Presented to the students of AAA School of Advertising by Jonathan Andrews, eMarketing Strategist at AlterSage.com

1. www.altersage.com | info@altersage.com | (+27 21) 462 0036 | skype: altersage | twitter: altersage Writing for the World Wide Web

2. www.altersage.com | info@altersage.com | (+27 21) 462 0036 | skype: altersage | twitter: altersage

3. www.altersage.com | info@altersage.com | (+27 21) 462 0036 | skype: altersage | twitter: altersage SEO copy writing is different to writing for print Generally the same rules for spelling and grammar apply

4. www.altersage.com | info@altersage.com | (+27 21) 462 0036 | skype: altersage | twitter: altersage Why is it different? The way people use the Internet Looking for specific information – quickly Reading on screen : usability considerations Context in which readers engage with your content is different

5. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut congue, tortor scelerisque accumsan rhoncus, libero neque laoreet nulla, non vehicula diam nunc eget nulla. Integer bibendum imperdiet augue sit amet vulputate. Nulla at magna vel lectus dictum venenatis sit amet in elit. Nulla ante augue, sagittis a ultricies ac, consequat at metus. Nunc quis diam id libero viverra euismod at nec massa. Etiam rutrum lacinia ante vel viverra. Curabitur mollis posuere justo, sit amet rhoncus neque ultrices ac. Curabitur lectus lacus, dapibus eleifend mollis id, vulputate in tortor. Vivamus eget urna quam, vitae fermentum risus. Quisque tortor massa, egestas imperdiet vulputate in, aliquam nec leo. Aliquam vulputate scelerisque libero, in consequat justo iaculis quis. Phasellus at vulputate urna. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus. Nullam sed nisl dolor, sit amet vulputate ligula. Quisque bibendum nisi vel lectus tempor commodo. Vivamus eleifend varius est eget molestie. Pellentesque non nibh quis eros rhoncus suscipit quis sit amet nisl. Phasellus condimentum congue ipsum ac scelerisque. Vestibulum et mauris in lorem lacinia adipiscing. Pellentesque habitant morbi tristique senectus et netus et malesuada fames ac turpis egestas. Nullam viverra hendrerit dolor in rhoncus. Nullam tempus elementum orci, nec accumsan mauris ullamcorper iaculis. Nullam luctus laoreet facilisis. Nulla facilisi. Donec ultrices, sem a hendrerit faucibus, massa leo laoreet purus, eu rhoncus metus erat ac arcu. Aliquam sit amet lectus sapien. Suspendisse quis nunc ipsum, non vehicula ipsum. Cras euismod felis vitae arcu tincidunt dignissim. Vivamus iaculis placerat tempus. Sed gravida velit eu velit fringilla dapibus vitae ut dolor. In eu felis in neque tincidunt egestas. Vivamus turpis risus, interdum nec venenatis et, lobortis non metus. Vestibulum semper, ipsum id pellentesque dapibus, arcu eros hendrerit lectus, nec pharetra magna augue in odio. Cras ornare, velit sed laoreet luctus, magna urna facilisis tellus, sed adipiscing nisi nulla non odio. Nam eget gravida odio. Nam neque augue, dictum at sodales in, sagittis sit amet libero. Morbi tempus lorem at purus elementum volutpat. Sed ac lectus sit amet ligula convallis porttitor vel non erat. Nunc dictum nisl ligula. Vivamus pharetra, ligula id volutpat scelerisque, velit lectus elementum tortor, a accumsan odio magna nec leo. Aenean eget sapien eros, at pulvinar odio. Aenean vitae neque tortor, non viverra nisi. Vestibulum id dolor vitae tellus bibendum tincidunt non in eros. Praesent lorem eros, accumsan vel pulvinar sit amet, egestas et elit. Nunc vestibulum arcu vitae mi interdum pharetra. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Quisque at enim mauris. Sed et velit ligula. Maecenas accumsan lorem aliquam libero convallis cursus. In nec risus sapien. Sed nec faucibus nisl. Nunc aliquam mi diam, non tristique neque. Phasellus at nisl non ligula aliquet pulvinar sit amet ac nibh. Ut pretium dui in sapien blandit scelerisque. Donec pulvinar, ante sed feugiat facilisis, lacus eros malesuada ante, cursus rutrum justo tortor nec urna. Vestibulum nibh massa, vestibulum rhoncus convallis in, bibendum a nisi. Aenean eget sapien eros, at pulvinar odio. Aenean vitae neque tortor, non viverra nisi. Vestibulum id dolor vitae tellus bibendum tincidunt non in eros. Praesent lorem eros, accumsan vel pulvinar sit amet, egestas et elit. Nunc vestibulum arcu vitae mi interdum pharetra. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Quisque at enim mauris. Sed et velit ligula. Maecenas accumsan lorem aliquam libero convallis cursus. In nec risus sapien. Sed nec faucibus nisl. Nunc aliquam mi diam, non tristique neque. Phasellus at nisl non ligula aliquet pulvinar sit amet ac nibh. Ut pretium dui in sapien blandit scelerisque. Donec pulvinar, ante sed feugiat facilisis, lacus eros malesuada ante, cursus rutrum justo tortor nec urna. Vestibulum nibh massa, vestibulum rhoncus convallis in, bibendum a nisi. www.altersage.com | info@altersage.com | (+27 21) 462 0036 | skype: altersage | twitter: altersage Is content still king?

