Interview With SEO Copywriting Certification Grad: Art Remnet

Greetings All! This Tuesday’s SEO Copywriting Certification Grad profile features Art Rement, an accomplished  SEO Copywriter and Principal at The Strategic Marketing Group. A self-proclaimed “techno-geek,” and an absolutely brilliant business person, Art has much to share with us.  So read on!

Tell Us About Yourself:

Even though I earned a business degree, I’ve really always been a techno-geek at heart. Never really much of a gamer, I have always loved creating databases, converting and relating data, and discovering the information locked inside the data. Sad, I know but nonetheless, the inner-geek.

So “way back in the 90’s” when access to the Internet started to become easier and faster, I found search and the evolving search strategies fascinating. It helped that they were a natural evolution of my interests and talents. So, I started creating websites so people and organizations could get their messages found.

I soon discovered most people do not like to write, especially about themselves or their businesses. This led me toward designing marketing plans and then creating the copy needed to support those plans. For a long while, I move away from developing websites for businesses and focused primarily on creating direct and on-line marketing plans that used the company’s website as the hub. The Strategic Marketing Group is the evolution of this process. The company focuses on developing measurable results from building reputation and creating relationships using social media and effective copy.

What prompted you to enroll in the SEO Copywriting Certification training program?

I have always been a big proponent of learning. Moreover, who better to learn from than one of the industry leaders and pioneers, Heather Lloyd-Martin? When I learned she was offering a certification course, I knew it would be first-class. This is a very solid three-month program that provides a great foundation for SEO copywriting.

Beyond the learning, the SEO copywriting profession needs a recognized certification program to separate the wheat from the chaff so to speak. Business owners are being hit with SEO this and SEO that — the trouble is most of the SEO firms out there focus on the technical side of SEO. They are skilled at getting a site’s meta tags completed and building back links to the site.

Isn’t this important? Yes, absolutely.

But let me ask you this: what is the purpose of the business’ website? Isn’t it to convert in some way? Sign up for an offer or a newsletter? Request a quote or even buy something? Exactly.

Here’s the thing, all the best technical features will not convert visitors. It’s the content that converts. SEO copywriting combines the best direct marketing copywriting skills and practices with the knowledge of how to use keyword phrases to develop a site that will get found by those who are looking and convert them.

Websites who use copy developed by writers who understand SEO and use industry best practices do not have to worry about the feared “Google Slap.” This is because these sites have web pages that provide valuable content to the site visitors. An industry recognized certification program will provide business owners with a first cut when looking for professionals to provide content and a comprehensive SEO plan for their website.

What SEO copywriting projects are you working on now?

I am presently working on six SEO copy projects in various stages. All of them present their own set of challenges and bring together different copywriters and designers. This keeps everyone focused on their aspect of each project, and allows us to serve more clients at the same time.

What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

In my free time, I enjoy photography. From expansive landscapes to spring flowers and from architecture to event photos — pictures that tell a story are something that really excites me. Typically, you find me with my trusty Nikon over my shoulder or at least nearby. When I’m not shooting or editing photos, I also enjoy reading, the outdoors, and civic engagement. I am a lifelong baseball fan and look forward to both college and pro football in the fall.

Is there anything you would like to share about your experience with the SEO Copywriting Certification training?

Heather’s SEO training and certification program is a giant first step toward learning about SEO. The field is constantly expanding and evolving. Keeping up with the changes is a big challenge and Io expect to see much more specialization as the field continues to be defined. The foundations of good SEO copywriting, however, will not change: Creating valuable content that provides value to the searcher in the way they think about it.