Are Employers too worried about Duplicate Content?

As writers we often get seriously criticised by employers for producing “duplicate content”, even when done by pure accident – great minds think alike and all that. However, are employers a little too wired about this often sore point?

We’re constantly being told by marketers that “all powerful” Google will penalise websites that contain duplicate copy and because we believe they know best, we do our level best to pump out original copy each and every day.

Will Duplicate Content Really Affect a Site’s Rankings?

Most people whether marketers, employers or copywriters have not bothered to actually read Google’s guidelines when it comes to duplicate content. The reason being over the years word of mouth has run riot and therefore rumours of penalties and the like must be true. But is it all just a lot of hooey?

Again, reading through Google’s guidelines, it seems that non-original content on a website will not seriously affect a site’s rankings. Unless, that is, there’s such an excessive amount of marketing in the form of press releases sent out across the web in a very short space of time.

This would have to involve masses of dupicate home page content being repeated hundreds of times over the course of just a few hours or so. The result? The Google Giant wakes up on the wrong side of the bed and imposes lots of displeasure on the domain concerned!

According to people who really are “in the know”, a mere 500 or 1000 words of duplicate content published on an established site is not going to get any red flags waving in Google’s virtual headquarters.

Reposting Articles is Okay

In fact, there’s been a trend over recent times where articles are reposted after they were first published on another website and although the strategy will not make the content rank in any way, it sure won’t negatively affect a domain’s ranking. Many of the most popular blogs on the net do just this and it never adversely affects their rankings which is proof enough.

Scrapers are a Nuisance or Are They?

Some of the more serious and popular blogs get scraped umpteen times a day, but the owners pay absolutely no attention to the fact this happens. The reason being they know that duplicate content is not something to be worried about.

The truth is that scrapers are not something that anyone really needs to be overly worried about. The question you need to ask yourself is whether a small unknown blog on the other side of the planet that boasts very few visitors is seriously going to get the Googlebots hot under the collar just because they scraped some content from another website? Of course not, after all there are bigger fish to fry out there in the virtual world!

The Positive of Having Copy Scraped

There is a positive to having content scraped especially if all the copy is taken and duplicated which includes any links etc. After all, scraped links may just get a few nice referrals! It’s always very interesting to keep an eye on internal links.

The only time it might become a worry is if a site with your scraped content starts to outrank your own website. Now that would be very annoying and it means that Google did get it wrong!

However, all is not lost because these instances, which are pretty rare, are the sort of thing that Google wants to know about. And the best way to let them know is to use their Scraper Report Tool.

One thing that many gurus advise is to digitally sign content with Google Authorship which makes life a lot easier when and if a dispute should arise. It does not matter how many times your content gets used across the net by scrapers because the copy will always only ever have one author – namely you!

Know the Difference between Scraped Content and Plagiarism

It’s also important to bear in mind there is a massive difference between copyright infringement and scraped content. If you find anyone claims the content as their own, this is pure plagiarism. This is when you need to take action against the person or persons responsible!

People who sign their name to your copy are doing so illegally which is why it’s so very important to place a copyright symbol in the footer or to register your content with a company like Sample Safe. When this sort of thing happens, it’s not Google you need to be worried about, but how much it’s going to cost you in legal fees to have things put right!

Conclusion

There’s a lot of hooha about duplicate content and if the truth be known the net is full of scraped copy. Googlebots pick up on this when they visit most websites out there which they do at some point every single day. Do they make a fuss and start penalising the domains? No, they move on to the next website. After all, the geniuses working for Google have been at it for a considerable amount of time and way before “duplicate content” became such a mythical issue!

Author: Honey Wood

Tips on Creating Landing Page Copy that Converts

Writing landing page content might seem like a doddle. Once a client sends the brief and provides enough background information, you may think all that’s left is to put the copy into an easy-read and informative format, but you’d be wrong.

Not only do clients need great content on a landing page, but they want copy that gets readers so interested they decide to take the plunge.

Copywriters who achieve this goal are worth their weight in gold. They are the ones capable of keeping readers on a page, their copy generates more conversions which in turn means a brilliant bottom line for their clients.

Skill and Technique a Marriage Made in Heaven

Providing brilliant landing page copy takes a certain amount of skill paired with creativity, but it also involves technique. The good news is you may not be the best copywriter in the world (yet), but techniques can be learnt and then mastered. You do, however, need to understand how to use these techniques to your advantage.

Of course, it’s up to the client as to how content is displayed on a landing page, something which copywriters don’t generally have any control over.

However……..

Once the client has provided the info and you’ve carried out your own research into their business and that of their competitors, the next part is down to you. This is where mastering a few techniques can really benefit your copy so it produces more conversions.

Placing emphasis on benefits

For a long time, readers wanted to find a solution to a problem but over time this all changed. Consumers no longer care as much about products or services because “solution-selling” reached its sell by date a while back.