6. www.altersage.com | info@altersage.com | (+27 21) 462 0036 | skype: altersage | twitter: altersage Less is more Quality content is king Not about size or volume of content About the value visitors derive from it

7. www.altersage.com | info@altersage.com | (+27 21) 462 0036 | skype: altersage | twitter: altersage What is SEO copywriting? Used to be about targeted keyword phrases in certain frequencies and densities Search engine algorithms have evolved: take into account what others think about the content and how they describe it in links Not only the frequency of keywords within a document that determine a page’s ranking.

8. www.altersage.com | info@altersage.com | (+27 21) 462 0036 | skype: altersage | twitter: altersage Really, all web copywriting should be optimised Captions File names Headings Navigation Summaries Meta data Page content

9. www.altersage.com | info@altersage.com | (+27 21) 462 0036 | skype: altersage | twitter: altersage Keywords and keyword research

10. www.altersage.com | info@altersage.com | (+27 21) 462 0036 | skype: altersage | twitter: altersage Research Tools

11. www.altersage.com | info@altersage.com | (+27 21) 462 0036 | skype: altersage | twitter: altersage Get specific Use words and derivates to make up longer, more specific key-phrases Hard to rank for broad keywords Traffic is less qualified

12. www.altersage.com | info@altersage.com | (+27 21) 462 0036 | skype: altersage | twitter: altersage Evaluating keywords Search volume not the only metric to consider Think about niche , call to action, relevance

13. www.altersage.com | info@altersage.com | (+27 21) 462 0036 | skype: altersage | twitter: altersage Highly Relevant If you create content that is tightly focused on a specific topic or theme, you will eventually build credibility and “authority” with search engines in a specific area Develop a valuable resource and ensure returning visitors

14. www.altersage.com | info@altersage.com | (+27 21) 462 0036 | skype: altersage | twitter: altersage The keyword density myth There is no such thing as an ‘optimal keyword density’ Keyword density says nothing about the document’s relevance to a search

15. www.altersage.com | info@altersage.com | (+27 21) 462 0036 | skype: altersage | twitter: altersage A ttention I nterest D esire A ction AIDA

16. www.altersage.com | info@altersage.com | (+27 21) 462 0036 | skype: altersage | twitter: altersage One-size-fits-all approach of traditional push media does not work when it is applied in the online space Know your audience and what they care about.

17. www.altersage.com | info@altersage.com | (+27 21) 462 0036 | skype: altersage | twitter: altersage Copy needs to speak to individuals and be targeted What is the dominant activity on the web? Reading ! 3 truths for writing killer content: The Importance of Personas 1. Driven by millions of years of conditioning, your customer’s focus on their own needs and those of their family and loved ones 2. To make a customer feel special means understanding what they care about 3. What they really care about can sometimes be the opposite of what you care about.

18. www.altersage.com | info@altersage.com | (+27 21) 462 0036 | skype: altersage | twitter: altersage The Benefits of Personas 1. Externalise the target of the writing process 2. Think about their needs 3. Empathy

19. www.altersage.com | info@altersage.com | (+27 21) 462 0036 | skype: altersage | twitter: altersage It is a fallacy that you can reach everyone on the web

20. www.altersage.com | info@altersage.com | (+27 21) 462 0036 | skype: altersage | twitter: altersage Example

21. www.altersage.com | info@altersage.com | (+27 21) 462 0036 | skype: altersage | twitter: altersage Use verbs rather than adjectives to describe things Tips Remember to talk about features rather than benefits Make it scan-able Keep the usage of keywords and key phrases natural

22. www.altersage.com | info@altersage.com | (+27 21) 462 0036 | skype: altersage | twitter: altersage Short copy isn’t a sign of laziness. It’s far more difficult to write concisely and make a point than it is to use lots of words Best to conform to standard English , correct spelling and grammar does lend itself more to credibility Write in the active voice as much as possible. Simple and straightforward word order is most accessible. Tips

23. www.altersage.com | info@altersage.com | (+27 21) 462 0036 | skype: altersage | twitter: altersage Be honest and upfront Structure your site well Offer unique and quality content

24. www.altersage.com | info@altersage.com | (+27 21) 462 0036 | skype: altersage | twitter: altersage Writing is a craft and it takes skill and practice to master the art of brevity .

25. www.altersage.com | info@altersage.com | (+27 21) 462 0036 | skype: altersage | twitter: altersage Remember the 6 C’s Is it compelling ? Is it complete ? Is it clear ? Who cares ? Is it correct ? Is it concise ?

26. Questions? www.altersage.com | info@altersage.com | (+27 21) 462 0036 | skype: altersage | twitter: altersage

27. www.altersage.com | info@altersage.com | (+27 21) 462 0036 | skype: altersage | twitter: altersage References Clark, B. 2007. The five essential elements of search engine keyword research [Online]: Available: http://www.copyblogger.com/the-5-essential-elements-of-search-engine-keyword-research/ [24 August 2009] McGovern, G. 2006. Killer web content. London: A & C Black Publishers