SEO

What Are Signs To Redo Your Website For Your Business?

Post-pandemic, the business world is even more online than ever before. And that means that your target audience is more likely to refer to your website before engaging or even working with you. Because of this, it helps to know more about the signs to redo your website.

But if you’re like many of the entrepreneurs we work with, you have a million tasks on your plate and your website is one of the things you don’t really want to touch. 

We get it. 

Even as copywriters ourselves, we struggle to find time to update our website copy. And that doesn’t even touch the design aspect of it! 

Ready to boost your business’s digital marketing? Partner with a network of copywriters and other creatives to get started.

7 Clear Signs To Redo Your Website In 2023 To Keep Up With The Digital Landscape

We asked a few of our website designers and developer partners for the signs to redo your website and why it matters. Does your business’s website fall into any of these reasons?

1. Your Website Isn’t Aesthetic OR Mobile Compatible

Kyle Griffin of Creative Heights Agency said that aesthetics is a big reason to redo your website. It should fall in line with your current brand and where you want to take your business. If it doesn’t, this is a big signpost that you may need to refresh an outdated theme on your website. 

Griffin also mentioned that if your website “isn’t properly optimized for mobile, you should definitely redo it. Over 60% of searches are made from phones and if your site is hard to use on mobile, people will likely leave.” 

Haley Ryan of Mac Ryan Creative Studio reiterated the importance of a mobile-friendly design. All design needs to be optimized for multiple devices (i.e. desktop, tablet, and mobile). Why? You don’t want your users or potential customers to waste their time zooming in and out to navigate your website. Again, the more time it takes a user to find what they’re looking for, the more likely they are to bounce from your website to a competitor’s.

2. You Lack Traffic & Conversions

In addition, you may have noticed a lack of organic traffic to or even conversions from your website. Griffin provided a couple of reasons why this may be:

  • Outdated web technologies. Search engines want to rank sites that are using the latest and greatest technologies. You don’t see many websites using Flash anymore, and that’s for a good reason. 
  • Inaccurate or outdated web copy. Google’s goal is to provide its users with the most up-to-date relevant content available. If your website’s content does not offer any valuable information, it’s less likely to appear early on in search results.
  • Broken links. Think about the user experience and make sure that you’re walking your potential customers through an undisrupted path. Finding information about you and your business should be an easy and smooth experience. Of any signs to redo your website, a single broken link is something you want to address as soon as possible.

3. You Avoid Updating Your Website Because It’s Frustrating & Difficult

We hear ya! Updating your website takes time and energy that you don’t feel you have. Having an outdated theme on your website makes updating incredibly frustrating and difficult. Whether your theme has reached its end of life or the other web technologies has made it impossible for you to receive updates, it puts your website in a position of perpetual ineffectuality. 

An attractive and comprehensive website takes time and skills to build properly. And many entrepreneurs feel helpless when it comes to updating their websites for this reason. However, using a creative team with a proven process for updating websites has the potential to return $100 for every $1 you spend! 

Ready to jump on the chance to start seeing more profitable opportunities? Let’s talk about your business’s growth goals.

4. You Have BIG Plans For Your Marketing

As the new year gets closer, marketing plans are being strategized. Maybe you currently have a landing page or single-page site and you’re ready to expand. This is a great opportunity for you to make your website look, say, and perform just the way you want it. 

Ryan also mentioned that “you have long-term goals that require more processes baked into your website.” A good designer will help you strategize a site that actually works for you rather than sit as a pretty brochure. 

5. Your Website Takes Forever To Load

Another good indicator that it’s time to redo your website is if your website takes forever to load. Kirstin Russ from Mountains to Sea Media reiterates this point:

“Your website should load in under 1 second for an informational site and under 2 seconds for an eCommerce site. As consumers, we want everything instantly and have no patience for slow loading sites, so we just move on. Every time someone bounces from your website, you lose that immediate potential for a new client and likely long-term potential if they never return.” 

So what happens when you have a slow load speed? 

  • 32.3% of site visitors bounce when the page speed is 7 seconds (compared to 9.6% when the page speed is 2 seconds) (Section.io
  • Site visitors will visit an average of 5.6 pages more when load time is 2 seconds rather than 8 seconds (Section.io)

6. You’re Experiencing Security Issues

Wehther it’s a hack, unsecure, or just looks sketchy, your audience will take notice and avoid, avoid, avoid. Especially if you take personal or credit card information online, your attention to security is imperative for your business’s reputation.

Let’s say you click on a website warning you to return to the previous page because of a security issue. Do you feel…

  • Comfortable giving credit or debit card numbers to make a purchase? 
  • Confident that your personal information is safe?
  • Certain you won’t fall victim to an online security breach?

…Or do you continue past the warning and take the risk?

A few customers might choose the latter but many will simply leave your website and find a safer one to visit.

7. Your Brand Has Changed

Brands change over time – either out of market necessity or simply because the business is changing. Ryan advises that when “you have a bigger story to tell vs claiming a domain on the internet just to require a person to reach out”, you need to investigate a complete overhaul of your site. As a branding expert, both the design and copy are imperative to providing a better (potential) client or customer experience. 

Brew Up Business With The Best Digital Marketing Baristas At Your Side

Did any or all of these resonate with you as a business owner?

Yes, updating your business’s website can be overwhelming. This is exactly why various creative industries thrive! From copywriting, graphic design, website development, and beyond, you don’t have to do it alone. And we wouldn’t let you anyway! Schedule a discovery call with us to get started.

Focus Your Copy On Conversation & Conversion

Let’s Grab A Virtual Coffee With Us To Discover How To Boost Your Words
5 Benefits Of Content Writing For SEO

5 Benefits Of Content Writing For SEO

In marketing, the term SEO gets thrown around A LOT. But hearing it coming from so many different directions doesn’t necessarily define its importance or why it should matter to you. 

Have no fear, FocusCopy is here to explain the benefits of content writing for SEO!

For starters, SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. In more basic terms, it’s the strategic process of getting your web pages to rank higher in Google’s search results. 

Are you wondering why Google is the SEO ledger board when other search engines are at play? According to Statista, companies that rank on Google are more likely to get the most business than those who rank on Yahoo or Bing.

When you search a topic in Google, do you sift through the results and choose to read an obscure article on the 8th page? 

Okay, so maybe you do. 

But the majority of audiences click on links closer to the top of the first page. It’s easier and safer to assume those results will be most in line with what you’re searching. 

How Content Writing For SEO Helps Your Business

Wondering if keeping SEO a goal in your content writing is worth it? Here are 5 reasons content writing for SEO helps businesses succeed.

FocusCopy can help your business create the right kind of buzz with successful content marketing strategies. Schedule a time to chat here.

1. Increases Your Google Ranking

Where your business ranks on Google can seriously affect your business. After all, you want your ideal audience to be able to find you, right?

If you’re not ranking high enough in search engine results, then you are severely limiting your brand’s reach. Content writing for SEO can help you seriously increase your rank and visibility to a larger audience.

However, it’s important to remember that content writing for SEO is a science. Successful content writers utilize specific elements to write quality content that positively impacts SEO.

Google’s algorithm uses over 200 factors to rank web pages. However, these factors also tend to change. This means copywriters, content writers, and other marketing professionals are responsible for always keeping up with the latest trends and changes.

To save you hours of valuable time, here are a few things to keep in mind for your content writing:

  • Strategic keyword placement
  • Formatting should include elements like H2 and H3 headings
  • Thoughtful use of the meta description and title tag 
  • Backlinks to your website and other credible sources
  • Legal use of personal or public images

However, the real science lies in utilizing these SEO boosting tools while keeping emotion-provoking content as the central element. More simply, don’t forget there are people on the other side of the screen craving a human connection.

2. Builds Your Brand Awareness & Authority

You believe in your business. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have started it in the first place. Give other people a chance to believe in and support your business, too. 

But to do this, you need to let them know it exists.

