Keywords, keywords, keywords. We’re told they’re the cornerstones of search engine optimisation. Brands rely on them to get onto the front page of online search results – and often pay a fortune to SEO experts promising to practise the dark arts of algorithm-manipulation to keep them there.
So, in a world where Search Engine Optimisation can seem like another planet (a planet where the climate is hostile and constantly changing – see picture) are keywords really the be all and end all of your website copy? And is spontaneous, original web content dead?
Authenticity rules
In short, the answer is no – to both. It’s content that’s king, rather than keywords. Above all, the best marketing content is relevant to your audience. It’s engaging, well-written, and makes them want to DO something (click, save, read on, even buy). Yes, it might include your keywords, but only in a way that feels natural, not forced – and never at the expense of meaning or quality.
Algorithms change, SEO hacks come and go. But the best content lives on, unaffected. It continues to draw your customers in and drive them to action. Because it’s written with your customers in mind.
Getting it right: our website copywriting tips
If you’re a brand wanting to get indexed and noticed, what are the webpage need-to-knows? Here are our top tips for writing winning web copy:
Write first, keywords second.
Get the page drafted before you get too hung up on which keywords to put
where. If they’re the right ones for your audience, they’ll most likely find their
way in on their own. And you can always have a good look through and work in
any missing must-haves after.
Location, location, location.
Think about the main messages your readers want to see (which most
likely are keywords, anyway), and make them work hard. Put them in places
they’ll be seen easily by readers: headers, first paragraphs, image captions.
Again, these locations are also Google-friendly, so making life easier for your
reader pays off.
Break it up.
Whether it’s a blog or a landing page, no one wants to read an essay – and reams and reams of copy won’t fly with Google either. Readers appreciate clear, concise and digestible content. And so, it follows, do search engines.
Signpost.
Thinking about your audience doesn’t just mean thinking about what they want to read. It’s about
knowing how they read. How many times
have you skim read an article on your phone on the train, desperately trying to
find the bits that matter to you? Use headers, lists and bullets. Link to
further reading if you need to. It will help readers get to the points they
care about quickly. And it’ll help Google scan your content (bonus).
Write
like you speak.
No meandering sentences, no meaningless corporate jargon. And no passive! When you only have a few seconds to catch – and keep – readers’ attention, don’t waste words. Get to the point quickly and succinctly. If you do, it could help your listings too: as SEO titan Yoast says, the rise of voice search is cementing the importance of readability in search results.
Make your web content
count
For us, the rule is no matter what, your audience should come first. Working the right keywords into your website copy can help Google find and index your page, but none of that matters if your website leaves visitors drowning in a sea of meaningless keyword stuffing and digital waffle. And more often than not, if you put your audience first, the search engines will follow.
Brand engagement agency R&T (Richmond & Towers) has been appointed by Brooklyn Brewery to oversee its social media presence in the UK. Following on from a successful year of leading UK PR for Brooklyn Brewery – which saw the launch of its new pilsner – R&T has won the brand’s… Read more
Are you ready to dive into the latest consumer behaviour trends? With the world around us continuing to evolve at pace, it’s more important than ever to keep up with what consumers are thinking, feeling and doing right now – and take a step back to consider the effect this… Read more
Get set to read up on the latest (and tastiest) goings on in the fast-evolving world of PR and social media. November has been a juicy month, so we recommend you grab yourself a snack and a cuppa (or suitable drink of choice depending on the time you’re reading this,… Read more
When I tell people I work in PR, it’s often met with an eyebrow raise, a wry smile and an “Oh, PR dah-ling – how glamorous!”. However, when I follow it up with “…in the built world,” people’s smiles can dissipate a little, and a look that falls somewhere between confusion and pity tends to take over. And for me, that’s the best bit. Because I get to explain just why I love what I do. Firstly, what is it? At Richmond & Towers, if it’s to do with buildings – how they’re designed, who’s responsible for them, what they’re made of, how they function, what goes in them – we’re interested in it. Our experience spans construction, energy, building products, homewares and interiors. We’re very proud to have worked for some of the biggest names in the business (and many who became big names because of our work together!). Audience-wise, the scope is just as broad – and thanks to many years in the industry and an enviable contacts book, we’re in prime position to target a whole variety of market segments. This includes home owners, property enthusiasts and interior designers, but it doesn’t stop there. We also build successful campaigns targeting architects, developers, specifiers, builders, contractors and engineers. Here are just some of the reasons why we’re proud to work in this arena at the