Impact Media's SEO Blog

With content playing such an important part in determining search engine rankings, we take a look at 7 ways a Copywriter can help improve your SEO.

You won’t need me to remind you of just how important content is for the success of your site. It is an informative guide, sales pitch and global marketing strategy all rolled in to one. As such, the Internet is awash with content. Good or bad, in vast or minute quantities, the written word is the universal language that every site shares.

In terms of SEO performance, it isn’t just what you write, but how you do it and where you position it. A natural tone is a must, but so too are anchor text links, keywords and a call to action. It can be a confusing process, which is why you might consider enlisting some additional help. If you need any more convincing, here are 7 areas that a copywriter can help boost your SEO:
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As Social Media continues to expand and lure in vast volumes of Internet traffic, where does its fustier, slower (methodical if you will) and more derided website marketing compadre, SEO, now fit in?

Search Engine Optimisation has been saddled with a reputation for being something of a shadowy practice; online alchemy, created to appease the search engine gods. The thing is though, it works. Better still, it continues to work to this day.

Social Media has emerged from the Friends Reunited Petri dish and exploded into a full-grown living organism, consuming everything in its path; or, at least, nearly everything. Facebook has experienced the most meteoric of rises, propelled by the slipstream of fading stars like MySpace, it has slipped seamlessly into the top 3 sites in the world (2nd by some metrics, 3rd in others) and gained itself over 350 million users.

Thanks to Facebook, along with Twitter, YouTube and a whole multitude of bookmarking cohorts, Social Media has got the world communicating in real-time. This free network of conversations has engulfed the Internet and opened the door of opportunity to marketers. Inevitably, when something huge comes to dominate an entity as the Internet, something has to make way; but is that thing SEO?
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The polka dot adorned King of the Mountains jersey in Le Tour de France might be one of the toughest sporting challenges that nature and mankind have conjured, but online it is the summit of the SERPs that is the beguiling and often impossible goal faces a peloton of websites.

For every keyword there can be only one website at the top of the search engine rankings. Invariably there tend to be a fair number of sites jostling for position, attempting to break away from the pack and take first place for themselves. Just as with our analogical cycling counterparts, it takes a great deal of effort, strategy and knowledge to achieve the ultimate prize.

Getting to number one in Google is the ultimate goal of any SEO; but due to the diversity of SERPs, there are other ways to get noticed. Sometimes getting a spread of good performances within search engine rankings, video marketing, social media, PPC and local search results can gain you the fullest exposure, without even necessarily topping the rankings. Consistently exceptional performances will earn you the Search Engine Marketers yellow jersey, opening the floodgates to highly targeted traffic.
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As the search engines develop, so too do the potential avenues for effective marketing. So what exactly is the most effective Search Engine Marketing strategy?

Traditionally, the two ways in which you could improve your website’s visibility on search engines was through SEO and Pay per Click (PPC) advertising. Whilst they may remain at the forefront of most strategies, SEO and PPC are by no means the only way to get your name where it matters.

As the search engine results pages (SERPs) have diversified, including new facets and restructuring their layout, marketing methods have been quick to follow suit. With Twitter updates, local search results and news items infiltrating the SERPs, the realms of possibilities are more diverse and in greater supply than ever before.
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Bedales School are an Independent Boarding School founded by J H Badley in 1893, established to be profoundly different to the late-Victorian public schools of his day.

Having launched a new website, the organisation aim to maximise their online visibility in order to vastly increase awareness of the school and increase visitor numbers. More…

Although we at Impact Media offer SEO services here in the UK, we recognise that some webmasters just love doing search engine optimisation themselves and, for that reason, we make a lot of SEO information freely available in our blog.

However, if you’re looking for free SEO tips on a regular basis, i.e. daily, then I recommend you take a look at the Daily SEO Tip blog.

This blog is dedicated to giving free SEO tips and was founded by SEO specialists, Loren Baker and Ann Smarty.

Mirage Banqueting & Hospitality Suites are a Wedding Venue in Birmingham, looking to raise their online visibility by using a professional Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) Company.

We are delighted to have been appointed by them as their expert SEO partner and look forward to delivering a successful campaign.

To find out more please visit our SEO Services page.

What does SEO stand for?

SEO is an acronym for Search Engine Optimisation (Optimization)

This is series of processes implemented throughout a website designed to improve its ranking on Internet search engines.

Ensuring your website maintains decent visibility online can seem like an uphill struggle. There are so many things that you can do to generate a little extra buzz around your brand, but for long-term growth, SEO is still king.

The multi-faceted system of processes and procedures can appear daunting initially, particularly as results may take some time to become fully noticeable. SEO is no quick fix. It is a constant evolution of a site that should ultimately make it more attractive to the all-important search engines. Through continual development and an in-depth understanding of the latest techniques and industry practices you can make your website stronger and more visible.
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Illustrate My Name specialise in Personalised Children’s Gifts, they supply Unique Gifts for almost any occasion, from Birthday’s to Wedding’s.