Content writing for SEO is a great tool for building your brand awareness. Even better, content writing for SEO can also elevate your brand as an industry leader. With more visibility and higher authority, your audience has more confidence in your business. Otherwise, you risk being just another business in a long line of results.

FocusCopy leverages your brand messaging and credibility to write content that helps your business reach and engage with a larger audience.

3. Keeps Your Audience Engaged

Capturing the attention of your target audience is one thing. But keeping that audience engaged requires an entirely different strategy.

If you consistently publish meaningful content that answers your readers’ questions, they are more likely to return to your website. And after finding value in your website, the likelihood of them converting into paying customers also increases. 

However, too many dead ends after clicking on your links will have your audience saying, “Thank you, next.” 

Don’t let your message fall flat. Instead, learn how content writing for SEO can have your audience giddy to see your latest newsletter, read your latest blog, and more.

Celebrate each stage of engagement as it is a stepping stone in your customer journey. Furthermore, nurture each engaging audience member because you would never want to alienate what could be your biggest lead yet!

Need help strategizing how to engage your audience and boost SEO? Connect with me here and let’s start planning!

4. Boosts Your Business’s Conversion Rates

Different from copywriting, the goal of content writing is to engage your audience with information or entertainment. But it’s important to realize that content writing is an effective tool you can use alongside copywriting. 

For context, the goal of copywriting is to persuade readers to take action. Think of content writing as copywriting’s sneaky sister.

Thoughtful content writing keeps your audience engaged. Meanwhile, the goal of both content and copywriting is to market your business’s offerings. 

All this to say, quality content helps increase your business’s conversion rates. This means you can effectively utilize your content to make more sales and grow your business. 

5. Helps Your Ideal Customers Find You

Word-of-mouth marketing can work in certain situations. But the problem is that it severely limits your brand’s reach. 

For your business to be successful, you need to get out of your social circle. Help all of your ideal customers find you by boosting your web presence. Opening up your brand awareness to a larger audience means higher conversions, sales, and, ultimately, revenue.

As marketing professionals, we’ve seen too many small businesses get caught up in the whirlwind of friend and family support. Some small businesses have even made the choice to scale based on their successful first quarter. But the problem is that you can’t count on your friends and family to be your main source of income. 

Instead, you should hold back on scaling until your business is successful among a broader customer base. 

Build Your Brand’s Credibility With Professional SEO Copywriting Services

FocusCopy is the non-agency copywriting firm that specializes in only writing copy. While marketing firms and agencies stack their plates with a plethora of services, I realized that writing is consistently the most grueling task that knocks other projects off balance and behind schedule.

By offering copywriting services, agencies, firms, small businesses, and entrepreneurs can outsource their writing needs. And this means they can focus on their most important tasks.

Whether you need an SEO-boosting blog, an engaging newsletter, converting website, or anything else copy related – the FocusCopy team is here to help. Schedule some time to learn how FocusCopy can help you meet your marketing goals today.

Focus Your Copy On Conversation & Conversion

Let’s Grab A Virtual Coffee With Us To Discover How To Boost Your Words
what are content pillars

What Are Content Pillars? INSIDE: A Content Pillar Strategy For Your Business

Stuck in a content rut?

Trying to figure out how to say what’s on your mind in the right way on the right platforms?

Grouping and organizing your ideas into content pillars is the go-to process successful marketing professionals use.

At FocusCopy, we use content pillars in client projects and our own. It allows us to zero in on a subject matter, splinter across platforms, and provide a one-stop educational stop for readers.

Content Pillar Basics: What Are Content Pillars?

Basically, a content pillar is a single long-form piece of content that you can break down into derivative sections. 

You know all those marketing channels you’re struggling to fill?

You can utilize one large piece of content (the content pillar) and then break it down into smaller (quicker to read) pieces of content. 

By focusing on a single content pillar, you can easily turn the sub-sections into additional blog posts, infographics, email newsletters, social media posts, and more. Moreover, this will help to reach your ideal audience through the different platforms where they linger – essentially helping customers find you!

As an example, do you know what an MSP is?

(Psst…it’s an acronym for Managed Service Provider, another term to define an IT expert you would want to hire for your business.)

While an MSP is extremely helpful in keeping a business’s networks optimized and secure, a content pillar helps to explain the “why” to customers.

So, in this instance, we could write a long-form content pillar blog about MSPs. In this blog, we may include sections such as:

  • What is an MSP?
  • Which tasks do MSPs handle?
  • What questions should I ask a potential MSP?
  • Signs your business needs an MSP
  • Things to look for in an MSP

Now, we have one go-to blog that covers all the details. 

But it gets better!

We can use each of these sections to write an entire short-form blog about that specific topic. Not only does this help answer any questions readers may have, but we get strategic with SEO, too.

Need help devising a content pillar plan? Get in touch to learn how FocusCopy can help you!

How To Efficiently Plan Content

I love a whiteboard moment! ClickUp’s whiteboard integration allows the FocusCopy team to visually brainstorm blog topics. Essentially, we’ll start with the main topic in the middle and branch off. 

To change things up, let’s look at another example. Consider a health and wellness coach who wants to provide quality information on how readers can start living healthier lives. Let’s use “healthy living” as the central topic.

Within the whiteboard, I’ll branch out ideas of healthy living. These ideas may include the following:

  • Meal planning to make healthy eating easier
  • Quick exercises you can do at home
  • Benefits of strength training 
  • How to stick to a bedtime routine
  • Get your circadian rhythm in tune with the sun 
  • Which vegetables are best eaten seasonally

Honestly, my team could go on and on with a list like this! And what’s really cool (yes, this is cool to us!), we can easily branch out of each of those bulleted items above for additional content. All this to say, if you want to write about health and wellness, we are ready!

The idea is to write one long blog about healthy living. This long-form content pillar blog will include all of the items listed above. Then, we’ll write individual shorter blogs focused on each of the specific topics. 

However, the whiteboard isn’t the only tool available to brainstorm. I personally love it because I’m able to create tasks within ClickUp directly from the whiteboard. This allows me to make the most of each moment of my time. Plus, my copywriters can get to work writing away as soon as their tasks are posted to the calendar.

The Benefits Of Content Pillars

Content pillars are more than just a way to utilize a brainstorming session. Here are a few of my favorite benefits of content pillars.

Streamline Content Organization

Figuring out how to organize content can sometimes be the most difficult task. While we have SOPs on SOPs, each client we work with has their own process. They may get their content ideas to us through topic review meetings, a single email with everything provided, or a sequence of attachments, references, and inspiration. 

However, it’s our job as copywriters to bring that information together in a digestible format that our clients’ readers want to read. After all, with so much data at our fingertips, the copy has to be compelling, or readers will quickly move to the next blog.

Streamlining helps us organize the tasks on our end and how we organize the content in everything we write for clients, like blogs, newsletters, website copy, and more. 

No time to brainstorm your content pillars and other copy needs? Reach out to FocusCopy and we’ll get started!

Effectively Provide Information About Your Business’s Offerings

Blogging is a not-so-secret tool that has a load of benefits. However, I’d argue the two most important benefits are:

  • Offering credible information to readers to help them learn more about your business
  • Increase SEO ranking to help your future clients find you on the internet

Consider a business that sells card games. They are cute enough to give as gifts and great to pack for vacations. But could you do more to incentivize readers to make a purchase with blogs that:

  • Talk about the amazing memories made by sitting around a table with an old fashioned deck of cards
  • Explain the rules for more complicated games
  • Game night necessities like a music playlist, a themed cocktail, or a spread of easy-to-eat dips
  • Game night no-go’s like fragile crystal wine glasses and messy meals 

Providing this type of information in blogs gives your readers answers to their most common questions. Plus, it provides inspiration for a fun night with friends and family.

With a content pillar, you can write one long blog with everything your readers need to know about game nights. Then, you can splinter this info into content to engage your audience across all your different channels.

Boost SEO & Help Your Ideal Customers Find You

Marketing is a science. And it’s been proven that organic growth is more sustainable than abrasive in-your-face marketing tactics. That’s why we love SEO missions!

