Freelance Copywriter: Understanding the Basics of Freelance Copywriting

We get many enquiries about our copywriting services. One of the most frequent questions is “How can you write about my business or industry when you have no experience in it?”

It’s understandable that business people have some doubts about a freelance copywriter’s ability to understand their business and industry. An experienced freelance copywriter, however, can write about a range of businesses and industries without having worked in them.

SEO Copywriting Services ─ Get Found Online

If you are considering SEO copywriting services, here’s a brief overview to help you choose the best options for your needs and situation. 

You can invest your time and money in developing a great website only to find that you aren’t generating the amount of business you expected. Unfortunately, the belief that a website by itself will magically generate more business is false. People searching for your products or services need to be able to easily find you. The key is SEO copywriting, a branch of digital marketing. 

SEO copywriting is a set of techniques to make your website more search engine friendly with the goal of getting a higher ranking on free (organic) search results pages (organic search results appear in the middle of each page, with paid results appearing at the very top of the page). 

Does your site come on the first page of results when you conduct an internet search for the specific keywords describing your products or services? If not, applying SEO (search engine optimization) copywriting techniques on a consistent basis will help you reach this goal.

Besides writing, other basic elements that play a role in search engine optimisation include:

  • relevant and interesting content
  • good website structure (including title tags and meta descriptions)
  • links to your website from other sites (called backlinks) and a structured link-building process.

Here we’ll focus on SEO copywriting as the first step and having quality content that can help increase search rankings. 

SEO copywriting services with the right copy for your site

Part of your site’s ranking is determined by how relevant your content is to what people are searching for. You need to know what terms people are searching for to determine the best keywords and phrases (also called search terms) to attract your target audience before you start your SEO writing.

You can use online keyword research tools such as Google Adwords Keyword Tool to find the keywords and phrases being used, and how often, to search for your product or service.

Let’s say your company sells laser printers. Here are the average monthly search volumes for Google searches in Australia for the following phrases.

  • laser printer  74,000
  • laser printers  33,100
  • colour laser printer 9,990
  • colour laser printers 3,600

These are only a few of many keywords and phrases used to search for laser printers, but they show us how to choose more effective keywords for your site with SEO web copywriting in mind. Keywords and phrases that are more exact, such as ‘laser printers Melbourne’ or ‘cheap laser printers Melbourne’ are known as long-tail keywords. Although the search volume for these isn’t as high as the main keywords, they are more specific and can help you generate more business.  

Notice that there are more than double the number searches for the singular than plural forms of the phrases. This is important because most search engines, including Google, treat singular and plural words and phrases differently. When writing SEO content for your site, you will want to prioritise the terms laser printer and colour laser printer.

When analysing websites, spiders and robots look for the density of keywords and phrases on pages. The optimum keyword density depends on the search engine, but you’ll want a keyword density of around 2.0% (experts differ on this, so there’s no agreed number). If you use keywords too many times in your website content, it can be flagged by Google as ‘keyword stuffing’, resulting in a downgrade of keyword ranking. User experience is also an important consideration when creating SEO web copy, as this will affect your search rankings as well. 

If you were writing a page describing your laser printers, you would want to repeat the phrase laser printer often enough using SEO copywriting so that it makes up around 2 per cent of the copy on the page. The challenge is to do this in a way that seems natural and doesn’t annoy your readers. There are many free keyword density tools online that you can find by doing an internet search using the phrase keyword density.

Another question is how you will present the content. SEO copywriting can be used to create a landing page (where you sell your product or service) or blog post where you share your knowledge with customers and prospects. While a landing page is good for getting enquiries and makings sales, a blog post gives you more scope for developing content around your keywords. 

Include relevant and interesting content when SEO writing

Having relevant content for your site will help with search engine optimisation. If you are selling laser printers, you can have an article on your site titled Tips for Choosing the Best Colour Laser Printer for Your Needs. Not only will this give you the opportunity to include more keywords on your site with SEO copywriting, and improve your search engine rankings, it will build trust and show that you know your business.

Besides articles, blogs are a way to keep customers and prospects informed about the latest developments. For instance, you can write about the new model releases in your blog with the goal of ranking highly for search results for the latest models. Coming up with new blog ideas and checking the search statistics will give you good ideas of what to cover in your SEO copywriting.

While some writers talk about offering the best SEO copywriting services, it’s hard to claim this until you create content that generates results. A professional SEO copywriter is a person who writes copy that interests readers while ticking the boxes to help your web pages get found. While content marketers focus on the big picture, including social media, SEO web copywriting is more specialised. 

SEO copywriting case study

Here’s an image that shows how we helped a financial services business boost their website visits with SEO copywriting. In 2018, they were getting around 2,000 organic (non-paid) visits to their site each month. 

SEO copywriting services

 

By creating relevant articles that are of interest to their customers and target market, we were able to increase their site visitors to nearly 18,000 per month by 2021. While there have been peaks and valleys along the journey, the overall trend for website visits has been going up. Much of this progress was the result of writing content combined with creating backlinks and improving the website structure. 

Contact us on 1300 731 955 or use the contact form on this page to discuss SEO copywriting services and how we can help you boost the number of your website visitors. 

