|
THIS WEEK
The Science of Web Writing
ALSO IN THIS EDITION
The Science of Web Writing |
Over the past few weeks we have looked at the art and energy of web writing. This week we are going to look at the science of web writing.
When writing for the web, you are writing for two audiences: the human reader and the search engines.
The science of writing for the human reader means that you need to look at all the psychological research and triggers to persuade people to read your web page and take action on what they read.
The science of writing for search engines means you help the search engines to find your page, determine its relevance and return it in searches when people look for certain terms. This is called SEO or search engine optimisation. It is an ongoing science and requires continual learning and growth.
When you write web copy these days it has to be a blend of both the science of human persuasion and the science of search engine persuasion to be effective. If you weigh too heavily on one side or the other – you will fail.
Like all sciences, there are constant developments. Things are never static. As research in the human brain continues and as language changes, we need to amend how we choose words or phrase sentences to ensure we take advantage of the latest research.
Unless we keep pace, it will be similar to talking Shakespearean English to people - they get what we mean but it is a struggle for them to understand us.
 The research around the maths and science around how search engines find and return information is also under constant development.
Search engine algorithms are more closely guarded than the recipe for Coke or for the 11 herbs and spices in KFC. You are more likely to find the password and logon details for Barack Obama's email account than you are to find out the exact details of the Google Algorithms.
However, through testing and measuring the results, people can determine what works with search engines over a certain period of time. As the algorithms change, we adjust what we do and how we do it to keep pace.
The science of human persuasion fills encyclopaedias, so give the space limitations I will share a few tips about the science of SEO copywriting as it currently stands.
Keywords are crucial.
SEO copywriting is based on a foundation of keywords. You need to determine the most important words people use when they look for your goods or services. With the right tools you can now pinpoint exactly how many people per day in particular country use a particular combination of keywords to look for something and how many competing web pages there are for those terms.
You want to target keywords for which there is high traffic and low competing web pages (unless you have a massive budget and can invest in other web strategies to maximise your results).
In the past you could just guess your keywords. This is no longer the case. These days you need to know exactly the difference to your proposed traffic that the addition of the letter "s" can have on the end of a word, or the exact order of the keyword phrases to make sure you are not optimising your site for the wrong words.
You now need science to back up your keyword identification otherwise you could be targeting words that no one is looking for, or for which there is too much competition so you will never be found in the search engines.
Keyword identification is not a one shot thing. I personally run the stats on my site's keywords every 4 months, to pick up shifts in how people are using language. Words change over time and your site needs to reflect those shifts in order to unlock maximum results.
Keywords need to appear in the right places.
Once you have found the right keywords, they need to appear in the right places on your webcopy. Ideally your keywords need to be in:
- Your URL
- Your domain name
- Your page title tag
- Your page description metatag
- Your keywords metatag
- In your body copy – people debate the actual percentages. Some people demand 3%-6% keyword density which means each keyword is mentioned 3-6 times each 100 words. This detracts from the human persuasion factor so it is a balancing act.
- Header and sub header tags (H1, H2, H3)
- In bold, italics etc in your copy
- In the first sentence of your copy
- At the bottom of your copy
- In internal and external page links
- In Alt tags for images
There's a lot of debate about the relative importance of different factors, but all of these elements need to be considered when writing your web copy.
There is also research about how many are too many keywords, over-linking, the quality of links to and from your site, the length of your copy on your page and the age of your pages vs. fresh content. All of these factors need to be taken into account when crafting your website pages.
Remember, when you write web copy you must balance both the science of human persuasion with the science of SEO. You also must balance the art of your writing and the energy of your writing for maximum results.
It is only when all of these elements are put in place and balanced that your web copy will generate search engine results, clients and actions.
If you are looking for powerful web copy that sells - call Heart Harmony 07 3351 8844.
| HR Tip of the Week - The Science of People |
One of the most useful things you can do with a team is to take everyone through some form of psychological profiling and share the results. Why? By doign so you create a discussion about how different people think and respond. You want your team to talk about how they see the world and what is important to them as individuals.
By using a tool such as MBTI you can create common language and shared understanding. It triggers people to understand why some people prefer email to face to face communication, why others want to talk through their ideas and others need space to think.
By gaining a shared understanding of individual preferences you can better work within a team. It can help take the sting out of disagreements, and can help build motivation and morale.
I personally love MBTI as a tool - but only when you take it to the next level and look at what happens when people are "in the grip". That is what happens when they are under stress and channel their inner 2 year old.
Looking at what happens In the grip can help people understand what puts them in that space and how to get out again. There is nothing wrong or broken about you - and that is a very freeing piece of knowledge for most people.
What does your inner 2 year old say about you? How can you apply more science to managing your people?
| Book of the Week- Management Training by the Book |
 As a manager I was always trying to find new ways to get the skills I needed, but I was always pushed by deadlines and huge workloads.
That's why I was excited that my colleagues at the Training Bank put together self paced management training called Management Training by the Book.
The courses they chose for this book came from the most commonly asked for topics they have been getting for their classroom and online training programs for the past three years.
The courses in this 275 page e-book include:
- Qualities of Leadership
- Adaptive Leadership
- Goal setting and Feedback
- Empowerment and Motivation
- Coaching
- Listen Up! - How to Really Listen
- Straight Talk- Making Your Point
- Managing Difficult Situations
- Managing Conflict
- Managing Change
- Team Building Skills
- Conducting Performance Evaluations
The courses in Management Training by the Book range from 1 hour to 2 hours to complete and are presented in an easy to read, straight-forward fashion.
I bought my copy a while back and I love it!
These courses include:
- detailed explanations of the concepts and best practice principles,
- case studies and situational examples,
- action steps,
- printable forms, tools and exercises and
- your own personal action plan for how you will implement what you have learned.
And to make it even better, they have agreed to hold the price for the next 100 people to just $19.98US!
This is a great program and worth reading by every manager. Check out Management Training by the Book!
After sitting in on some particulary dreadful job interviews with teenagers recently, I wrote this detailed post full of advice for teens looking for casual jobs - sharing what people on the other side of the table are looking for. I also shared some insights about a typical recruitment process and how they can make the shortlist.
If you have a teen you may want to share this advice with them (also doesn't hurt to re-read it if you are applying for a job!)
Writing for Blogs
exuberantly yours
Ingrid
Heart Harmony
PS: This week's Small Business Tips blog included posts about "Want to Persuade - Talk Fast" and "All Lurkers take One Step Forward Please".
Legal stuff: This newsletter is intended only a general guideline for Australian businesses. You should seek specific advice for your situation rather than relying only on this newsletter
Earnings disclaimer. Some of the content may include advertarial information. But - unless I know and trust the product I will not recommend it.
|
email