By writing a content pillar blog and more niche follow-up blogs, you put your business in a position to publish consistent material – both in terms of time and remaining true to your brand voice.

Plus, when you backlink your relevant blogs (and other credible sources) to each other, the SEO algorithm likes it. Which gives your brand the SEO boost it needs for a larger audience to find your business and convert into paying customers.

No Time For Content Pillar Brainstorming? Leave It To The Pros

Hearing the phrase “content pillars” may make a copywriter’s ears perk up, but we realize that not everyone feels the same way. And, we understand that, as a business owner, you have your hands full – to say the least.

Rather than dive into the task of writing a content pillar and then splintering it across your channels, hand it over to the experts. At FocusCopy, we take the dreaded task of writing off the heavy shoulders of small business owners.

Together, we can come up with a plan, and then my team will get to work producing quality copy that will help grow your business. Want to chat about content pillars and other copy for your business? Schedule some time to chat with me here.

Focus Your Copy On Conversation & Conversion

Let’s Grab A Virtual Coffee With Us To Discover How To Boost Your Words
business growth

How A Copywriter Boosts Your Business Growth

Does owning, operating, and growing your small business ever feel like a whole lot more than what you signed on for?

As a fellow female entrepreneur and small business owner, I can 100% relate! 

Plus, FocusCopy has worked with over 90 different brands across 4 countries. So I see firsthand how other business owners experience this, too. 

But did you know you can outsource a big chunk of your to-do list to a copywriter?

This is a professional who will take your ideas and strategically implement them into your marketing – which means you can get your much needed sleep with one less to-do keeping you up at night.

Plus, an experienced copywriter can boost business growth with converting copy that will help your brand messaging get noticed by the right people.

6 Ways High-Quality Converting Copy Can Take Your Business To The Next Level

For you to see meaningful business growth, your target audience needs a few things from your first. From knowing you exist to trusting that you’ll meet (or exceed) expectations, it’s all critical. And it all ties into your copy’s brand messaging. 

Boost your business growth with expert copywriting in your cup. Reach out today and book your discovery call. 

1. Allows You To Focus On What You Do Best – Running Your Business!

Do you know who understands your industry, business, and brand best? 

Pssst…it’s you!

That’s why your focus should always be on doing what you do best. And that is running your business!

When business owners get caught up in tasks they’re not confident in or don’t enjoy (like writing), time seems to slow down. Just a few minutes feels like an hour. You can’t seem to turn what’s in your head into digestible copy that you feel comfortable putting out into the world. Then, when you finally decide to push the writing aside, you’re too flustered to continue through your to-do list. 

Hand off the copywriting tasks to the experts and focus on your strengths while we focus on ours. 

2. Identifies Your Target Audience & Their Pain Points

Copywriters do more than write about your brand. We dig into the details with research. This allows us to learn who your target audience is and what they want from your business. 

Good copy offers a solution to your reader’s problems at a personal level. When they see that you can make their lives easier, they notice!

This is why at FocusCopy, we strategically craft copy that speaks to your customers’ needs. To do this, we emotionally connect with your readers.

This requires a special skillset of getting to know your customers and how to relate to them. For instance, did you know the right use of power words and persuasion principles (like repetition) can help you convert readers into paying customers?  

We have a lot of writing tricks up our sleeves. Are they obvious if you don’t know what to look for? Nope. And that’s the point. Our carefully and strategically crafted copy reads easily and organically. 

3. Builds Your Brand’s Credibility

Sometimes, you can have all the right words and a prospective client is still too hesitant to work with you. It makes sense because if they don’t know you, why should they trust you?

This is why building credibility into your website is so important. 

Whether you are a B2B or B2C company, your customers are at risk when investing their money in a new-to-them business. How do they know you’ll deliver what you promise? And how do they have confidence that your product or service is a worthwhile investment?

The FocusCopy team knows how to wager your credibility to put your readers’ minds at ease. Some of our favorite credibility factors include:

  • Brag about the well known entities that trust your business (but not in a tacky way!)
  • Show off your certifications and awards
  • Give the social proof that readers want with testimonials, case studies, and even some in-person networking action
  • Link your mentions in the press, the podcast episode you appeared on, and any instance you were publicly recognized as an authority figure in your industry
  • Offer a guarantee or warranty to hedge any risk that prospects may feel

However, there is a science behind establishing credibility. You want to keep it customer-focused. Because news flash…readers don’t care about you. They care about what you can do for them. 

4. Keeps Your Brand Messaging Consistent

Want to know the easiest way to confuse and turn off prospective customers? It’s easy. Infiltrate your brand messaging with inconsistent copy. 

It’s no coincidence the word focus is in our name. After all, we have loads of processes that ensure the copy we write is clear and focused on the objective. And with our clients, that means writing copy that will convert readers into paying customers. 

One of our favorite processes is our brand voice guide. We’ve developed a questionnaire that allows us to zero in on a client’s tone, emotion, and overall voice. And this also gets deep into the details of each client’s ideal customers. Because, again – it’s not about you. It’s about finding and converting the people that want to work with you. 

5. Helps Your Ideal Customers Find You

Customers have to know you exist before they can even consider working with you. 

Word of mouth speaks highly of your business in social circles. But you wouldn’t be brainstorming marketing ideas or even reading this blog if you were content with your current number of customers. To be successful, you have to break out of that circle and share your products and services with the world.

One of the best ways to do that is through search engine optimization (SEO). However, effective SEO requires continuous research to keep up with Google’s never-ending algorithm. 

You are busy running your business, so dedicating time to learning SEO and keeping up with its constant changes isn’t something you want to add to your to-do list. That’s where FocusCopy comes in!

We strategically place effective keywords into our copy to help our clients’ websites appear higher in the search engine results. Don’t you want your business to be the first to appear when someone searches for your product or service? Of course you do! Because you can’t count on your ideal customers to sift through pages of search results to find you. That’s why we make it easy.

6. Ensures Quality Copy That Will Actually Convert To Sales!

Did you have someone proofread your last social media post, email newsletter, blog, or website copy? 

More importantly, did the proofreader catch any glaring errors? 

Or did they respond with a sweet, “Looks great!”? 

While compliments are nice to receive, you need someone who will catch your writing errors and not be afraid to speak their voice. Otherwise, your ideal customers are going to be the ones who notice. And they’re not likely going to take the time to let you know. 

At FocusCopy, we are constantly evolving our processes and adding to our documentation. Each piece of copy is crafted with care and then sent on to another professional writer to edit with their fresh eyes and perspective. Nothing is sent out without at least two professional copywriters scouring the page. This allows us to produce quality copy every time. And with that consistency, we are able to raise our client’s Google ranking and convert their readers into paying customers. 

Boost Business Growth With FocusCopy On Your Side

Do you know your brand messaging needs help but don’t know where to start? 

We’ve got you covered. 

Whether you enjoy or loathe writing, we can help you craft the perfect message and get it to the people looking for your solutions. FocusCopy offers done with you and done for you services. We even have an awesome course to guide you through writing your own website! 

Ready to give your business the buzz it needs? We’re here to help. Get in touch and let’s talk about how we support your business growth with quality copy.

Focus Your Copy On Conversation & Conversion

Let’s Grab A Virtual Coffee With Us To Discover How To Boost Your Words
what to look for when hiring content writers

What To Look For When Hiring Content Writers

How do you know what to look for when hiring content writers? 

You’re a small business owner, which means you must justify every cent of your budget. 

As a writer, it’s my job to delve into my creative superpowers. However, as a business owner, I also understand why it’s hard to know what to look for when hiring creative professionals. 

Writers tend to have resumes longer than a page and freelance work sprinkled into their experience. Because writers are part of the creative process, it’s also tough to put an exact number on a project’s progress (psst…I have a tip for this, too). But there’s more to finding a quality content writer than a lengthy resume. 

If you’re looking for a content writing professional, I suggest using these 7 qualities of a content writer before you make the big hire.

Don’t want to spend too much time and money sifting through what to look for when hiring content writers? FocusCopy is the jolt you need to get your copy going.

