheadings that are short and sweet, yet descriptive will help the reader zero in on the exact information they need to solve their problem.
3) Be a problem solver
The sole reason a person has come to your website is to find a solution to their problem. The entire premise of making money is to solve people’s problems and they will pay you for it.
Whatever your product or service is you have to convey that it does actually help people. If you are just looking to make money, this will be immediately apparent to the reader and they will hit the back button very quickly.
Before you even think about making money, solve problems and the rest will take care of itself.
4) Remember audience intent when trying to convert them
Third, copywriters should focus on using copywriting formulas that are proven to convert visitors into customers. This copy needs to be focused, easy-to-read and persuasive but also include keywords and phrases that visitors are likely to use when searching for your product or service.
The copy needs to be written for a specific audience rather than just being copy that sounds good to copywriters with no sales experience. One copywriter may put on blinders and assume that all copy needs to be written for the general population when it can actually be more effective by targeting specific copy toward certain audiences.
This copywriting formula can be used to create copy that helps to convert visitors into customers because it focuses on copy that appeals to a specific audience.
5) Be persuasive
While you shouldn’t be trying to convince somebody to do something that they don’t want to do, the copy should be persuasive enough for them to want to take action. This means using the tried and true copywriting formula AIDA. It has been used for as long as advertising has and really works well to this day.
It’s an acronym that means Attention, Interest, Desire and Action. When you have this template working, it will help people take action. Basically, it works to help people reading validate an opinion that they already have. Then they will follow through and convert much better than copy that just informs.
First you need to write a good introduction that makes gives Awareness about your product or service. Many make the introduction a throwaway or simply a place to insert their target keywords. It is an important part of the article as it will keep people reading further. The idea is to have them understand that you understand their problem and then you promise a solution.
The next section is Interest. Keeping the reader interested will help them continue to read. It’s in this section that you need to find a way to relate to the reader. This will build some trust as well as interest in understanding the topic further.
To really make them want to keep going is to instill Desire. When you have gotten the rest of the formula correct, they will understand that you probably have the solution to their problems. They will desire the system that you are letting them know that you have.
Lastly, Action is needed for them to acquire the solution that you have for them to solve their problem. It could be asking them to sign up for a newsletter, or even going to the sales page to make the purchase of the product or service. Whatever it is that you want the reader to do now needs to be explicitly explained to them so you can continue the relationship.
This kind of copy will work to give you a much higher conversion rate than you would get with copy that just rehashes the specs of a product, or tries too hard to be salesy.