Why? Because people know the solution they need. In fact, they are so clued up they know every detail which includes the lowest price they should be paying for a service or item.

In today’s market, readers want to know about the benefits of using a service or buying a product. It’s still okay to mention the sort of solution that’s being offered because this reassures people they are in the right place. But to really get their attention, the emphasis has to be placed on the benefits of doing business with your client.

Landing page content has to be based around the benefits of doing business with the company you are providing the content for. When conversion rates start to increase, your copy will be more appreciated than ever before. It will be more valuable to your customers and worthwhile to theirs – it’s a win-win situation.

Killer headlines work

It’s pretty well accepted that people don’t read an entire web page, but much prefer to scan it searching for anything that catches their eye.

Rarely would a person read the entire page. As a copywriter, you need to adapt your style to produce compelling content knowing the reader will only skim over the text. You need to remember a person typically only takes in the following on a landing page:

• The headline
• Sub-headlines if there are any
• Images
• Call to action buttons

A person might read other parts of the text which includes the following, but they may not either:

• Major paragraph headings
• Bullet points – a firm favourite
• Short paragraphs – because they are easier to scan
• Image captions – need to be eye catching

Once you take all this in, you can then concentrate your focus on the parts you know will count, bearing in mind the most read part of the page will be the headline.

To encourage people to read more content, you should try the following:

• Write a bold headline that’s to the point, strong and clear
• A compelling sub-headline works wonders to promote benefits of services/products
• Use good quality images that emphasise the benefits of products/services
• Use compelling copy for call to action but nothing too pushy!
• Content needs to be kept in large sections which boast killer headlines in larger type
• Short bullet points work well when explaining the benefits of products/services

Copy needs to be kept simple

Keep your copy simple, long winded sentences don’t work. The key to writing great landing page content is to keep it simple. Some of the most successful businesses have the simplest landing pages because they know they work!

Clear, precise and uncomplicated copy works wonders and there’s no getting away from this fact. In short, you need to come up with a clear statement and not spend hours putting together a ton of copy that people just won’t read.

Danger Zone

However, keeping copy simple doesn’t mean using meaningless content or buzzwords. You still need to get creative and be very careful not to use certain words and phrases which should be avoided at all costs, a few of them are listed below:

• World leader – a real no-no
• Once in a lifetime opportunity – an absolute no-no
• Best in town – never a good idea

There are many other phrases which are tempting to use as taglines but which you need to avoid because they just don’t hold any water!

Keeping landing page content simple yet creative works and can be achieved by doing the following:

• Using simple sentence structures
• Short sentences with short words are best because they’re easier to scan
• Avoid using fancy phrasing and wording = it’s not poetry
• Be succinct, clean and precise

Write like a person for other people

It’s a simple but very important point. You need to write like a real person and not a robot. People like to connect with whatever they read which means making your copy personal and not robotic. Below are a few tips on how to achieve this:

• Write sentences in the same way as you would say them
• Stick to simple words
• Use short sentences
• If a sentence sounds great and reads well = break a few grammar rules!
• Add a little humour to your copy
• Always use the first person
• Using every day expressions works and this includes things like “hang on a second” or “wow, that’s awesome”.

The trick to writing great landing page copy is to get away from the idea you are actually writing “copy”. Instead, try to write the content as if it’s a conversation because it will make you sound more human and less like a machine. This encourages people to connect and interact. The result?  Great landing page content that converts!

 

Author: Honey Wood

 

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Why Twitter is a Superb Game-changer

As far as social media platforms go, it really doesn’t get much better than Twitter and even if you’re not a huge fan, it’s such a game-changer that it would be serious mistake to simply ignore it. The beauty of Twitter is in it’s simplicity and the fact it’s so far reaching.

Twitter obliges users to rethink how they use social media, keeping things short and sweet with no heavy, long winded copy to rifle through. It’s idealogy is a game winner in a fast moving world where time is precious and staying ahead of the competition is in itself a competition.

Having to be succinct and making every word count takes a bit of practice, but the effort is well worth it because the rewards can be tremendous when it comes to marketing strategies and advertising campaigns. Unlike other platforms of which there are many, Twitter has remained true to it’s format which is simple, easy and pleasing.

Facebook is a different animal altogether with Linkedin offering a more formal platform to work on. Both offer advantages and disadvantages whereas Twitter is what it is which is simplicity itself and more importantly “fun”. It’s a breath of fresh air in an often rigid business environment.

Anyone can promote their work, products, services and whatever else they choose via Twitter and can do so in a flash. The key is in building up a massive network, but it has to be one where people value your tweets. This is where social media experts come into their own and are worth their weight in gold.

One of the best companies around at the present time happens to be Social Buzzing, a hardworking network of people fronted by a refreshingly hands-on CEO. These guys have built up a solid reputation for getting results in a timely fashion and the positive snowball effect is astonishing being extremely well structured which keeps search engines happy.

