SEO Hosting Blog

Ideally, you want to keep your web copy as short and simple as possible. However, there are situations where long copy is necessary to give readers the information they need to make an informed buying decision. Thankfully, there are several things you can do to streamline long copy so that it’s more readable. Get stared by following these tips.

• Use a single column—Single-column layouts work best on the web as multiple columns force readers to scroll up and down, making it difficult to scan. More to the point, single-column websites achieve higher conversion rates by controlling the eye-path of readers.

• Avoid wide columns—The wider the column, the fewer the words that will be read. Remember, people tend to scan content online rather than read it word for word. This means the reader’s eyes tend to stay focused on the left side of the copy. By narrowing your column, you put more words in their eye path, allowing you to deliver your message more effectively.

• Stick to short paragraphs—If you’ve ever come across a big block of text online, you know just how unappealing and intimidating it is. Most people would rather click “back” than to suffer through reading a long block of thousands of words. To make the copy easier to digest, you need to break it up into short paragraphs containing about 3-4 sentences each. Always place the most important information at the beginning of the paragraph to ensure it gets read.

• Place descriptive subheads throughout—No matter how long your copy is, someone should be able to scan through it and know what it’s about in less than 30 seconds (ideally, in about 10 seconds). One way you can get your message across quickly is to use bolded, descriptive subheads throughout the copy. Make sure each subhead clearly explains what the section is about.

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The man many consider to be the greatest ad man of all time, David Ogilvy, used to always preach the importance of conducting thorough research before writing a single word of copy. Research is the best foundation for coming up with profitable ideas and the right angle for your copy. Without it, you’re like a blindfolded drunk trying to throw a bull’s-eye while playing darts at the local bar.

Because this is an SEO/Internet marketing blog, I’m only going to discuss the importance of research as it relates to writing your website copy.

•    Understanding your product—You’d be surprised how many companies have a skewed view of their product. Either they think it’s way more impressive than it really is (because they’re biased) or they don’t truly understand which features/benefits their target audience cares about. In Ogilvy’s book Ogilvy on Advertising, he discusses an advertising campaign he created to increase tourism to Britain. One prominent British government official told Ogilvy he should feature trout fishing in his ads to the U.S. market. Ogilvy responded by pointing out that research indicated there were 49 other benefits of traveling to Britain that interested Americans more than trout fishing. Know the true appeal of your product!

•    Analyzing the competition—A careful study of your competition is a crucial step to take before writing your web copy for several reasons. First, you need to identify exactly who your competitors are. Next, you need to know what their online presence consists of. In other words, are they active in social media? Have they optimized their website? Lastly, you need to examine their actual website copy. What benefit are they playing up?  Who do they seem to be speaking to? What’s their USP? Knowing all of this will help you create the right angle for your copy.
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