Archive for April, 2011
What is quality content in SEO Copywriting?
Everyone is highlighting the importance of quality content which paves way to ranking but no one has explained on how to write good content or what attract the fellow readers. Mostly a novel content which no one has discussed much might woo readers as far as the newsworthiness is concerned. On the other hand a topic that has been widely discussed may get popularity. But in both cases readers will only see something useful to them, so decide on a topic which you would like to get answers for or interested in.
Another factor is that how will you write appealing and engaging content about the same topic/client.
Remember if you keep writing the same topic with little changes it will be less successful in the SEO point of view. Newsworthy content always catches the attention.ie, a topic that has to do something with the current trend will attract people. The article shouldn’t be too lengthy that people get bored reading the whole stuff. It should be concise and not repetitive with same keywords. It should certainly make some sense which means that it shouldn’t be a keyword stuffed article which explains a topic that has been already discussed.
Undertake a thorough research about the topic which you are attempting to write and list down all the important facts pertaining to the same. Pay attention to the words that you choose to explain the matter so that it will be likable as well as convincing to the readers. Provide an informal touch to the topic in order to grab the personal sense to draw more readers towards your article.
Choose the Apt words for copywriting/Editing
It is a fact that you undertake some research before you write about a topic, and there are exceptions on those who are experts on the subject. We may not be the first person to have a say about any issue. Many people may perhaps discussed and had written articles on the same subject but in different headlines and point of views. After reading numerous articles there are chances for you to get influenced and replicate the same and some of you seek help from thesaurus to find alternative words and phrases. Those who are good in writing could reproduce an article efficiently by adding some more points to make the outcome better. Inexpert will use synonyms which have similar meaning with respect to the word, but it may not always do justice to the context as a whole.
Looking up words in the thesaurus greatly enhances the formality of your writing provided you use the words correctly and suitably.
These are the common errors which people confuse always.
For E.g., She got good marks for the board exam. Instead of “got” we could use secured, obtained, received, achieved, attained etc , but the apt word matching the context will be ‘achieved” which gives importance to the context.
Choosing the right word to express the idea and also making it more interesting to the readers is vital. Words are used as verb and noun and at times people muddle up both.
For. E.g.
- Advice & Advise:
Advice is a noun, something that you give. Say, “Please give me some advice.”
Advise is a verb, something that you do. It is some action. Say, “Please advise me.”
- Affect and Effect:
Both are used as Nouns and Verbs
As nouns, they possess different meaning. Affect is affection, related to emotion. Effect is the result.
As verbs, they change. To affect some thing is to have some influence upon it. To effect some action is to cause it to happen.
- Fewer and Less:
The traditional rule is to use “fewer” with things that can be counted and “less” for measuring. ”
E.g,
There is less cheese on this plate.
There are fewer pieces of cheese on this plate
- “Because of” and “Due To”
Another mistake we tend to make is the usage of “Because of” and “Due to” thinking that both of the pairs refer to the same thing, and that they can be used as synonyms. This is an absolute misconception according to English grammar rules but in modern English both can be used interchangeably.
“Due to” is an adjective, so it can only modify nouns and pronouns according to the English grammar rules.
“Because of” is an adverb, which can only modify verbs, adjectives and clauses.
It is generally advised and considered wrong by experts to use “Due to” in the beginning of the sentence whereas “Because of” can be used.
E.g, Because you helped me, I am going to repay you.
Because I love you, I shall do that for you.
The essentials of Good Writing
An SEO Copywriter has to impress both the reader as well as the search engines. You may generate wonderful content, but it may not hit your target unless you use apt words and phrases that are relevant and attractive to your users or potential customers.
One should always give importance to the language elements while preparing content. Colloquialism has invaded English language. It is advisable not to use colloquial terms in SEO copywriting.
- Word choice is very important, For e.g. In informal writing we use words such as “kid”, ‘how come”, ‘quote’ etc meanwhile in formal writing we use ‘child’, ‘why’ and ‘quotations’ respectively. An informal style may make listeners feel more comfortable when you are speaking, but a formal writing style can make a good impression. Please pay attention in selecting words to convey your message. For e.g. use ‘adorable’ instead of ‘cute’, ‘film’ (movie), pretty (fair).
- It is also very important to avoid contractions in formal writing, for eg Use ‘Cannot’ instead of can’t.
- In formal writing, the pronoun “I” is replaced by the pronoun “We” and this is known as the royal we or editorial we. The pronoun “You” is generally avoided in formal writing when it refers to people in general.
Eg; You should sleep eight hours each night. (Informal)
One should sleep eight hours each night. (Formal)
- Avoid starting a sentence with a coordinating conjunction. In the written language, coordinating conjunctions such as “and,” “but,” “so,” or “or” are meant to join words, phrases, and clauses. Develop short, choppy sentences into longer, more graceful sentences with conjunctions. Formal writing generally uses longer sentences, which add variety to your writing and can be effective when paired with short sentences; the contrast grabs the readers’ attention.