Getting the information out there is easy, knowing what people want and need takes a little more effort, but when it all comes together the work and time put in, can reap generous rewards all in part thanks to Twitter’s wonderfully simple social media platform paired to the expertise these guys have to offer.

 

Author: Honey Wood

 

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Where to Find Expert Writers

The Internet has opened up a whole new world when it comes to marketing. Facebook and other platforms now reach huge audiences but only if you go about using them in a positive manner. For many people and especially successful business people, this can not only be a time consuming affair but also one which is just not their strongest point.

 

There is an art to writing articles and it takes a bit of imagination to come up with slogans, logos and a good advertising campaign. This is where the experts can really hold their own, offering all that’s needed to get a product or service noticed by the consumer in a way that has an enormous impact on them.

 

Good Content Counts

 

When it comes to getting a website noticed there are experts who can handle the search engine optimization (SEO) and then there are professional writers who can take care of the articles you need to get your site, products and services noticed. By placing these in the various article directories available online you are in effect advertising it and the goods or services you provide consumers.

 

Finding the right people to do this can be a bit of gamble when you use freelancer websites. These are the sites that offer their members the opportunity of bidding on projects posted by clients in need of writers for whatever jobs they need doing.

 

The gamble is that you never get to meet the person who will be ultimately responsible for putting together the right type of articles in such a way that is not only coherent but positive as well. It goes without saying that a complete understanding of a language plays a vital role in the process of writing articles too. In short the question you have to ask yourself is ‘can anyone speak a second language as well as a person who has this as a first language?’. This applies to all languages whether English, Chinese or Arabic.

 

 

Quality Costs

 

It is all too easy to opt for the ‘cheaper’ bid thinking you’re saving money. The sad truth is that like the old adage tells us ‘you get what you pay for’. As with most things in life, if you skimp on your budget when it comes to getting the right person to write your articles for you, then the results will never be as good as you hoped they’d be, and there is just no getting away from this fact.

 

However, there are professional article writers out there, people who know the business inside and out. Employing the services of a professional gets the results you need and it’s guaranteed the work will be done  promptly, efficiently. Working with a freelance writer on a regular basis offers many advantages which includes getting to know them over the course of the projects they take on for you. And although this is online, the service provided is on a ‘one to one’ basis and this means all your needs are catered for as well as problems solved.

 

A Personal Service

 

Personal service is paramount to any business and this means understanding just what the client would like, need and appreciate. When it comes to article writing or content supplied for a website, you have to know the person is up to the job. The only real way of being able to do this is to build up a good solid relationship with a writer knowing that your work is in safe hands. This is the only real beneficial strategy to adopt if you want your articles to achieve the kind of results you expected.

 

 

3 SEO Essentials to Ask the Experts

There are lots of online companies offering to improve your Google ranking and it goes without saying that failing to make sure an e-commerce business or website gets noticed could spell disaster. However, anyone who knows their “stuff” would never promise the earth from the word go because it takes time to set up worthwhile strategies, remembering these are ever evolving. In short, SEO is an ongoing process that needs regular tweaking.

The End Goal

The end goal of a well thought out SEO strategy is to increase a website’s traffic whether it’s to achieve a higher conversion rate or to create a buzz and awareness on content published on a site. Appreciating just what the end goal needs to be is just part of the equation and one which an SEO company should be aware of from the outset.

The Cost

Just because one SEO company charges more than another, doesn’t mean their services or achievements would be any better than those of a company that charges rather less. With this said, it would be a mistake not to set aside a decent enough budget. It would also be fair to say that cutting corners and by setting a low budget could end up costing more in the long run.

Three SEO Essentials

Before joining forces with an SEO company there are three essentials they should provide which are as follows:

• A full and complete breakdown of strategies they plan to set in place – should they not be willing to do so, leave well alone and approach a company that offers this as part of their package

• References and make very clear that you would like to see both the negative and positive. Relying on claims provided on a website could be a serious mistake . An SEO company worth its salt would never claim a 100% success rate. If they do, avoid signing up with them

• Back up their claims – ask to see past achievements for other businesses

It would be fair to assume that if an SEO company is as good as they claim, this would naturally be reflected in their own Google ranking. Checking their Alexa ranking provides a good indication if this is indeed the case.

Search Engines

Nobody has control over search engines, not even the most experienced SEO guru. It takes time to build up SEO strategies and nothing happens overnight. Whichever company you eventually choose to hire would need time to create what they consider to be best way forward for your business. In short, patience is of the essence when first joining forces with them.

Last Word

Without the experience and expertise of these companies, online businesses stand a very good chance of falling at the very first hurdle. However, it is fundamental to understand at least the basics of SEO before signing on the dotted line with a company. As with everything in life, communication is the key and you, the customer must have the “last say”. But, in order for this to work you need to have grasped the mechanics of SEO and the ever-changing face of search engines so you know what you are talking about when discussing your SEO requirements with the experts.

 Author: Honey Wood

Image source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/88/Seo_company_in_Chennai.jpg