SEO Copywriter, Do I Need One? - Understanding and Growing Your Sales
You’ve created an amazing product or service. You have a business plan that’s rock solid. You have all the parts figured out but…
You’re not seeing a return on your investment. Sound familiar?
Don’t worry, you are not alone. Your lack of engagement with your ideal target audience isn’t because your product is bad. Today, the online market can feel saturated no matter what industry you’re in.
Don’t get me wrong, there are tremendous opportunities right now. BUT – it has become increasingly difficult to compete for customer interest. Your online presence and marketing strategy can make a big difference in your business.
The question is: How do you stand out?
Whether you’re an established business or brand new – hiring a copywriter in your industry can make a big difference.
But first things first, what is a copywriter?
What Is an SEO Copywriter?
A copywriter is someone who creates a copy. A copy is a text used to sell products in advertisements and marketing. You probably see examples of this everywhere without even realizing it.
Common examples are billboards, newsletters, social media, websites, and blogs. No matter what type of copy…chances are the words are written by a copywriter. Writing a copy does more than just inform your audience of your product. A copywriter includes search engine optimization (SEO). SEO copywriting is creating copy that increases your ranking in search engines – google. This is different from content creation.
One of the most common mistakes is using copywriting and content writing interchangeably. While they may appear similar in some ways, there is a distinct difference.
A content writer provides content that is educational, helpful, or entertaining. In copywriting the goal is usually to sell.
Copywriting is more than a way to make a product or service sound appealing.
A copywriter will:
Use inbound marketing techniques to give you an online presence
Establish authority through SEO
Engage in storytelling that reflects your brand voice and message
This will make your audience more likely to engage with your brand and buy what you’re selling.
When hiring a copywriter, you get someone who:
Knows strategic marketing
Knows content management systems
Has SEO skills
Has extensive research skills
Knowledge of social media platforms
While having a technical understanding of writing is important. But copywriting is less formal and more conversational. Copywriters understand how to:
Use compelling storytelling
Pain points that your target audience can relate to
Emotional writing techniques
Why Should I Hire an SEO Copywriter?
Maybe you have a social media following, you post often and people seem to like what you’re offering. The problem is – it’s not translating to sales.
Odds are, the problem isn’t your brand, the message, or the product. It’s your copywriting. If you want your brand to perform by google’s metrics, your copy has to be search engine optimized. The truth is, that your company needs SEO. Period. There is no way around it in today’s online market.
Organic searches are hands down the most valuable channel there is1. Organic searchers are responsible for 53% of ALL website traffic. They are 10 times more powerful than social media. 63% of all online experiences begin with a search engine2. Needless to say, your SEO strategy can make or break your online presence.
An SEO copywriter creates copy that offers value and readability for your target audience AND google. Google is looking at one thing when determining your rank in searches – making search results more relevant for its users.
For readers, copywriters create copy that encourages you to take action. For google, copywriters make a copy that:
Google can understand and index
Is relevant to searches
Targets keywords and phrases
So now that you understand what a copywriter does. Let’s take a deeper dive into different kinds of copy and what your business may need.
What Are Some Different Types of SEO Copy?
We have established that SEO copy is essential to your online presence. But what are some different types of copy?
You can apply the work of a copywriter to any aspect of your business. It can be anything from email marketing, blogs, or product descriptions. A copywriter can make a big difference in how your audience and google receive your product.
A good copywriter can take SEO strategies and apply them to any type of copy you may need. This includes3:
Landing pages/website copy
Blogs
Social media
Direct response copy
Ads
B2B
As a business owner, mastering all the different types of copy can be a full-time job in itself. That is why it's so essential to find a copywriter that understands your brand and your voice. They can help cut down time spent on chasing your target audience. With copywriting, your audience finds you.
Understanding what a copywriter is and does is great, but how can you tell if your business needs one?
How do I know if I need a copywriter?
You have an established business. You have a clear mission and voice. You know who your target audience is. How do you know when it’s time to hire a professional copywriter?
Making the initial investment can be hard, especially if you are a newer business. Here are some ways you can tell if hiring a copywriter is right for you and your business:
You don’t enjoy writing
Let's be honest. Writing isn’t for everyone. As we have established, copywriting is more than technical and grammatically correct writing. It takes time, creativity, and knowledge of marketing. If you already don’t enjoy writing, odds are, you're not going to enjoy the extra time it would take to learn this skill set.
So before you spend countless hours learning and writing copy, let's pause. Start by asking yourself if your time can be spent best elsewhere in your business.
Hiring a copywriter can free up your time to focus on other parts of your business. You can focus on things like product and service development.
You are not seeing a return on your investment
Whether it's website traffic, sales, or engagement with your audience... something seems to be falling short. You have created a beautiful website. You post often on social media and have an established voice.
BUT if you’re not seeing the kind of return you want, your copy is falling short.
This can be for a variety of reasons. Your copy may be lacking SEO. It’s not reaching your target audience or building authority with google. No matter what the reason, a copywriter can help you.
You don’t have a call to action
No matter how high you rank on google you won’t have any results without a call to action (CTA). Your CTA is critical to your business, no matter WHAT your business is. Making a purchase is a big step. Your customers need a clear path that you’ve laid out for them. It needs to take away any confusion or questions they have about doing business with you.
The key here is: Customers DO NOT take action unless they are challenged to take action!
Without a clear CTA, people will not engage with your brand.
Ready to Grow Your Business?
Now you have a clear understanding of copywriting. Start by taking a look at your existing marketing materials. Answer the following questions:
Is my existing copy SEO-optimized?
Is my copy written with BOTH my target audience and google in mind?
Do I have a clear and concise CTA?
If you answered yes to all three – CONGRATS, you have an excellent copy in your hands. However, if you find that you are lacking in one of these steps, invest and talk to a copywriter in your niche today.
Are you unsure where you fall? Schedule a 15-minute consultation today for an in-depth analysis of your business here.
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