What Is A Content Writer? 

Content writers use a combination of creativity and optimization to ensure their writing hits the right goals and ranks higher on search engines. The first part is key to making your copy flow, while the second is crucial for your online presence. 

A content writer will work with you on your website to improve your search engine optimization (SEO), allowing more people to see your content. A quality content writer will usually work on creating consistent content rather than focusing on a one-and-done project.

Why Does Your Business Need To Hire A Content Writer? 

Copywriter, content writer, editor, and simply writer are all used interchangeably. But they don’t truly mean the same thing. A copywriter can tell a story or sell a product or service by engaging their audience and converting them with persuasive writing. A content writer focuses more on educational information and other technical aspects to get your content in front of your target audience faster.

Need a team of writers to take on your copywriting and content writing? FocusCopy is here to help.

7 Traits To Look For When Hiring A Content Writer 

There are many content writers out there, but here’s how you find the right one.

1. A Willingness To Learn

One of my favorite quotes by Albert Einstein is,

“The more I learn, the more I realize how much I don’t know.”

Albert Einstein

Even after years of formal education and work experience, there’s always an opportunity to learn something new. Your content writer should be open and excited to learn about your business, operations, and anything else you can teach them as a professional in your field. Ongoing education creates room for better writing and a stronger connection between yourself and your content writer. A content writer who strives to quickly pick up your company’s purpose and turn those thoughts into words will be your winner.

2. Pride Is In Their Work, Not Their Voice

A good question to ask during your interview is, “How would you describe your personal writing style?”

Then ask, “How would you describe your writing style when it comes to your clients?”

It’s important to ask both because every writer has their own style, but their professional success depends on the work they produce – not typically their own voice. 

It helps to ask for a portfolio or samples of their writing before you decide who to hire. Their sample work will give you a good idea of what level of quality you can expect and insight into how they write across several industries. How you measure the quality of their work leads us to our next tip.

3. Substantial Documentation For Quality & SEO

Your content writer should track SEO content over time to ensure that it’s producing tangible results. A method to track quality content writing is done by measuring key performance indicators (KPIs). This can look like your:

  • Audience reach
  • Sales made
  • Amount of increased referrals
  • Number of calls to action made
  • Increased visits to your location or website

Don’t worry about using another business’s KPIs to determine your success. Find one appropriate for your company and use it to measure your success moving forward. 

As you see an increase or decline in results, have open conversations often with your content writer. Open communication while working together lets them adjust their methods when needed to reach your collective goals. 

4. Knowledge Of What Your Target Audience Needs & Wants

You wouldn’t consult with a dermatologist for heart surgery. You might talk to a general surgeon, but it’s ideal to speak to someone who specializes in what YOU need. 

Apply similar logic to find a content writer. If your audience expects a professional tone and industry-heavy jargon, find someone who understands this or has worked in your industry before. 

You can also find a content writer who can adapt their writing to the proper audience. Their writing should have the ability to connect with the reader and relate to them in a way that feels natural. Writers with various work backgrounds, agency work, public relations, and other marketing creation will most likely have the experience necessary to give you what you need. 

SEO is still important, but plugging in content that ranks higher on Google can feel robotic. A good writer will weave in optimized content while making the copy easy to digest.

5. Ability To Take Constructive Feedback Without Wilting

Have you ever heard that creatives can be sensitive?

While we all have our moments, we’re professionals like anyone else. Being able to take criticism and apply it with care is definitely one of the qualities of a content writer. This is important because then, you can talk to them freely and as an expert in your field about:

  • Making necessary changes
  • Rewording
  • Refreshing headlines and subheadings
  • Tweaking their style
  • Any glaring issues

Their process for feedback should be swift and responsive, so you can get back on track without missing a beat. If you need edits and revisions quickly, set this expectation beforehand so it’s clear moving forward.

6. Flawless Processes In Place

When searching for what to look for when hiring content writers, find one that is process-driven and organized. If you’re curious about this process, ask!

Processes will include things like:

  • Research and discovery
  • Outlining content
  • Writing
  • Editing
  • Proofreading
  • Revisions

How they take on projects will give you a better idea of how they prefer to collaborate, communicate, and adhere to deadlines. This is a fantastic way to find out if they’re the right fit for the writing you need. 

7. Quality Proofreading

Yes, proofreading is mentioned above, but I’m repeating it because it’s THAT important.

The last thing you want is to hire a content writer who doesn’t check their work! No matter how many keywords appear or how relevant the content is, it doesn’t mean a thing if it has a ton of errors. Trust me. Your customers will notice if the writing itself looks sloppy. Your ideal content writer will check and double-check to ensure everything looks good before hitting ‘SEND’. 

Turn To FocusCopy For All Your Content Writing Needs

As a business owner, time isn’t usually on your side. Your decisions need to be intelligent and quick (but not too quick). 

If you’re looking for content writers with loads of experience, FocusCopy is the team assembled for you – ready when you are. Skip out on printing resumes and scheduling interviews, and fast forward to the part where your writing is taken care of for you. Why search for what to look for when hiring content writers when a team with all the qualities you need already exists?

Save yourself the search and schedule a call with the FocusCopy team today.

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is blogging once a month enough

Is Blogging Once A Month Enough?

Businesses of all sizes and marketers want to know how many blogs are enough blogs?

But, the better question is… What can you consistently do? 

Sure, you can say that blogging three times a week is ideal for your small business. 

But can you actually uphold that type of schedule (and not burnout)?

Unfortunately, there is no right answer, and it truly depends on your goals. You also need to have a few things available to you to keep up with a consistent blogging schedule that will produce relevant content for your business.

Looking for a hot cup of blogging content? Contact FocusCopy today.

How To Determine The Number Of Blogs You Should Publish Per Week

You know those days when you wake up with a laundry list of items on your to-do list, and you feel like crushing it? Maybe you grab your favorite cup of coffee, snack on some strawberries, and feel completely ready to tackle the day. But then you go into a last-minute meeting, add a few more items on your list, and address a few concerns. Before you know it, it’s 4pm, and your list is still looking a bit… heavy. 

It’s okay and it happens to all of us! 

But having an inconsistent schedule can greatly impact your blogging experience if you have unrealistic expectations. Because, unlike other tasks, blogging truly takes time for you to brainstorm, write, and review before hitting the publish button.

So, take a look at the following and create a reasonable blogging schedule that will actually work for you.

Identify Your Goals

What’s the timeline you’re looking to accomplish your traffic generation or blogging strategy? 

If you’re looking to scale and see meaningful results in 6 months, consider publishing more blogs on a monthly basis. But if you want to scale your business sustainably, then find a cadence that works for you. 

Identify each of your content goals – including your target audience, the purpose of your blog, and what action you want your readers to take. Know exactly who you’re speaking to, and write in a way that will resonate with them. For example, if you work in a niche field where most people understand industry terms and famous sayings or phrases, it’s okay to use them. But if you’re speaking to an audience who may not be as familiar with the subject matter, make it simple.

If your idea is to be educational, stick to that and don’t complicate your message. Maybe you want to tell a story. Keep it concise, clear, and to the point. Too much back and forth or personal references may confuse your audience.

Always have a call to action (CTA). Whether you want your readers to call you directly, fill out a form, or look at something else, sprinkle CTAs throughout your blog.

Unfamiliar with blogging or how to get started? Unload your writing duties to the team at FocusCopy.

Delegate The Writing Task

No one knows your business better than you do. But if you don’t have the time, hate writing, or are hyper-focused on perfection, then delegate blogging to someone else. And don’t just choose anyone on your team – even if you feel like they have the time. Choose someone who knows:

  • You and your business
  • How to write with your voice
  • How to maintain their time

Hit all of these marks, and you’ll be able to delegate your blogging to someone who knows how to write in your voice and who you can trust to get the job done on time.

