How to Write for Google

16 comments... add one

• #1 Jim → 12.18.06 at 9:17 pm

  nowadays search engines reward sweat-of-the-brow work on content that bait natural links given by choice.

  Woah. For example…?

• #2 Brian → 12.18.06 at 9:23 pm Copyblogger

  Well, I can use this blog as an example. I rank on the first page of the Google search results for “copywriting” based only on creating content that people thought was worth linking to.

• #3 Mike → 12.19.06 at 12:59 am

  Oh, well bring that up why don’t you.

  But can you do it again … say for “How To Write Headlines” ?

  Oh wait, you did that too.

• #4 Ramenos → 12.19.06 at 3:43 am

  As for me, these advices are totaly useless because they are too rough. People need to have more details about “Always focus on the users and not on search engines when developing your optimization strategy”

• #5 Graham → 12.19.06 at 9:48 am

  This is so true. It’s clear that the sites doing well in the search engines are the ones that provide high quality content that other sites link to organically. Two way link exchanging is not nearly as effective.

• #6 Writing style. Does it matter? - e-business tips by tim → 12.19.06 at 2:18 pm

  [...] In another great post over at copyblogger.com, Bryan quotes in a post called “How to Write for Google”; “Always focus on the users and not on search engines when developing your optimization strategy. Ask yourself what creates value for your users.” [...]

• #7 Bob → 12.19.06 at 3:56 pm

  I for one find the advice good (although it is not saying anything new). People should understand that the search engine game is not worth the effort. The same resource spent on creating great content pays much better (in long term)

• #8 Jim → 12.20.06 at 6:25 am

  Actually, by my first comment I was referring to the relatively obscure bit of writing perpetrated by whoever was responsible for that bit you quoted from Google. I had no idea what they meant.

  You, Brian, on the other hand, are always clear.

• #9 Chris → 12.21.06 at 1:14 pm

  It’s always interesting to see clients’ reactions when they ask me if I write Web-optimized copy. I say no, I write copy that people want to read and let the search engines index it as they please. Good, relevant writing will more than hold its own in the rankings.

• #10 Dave Starr → 12.24.06 at 9:07 pm

  Darn good discussion here. I still see these types of discussion where the participants fall distinctly into two groups … whose who ‘get’ what Google attempts to do and those who don’t.

  In general those who “don’t” are the ones who have decided to ‘put up a blog’ to make money. They haven’t thought through why anyone would want to read their blog nor have they thought through what value they might be providing to their readers.

  My small blogging efforts don’t return much money but they all make something. One is even making my rent payments for me already, and it ranks very well in Google for a couple key phrases I feel my readers are interested in. Not because I spent any time with “SEO” type activities, but because the posts I make talk about what “customers” want and I try to write every post with the idea of providing information or answers to questions readers have.

  It’s really not that difficult, just look at your blog(s) and ask yourself, “why would anyone read this?”

• #11 Ramblings About SEO » Blog Archive » 7 tips on writing good content for the Search Engines → 12.29.06 at 1:39 pm

  [...] Brian Clark at Copyblogger recently put up a post about how to write for Google. In his post, Brian quotes the Google guidelines, including the well known: “Always focus on the users and not on search engines when developing your optimization strategy”. [...]

• #12 How to Create Content That Ranks Well in Search Engines | Copyblogger → 01.03.07 at 6:19 pm

  [...] “Ask yourself what creates value for your users,” says Google. As those brainy engineers continue to diligently create better algorithms, combined with people-powered social media tagging and blog-driven links, copywriters with a flair for prompting link response and conversions will become vital members of any search engine marketing effort. [...]

• #13 Blog Business Summit » What is good ‘SEO copywriting?’ → 02.19.08 at 4:12 pm

  [...] yourself what creates value for your users,” sayeth Google. As those brainy engineers continue to diligently create better algorithms, combined with [...]

• #14 Shane: content writer for Net Age → 02.25.08 at 8:17 am

  Its been said again and again, which tells me that there are still those who aren’t listening.. Write for people, not for machines.
  Even if optimized writing brings people to your site through the search engines, only quality writing will keep them there and only quality writing will bring them back and have them telling their friends

• #15 HowDoes → 03.09.08 at 8:28 pm

  A response from Google? I have written complaints about the damn Blogspot spamming, and they do not ever respond. It seems they could care less .. and as far as I am concerned, they do not care.
  That is why I have sent a complaint to the FTC.

• #16 douglas → 03.31.08 at 1:47 pm

  Content should indeed always be your first goal. Designing just for the search engine’s sake is a flawed aim. Everyone must realize that the search engines will ALWAYS change their algorythms, but the content will always remain. So, why not just come up with the best content you can, and that way people will naturally want to link to you anyways.

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