Interview with SEO Copywriting Certification Grad, Sarah Clachar

To be a good copywriter, you’ve got to combine genuine interest in the product with technical and marketing savvy.  An organic farmer and former health educator, Sarah brings this rich combo to her work as a natural health copywriter and marketer. Some of her expertise in this area – along with that of several of the top copywriters in the industry – is encapsulated in the ebook she co-wrote with master copywriter, Bob Bly, How To Write Irresistible Copy For Nutritional Supplements.

Sarah writes both B2C and B2B, online and direct mail.  Her gigs as a contributing editor to trade magazines like Nutrition Business Journal inform her B2B work.

In addition to copywriting/marketing services, Sarah’s created a special resource for her fellow home business folks – Your Healthy Home Biz.  Here she offers strategies, tips and inspiration for home business owners on how to stay healthy while working at home.

What attracted you to SEO copywriting?

Marketing natural health products requires lots of content.  Not only are the products information-heavy, we market to a skeptical and knowledgeable audience.

Good information-rich copy is already a mainstay for my clients’ marketing.  It only makes sense that I help them make the best of this with SEO.

Furthermore, my health educator self is always lurking in my copywriting work. I love to help people understand their health better.  SEO copy is a great place to do so.

What do you find most challenging/interesting about SEO copywriting?

There are some particular difficulties in writing SEO copy for the nutritional supplement market.  Because of FDA regulations, it’s illegal to discuss how a product prevents, alleviates or cures a disease. Even when reams of research back these claims.

For compliance, we have to be exceedingly strategic about how we use keywords and structure the site.  For this reason, I end up getting a lot of business because I can combine SEO with regulatory knowledge.

What do you consider to be your biggest “take-away” from the certification program?

I had been doing SEO copywriting for a few years before I found out about Heather’s program.  Previously, when I tried to keep up with the “latest” on SEO, I always got bogged down in information on link-building and technical SEO.

It was very hard to find articles covering the on-page copywriting aspect.

When I found Heather’s program I let out a big sigh of relief.  Finally, a definitive source on SEO copywriting that I could turn to.  Heather’s program and ongoing training gave me confidence that I was doing the best for my clients’.

Specifically, I love the way that Heather provides a comprehensive strategy for keyword research and content marketing.  And I’ve gotten tremendous mileage out of her suggestions for using social media for research.

What SEO copywriting projects are you working on now?

I’m currently working on a SEO info-rich website that parallels my client’s e-commerce site. As I mentioned before, FDA regulations make it hard to discuss the great research linked to supplements.  This website is designed as a place where we can discuss the research more extensively.

I also just finished the work for a B2B client who had originally outsourced overseas for SEO website copy.  The copy was terrible – nonsensical! After redoing his site, it’s great to see the bounce-rate go down while he continues to hold first-page position for a number of keywords.

My other current projects are closer to home.  I’ve created a site, Fit Family Together, that focuses on family fitness. Along with my site for healthy home business tips, this site gives me opportunities to test SEO strategies that I can bring to my clients’ sites as well.

What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

As I mentioned in the beginning, we raise most of our food from our small organic farm.  So I take lots of breaks from copywriting to feed the pigs, chase chickens out of the garden, weed, harvest, pick, etc.  Right now we’re in the midst of maple sugaring so I spend a lot of time going into the woods, collecting sap and hauling the buckets back out to where we boil. It’s a great balance to all the sitting desk work I do.

My family loves to mountain bike, hike, ski/snowboard around our New England home.  And over the past couple years, my husband has been teaching us jiu jitsu and kickboxing. A great break from particularly stressful projects!

But along with all this activity, I love the moments when I stand outside my kitchen door, looking out to the pond and the maple grove beyond as twilight comes.  Moments like these make me feel wealthier beyond belief and glad that I can run my business from home on my own terms.

Any words for those considering enrolling in the SEO Copywriting Certification program?

I’ve suggested this program to many people who have sought out my advice on how to get into health copywriting.  Most people who come to me are very knowledgeable about health but don’t know how to turn it into marketing services.

The health copywriting niche is pretty competitive with some very experienced heavy-hitters writing in it. It can be hard to break in.

SEO copywriting is a great place to start health copywriting for two reasons: 1.) The demand for SEO copy is huge right now. And 2.) Less competition. Many good health copywriters haven’t developed SEO skills.

SEO health copywriting is an easier area to establish yourself and quickly get a full-time business going.

Heather is full of SEO copywriting knowledge and she’s a great teacher.  You will come out of her course with confidence that you’ve got “the right stuff”.  Plus, her LinkedIn discussion group and ongoing webinars keep you up to speed after you graduate.