Additionally, no one likes to be micromanaged for responsibilities they are more than capable of doing. You might want to review their work for a few weeks before publishing, which is perfectly fine. You want to ensure they’re hitting the right message, speaking in your voice, and so on. But it’s important to give constructive feedback for a short time and then allow them to take the reins moving forward. And instead of checking in daily or every other day, check back monthly to be certain that your blogging is where you like it.

Schedule The Tasks

In a meeting, it’s one thing to mention that you would like to see actions taken right away. But if you and your team are busy, those items tend to get pushed off more than others when not assigned. Clarify your intentions by assigning blogging tasks, and ask your team to make it part of their regularly scheduled assignments. In fact, a great way to think about blogging for your company is to think of yourself as your own client!

Another important aspect of DIY blogging is allowing yourself or your writer enough buffer time towards the end of each month. Blogging is usually the first to be pushed back in the event of an emergency. The expectation is that you still need those blogs done, but there is some wiggle room in case other items take precedence.

We’ve found that the best way to assign these tasks is by following the order of:

  1. Outline topic and key elements
  2. Write the blog
  3. Edit with the business owner, co-worker, or peer
  4. Revise edits
  5. Perform a (search engine optimization) SEO check
  6. Hand over for a final review
  7. Publish and share the blog post

Have questions about SEO and blogging? Check out our blog How Does Professional Copywriting Help Your Business Grow?

Hold Yourself Accountable

Suppose you have room to write blogs yourself. Schedule that time in your calendar and make it non-negotiable. Mute online notifications, send calls to voicemail, and treat this time as though you’re in a meeting with a client – but the client is YOU!

Don’t stress over looking at a blank page. Your first step is outlining your blog, remember? So think about what you want to say and dump all of it on a notes page. Then organize your thoughts so they flow and make sense. Plug in those three CTAs, and you’re all set! 

Holding yourself accountable also means being real with yourself. If you find that you cannot be consistent with three blogs per week, try one blog per week. Once you build that habit, test yourself and try over time to increase your blog posts per week.  

Our Answer: Publish 2 Blogs Per Month

If you are just starting out or want a good starting point for consistent blogging, start at two blogs per month. This is an easy metric to move up or down. Block out the time for those two blogs and get them done!

Outsource Your Blogs

If you’ve already tried blogging or know you don’t have time for two blogs a month, we can help. We’ve worked with over 80 different companies on their blogging goals by producing high-converting copy to help scale their businesses. Our process is worthy of a chef’s kiss for copy, and we couldn’t be more excited to get started on blogging for your business.

Have questions? Talk to FocusCopy to get started on blogging to grow your business.

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create backlinks

How To Create Backlinks & Drive Valuable Traffic to Your Landing Page

As you’ve transitioned your storefront and services online, you can’t help but wonder how people are going to find your website. You know that almost 88% of people in America shop online, but how will your business reach them? 

But on top of building or updating your website, you’re figuring out shipping logistics. You’re creating social media pages and finding quality IT support, (not to mention balancing your personal life obligations). Learning how to bring people in online is a problem to solve later. 

However, you understand that the more customers you have visiting your website, the more likely it is that you close sales.

And of course, you’d be right! 

Then, after all the hustle and bustle of getting your website live is over and things have calmed down for just a second, you keep seeing the term SEO pop up when you’re googling strategies for online marketing. But it might as well be gibberish – search engine optimization? What even is that? 

As it turns out, the way to generate more web traffic has a lot to do with SEO – especially a little term called backlinks. 

What Are Backlinks? 

Backlinks play a huge role in your SEO ranking on search engines – especially Google. 

Basically, backlinks are links within a piece of content that sends a reader to another website when they click on written text. 

For example, if you were writing a blog article about “How to Make Cold Brew Coffee”, you might want to talk about the best brand of coffee for the brew. Including a link to the coffee vendor’s website is an effective way to provide your readers with even more information or resources. 

After you hit publish and the blog post is live, the business you linked has now earned a backlink from you. This makes search engines give their website a vote of confidence – so to speak. 

When this happens, Google begins to recognize the linked website or article as providing valuable information. Backlinks are like your digital reputation or credibility in the eyes of Google. So when more websites link to your own, search engines see that you’re providing value to users online, and thus, raises your ranking in its index.  

Which, in turn, leads to more organic traffic! 

Simple enough, right? Well, “how do you actually create backlinks?” you might ask. 

1. Create Exemplary Content 

Quality content is first and foremost the secret ingredient to successful SEO marketing. 

The returns from high-quality written content for your SEO game are two-fold. First, well-researched, properly formatted, and grammatically sound content written by professionals will signal to Google that you produce quality information on your industry. Copywriters and content marketers know how to not only capture your brand’s voice and speak in the direction of your audience, but they know how to incorporate keywords into their work. That means when someone searches Google with certain words or asks a question, your website will come up – ready to solve their problem or steer them in the right direction. 

All of this already gives you a massive boost to your SEO standing. 

But as an added bonus, the better your content is, the more likely it is that other websites in your industry will link back to your articles. So you’ll earn Google’s stamp of approval for producing good content and when others in your industry recognize your thoughtful work. 

Need a team of master writers to support you in all your SEO endeavors? Our copywriters are on standby. Sign up for a discovery call with us today

Skyscraper Content (Or How To Rise Above The Rest)

Skyscraper content is a type of content that rises above every other existing piece of content on the same subject. While challenging and time-consuming, (skyscraper articles should be 1,500+ words, ideally, even more!) investing your energy into creating long-form skyscraper content could give you an edge. 

Similar to pillar content, you can use skyscraper content as an opportunity to create in-depth educational guides and online courses. Or you can focus on a single question being asked by your audience and answer it extensively. 

If creating a skyscraper piece sounds a bit intimidating, you can always create a smaller version first. Then over time, add more to the piece. Plus, constantly refreshing your content can also improve SEO

Guest Blogs: Share Your Perspective & Insight! 

Another way content creation can create backlinks is through guest blogging. Reach out to other professionals or publications that are in your industry, and ask to write a blog for them in exchange for a backlink to your website. Doing this may even expand your network and make you new connections. 

However, you’ll want to be sure your values align with the publication’s, and that you have some work to show as a reference.  

Find Broken & Old Links, Then Pitch Your Content As Replacement!

Once you have quality content in your arsenal, try digging around online for a while, reading various articles about your industry. Sometimes, older backlinks can take readers to a website that was taken down after the article was originally published. That means the backlink is basically broken and isn’t providing value to the reader or the website that’s hosting it. 

When this happens, reach out directly to the website owner and pitch your content as a replacement backlink. Finding broken links might take a while, but you might be surprised at how many you discover. And, reading those articles provides an opportunity to learn more about your industry.

Either way, finding broken backlinks is a surprisingly effective way to build up your backlink portfolio. 

2. Collaborate & Connect With Your Industry and Network

Another way to build up backlinks besides just creating content is by connecting with others in your industry and network. What’s more, this gives you an opportunity to dive deeper into your industry and audience (and even create professional connections). 

Get Listed On A Resources Page

One of the simpler ways of building up your backlinks is by having your content featured on a resources page. While exploring websites in your industry, look to see if they have a “master list” of website links to other domains. 

Many websites put together a page for their readers where they can learn more about a specific topic. For example, food blogs may have links to websites with more recipes. So send a message to the admin with a link to your content! 

Hop-On A Podcast 

Found a podcast in your industry that you love? Reach out to the host and see if you can join them for an episode.

Joining a podcast allows you to dive right into the heart of the conversations taking place in your industry. You’ll hear perspectives from other professionals, engage directly with your audience, and have the opportunity to share your thoughts with the community. 

Not only is this great publicity for both you and the podcast, but you’ll also have the chance to earn a quality backlink on their website as well. 

Help Out A Journalist

Sometimes, journalists need to speak with experts in certain fields to interview credible sources. You can volunteer your time to answer questions about your industry to help a journalist complete their story. Just ask them to link to your website in the finished article! 

This strategy can set you apart from competitors because a journalist has chosen you to act as a thought leader. When someone who has limited or no knowledge of your industry reads the journalist’s story, they’ll be sent right to your website. 