The company realise the potential of the internet and know that it will be key to the success of the business, therefore selecting a highly accredited SEO Agency that specialise in Search Engine Marketing was essential.

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Internet marketing professionals and SEO copywriters are always discussing the importance of keywords; but what exactly are they and what can keywords do for your site?

A keyword by its very definition is simply an important term, phrase or, of course, word. Whenever you visit a high ranking website you can be sure that someone somewhere has been optimising the site for keywords throughout. As with any SEO technique, they are designed to coincide with, and even premeditate, what Internet users are searching for in search engines.

Keyword Optimised Site Copy

The frequency with which the keywords are used, obviously within reason, will ultimately help your site achieve a better ranking for particular phrases. Some keywords are clearly more popular than others, so an important part of any good strategy is picking up on special niches. In a crowded marketplace like the Internet you have to find ways to make yourself visible, which is where a watertight SEO strategy, backed up by keywords, is invaluable.

Depending on the size and content of your site, the keywords could range from just a few essential phrases to hundreds of individual terms. Ultimately they are a reflection of what your company offers; whether that’s something as simple as a single specialist product or a complex construction of various brands and categories all from a range of different fields. Driving traffic to a site is no simple task though, so ensuring each page is optimised with relevant wording and as much quality content as you can muster is absolutely essential.

Boost Website Search Engine Visibility

Whilst Internet copywriting is, or at least should be, a largely organic process, keywords help to give you added focus and ensure that your copy remains on target; both for your audience and search engine spiders. In the bad old days you could fill pages with impenetrable language offering a keyword density that was so baffling it rendered the text unreadable. Search engines such as Yahoo, MSN and Google have made huge strides in eliminating such sites from their rankings; they have instead given greater weight to those who offer copy that is relevant, regularly updated and offers genuine quality.

Therefore you need to avoid the temptation of endlessly repeating the same phrase in the misguided hope that it will convert to ranking domination. There’s a fine balance to tread and everyone has their own opinion of what density is acceptable these days. But as long as your keywords are used within a free-flowing and informative body copy and in a natural manner, you should be on to a winner. Including them in Header 1 (H1) tags, Meta tags and sub-headings (H2 tags) will also help to really optimise your site’s content.

Copy plays a large part in the success and failure of any site. Attempting to cut corners and doing it all yourself or outsourcing to the cheapest available supplier can invariably end in disaster. Impact Media offer a professional SEO copywriting service to suit businesses of all sizes, helping to provide quality copy that can really make a difference.

Search engine optimisation (SEO) is one of the most important tools for businesses aiming to target customers on the Internet. It is part of an integrated package of Internet or online marketing activities that can massively increase the traffic to your website.

However, when most people design and build a website, SEO becomes an afterthought. When you have cold feet, putting your socks on over your shoes means you’re wearing shoes and socks, but something tells me it’s not the best way to do it.

Search engine optimisation and your online marketing strategies must be part of the initial planning of your website. Because too many people are willing to employ a web designer (many of whom have zero SEO knowledge) without fully understanding their marketing goals or the needs that their website will have. This means you can end up with a well designed website that isn’t fit for purpose.

It’s common for people to try to ignore the problem, to carry on and make small amendments as they go, but without ever making the most of their site. But let’s make one thing clear. Without effective SEO, you can kiss goodbye to your long-term success on the Internet, because you might be lucky now, but eventually, all of your competitors are going to get their SEO and online marketing in order and you will disappear so far down Google’s listings, no one will find your business.

Bringing in SEO experts before the design is the only way to do it, so that means discussing your business, its needs and marketing goals before the designer is even consulted. Your SEO experts should conduct their keyword research before any initial designs. Why? Because SEO should be wholly integrated in your site to get the most from it. And it’s a simple choice. Is your website just a big expensive billboard lost in the dusty wilderness of cyberspace. Or is it a way to increase revenue and build your business? The choice is yours, but SEO must not be an afterthought.

CMS systems help to create some very pretty websites; they’re easy to use and so people concentrate on the ease of creation, but so many of them are practically useless for marketing purposes, they become ineffective by not building SEO into the design.

So stop, before you spend time and money designing a website for your business that no one can find! Think it through. The way that potential customers find you is as important (if not more)as the aesthetic design of your site.

Most people just want to throw up a site because everyone else has one. But this ‘keeping up with the Jones and Co.’ mentality is what pushes people to build sites with no knowledge of how to get people to visit it. Imagine opening up a big restaurant in the middle of nowhere but failing to advertise your business or put up signs so that people could find you; that’s what putting the cart before the horse with SEO is like. SEO needs to come first if you want your business to succeed online.

If you’re planning a website and quite like the idea of people being able to find it, read more about our professional SEO services.

