Technical Writing for the Web
Writing content for your website used to only be about ‘keyword density’—stuff as many of your target keywords onto the page without sounding completely nonsensical, pack your bags and go on vacation for a week! There is no doubt the major search engines still “read” the text on your website and use it to determine your rankings. But search engines interpret your content a lot differently than before. They are now smart enough to know that, for example, if your website seems to be targeting the key phrase “web design”, there are a lot of other relevant keywords that should also appear throughout your website copy: HTML, CSS, search engine optimization, social media marketing, etc. If you don’t pay adequate attention to this focus on keyword relevance, you’re missing huge search engine optimization opportunities. However, don’t forget you have to strike a very fine balance, because you’re not only writing for the search engines, you’re also writing for your human audience.
Telling Your Story
Writing for the search engines is important, but don’t forget about your human audience. What good is your well-ranked website if your human visitors arrive and aren’t inspired to buy from you? Your website must appeal to visitors on an emotional and intellectual level, and your copy is crucial for generating that appeal. Before our copywriters can tell your story we must learn more about you, your company and your customers. We will hold a copywriting interview to uncover interesting details about you and your business that will make your story more compelling. We need to learn about your customers and what motivates them so we can speak more directly to them. We will leverage your expertise to present the value of your products and services and effectively position you against your competitors. Your website copy should energize your customers and convince them to buy from you!
PRESS RELEASES AND BROCHURE COPY
Strategies used when writing for websites is very different from strategies used when writing for other mediums. Writing copy for print collateral such as brochures and rack cards generally requires more succinct messaging focused on value proposition language and stronger call-to-action. There are also different layout considerations to be made when writing for print brochures: bullet pointing and headlining are very important for allowing readers to scan your print pieces easily. Writing ad copy for banner ads require even more succinct messaging because of such limited space. Finally, if you’re writing press releases, you must pay strict attention to proper formatting and attention-grabbing headlines if you want your press releases published. As you can see there are many approaches to be considered depending on the medium for which we’re writing, as well as audience considerations.