What Makes Good Copy?
SEO and critical writing skills make great copy.
Two Indications of Copy Quality
Most people have no need to pull the curtain back and see the mechanics of copywriting to distinguish good writing from bad. For them, it's likely an “I know it when they see it” sort of thing— shout out to Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart. Rather than dwell on the bad, I’d like to focus on two strong indications of excellent copy.
I've given them the pet names "quantitative" and "qualitative." For mathematically-minded people, I’ll start with the quantitative before moving on to the softer qualitative (the more important of the two).
Quantifying Copy that Works
SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
I can't think of any three letters that get batted around more than SEO. So, let's start here. What's SEO? According to Vlado Pavlik, at Semrush:
SEO is a set of processes aimed at improving a website’s visibility in search engines, like Google, with the goal of getting more organic traffic. SEO is about fulfilling users’ search needs by creating relevant, high-quality content and providing the best possible user experience.
The description sounds similar to the cartoonist Charles Schulz’s teacher in Peanuts: "Wah wah woh wah wah."
It’s a thorough definition, but it doesn’t get into the process of creating good copy that ranks well.
Here’s what SEO isn’t:
SEO is not an overnight fix. According to Google, it typically takes 4-12 months for it to work. "In most cases, SEOs need four months to a year to help your business first implement improvements and then see potential benefits," according to Maile Ohye, at Google
Why does it take so long?
Google crawls through a swimming pool full of factors when ranking search results and yours isn’t the only piece of copy vying for a spot. In broad terms, Google’s algorithm considers:
Relevance: How well does your copy satisfy the reader’s needs?
Quality: Has your copy been accurately researched and written? Can the reader trust the information?
Usability: How does your page compare to others in the same category
SEO is not the same as SEM.
Have you seen the acronym SEM when it comes to optimization? Although both terms sound similar, SEO (search engine optimization) and SEM (search engine marketing) aren't the same.
Big picture, SEO falls under the umbrella of SEM.
SEM refers to paid search engine marketing techniques. Price per click, or PPC, is a paid technique and isn’t considered “organic.”
If you’ve stuck with me thus far, you may be thinking,” Hey, SEO is basically coding copy so that it ranks better, and that doesn’t cost anything.” You would be correct. However, SEO isn’t entirely free; supporting your copy using SEO requires time, effort, and knowledge–all of which carry a cost.
SEO isn’t a one-and-done sort of thing.
Search engines are getting smarter all the time as they gather more information, and their algorithms are becoming ever-increasingly and intricately constructed. The only constant is change as far as search engines go. You'll have to pay attention.
Will SEO always be relevant?
That’s a good question, and the answer can be tied to the search engines that made it necessary in the first place. As long as people use search engines like Google or Bing, SEO will remain a part of a copywriter’s online strategy.
The Second Indicator: Will anyone read it?
It's simply whether the copy is something someone wants to read.
Really.
That’s it.
The easier your content is to read, the greater its chance of being read–common sense, right?
Writing for readability.
No matter their education or interests, readers prefer information that’s easy to follow and understand. Don’t let simplicity fool you–writing for accessibility takes a lot of thought. As a sweet little example, Hemingway wrote in an aggressively simple way, which became one of his calling cards. Even though he limited his vocabulary, every short sentence was precisely the right short sentence. Every syllable was the right syllable.
No matter how great you are at priming the algorithm to show up in your audience’s feed, if no one reads it, you might as well stay in bed.
The tricks won't work if your reader isn’t interested.
I’ll end where I think a writer should start–-copy that draws the reader in and writing a sh#tty first draft to get there. It’s a rare find when you hire a copywriter who tickles the reader with delight or grabs the reader's shirt collar, shaking them up a bit. Delight or shock, or anywhere in between, writing succinctly and applying SEO principles prepares your copy for where you want to go.