It’s a trying time for UK companies; you can hardly switch on the TV or the radio without hearing about the economic downturn and the gloom of the recession. Business leaders are under great pressure to take stock of their financial situation and cut back wherever possible; every pound saved means less dependence on immediate new business.

However, there is a slight paradox; if companies are to survive the recession and emerge strong and competitive with a healthy market share, then they must continue to invest in their sales and marketing to get more orders.

The wise choice then, is to market your company in a way that provides the best return on your investment. Those companies that have an online presence have an immediate advantage, since online marketing represents the most cost effective and beneficial opportunity to make a healthy profit.

As online marketing goes, the most immediate benefits can be achieved through the use of Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) strategies to push your business to the top of search engine listings in your chosen market.

By investing in the right SEO consultant to collaborate with you, you can increase the number of potential clients that find you online, based on the key words and phrases they have searched for in the likes of Google and Yahoo.

You may have the best products and prices in your market, and the confidence to provide a better service than your competitors, but if people can’t find you near the top of the list, you won’t get the opportunity to win their business.

You don’t need to sell products and services directly online to get the benefit of Search Engine Optimisation. Since a good SEO strategy is multifaceted by using a mix of optimised web copy, site content and article writing there are many different methods to grab the potential customer’s attention.

Once your business has been noticed and given attention by the customer, you can use a variety of cost effect direct marketing techniques (such as e-mail marketing) to encourage them to place an order.

Along those lines, it’s also worth remembering that a good SEO approach cannot only win new clients, but also help develop existing ones. As any marketing manager knows, it’s more profitable to develop additional business from existing clients than to solely rely on new ones, and online marketing is a perfect tool to achieve those results.

As consumers in the private and commercial sector look to get the best value for money in their purchases, they will invariably increase their online buying habits in the search for a better deal. This is comforting news for a marketing manager who is looking towards a strong online marketing push to get results.

Search Engine Optimisation is regarded by Internet experts and business leaders as the most effective and efficient way to transform your online presence into orders. SEO is a high impact tactic, and most importantly in these tough times, offers an excellent return on your investment.

If you’re a business looking to maximise the return on your marketing investment, Impact Media can help with cost effective SEO services.

When you’re writing copy for your website, you need to ensure that it’s SEO or Search Engine Optimisation friendly. Here are ten things to remember:

1. Write for your Reader
One of biggest mistakes people make with SEO Friendly Web Copy is trying to please the Search Engines at the cost of alienating the human visitors to their website. So your web copy should be written specifically to target your intended reader. This means imagining the site from the perspective of someone coming to it for the first time.

2. Clean Code
In order to get the most SEO value out of your website, your code needs to be crisp and clean. That means writing code that is well organised, well structured and correctly formatted. This will help your website’s relationship with the Search Engines stay friendly.

3. Use Images to Support the Main Message
A picture is worth a thousand words they say. But that doesn’t mean you should clutter your pages with unnecessary pictures. Find just the right images to support the main message of your website and each of its pages. Remember, Search Engines cannot read pictures, but your human visitors can really be persuaded by good quality, professional looking images.

4. Externalise Scripts
When using complex scripts such as Java, you can make your pages easier to read by placing the JavaScript into External Files. This will make them easier to read by Search Engines. If you must use JavaScript on your pages, consider placing it at the bottom of the page so that the Search Engines read your content first.

5. Keywords
Research your Keywords carefully, choose 2 or 3 priority Keywords and work them naturally into your web copy. There’s no point stuffing the pages with Keywords, as both the Search Engines and human visitors will find your pages of little value. Your copy needs to naturally feature your Keyword selections at the right density without losing its flow.

6. Use Headers
Your headers need to feature your keywords and your brand/company name. Search Engines often crawl this information first, so important decisions as to the relevance of your site are made at this point. Spend considerable time choosing the right copy for these Headers.

7. Copy Length
Keep your copy above 250 words if you wish to ensure that there’s enough space to get your message across without making the Keywords jar. Don’t waffle on to thousands of words; just keep your copy informative but to the point. People don’t read drivel and they won’t engage with reams and reams of text.

8. Benefits not Features
Describe the benefits that your product, service or company have to your potential customer or client. People don’t buy features, they want to know ‘What’s in it for me? When a prospective buyer reaches the point where they feel that your product or service would really benefit them, they will then consider buying.

9. Paragraphs
Keep your web copy to small bite sized paragraphs. Don’t give the reader too much work to do, web readers are lazier by nature and like to skip through to the important parts.

10. Proof Reading
Many people are so happy to have filled up their website with great copy that they forget to go back and proof read it. Silly mistakes make you and your comGpany seem thoughtless and unprofessional!

We hope this helps but if you’d rather spend your time managing your business, please review our search engine optimisation services page to see if we can be of assistance.

Search engine optimisation refers to the act of optimising a website to improve its rankings in the search engines.