Keyword Analysis Killed the Copy

Curiosity kills the cat, and keyword analysis kills the copy. Unless you’re approaching SEO copywriting on a deeper, more meaningful level where your true audience lives, breathes, and is ready to buy.

A Real Life Scenario

During a previous consult on a legal services website, we were in the process of analyzing the existing content, keywords, and metadata of each page. It was obvious that this company was employing basic SEO and, based on a full keyword analysis, that they had done their research. So far, so good.

However, once we got into the nitty gritty of the content, we realized that while quality keywords were in place, the copy was not communicating a message that would resonate with their audience.

They had enabled their content to be manipulated by keyword analysis.

In other words, they had the keywords and they had the SEO copywriting, but the copy wasn’t going to give their specific audience the information they needed in order to do what the company wanted, which was to sell their services.

Education vs. Purchase: What to Look for in SEO Copywriting

When people perform a search on Google or Bing, they are either trying to learn about something or they’re ready to buy something.

If your main goal is to convert their visit into a sale, then you don’t want to create content that is purely educational.

You need a reason for your visitors to buy today.

(The one exception to this rule is blog content, in which case you want it to be informative and helpful. This type of SEO copywriting is used as a precursor to a sale, generating a sense of trust and authority for your brand.)

Let’s be clear: keyword research and analysis is still an essential building block for good SEO copywriting. But if you are letting your keywords dictate the direction of the copy, then you may be missing out on a perfect opportunity to speak clearly to your readers’ needs and initiate a transaction.

Before you go any further with your website copy, take the time to really think about what it is that you have to offer your reader. Write the content from this perspective, so that your keywords will be as effective for SEO as they are for your new customers.

Reach out with any questions you might have regarding how RSO can help you with your digital marketing.

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