While the reaction to your content off-page has become the critical determining factor when it comes to search engine rankings, your targeted keyword phrase should still appear on the page itself. And while there’s little consensus in this area, having your keyword combinations appear throughout the page copy generally helps search engines further identify the relevancy of the page for those keywords.
The good news is, copywriting best practices can create compelling, engaging content that also contains repeated keywords and phrases. You never want to sacrifice readability in the pursuit of rankings, but given that links are more important than on-page keyword repetition, you should never have to.
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Coming into the New Year, I resolved not to use the term “linkbait” any longer. Linkbait is simply compelling content that’s remarkable, and in social media the remark is mostly made via the link. Compelling content is simply compelling content, right?
However, not only has the term not gone away, it’s gaining strength. For example, we have this and this and this and this, and also this and this thus far in the first 24 days of 2007.
If you’re still not sure what I’m talking about, read this.
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It came as quite a shock to see Performancing abruptly shut down its advertising network yesterday. Since I often chat with Chris Garrett and Nick Wilson about various things, I’ve known that there have been serious cost issues, especially related to maintaining the huge server expense that the free Metrics service caused. Unloading Metrics simply had to happen, but I expected the Partners program to carry on, even after Nick resigned.
I think people are surprised that such a high-profile company could fail. After all, they did everything right—scores of valuable content, the Performancing for Firefox blog editor that resulted in untold amounts of back links, and other remarkable free services.
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The most valuable lesson that every copywriter learns is to stop trying to reinvent the wheel when it comes to the words and structures to use when communicating that killer sales pitch. This is why even the pros steal from successful promotions that have proven to make millions of dollars in sales.
Can copywriting software like Glyphius really help you “borrow” winning words and phrases from successful sales letters so that you dramatically boost your sales, too? We’ll see, but first, let’s take a quick look at the way things used to work before Glyphius came along.
Why Professional Copywriters Use Swipe Files
A copywriting “swipe file” is a collection of winning ads. Sales letters, space ads, headline collections, plus bits and pieces of copy that have been marketplace proven to make big money. A carefully collected swipe file is the essential starting point for most new copywriting campaigns.
It’s a bit like why lawyers begin with a basic form when drafting a new legal document, or why web designers start with a basic code structure. Start with something that has proven efficacy, and customize from there.
The problem with the swipe file approach is context. Many new and inexperienced writers (and often many pros) will miss the mark when trying to adapt past copy to a new situation.
Yep… the winning formula becomes a bust when inappropriately applied. What’s needed is a smarter approach that evaluates winning words within the exact context of your particular offer or content.
Why Copywriting Software is a Scam
If you’ve been reading Copyblogger over the last few months, you may have noticed some of the professional copywriters and bloggers who comment here mentioning Glyphius, which is a simple-to-use piece of Windows software that allows you to statistically calibrate your writing against a huge database of successful ad copy. In other words, the software is like a massive automated swipe file that lets you see the effect (good or bad) of using certain words in the specific context you are writing about.
But when I first ran across Glyphius, I thought it was likely garbage.
Why the strong reservations? Well, mostly because copywriting software typically promises to “instantly generate” a killer sales letter for you. That’s just not true; no software can do that.
When I looked a bit closer though, Glyphius wasn’t making those types of bogus claims. The software is promoted as exactly what it is—a tool for optimizing copy. Your own brain is still a crucial element of the equation.
I really started to get interested after reading results published (PDF) by ace copywriter Brian Keith Voiles. He wrote three headlines, scored them all with Glyphius, and then split-tested them to see if the software predicted correctly.
Glyphius nailed it, and other copywriting professionals have reported similar results. The software has since been endorsed by copywriters Michel Fortin, Roberta Rosenberg, Michael Humphreys, and scores of others.
I love what Brian Keith Voiles says about optimizing your headlines and copy with Glyphius being a bit like “playing a video game.” It’s addictive to keep trying to beat your last score by better optimizing your copy, and rewarding to know that this type of “game” will make you more money.
Based on my own use of the software over the last several months, I’m joining in on the chorus of praise. What’s more, I’m making Glyphius one of the primary sponsors of Copyblogger from here on out.
If you’re writing landing pages or doing any other type of copywriting that is designed to sell or prompt action, buying Glyphius is a no brainer. However, there’s also an additional way to use the software that’s not advertised, and it can greatly benefit bloggers looking for social media traffic.
How Glyphius Helps You Score Traffic
Here’s a valuable way to use Glyphius that creator James Brauch is not currently promoting. That’s right… attracting links and traffic.
Last year demonstrated the power of blog post titles and carefully crafted openings and summaries for making the front page of Digg, the Delicious Popular page, and basically attracting natural links in general. You know… the kind of links Google wants you to get in order to rank well in the search results.
Attracting a link is a form of response, just like any other desired action. Using the right words in your headlines and openings can make the difference between a successful link promotion and a complete flop.
“Link attraction” has become its own service sector, with fees of $5,000, $10,000, or more charged for a single piece of content that is designed to attract attention in the social media space. When you think about it that way, investing $135 in a tool that allows you to optimize the most crucial aspects of your own content is an easy decision. It’s getting more competitive every day, so you need every advantage you can get.
As far as blog sponsors go, I can’t think of a tool more relevant to what we discuss around here than Glyphius. And of course your satisfaction is fully guaranteed for 60 days or your money back, so pick up your copy here.
More traffic and more sales. That’s why I use and recommend Glyphius.
That’s you, remember?
Since the Holiday Season is upon us, and we all have better things to do than read blogs, I thought I would go ahead and shut things down for the year. And what better way to go out than with a recap of what you found notable in 2006?
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What does it take to have a huge web traffic breakthrough?
In order to produce a single piece of content that brings in dramatic amounts of traffic, you should aim to fulfill an existing psychological need. Aiming at root needs can be more powerful than simply stimulating desire, because you need people to feel compelled to share.
For example, you’ll see plenty of advice telling you to praise Apple or bash George Bush if you want to get on the Digg home page. But why not dig a little deeper?
Try examining the underlying needs that are being addressed by popular content. Then develop something unique that strikes a subconscious chord and satisfies a genetically-programmed craving that gets people talking, linking, bookmarking and Digging.
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