Ask For Testimonials 

After you’ve been working with a client for a while, ask them if they would like to exchange testimonials about each other’s services. For example, in exchange for your testimonial, you’ll display their testimonial on your website, and then backlink to them. Not only will this generate more backlinks, but it may also bring in more clients since you’re actively promoting each other’s work. 

3. Be Wary Of Quality Backlinks vs Toxic Backlinks

While you might think more backlinks are better, the SEO benefits from backlinks come from the quality of backlinks, not the quantity. 

Originally, Google’s algorithm looked at the number of backlinks more than the actual quality of the link. Naturally, buying and selling links was common practice to quickly accumulate links and rise to the top of Google. 

Now, Google considers backlinks generated in this way as “toxic”, and they harm your SEO ranking instead of bolstering it. 

But, this is just one example of a toxic backlink. Additionally, if websites with similar pages all link to your website with the same hyperlink or anchor text, search engines may register you as trying to build links quickly and maliciously like the tactic above. 

Either way, when you have a toxic backlink, Google’s algorithm will automatically penalize your website. That harms your ranking on the index. 

Want to guarantee that all your backlinks are high-quality? First, you’ll need content written by the expert writers at FocusCopy! Contact us to learn more about how we can help your business grow

How To Remove Toxic Backlinks 

Before you work to remove any potentially toxic links, you’ll have to identify which links could be causing you trouble. 

The Backlink Analytics tool from Semrush generates data about your backlink portfolio and can identify which links might be harmful. And thankfully, there are some ways in which you can remove a toxic backlink from your website. 

For starters, you can reach out to the website’s host and ask them to remove the link to your content. If the link is actually coming from a quality domain but Google incorrectly categorized it, you can ask for a manual review of the link from Google themselves

You can also use Google’s “Disavow” tool from their search console to remove toxic backlinks. WARNING: You’ll want to read up on how to properly use the tool to ensure you don’t harm your website’s search performance. 

Partner With The Content Experts & Create Backlinks

Content really is king when it comes to SEO. But when you’re juggling business obligations and your personal life, there’s simply not enough time to create content yourself. 

To grow your business, you need a team of copywriters who can support your content creation, make your brands stand out from the crowd, and help you bring in more leads. So, reach out to us at FocusCopy! We’d love to talk about your goals and how we can help you achieve them. Schedule a discovery call today.

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Copywriting Help Your Business

How Does Professional Copywriting Help Your Business Grow?

You have your product, a clear idea of what it does, how it helps people, and the price of sale.

And you have all the numbers, figures, facts, and marketing strategies all brainstormed and laid out. 

Even though you keep seeing recommendations to hire a copywriter or are studying writing techniques yourself, you aren’t placing too much stock into the idea. 

After all, words are just words. Right? They’re easy enough to put down. Even though it’s been a while since high school English and freshman composition class, you send texts and emails every day. So putting together a few sentences about your product and uploading them to your website should be plenty. 

You’ve also budgeted for social media ads that you’re feeling confident about writing yourself. After all, isn’t it really the product that matters most and not the advertising attached? 

So, you move forward with your launch. It’s an exciting moment! You’ve been working your way up to this point for quite some time, and you’re ready to help people and change the world. 

However, after a few months, you aren’t making many sales. In fact, it doesn’t seem like your web traffic is even breaking more than a few visitors a day. Or maybe you’re having the opposite problem. Maybe your ads are getting a lot of clicks, but no one is making the purchase.

What gives? 

It’s Not What You’re Saying – It’s How You’re Saying It

Believe it or not, you do need more than a few sentences on your website or advertisement to actually convince people to buy your offer. 

Now, you’re spending extra hours in the morning and late into the night learning about copywriting because it keeps coming up as the missing piece to your success

But, “what even is copywriting? Isn’t that like a trademark?” You think to yourself. 

Copywriting is a powerful form of marketing that has been used for more than two centuries. Even if the practice has looked different throughout the passing of time, copywriting’s goal has remained largely the same. 

The end goal? To close sales, of course! But when done well, copywriting can even position your business and brand as leaders in your industry – making you stand out from the competition and rise to the top. Your customers’ problems are solved, and your dream of having a successful business is accomplished. 

Therefore, it’s really no surprise that copywriting can help your business thrive. Because no matter its form, the aim is always to move prospective customers closer to hitting that “Order Now” button on your website. 

4 Ways Professional Copywriting Can Help Your Business

Copywriting – not to be confused with copyrighting – encompasses many different parts of a marketing strategy. So, it’s easy to understand how you might feel a little unsure at first how it can actually help your business. 

At the most basic definition, copywriting is any piece of writing or content you might find on a website, billboard advertisement, newspaper ad, and even a flyer you receive in the mail. 

Copywriting is also part of commercial advertising (if you’re still watching cable television these days), as well as slogans, catchphrases, and infomercials. 

Really, copywriting is everywhere, and has been for quite some time!

Nowadays, thanks to so many businesses moving online, it’s especially beneficial for businesses both new, old, large, and small. In the digital realm, copywriting takes the shape of sales letters, email newsletters, social media posts, blog content, video scripts, and more. 

From coffee roasters to law firms, no matter your industry, product, or service, copywriting acts like support beams to your entire foundation. It helps you solidify your mission and message, connect with your audience, and grab the attention of those who’ve never heard of you. 

1. Copywriting Improves SEO & Increases Organic Traffic

Recently, you’ve been looking for new desks through Google. So, you’ve been searching for things like, “best desks for home office” and you immediately have a wide variety of beautiful desks in front of you. 

You click on one of the first few websites that come up because they grabbed your attention. 

Well, that’s copywriting (and a little SEO strategy) in action. Not only does copywriting help your website actually show up in search results from Google, but that brief little description underneath the website link was written by a copywriter. You knew almost exactly what you would find before you even clicked on the link. 

But, maybe you want to learn more about this specific brand’s furniture. You might not find it featured prominently, but if you dig around a little, there’s a good chance you’ll find a section dedicated to Blogs. 

Why is that, you might wonder? Well, blogs are a form of copywriting that actually serve two big purposes. 

Blogs Offer Free & Valuable Information

First of all, blogs are a way for brands to provide valuable information to their customers – which often leads to better B2B or B2C conversions. 

Maybe you want to know how the desk you’re thinking about buying was made. Look through their blog, and find the piece that covers their whole assemblage process! 

Maybe you care about the environment and you want to be sure the desk is constructed with sustainable materials. In their blog section, you’ll probably find articles detailing their commitment to sustainability. 

See what’s happening here? You had questions and their blog has already provided you with the answers. So, essentially, the goal of blogs is to address your questions, needs, and concerns in greater detail. 

What kind of business would you most likely purchase a desk from? The one that has a lot of information available about their desks and products? Or the one that has nothing but a desk and a check-out button? 

This example can be applied to a lot of different kinds of businesses and industries. 

Need to schedule a dental appointment but you can’t choose between two different offices to call? 

While one has good reviews, you can’t find anything about their services, pricing, or commitment to providing you a good, pain-free experience. The other office, however, has full-on articles and FAQs about ways in which their dentists help you through dental anxiety – which, (we know the feeling, believe us) is something you’ve struggled with since you were a kid. 

So which office has closed the deal and earned your call? I’ll let you decide! 

Blogs Boost SEO 

The value of blogs doesn’t end with informational content for your customers. You see, the only reason you clicked on that website with all the desks in the first place, was because of a little thing called SEO

SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, is like putting up highway markers leading to your business. Picture the interstate highway system lined with every furniture store on the internet. If you just type in “furniture store online” into Google’s search bar, you’re going to find a lot of results. 

That’s because all of these businesses have put up signs that say something like, “This is a furniture store. We sell furniture here.” 

But let’s say you type in “furniture stores near me.” Now, your search is going to be more localized. You may have fewer results, and the stores will specifically be in your area. 

Can you guess why? 

The furniture stores near you have indicated to Google that they sell furniture in a certain area. They probably have a physical storefront, as opposed to furniture stores that sell exclusively online. 

