- What comes first,
search engine optimization or the art of persuasion?
If you're an aspiring copywriter,
you might be wondering about the difference
between conversion copywriting and SEO copywriting,
and what services you should be offering your clients
to make the biggest impact and income.
If that's you keep watching,
because I'm about to debunk some common
copywriting misconceptions and share the best kept
SEO copywriting secret ever.
(upbeat music)
Okay, so here's the deal posse.
I have noticed a very dangerous misconception
in the freelance copywriting world lately.
And that is this, that copywriting
includes all kinds of online writing
and that anyone who calls themselves a copywriter
is supposed to know how to do it all expertly.
Now the truth is there are different types of writing
when it comes to the online medium.
Conversion copywriting, content writing
and SEO copywriting are all different specialties
that require a different skillset.
My channel is 100% dedicated to teaching copywriting,
content marketing, sales, freelancing and persuasion.
And listen, I am not an SEO copywriter
and would never pretend to be an expert on the subject,
but I wanted to do a little video
for educational purposes only
because I see way too many people
confusing these two skills.
I see clients hiring copywriters,
expecting them to be SEO experts.
And I see copywriters offering SEO services
when they actually have no freaking clue how to do it,
which just ends with unsatisfactory results,
unimpressed clients,
and lowered confidence in your copywriting abilities.
So conversion copywriting versus SEO copywriting.
What's the difference and why does it matter?
I am here to finally set the record straight
once and for all.
Hey posse, what's up, it's Alex.
And if you're new to the crew, welcome.
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Now, what is SEO copywriting
and what is conversion copywriting?
Well, according to Google, an SEO copywriter
uses search engine optimization strategies
to write copy that helps boost a website
search engine ranking, or in other words,
SEO copywriters are writing
with the search engine algorithm in mind,
they write content for the purposes of getting ranked
in Google or whatever other search engine
you might be using.
SEO copywriters must consider things like keyword density,
fact links, referring domains, domain authority,
organic clicks and engagement.
An SEO writer is more scientific writer
who is constantly following and keeping up
with the latest search engine guidelines, rules, trends,
and data to create content that has a higher likelihood
of showing up in the search engine, that's it.
So then what is a conversion copywriter?
You might be wondering, well,
a conversion copywriter focuses on one thing
and one thing only, writing compelling words
that connect and convert, or in other words,
conversion copywriters are writing with real humans
in mind, not algorithms.
They use persuasion techniques,
storytelling methods, psychological triggers,
and they study behavioral economics,
conversion copywriters know what makes a person tick,
click, and take action.
And they masterfully weave these techniques into their copy,
while keeping it engaging, relatable
and of course, useful to the audience.
Now sure, a good conversion copywriter
will understand keywords and customer search terms,
but they do this research
not only to rank in the search engines,
but because it helps them relate to
and thus, effectively communicate with their audience
and what they want, need, and desire.
So let me say it one more time.
Conversion copywriters boost your conversion rates,
SEO copywriters boost your website's ranking
in the search engines.
And these are very different services.
Now I use the terms copywriting
and conversion copywriting interchangeably.
So if a copywriter does offer SEO writing
in addition to copywriting,
that needs to be clearly differentiated
and specified separately.
All right, so now that we know the differences
between these two types of writing,
let's talk about the importance of both.
Which one is more important, SEO or conversion?
Well, that's kind of like asking,
which came first, the chicken or the egg,
it's kind of difficult to answer because they are both
really important for a business's overall success.
Without compelling and persuasive copy,
it doesn't really matter how good
your search engine ranking is
because no one is gonna convert
once they get to your site anyway,
and without good search engine ranking,
it will be harder to get that free, organic traffic
to your website to see your amazingly persuasive copy.
Now, with that being said, and please take note,
I am 100% biased here.
I firmly believe that conversion should always come
before search engine optimization,
which I know is the opposite of what you'll read online.
So just hear me out for a second.
In my experience, before a brand ever needs
to worry about organic search engine traffic,
they should be focusing on building brand awareness,
their audience loyalty, and of course,
getting repeat customers and they do this through powerful,
compelling conversion copywriting.
You need to perfect your brand messaging
before you worry about getting your website
on page one of Google or any other search engine.
Plus search engines are just one source of traffic.
There are plenty of other traffic sources out there
to get eyeballs to your website,
including content marketing, social media,
paid ads, and the list goes on.
But listen, I am not by any means
gonna sit here and pretend like SEO isn't important
because hell yeah, it is.
I just don't think it's more important
than conversion copywriting.
Create powerful and relevant content,
perfect your messaging, attract your ideal audience,
and then optimize later, that has always been my strategy
and it's worked pretty well.
And it's what I recommend
that all of my high-end clients do too.
Now, speaking of clients,
if you're a brand new baby copywriter,
just starting to learn the craft and grow your business,
which service should you offer?
Well, that's completely up to you.
Are you more interested in connecting with people,
psychology and creativity,
or are you more interested in analytics,
website navigation, and data?
As you can see, there is a clear difference
between the two and most
copywriters will gravitate towards one over the other.
For me, I am a conversion copywriter
all of the way, that technical SEO stuff
really doesn't interest me at all,
beyond incorporating keywords and phrases
where it makes sense in my content like on YouTube
or my blog, I literally know nothing about SEO.
Yet, I still built a multiple,
six figure copywriting business.
My clients know that if they're looking to optimize
their website content or blog in the search engines,
they need to hire an SEO expert separately
and I am very clear about that from the get-go.
Now listen, if you are genuinely interested in both,
then of course you can add SEO to your list of services
if you know what you're actually doing,
but I repeat it is not enough just to incorporate keywords.
SEO is a real interesting science that's ever evolving
and changing, now at the end of the day,
you always wanna remember this best kept SEO secret.
And that is this, write copy that's valuable,
creates authority and gets people to actually engage
with your page or website, or in other words,
just be persuasive because that will always help
boost your rankings in the search engines
and help you get more customers too.
I hope you found this video helpful and I hope it cleared up
some confusion you might have about SEO copywriting
versus conversion copywriting, comment below
and let me know what type of writing you love most.
And until next time, I'm Alex, ciao for now.
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