Search Engine Optimization

Online copywriting is different to offline. Some rules are broken, while others emerge on their place. Users spend around 20 seconds examining headlines and navigation before hitting the back button. The copy must speak to the reader on his/her terms of face cold blooded extinction like a weak link from ecosystem(ok it’s not going anywhere, but it won’t deliver the results ).

Use basic guidelines to make copy a bit spicier:

Use Active Tense instead of Passive:

Passive: Nancy was invited to a party this Saturday night at 8:00.

Active: Laura invited Nancy to a party this Saturday night at 8:00.

Passive: This book has been translated into sixteen different languages.

Active: Scholars have translated that book into sixteen different languages.

Passive shift the focus from the subject to the object. As you research, you will know that passive is used in sleazy military writings, corporate speak and by politicians. Passive shifts the blame.

Passive: The building was bomber by an airplane

Active: Airplane bombed the building

In the first example its seems that the building somehow bombed itself, while in the second example the focus is very clear.

Some Good Resources on the use of active and passive voice:

• Choosing between Active and Passive voice verbs when Writing
• Passive and Active Voices
• Think Active!

Copywriting Research

In the previous two articles we mentioned some techniques of gathering valuable insights into your audience through keyword research.

• Using keyword commands to get into the Brains of your Customers]
• Keyword Marketing Research

If however, you are to market a website and very limited in your research on customer insight, here’s some more resources that will help will information gathering and persona creation.

• Yahoo Answers
• Wiki Answers

And other QnA platforms. The value comes in the language and real concerns have a about a product and service. By analyzing enough, you can spot trends and patterns. It also helps with the language.

Customer reviews. Read them, see what customers are saying about similar vendors or service providers. There’s also value in there

Forums. Forums are great in finding out what people want to know about a product that the companies were not able to address. Though you are not always in position to address, there’s value in knowing what people talk about, how and why.

Good Luck!