Steps for SEO copywriting

 

Here are the steps we follow as part of SEO copywriting:

Understanding the audience

Before you start writing, you need to know who your audience is. This includes understanding their needs, what they are searching for, the keywords they use, and the type of content they prefer. Creating buyer personas can be an effective way to get into the mind of your ideal customer.

Conducting keyword research

We identify a list of key target keywords that your audience uses to search for your products or services. Using SEO tools like Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, Ahrefs, or Moz, we find relevant keywords with good search volume and a level of competition you can realistically target.

Analysing search intent

Search intent is the reason behind a searcher’s query. It’s important to align your content with the intent, whether informational, navigational, commercial, or transactional. Make sure your content fulfills the user’s needs and answers their questions.

Crafting compelling headlines

Your headline should be enticing enough to make people want to read your content. Use your primary keyword in the headline and make it as engaging as possible while keeping it clear and relevant to the content.

Writing for the audience first

Your content should be written in a way that resonates with your audience. Always prioritize the reader’s experience over trying to game the search engine algorithms. The content should be engaging, informative, and provide value.

 Using keywords strategically

Incorporate your chosen keywords naturally into your content, including the headline, subheadings, and body text. However, avoid keyword stuffing as it can harm readability and your search engine rankings.

Optimising meta descriptions

The meta description is the short text snippet that appears under your page’s URL in search engine results. Write a concise summary of your content and include your primary keyword. This doesn’t directly affect SEO rankings but can influence click-through rates.

Structuring content for SEO copywriting

Use headings and subheadings (H1, H2, H3, etc.) to structure your content. This makes it easier for readers to skim and for search engines to understand the hierarchy and relevance of your content.

Incorporating internal and external links

Link to other relevant pages on your website to keep readers engaged and to spread page authority throughout your site. Additionally, link to credible external sources to provide additional value and improve the trustworthiness of your content.

Including calls to action

We encourage your readers to act, whether it’s subscribing to a newsletter, downloading a guide, or contacting your business. Clear calls to action help turn traffic into conversions. If it’s an information piece of content, such as a blog, we can direct readers to service or product pages where we highlight features, benefits and next steps to make the purchase. 

Editing and proofreading

We ensure your content is free of spelling and grammatical errors, as these can detract from your credibility and lower the user’s experience. 

Using analytics to track performance

After your content is live, we use Google Analytics and other SEO measurement tools to track how your content is performing. We at metrics like page views, time on page, bounce rate, and conversions to understand the impact of the SEO copy.

Updating content regularly

SEO is not a one-time task. Search engine algorithms change, and content can become outdated. We keep the content fresh and relevant by updating it with current information, which can help maintain or improve your search engine rankings.

Although it’s not our main focus, we also consider other ranking factors, such as your site’s performance. If your site performance is slow, any SEO copywriting efforts will have limited effectiveness. 

 

 

 

Capability Statement: What It Is and How to Create One

Having a capability statement is becoming increasingly important, especially if your business is seeking to win business from government agencies. You can also use it to show potential clients in other sectors.

But what is a capability statement? One capability statement writer described it as a “resume for your business”. Others call it a marketing document or marketing tool. In reality, it’s a bit of both. It’s a document that decision-makers use to learn about potential suppliers and what they offer. 

What is a capability statement and why is it important?

A capability statement (sometimes called a statement of capability) is a document that tells readers who you are and what you can do for them. It’s like a beefed-up business card that introduces your company, its services and its track record. Common elements can include a summary of your business, your core competencies, past performance, important projects and key differentiators that set you apart. Shorter is better, so we recommend keeping it at 8 pages or fewer as the best way to promote your business. 

Image of a capability statement for a construction company. What to include in capability statements

Although this is not a capability statement template, here are a few things to include in it:

  • Business summary – a few paragraphs on who you are and what you do. This can include a brief history of your business.
  • Your capabilities – this is the core of the document. Be sure to highlight what makes you stand out from other businesses. Begin with an introductory statement and list your capabilities in bullet point form so they stand out and are easy to read. This is a major selling point and a key part of the document, so do some brainstorming to come up with ideas as it’s often easy to overlook the skills and knowledge you apply every day that are valuable to potential customers. 
  • The size of your company – this will help potential clients understand what you can do for them. Some might prefer working with a smaller business, while others might need larger-scale business capabilities. If you are a small business, this could be a plus if the client wants personalised service. 
  • Projects and clients – list your clients (if not confidential) and the important projects you have completed. If space permits, briefly describe project goals and how these were achieved. Be sure to include projects that are relevant to the work you are trying to win. It might be best to customise your document to fit the requirements of each potential client. This can include the products or services that are used to solve the challenges of the potential client. 
  • Credentials and accreditation – these will be more important in professional service industries. Be sure to include awards your business has received for excellence in delivering its services.
  • Insurance, policies and procedures – these can include the types of insurance held and levels of coverage, and risk management policies and procedures such as occupational health and safety.
  • Your company data – clearly include your contact details at the end of the document so you can be reached easily. Other information can include your ABN, ACN, DUNS or other identification numbers.

Some parts are similar to a company profile. See our post about writing a company profile.

