Comments on: SEO Copywriting Checklist: Are you writing content “for Google”?

By: Heather Lloyd-Martin

Heather Lloyd-Martin — Mon, 20 May 2013 17:02:48 +0000

@Ron – thank YOU! You’re right – it seems that the “write for readers” mantra would be firmly imprinted in peoples’ brains by now. But there are always those people who think, “Well, what if I do this…will Google like my site better?” And “this” usually means keyphrase stuffing, hiding text, or some other spammy technique that won’t work. ::Sigh..::

Thanks for including a quote in your round-up! I appreciate it!
:)

By: Ron VanPeursem

Ron VanPeursem — Mon, 20 May 2013 08:26:24 +0000

Heather;
“WRITE FOR YOUR READERS!” Seems like we’d be done with this by now, but we’re not. You’re right on the money to keep finding new ways to put this axiom out there.

I’m clipping a quote, and including it in Friday’s round-up of “Best Marketing Quotes”. Gotta do my part to keep this out there!!

Thanks for another good post!

By: LeadGenix

LeadGenix — Thu, 16 May 2013 15:49:10 +0000

Great post. It’s more important to have a great website with great content than it is to appease Google’s search requirements. Once you get the most important part right (content), the rest becomes easier to do.

By: Heather Lloyd-Martin

Heather Lloyd-Martin — Wed, 15 May 2013 20:17:25 +0000

In reply to Jen Stout. Thanks, @Jen, for your comment. You're right - reading the content out loud is also a great way to hear what "clunks" in your copy. I do this all the time - thanks for the reminder!

By: Jen Stout

Jen Stout — Wed, 15 May 2013 16:34:34 +0000

Great post! As a content editor, I tell writers almost weekly to “read the copy out loud.” It’s helpful for both keyword overuse and general awkwardness/flow. It seems like a simple concept to write content with the intended audience in mind, but it can sometimes be tricky to find the right balance between quality content and the inclusion of applicable keywords. But, I like your suggestion to “always focus on their experience.” Building trust with your readers is just so important.

By: Heather Lloyd-Martin

Heather Lloyd-Martin — Tue, 14 May 2013 19:58:37 +0000

In reply to gregnet66. I love your comment! Thank you!

By: gregnet66

gregnet66 — Tue, 14 May 2013 11:33:50 +0000

Hi Heather,
Great post, people get so caught up in the chase for great rankings that they do sometimes forget about converting.
Unfortunately I am still seeing examples where keyword rich blog posts do rank well for long tail keywords. But then reading the actual post there are keywords entered erratically in places that you wouldn’t expect them.
Not as many any more, but there are some still out there and it is refreshing to see a call for the right content!
Cheers

By: Heather Lloyd-Martin

Heather Lloyd-Martin — Tue, 14 May 2013 00:50:56 +0000

Hi @yogesh!

Fortunately, I think people are getting better around keyword stuffing. Where I see it happening (a lot) is with end clients without reliable SEO help. They read a few blog posts, figure that they have to shove in the keywords, and wonder why their copy doesn’t convert.

It’s sad. :(

Having said that, it’s a LOT better than it was even a few years ago. I imagine that Google will keep cracking down on content quality. Which is just fine with me…

By: yogesh

yogesh — Mon, 13 May 2013 22:28:41 +0000

Hi Heather,

Thank you for reminding the basics of online business and marketing.

There are so many brilliant examples of failure due to black hat SEO, keyword stuffing, article spinning, and all other tactics used to get to the top of the ladder (search results).

Ever since I started writing for the internet, I always made it a rule to check the post/copies to see if I had subconsciously stuffed it with keywords.

Its high time that the writer and SEO community wake up to the importance of quality and create what people are looking for.