Jill Whalen’s 7 SEO Copy & Content Writing Tips
By Roberta Rosenberg on May 13, 2007 in SEO Copy Tips & Tools
When Jill Whalen speaks, I listen and pay close attention. She’s been in SEO since before there was SEO, I’m an avid fan and have modeled much of my own SEO approach and philosophy on her model. (Thanks, Jill!)
She was recently interviewed by the folks at Pandia Search Engine News, an online newsletter I like since it has a more global focus than a lot of other similar online publications. It does a good job of compiling SEO-related news in a convenient weekly format.
In her interview, Jill provided a nice summary of top tips to writing SEO-friendly content. (Some of these will look familiar to Maven fans, but good tips are always worth reviewing.)
- Avoid the use of graphic file to present text. The search engines
can only read text. They do not understand Flash, but may read PDF
files. - The users comes first, the needs of the search engines second. The
content must make sense for people, so this is not about “sprinkling
keywords”. - Be descriptive. Tell the visitors what your site, product or
service is about. Hence the term “our search engine marketing firm” is
better than “our team”. - Focus on search phrases, not keywords. Few people find relevant
content using one word queries anyway. Hence write “small cap
investing” instead of “invest”, if that is what you mean. - Focus on location. That will help you rank higher for searches of
relevance to your neighborhood: Write “our New York City office”, not
“our office”. - Add variations of your keyword phrases: plural, tenses, ings etc.
Do not rely on the search engines’ stemming ability. You should also
take a look at words with multiple spellings (“web cam” vs. “webcam”,
but do not use different spellings on the same page. - Add bonus phrases to rank high for more than one keyword phrase.
Bonus phrases would be those that are less targeted, but still relevant
and descriptive.
Maven’s Maxim
Add Pandia and High Rankings to your must-read bookmarks folder. There are always nuggets to be gathered and results to be gained.
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alicia | May 14, 2007 | Reply
This is an awesome article, thanks for pointing to it. SEO is a huge element in most of my online writing gigs, and since I long ago left the “$3 article” behind, I try to leave such SEO writing behind, too.
Joanna Young | May 15, 2007 | Reply
Thanks for this. It’s always good to get confirmation from the professionals/experts that the user – the reader – comes first. It’s how I try to write, but I like the reassurance that it’s a sensible business tactic too!
Joanna
Web Site Design Seattle | Jun 19, 2008 | Reply
Of all the SEO professionals giving advice on the web, Jill has got to be one of our favorites. If you want to get a good understanding of what to do right, think about everything she has to say.
Roberta Rosenberg | Jun 19, 2008 | Reply
@Web Site – thanks for adding your thoughts!
Ameliyat | Sep 11, 2008 | Reply
thanks very good article
Karunakar Pokala | Oct 22, 2008 | Reply
Thanks Jill Whalen’s, you are given a great tips.
seo work | May 27, 2009 | Reply
Please, can you PM me and tell me few more thinks about this, I am really fan of your blog…gets solved properly asap.
full tilt rakeback | Jun 25, 2009 | Reply
good content writing tips will be sharing with my collegeus
full tilt rakeback’s last blog post..Hello world!
Scott Chapman - Copywriter | Jun 27, 2009 | Reply
Great blog post!
I’ve been surprised at the amount of people who still don’t take good SEO into account while writing sales copy.
What astounds me even more though, are the people who put SEO way ahead of good sales copy. They end up packing the text with so many keywords, that they get plenty of search engine traffic, but their site converts none of them into sales.
Scott Chapman – Copywriter’s last blog post..8 quick and easy ways to improve your website sales
WealthNet Partners Blog | Jul 15, 2009 | Reply
Focusing on location is an excellent tip. The search engines are starting to show more and more localized searches these days, and that means great business for those who are prepared for it. Not to mention the fact that something found via a local search (San Francisco law offices, for example) is obviously going to convert better than a much more general term (law offices).
WealthNet Partners Blog’s last blog post..How to Grow Your Cash Flow Leveraging The Internet-Part Four. Building and Managing Your List of Leads, Prospects, and Customers/Clients.
Chicago Web Design | Oct 12, 2009 | Reply
Great post and thank you.
I agreed with your this point…
“Be descriptive. Tell the visitors what your site, product or service is about. Hence the term “our search engine marketing firm” is
better than “our team”.
Because your website copy or content should be attractive and easy to understand for visitor.
All the best!
Brian | Oct 18, 2009 | Reply
Thanks for posting these tips and for the heads up on Jill, Pandia and High Rankings. Much appreciated.