But how did they get Google to register their business in a certain area, and understand what it is that they sell? 

For this part, look through their website! 

What words do you see on their page? If they have a blog, what kind of topics are they writing about? 

When a business wants to show up on search engines for certain phrases or search queries, they use copywriting to incorporate those words into their web pages or blog content. 

This signals to Google to show their business for the keywords people are searching for. 

Simple enough, right? 

Well, good SEO doesn’t quite end here. 

Word Count & Quality Content 

You see, the more content a business uploads each month, the more web traffic it generally will receive – which makes sense if you think about it. 

The more signs they put up on the highway, the more road trippers start to recognize their brand and offers. 

We won’t get too technical here. Generally speaking, blog content with a word count of a thousand words or more is thought to be “quality content” in Google’s eyes. While word counts of two thousand words or more will yield even better results for your website. 

In fact, there have been several studies from notable content marketing agencies over the past two years that have done deep dives into the correlation between word count and SEO results

However, the content must be quality. This means well-researched, well-formatted, and well-written! You shouldn’t expect grammatical errors, spelling mistakes, or incomplete thoughts to bring in much organic traffic. 

Additionally, you should never copy and paste someone else’s entire work onto your website or blog content. Seriously, don’t. 

Google has ways of recognizing bad content that’s just trying to game the system and will punish your website link by making it more difficult to find or remove it from its results completely. 

Ready to have a steady stream of quality content up on your website? Schedule a discovery call with FocusCopy, and we’ll take the content process off your plate. Freeing up your time to focus on your clients, business, and personal life. 

2. Copywriting Builds Relationships With Your Audience & Fosters Community

Brands and businesses benefit a lot from having an active online community. 

For example, do you want constant feedback on your offer? Having an online community to engage with on social media allows you to easily take stock of customer opinions. 

Additionally, you can get to know your customers on a more personal level, which helps you better serve their needs (more on that later). 

Copywriters can help your business build an online community by creating email newsletters, content pillars, and by giving away free information such as the content on your blog. 

Content pillars are like ebooks or in-depth articles about specific topics in your industry. The goal is to provide value to customers even if they don’t all make a purchase. 

Encouraging visitors to sign up for your newsletter allows you to communicate directly with your customers through their email inboxes. But you need a persuasive subject line and copy to really convince customers to take action on your promotion or offer. 

3. Copywriting Speaks To Your Customer Needs 

Understanding your customer needs is a big part of having a successful business. And it can mean several things. 

For example, your customers are more likely to respond to brand voices that they connect with or relate to. Copywriters are effective at capturing brand voices and speaking your customer’s languages

And once you’re speaking your customers’ language, you know their goals, problems, and where they are mentally and emotionally. 

Because even though copywriting is about closing more sales – it does this by solving customer problems. Effective copywriting does this by making your customers feel heard, understood, and that your business cares about helping them. 

Let’s solve problems together. Schedule a discovery call with us, and we’ll help you make your business vision a reality.  

4. Copywriting Strengthens Your Power Of Persuasion 

The purpose of copywriting is ultimately to drive customers and users to action. 

Whether that be signing up for your newsletter and email list, following you on social media, or of course, choosing to buy one of your products. Good copywriting leads your customers through a funnel. Until, eventually, you close a sale! 

The more effective your copy and research, the more likely you are to generate revenue. However, good copy still needs a quality product or service to offer potential customers. 

The most persuasive copy won’t help you if customers are leaving bad reviews about your product and telling all their friends and family about their horrible experience. 

Increase Your Conversions With Focused Copy 

Your business deserves to be on your customers’ radars. You’ve put time, money, and a lot of effort into making a service and product that actually helps people and improves their lives for the better. 

Don’t you want the best team of copywriters at your side, supporting you each step of the way? Contact us today, and together, we’ll develop a plan to tackle each one of your business’s objectives.

Focus Your Copy On Conversation & Conversion

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pillar blog post

Create A Pillar Blog Post That Sells

You’ve heard of a pillar blog post before, but can’t help but feel lost. You’ve been working on your marketing and you’ve nailed the use of keywords throughout your blogs. Or so you thought. That’s all it takes, right?

It seems simple enough, doesn’t it? Write relevant and engaging blogs and plug in the keywords as you go. But you’d be misinformed to think that blog posts with keywords are all you need to rank ahead of your competitors.

Now, you’re not entirely wrong. Blogging for SEO used to be an amazing way to boost your website traffic. However, content marketing has changed and requires a little more work than monthly blog posts.

Enter pillar blog posts. We’ll talk about what they are, and how you can create one that helps you make money.

Would you rather get pillar blog post assistance directly from the experts? Get started with FocusCopy.

What Is A Pillar Blog Post?

A pillar blog post is a long-form piece of content that is written covering a specific topic. It should be broad enough to offer a comprehensive look at the subject. Yet, it should also be definitive enough to get into some, but not all, of the nitty-gritty details. 

How To Write A Pillar Blog Post That Sells

Find out what you need to get started writing a pillar blog post for your business. 

Start the structure, then write! This will help you save time whenever you’re ready to write.

Collect Your Keywords

Before you sit staring at a blank page, you need to start with the keywords you’d like to target. Use whatever tools you normally would to narrow down some reasonably achievable keywords that apply to your business and what you have to offer. 

When it comes to the keywords you’re aiming to target, make sure they:

  • Are relevant to your business
  • Can be combined in discussion with a service or product you offer
  • Are interesting enough to pull in your target audience

Once you have your keywords rounded up, you’re ready to put together an outline. Putting together the foundation of your pillar post will help you (a lot). That way, you have something to go off of when you’re writing, and you don’t need to struggle to come up with the next topic as you go.

Define Your Topic Clusters

If you’re unfamiliar with topic clusters, they’re truly simple to understand. What your pillar page is about will be your broad topic. 

As an example, this may be “Facial Plastic Surgery” if you’re a cosmetic surgeon. Or you may want to talk about “Air Conditioning Maintenance” if you own an air conditioning company. Both of these are broad enough to have the ability to discuss a bunch of other topics within them. These are called topic clusters and will consist of related topics you go a little more in-depth with. However, you shouldn’t worry about discussing each one in too much detail. You only need to talk about each topic enough to give a comprehensive view and why it’s essential.

Using our example as a cosmetic surgeon, you may want to discuss the following under your “Facial Plastic Surgery” pillar blog post:

  • Rhinoplasty
  • Chin implant
  • Cheek enhancement
  • Brow lift
  • Lip fillers

For your “Air Conditioning Maintenance” pillar blog post, you may want to cover:

  • HVAC definition
  • Common problems resulting in AC failure
  • DIY fixes
  • Benefits of AC maintenance

As you can see, there are several things you can talk about. Each one of these things makes up a topic cluster. Flesh out your topic cluster based on the broad topic you’ve chosen. Then, you’re ready to move ahead with your pillar page.

Don’t Forget The Hyperlinks

Hyperlinks define your content – ultimately defining it as a pillar page. Adding hyperlinks into your content allows the reader to click and reach another page on your website. Whether it takes them to a more in-depth blog or service page, these links will help Google navigate your website, improving your ranking. 

Another important element here is making sure that the linked page is also hyperlinked to your pillar page. This way, your reader can get right back to the pillar page without any trouble. It creates a sort of full-circle moment and helps Google understand what your website is about. Then Google can determine whether you’re offering valuable content rather than stuffing keywords into copy that isn’t well-written or helpful.

Is A Pillar Page A Blog Post?

Yes and no. This can be difficult to understand because pillar pages look like web pages but are longer than regular blog posts. The truth is, they’re a combination of the two with a purpose.

Your typical blog posts are pretty specific, and the reader knows exactly what to expect from it. This type of blog post is probably about 1,500 words. Its topic is narrowed, coming from the expert (you), and can contain many keywords to help your ranking. 

