Hang around web writing circles for any length of time, and the inevitable “write for search engines or write for people” debate comes up. It’s a bit strange, really.
Last time I checked, it’s people who use search engines, not some other life form. So you’re always writing for people.
Obviously, the debate stems from the fact that search engines are powered by computer algorithms. But as search engines have gotten smarter, writing that pleases people and satisfies spiders is not that far apart, if at all.
Let’s look at four factors that work well for SEO and see how well they cater to the needs of people.
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When I first started Copyblogger in 2006, I was almost militantly against on-page search optimization. Seems strange, since I’d been a successful student of SEO since 2000.
It was because I saw all these people fretting over keywords like it’s 1999, and yet they had no links. Their content was weak. Their sites weren’t trusted.
You can’t optimize something that’s dead in the water. So my initial goal was to get people to focus on content that attracted attention and links first. Only then do you have something you can make better (that’s what optimize means, naturally).
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If there’s any one thing that can be said about SEO with certainty, it’s that it manages to cause a lot of confusion.
For example, it seems like many people’s idea of SEO was formed 10 years ago, and hasn’t bothered to change with the times. Even an online veteran like Robert Scoble is completely clueless about modern best practices for search engine optimization.
So, before we go any further, let me answer the question posed by the headline . . .
Yes, SEO copywriting still matters.
Here’s why.
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“Few appreciate brilliance, but everyone appreciates clarity.”
I came up with that line on Twitter, and thought . . .
Why waste it there?
Here’s the quick and clear guide to clarity in writing:
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Last year was big for the Thesis Theme for WordPress, and our awesome affiliates played a huge role in that. But we’re just getting started.
In 2009, we paid $392,828.80 to Thesis affiliates.
In 2010, we’re aiming for $1 million in affiliate payouts.
To accomplish that goal, it’s time for the DIYthemes affiliate program to once again take a step up. While the wonderful Missy Ward helped us grow last year, this year we aim to accelerate that trend by moving from an in-house to a world-class program.
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