Good website copy writing has never been about keyword stuffing.  During April, Google announced its latest updates: Penguin and Panda.  These updates are designed to allow Google to more easily identify those sites which have been written primarily with search engine rankings in mind.

Here at Appletree, we?ve always advised our clients to write website copy with 2 main areas of focus:  Customers and Content.

Customers ? these are the users / people who will actually read your website, and it is these users that you want to convert into customers in order to grow your business.  On the surface it may seem that there?s nothing easier than writing about your business ? who knows more about it than you!  However, remember that the people reading the site, and your competitors? sites, are probably not experts in your field, so jargon and buzzwords that you use daily may not mean anything to those reading it.  People want quick, easy to understand information from a website, and they want to be persuaded quickly that your service is the one for them.  You need to focus on what motivates people to buy your particular service ? what problem will you be solving for them.

Content ? once you?ve put your prospective customer hat on and worked out what makes you different from your competitors, you can work on the message and content you want to convey.  A great website is not only designed well, so looks attractive and appealing, but is also up to date.  We?ve seen many occasions where people design a really great website, have a powerful message to deliver, and then leave the website alone for months.  People quickly assume that your website is out of date.  One of the ways search engines rank websites is by how much new and relevant content is appearing on a site.  There?s several easy ways to make your site timely and relevant ? blogs, newsletters, articles for example.

A simple but well written blog written every week goes a long way to keeping your website active.  Link your blog to your site, your social networking and you have another way to drive users to your site.  Ensure the content of your writing is relevant to the service you are providing, and do not use them for self-promotion, they must be useful to the reader.  Offer your expertise, over time your company is more likely to be identified for its expertise and thought leadership, rather than for its heavy handed sales efforts.

Using keywords is important within your page and blog copy, but ensure you have a balance between knowing which keywords to use, and how often to use them.

The fact that Google and other search engines will rank well those sites with relevant, timely copy is almost then a bonus!