However, you can think of a pillar blog post more as a what-you-need-to-know page. It’s full of topic clusters, which help organize your content as you go. You can talk about them all on your pillar page, but you wouldn’t go into as much detail as you would on a devoted blog. You can also use the space to answer commonly asked questions your clients are most likely to ask.

RELATED: 6 Essential Elements In A Blog You Need To Include Today

Can I Use My Page As A Blog Post?

Yes. As mentioned above, pillar pages have an interesting blend of blog and website components. Additionally, you can use them as blog posts for your business as long as they have the necessary aspects needed to serve as a pillar page genuinely.

How Long Is Too Long For A Pillar Blog Post?

Let’s start by saying pillar pages do need to be long. And they certainly need to be longer than your regular blog posts. However, there’s no need to go overboard and write 20,000 words on a single page. Your sweet spot will be at 2,000 words. It’s okay to go over a little bit, but you don’t want to overwhelm your readers and force the topic if you’re starting to lose your intention.

If you’re having trouble and don’t know where to start, talk to the team at FocusCopy.

Perfecting Pillar Blog Posts For Clients In All Industries

Google and its algorithm can be a nightmare to navigate, especially if you’re not too up-to-date in the digital marketing world. But that’s okay! As a business owner, you’ve already done so much and perfected your own craft. So, if you feel like you know where to begin, but don’t have the time and tools to do it yourself, allow the experts at FocusCopy to guide you. 

We can not only walk you through the process, but you’ll have open communication every step of the way.

What do you say? Let’s grab a virtual coffee and get going on your digital marketing goals.

Need help writing pillar blog posts for your business? Contact FocusCopy for help.

Focus Your Copy On Conversation & Conversion

Let’s Grab A Virtual Coffee With Us To Discover How To Boost Your Words
blog as a health and wellness coach

Why You Need A Blog As A Health And Wellness Coach

Calling all coaches! Have you ever thought about why you need a blog as a health and wellness coach?

You may think they’re only for semi-famous coaches or professionals who use their website as their main source of traffic. You may even think you just don’t have the time for it because it won’t benefit you.

But health coach blogging of any kind can do wonders for your business as well as the brand you’re building. And they’re not just for cutesy photoshoots to share on social media platforms! In fact, Harvard Health Publishing says that health coaching is effective

Blogs that are written in your voice share a sense of your personal side, which helps your audience to connect with you more. Blogs also help place you as a quality resource or authority within your field, which looks incredible to readers who are open and willing to learn more about what you have to say.  

Still not convinced? Read on and find out more about why you need a blog as a health and wellness coach.

Have other questions about copywriting for your business? Reach out to get going on blogging, website writing, and so much more.

4 Major Reasons Why You Need A Blog As A Health And Wellness Coach

The best part about blogging is that you don’t need to overthink it. As long as you have genuine advice and put it together in a way that makes sense, you’re golden! 

Not to mention, having one blog, even if you aren’t sure what you’re doing, is better than having nothing at all.

Let’s take a look at exactly why health coach blogging can help you.

1. Boost Your Website’s Ranking

When it comes to battling it out for a better online ranking, health and wellness coaches who already blog have a leg up. However, it’s important to say that it’s never too late to start blogging. Because the algorithms change so much, no one is guaranteed a top spot on any search engine. Boosting your website’s ranking takes some time and work, but can improve greatly with blogs.

The cool thing about blogs is that they have a few elements built within them that bump up a website’s ranking without thinking about it too much. 

Target Those Keywords

Keywords are going to look like what most people would search when hopping online. In the health and wellness industry, for example, that may look like the following phrases:

  • Finding a local holistic health and wellness coach
  • Delicious vegetarian recipes with added vitamins and minerals
  • Best exercises for maintaining a balanced mind

On the other hand, they may look more bare-bones like:

  • Health
  • Healthy living
  • Mental health
  • Wellness tips
  • Daily health practices

As you can see, many search terms range from extremely broad to very specific. But that’s what’s great about the internet…there’s something for everyone.

Target certain keywords surrounding your business by using some helpful (and sometimes free) tools like Yoast SEO and Semrush.

Include Headlines And Subheadings

Headings and subheadings may seem like they appear because an English teacher told you they had to be placed within an essay forever ago. And they were partly right!

Not only are they an ideal way to break up the text, but they also provide some mega bonus points in the SEO department.

Place in headlines and subheadings that include your target keywords or phrases. Doing so will place your blog above others without headlines and you’ll show up easier without having to search for specific terms.

Come Up With Relevant And Original Content

This is important because you don’t want to get too caught up in replicating someone else you may admire. You also don’t want to get flagged for plagiarism. One way to avoid these things is by using your blog as another form of communication with your clients.

In other words, talk to your audience in your blogs just as you would speak to them in person. It omits the use of words or phrases that you wouldn’t normally say and prevents you from sounding too cookie-cutter.

Set Internal Links

Internal links are all a part of playing the game of SEO. These links lead to other pages on your website, leading your audience where you’d really like for them to go. Whether that’s a contact or purchase page, internal links help them get there quickly.

Furthermore, using these links within your blogs helps your website rank as Google is able to find it easier. They help gauge how your website is put together and what you find to be a priority. If Google finds it important, it’s more likely to rank higher than other pages and websites.

Add Videos And Images

Videos and photos are a fun way to keep your audience engaged throughout your blog discussion. They can even help pull them in and persuade them to read a blog they didn’t intend on reading. In addition, if you’re explaining something that may be tough to understand, photos and videos can help.

Choose high-quality images that are relevant to your subject. Then, by adding a caption, your image is about 300% more likely to be seen than the body copy itself.

2. Establish Yourself As An Authority Figure

Who do you turn to when you’re searching for information online?

Chances are, you read blogs to get information from people or organizations who have an established blog page. Now, this doesn’t necessarily mean they are the end-all and be-all of the subject matter you’re searching. But it does mean they did the work to put together the material and publish it online. Because of this, you and others are more likely to see them as authority figures and return to them for more information in the future.

You know your material, and you have a passion for it that goes unmatched. Show it with a blog packed full of your insight and best practices wrapped up in your voice. Ask for engagement and thoughts. Get others involved in the discussion and answer your clients’ frequently asked questions comprehensively.

3. Lead An Audience To All Other Tools Offered

Blogs are a natural way to lead your target audience to your services and products for sale. This step is better known as the one that hopefully makes you some money!

For example, you’ve just written a blog on ten best practices for meditation at home. Someone reading and getting to the end of your blog may want to know who they can hire to help them with more stuff just like that. Here’s where you come in with some killer call-to-actions (CTAs).

These CTAs can be:

  • Interested in my services? Contact me today to get started on your health and wellness journey.
  • Ready to reach the better version of you? Order the health and wellness package that fits you best.
  • Tired of feeling mentally exhausted? I can help. Call me today to get started.

They’re simple but effective ways to lead someone to another level of your business. The end goal? Getting them one step closer to making a buying decision.

4. Build Your Brand

Finally, health coach blogging builds the brand that is you and everything you have to offer. You may be on every social media platform that exists and then some. Or you may be sticking to your website. Wherever you are in your business journey, blogging can help expand your audience and target those you want to work with.

When people read your blogs, they get an idea of:

  • Who you are
  • Your voice
  • How you can help
  • Why they should care about you

Anything that puts more of a face to your business as a health and wellness coach couldn’t hurt. 

Now you know why you need a blog as a health and wellness coach. Remember, ranking with SEO methods is just as important as making it less about B2B writing and more about the human-to-human connection.

Having trouble navigating your branding? Contact us today and we’ll get started from scratch just for you.

No Time To Write? Not A Problem.

You believe in helping others. And we believe that you have something important to say. This means there’s no need to hold back when it comes to marketing your own health and wellness business. 

If we know anything, we know blogging as a health and wellness business does so much more than people realize. If you’re aware of why you need a blog as a health and wellness coach and just want to get started, you’re in the right place. With us, you’ll get a better blogging plan and a copywriting team whose main move is making your business its top priority. 

Grab a cup of joe with us and see how health coach blogging for your business can get you results and revenue you may be missing out on.