top of our game: It matters The built world and progress go hand in hand, and much of what we do is geared around sustainability. From energy-saving heating and smart homes to world-first waste management technologies, we work with the real game changers who are helping to build a cleaner, greener, more energy-efficient future from the ground up. We also know that people’s homes should be a place to feel safe, secure and happy. It’s important to us to work with products that help build this kind of environment – whether that’s enabling people to cut down their bills and their carbon footprint, or just making life easier with home appliances and gadgets. It’s fast-paced In a market where interior design trends change almost daily and government subsidy can make or break a technology (see solar PV and the UK’s Feed-in Tariff scandal), things move quickly. Energy and renewables in particular have been real hot topics in recent years (pardon the pun), and some of our most exhilarating days at work have revolved around busy reactive press offices in the wake of a major new development or announcement. It’s varied The subject matter, audiences and media are extremely varied, and the nature of our work means we’re often involved with pioneering B2B campaigns and ground-breaking B2C activity. We’ve got a lot of impressive experience under our belt for some brilliant homes, interiors and consumer tech brands. Our work with online lighting giant LEDHut is just one case in point. It’s challenging On the B2B side particularly, a lot of what we do is very technical, so I would say it’s not for the faint hearted. As a team of writers and strategists, we relish getting to grips with new and niche topics: energy labelling, gas safety, the Renewable Heat Incentive, supercritical oxidation – no area is off limits. We’re great at it It hasn’t happened overnight, but a good deal of dedication, enthusiasm and hard work honing our sector expertise has seen us grow our team into a group of specialists who really know their stuff. And with experience comes reward: it’s genuinely a pleasure to work with the clients that we do now, on the kind of career-defining campaigns that make those dinner-party conversations with PR sceptics all the more satisfying.
Brand engagement agency R&T (Richmond & Towers) has been appointed by Brooklyn Brewery to oversee its social media presence in the UK. Following on from a successful year of leading UK PR for Brooklyn Brewery – which saw the launch of its new pilsner – R&T has won the brand’s… Read more
Are you ready to dive into the latest consumer behaviour trends? With the world around us continuing to evolve at pace, it’s more important than ever to keep up with what consumers are thinking, feeling and doing right now – and take a step back to consider the effect this… Read more
Get set to read up on the latest (and tastiest) goings on in the fast-evolving world of PR and social media. November has been a juicy month, so we recommend you grab yourself a snack and a cuppa (or suitable drink of choice depending on the time you’re reading this,… Read more
Richmond & Towers is very pleased to announce the addition of Norvento UK to its roster. Norvento UK is well known for delivering high-performance renewable technology (such as wind turbines and biogas plants) to help businesses break their dependence on fossil fuels. The company is now broadening its remit to launch a wider Advanced Energy Engineering Services offering. This will provide businesses with all they need to reduce their energy bills – by gaining control of their supply and optimising its use – and even wipe out their reliance on traditional energy completely, to become energy zero. The Richmond & Towers team has been briefed to launch the Advanced Energy Engineering Services part of the business in the UK: positioning Norvento as leading experts, building a brand presence amongst key b2b audiences and raising awareness of micro-grids as the future of energy supply. Explaining the appointment, Norvento UK business development director Ivo Arnús Montsalvatge says: “The Advanced Energy Engineering Services launch is all about expanding our offering in the UK market – and we need to make sure we’re talking to the right businesses, with the right messaging, at the right time. For this, we need a communications partner who really knows the sector, which is where Richmond Towers stood out. “The team has an impressive and rare depth of knowledge about the energy world, backed by real experience of the channels and tactics that will resonate with our audiences. We’re very excited to be working together on such a forward-thinking project, and we’re expecting to see some impressive results from the initial six-month campaign.”
Brand engagement agency R&T (Richmond & Towers) has been appointed by Brooklyn Brewery to oversee its social media presence in the UK. Following on from a successful year of leading UK PR for Brooklyn Brewery – which saw the launch of its new pilsner – R&T has won the brand’s… Read more
Are you ready to dive into the latest consumer behaviour trends? With the world around us continuing to evolve at pace, it’s more important than ever to keep up with what consumers are thinking, feeling and doing right now – and take a step back to consider the effect this… Read more
Get set to read up on the latest (and tastiest) goings on in the fast-evolving world of PR and social media. November has been a juicy month, so we recommend you grab yourself a snack and a cuppa (or suitable drink of choice depending on the time you’re reading this,… Read more