Writing for Marketing and SEO
In an age of visual media, from social media to video advertisements, it can be easy to overlook to importance of the written word when it comes to online marketing. Written content is arguably still the most efficient and effective way to communicate information about your business since it is so versatile; whether you’re using enticing titles, puns, detailed lists or stories, the language you use works to inform, to persuade, and to build a sense of brand personality.
This isn’t to say that written content hasn’t changed as technology has developed; internet search engines, like Google, have altered the way we see text as these servers utilise snippets of information and titles, they show only small, enticing phrases and keywords related to an individual’s queries (all of which falls under SEO strategy). This small volume of text is purposed with convincing a person to read the rest of the information that the page offers, and it is this purpose that makes it different from other content. The online format of short snippets of information is not entirely unlike the concept of judging a book by the cover – or title – in a library, except online it isn’t frowned upon, since it is just the way you catch a person attention, and then once you’ve caught it you need longer, new, informative content to build on what the title suggested.
SEO Optimised Web Copy
These snippets of information form part of the category of web copy; web copy is defined as short, concise and intended to advertise and persuade. Web copy will likely be seen by many more people than those who will see your page, since it is likely that not every person who is offered your page on a search engine server will choose to open it, but it is for this reason that the words used in web copy must be optimized to describe exactly what your page offers and why a person should open it, within a relatively small word limit. Copy exists as part of the advertising and marketing industry, it generates traffic towards a webpage, essentially making claims about the page – but it is the web content that backs up these claims.
The Value of Web Content
Web content is the writing found once a person has found your site, it includes, but isn’t limited to, blog posts, eBooks, product page descriptions. Unlike web copy, content doesn’t exist as part of the advertising and marketing industry, rather is exists autonomously and simply lends itself to the industry, that is to say web content for business is not essentially dissimilar to any other type of content. Content is not exclusively purposed with selling your product but rather has a multitude of purposes; to give information about products and the company, to familiarize customers with your brand, to build likeability, all of which will ideally lead to sales. Some content can still have commercial objectives, however, as blogs and products description pages can be intended to build traffic towards certain products, but the body of informative writing makes the content a less direct form of advertising. This type of content works to establish trust and credibility for your brand which is essential in the online market.
Which Do I Need?
Ultimately, both are essential. Any online business must find a balance between advertisement, which is the first step in getting customers onto your page, and informative, well-written, engaging content that demonstrates that there is more to your page than simple requests for sales.
Our services include SEO optimised copy and content writing, to find out more about this and our other services, get in touch by calling 01536 411153, emailing [email protected] or fill out our enquiry form.