Writing your business capability statement does not have to be a difficult exercise. If you spend some time thinking about your business and gathering the relevant information, you will be well on your way to writing a statement of capability to help you win more business. When writing, consider what prospective clients are looking for and tailor it to these requirements. 

Statement of capability examples

Here’s a capability statement example we completed a few years ago that helped a construction company win more business. We’ve written ones that were much longer and more detailed. Depending on your business and requirements, yours might include more detail. 

Statement of capability design

If you choose, we work with professional graphic designers who can design your document to make it visually appealing. Professional design and layout will add costs but can be well worth it as it can help you win contracts and projects. If your target audience expects a professional design, this might be the way to go. In addition to writing, we provide graphic design of capability statements. 

Construction company capability statements

Capability statements are common in the construction industry, especially when seeking business from government agencies and local councils. This can be for general construction or a more specialised area. A statement of capability for construction can be the key to winning a tender or large contract for your construction business.  We’ll be glad to present capability statement examples from construction businesses.  

Get in touch to discuss your requirements

If you’re wondering how to present your business capabilities and don’t know where to start, we’ll be glad to discuss your goals. Contact us by filling out the contact form or call us on 1300 731 955.

We’ve been writing capability statements for nearly 20 years. As long-time capability statements writers, we have worked with all types of businesses, from small business owners to multinational companies, to help them gain a competitive edge with a professional capability statement (as shown in the testimonial below).

Testimonial about capability statement writing services from Word Nerds.

 

Website Copywriter — Why Use a Professional?

It’s true that most people know how to write at some level, so they think they will be able to save money by writing their own content for their website. Some business owners also believe that they are best suited to write about their business because they are closely involved with it. But a website written by a professional copywriter will be far more effective and generate more enquiries and sales than one written by an amateur.

Writing a Sales Letter to Get Your Phone Ringing

Sales letters reach people. Whether your company makes cleaning products or runs self-development retreats, a sales letter – especially a personalised one – can hit the mark like no other form of advertising can. But success, just like the devil, is in the details. That’s why we have compiled this simple guide to sales letters that’s sure to convert your words into new customers.

Introducing the Sales Letter

A sales letter is a form of advertising correspondence from one business to another. The aim of the sales letter is to make the quantum leap from being a piece of A4 on a busy person’s desk, to having that person contact the sender’s office. From that point on, the sale relies on the qualities of the product, and that of the sales rep.

Beginning a Sales Letter

If you know the surname of your hypothetical customer, excellent. If you don’t, try to find out. Personally-addressed letters are proven to have a much higher rate of response. To be clear: address the recipient by their surname only, E.G. ‘Dear Mr Jones,’ and never by their first name. ‘Dear Sir/Madam,’ is also inappropriate, as it is now considered antiquated, and far too formal.

In lieu of a name, your best bet is to create a headline that captures the essence of what you are offering them. For example, Get 80% Off Hospital Grade Disinfectant – Introductory Offer This Month Only. If the opening line is personally addressed, then the opening sentence must incorporate the headline; for example, ‘Dear Mr. Jones, how would you like 80% off our Hospital-Grade Disinfectant?’

The Body of The Sales Letter

There are two basic aspects to writing a successful sales letter: content and style. If the content is not relevant to your reader, there is no chance of a sale. Usually, however, the product is relevant to them and their business – it’s just that the writing fails to sufficiently flag this to the reader.

What you need to tell your client depends on what it is you have to offer. Just remember the golden rule: you are not selling the product, you’re selling what that product will do for them. Visualise yourself in the customer’s shoes. What problem will this solve for them? How will this product improve the way they conduct business, or make life better at their workplace?

Second only to content is style. To keep the reader reading the sales letter, you need to keep the writing as interesting and easy to digest as possible. Keeping it interesting can be challenging at times, depending on product, but you can certainly make it digestible. Just like a restaurant, it’s all in the presentation. Here are a few tips on this:
• Keep sentences and paragraphs short and concise. Use short-super short sentences occasionally, for extra punch (see my opening sentence in this article).
• Break things up with bullet-points and indented paragraphs.
• Sub-headings are effective for highlighting benefits.
• Use simple language that everyone will understand.
• A few less common words can help keep things interesting. I used ‘quantum leap’ to describe someone responding to your letter.

Ending the Sales Letter

Be sure to thank the reader and sign the sales letter by hand. You may reiterate the main points, such as prices, and deadlines on discounted items. Adding a post-script is always a good idea, as people tend to read them. This post-script may include a special incentive such as a gift, or a free trial. Include at the bottom all the contact details of your business.

Metaphors for Powerful Persuasive Writing and Speaking

Writing an Event Promotion that Gets Results

Are you organising a business event and want to get as many people to it as possible. Writing an effective invitation is the key to filling the room to make the event a success. Here are a few tips to make the invitation – whether it will be an email or hard copy – an effective marketing tool to get more event bookings.

Five Steps to Writing and Designing a Great Brochure

All businesses need a brochure of some form to promote products or services. It’s important that this brochure hits the mark in its message. In order to ensure your message is the right one for your target audience, you first need to identify what your mark is.