Besides proper sentence structure, SEO and persuasion what skills should rookie copywriters learn?

12 replies
Any input would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
#copywriters #learn #persuasion #proper #rookie #sentence #seo #skills #structure
  • Profile picture of the author Alex Cohen
    Originally Posted by wheelstb View Post

    Any input would be greatly appreciated.

    Thanks
    Forget SEO. Writing for humans and writing for search bots are mutually exclusive.

    Alex
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    • Profile picture of the author yukon
      Banned
      Originally Posted by Alex Cohen View Post

      Forget SEO. Writing for humans and writing for search bots are mutually exclusive.

      Alex

      Not true.

      A well crafted page can be created for both traffic and SEO.
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      • Profile picture of the author Alex Cohen
        Originally Posted by yukon View Post

        Not true.

        A well crafted page can be created for both traffic and SEO.
        Persuasion suffers when a sales page is also written to appeal to search bots.

        Alex
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        • Profile picture of the author yukon
          Banned
          Originally Posted by Alex Cohen View Post

          Persuasion suffers when a sales page is also written to appeal to search bots.

          Alex

          No, doesn't matter.

          High converting pages rank all day long on Google SERPs.
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          • Profile picture of the author Alex Cohen
            Originally Posted by yukon View Post

            No, doesn't matter.

            High converting pages rank all day long on Google SERPs.
            Search engines present results based on a wide range of factors beyond the "tricks" employed by so-called SEO copywriters.

            So a high SERP does not prove your point.

            Alex
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            • Profile picture of the author yukon
              Banned
              Originally Posted by Alex Cohen View Post

              Search engines present results based on a wide range of factors beyond the "tricks" employed by so-called SEO copywriters.

              So a high SERP does not prove your point.

              Alex


              You're right, ebay sucks, amazon sucks, apple sucks, etc...

              Everyone that does SEO sucks at conversions and should follow you the almighty copywriter extraordinaire.
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              • Profile picture of the author Alex Cohen
                Originally Posted by yukon View Post

                You're right, ebay sucks, amazon sucks, apple sucks, etc...

                Everyone that does SEO sucks at conversions and should follow you the almighty copywriter extraordinaire.
                SEO services are one of the biggest ripoffs on the internet.

                Copywriters who claim to be "SEO Copywriters" are at best cleverly positioning themselves... and at worse, perpetrating a scam.

                Alex
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  • Profile picture of the author wheelstb
    Thank you both for info. I really do appreciate it.

    I've heard a lot of varying opinions on SEO in terms of copywriting.

    Obviously, research also comes to mind as a good skill set for a copywriter. Do either of you have other skills that you think a copywriter should learn?
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    • Profile picture of the author Alex Cohen
      Originally Posted by wheelstb View Post


      Obviously, research also comes to mind as a good skill set for a copywriter. Do either of you have other skills that you think a copywriter should learn?
      If you hope to be successful as a freelance copywriter, research is not something nice to have. It's VITAL.

      The three areas of research you should excel at are...

      1. Prospect research
      2. Product research
      3. Niche research

      Everything you learn about direct response copywriting fits into one (sometimes two) of these 5 "disciplines"...

       Research (prospect, product, niche, etc)
       Persuasion (curiosity, scarcity, instant gratification, etc)
       Components (headline, bullets, offer, etc)
       Writing (clarity, conversational, mental imagery, etc)
       Graphics (sub-heads, layout, photos, etc)

      That's the view from 30,000 feet.

      Alex
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      • Profile picture of the author SARubin
        Originally Posted by Alex Cohen View Post

        If you hope to be successful as a freelance copywriter, research is not something nice to have. It's VITAL.

        The three areas of research you should excel at are...

        1. Prospect research
        2. Product research
        3. Niche research

        Everything you learn about direct response copywriting fits into one (sometimes two) of these 5 "disciplines"...

         Research (prospect, product, niche, etc)
         Persuasion (curiosity, scarcity, instant gratification, etc)
         Components (headline, bullets, offer, etc)
         Writing (clarity, conversational, mental imagery, etc)
         Graphics (sub-heads, layout, photos, etc)

        That's the view from 30,000 feet.

        Alex
        Excellent points. I think you've just given the OP a solid summary on what it takes for winning copy.

        And that's my view (from around 27,000 feet )
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    • Profile picture of the author Diana S
      Originally Posted by wheelstb View Post

      Obviously, research also comes to mind as a good skill set for a copywriter. Do either of you have other skills that you think a copywriter should learn?
      Storytelling is a must! What I mean by that is making your copy personable and relatable, which means incorporating a story into the sales message to engage more effectively with your audience.

      I hope this helps!
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  • Profile picture of the author SARubin
    Originally Posted by wheelstb View Post

    Any input would be greatly appreciated.

    Thanks
    I don't know if it's a skill you can learn, or a mindset one needs to develop; but in a word... "sincerity"

    Too many marketers go into a project starting with the attitude
    "What can I say to impress everyone with how great we are, and get them to buy what I'm selling?"

    The copy ends up using manipulative psychological tricks, which can (and do) work.
    (I know this, because I've used them in the past to write my own winning copy)


    But if you sincerely want to help your customers improve their lot in life
    (even if it's just selling them a pack of gum to freshen their breath)...

    Then your genuine empathy, and sincerity usually comes through in your writing. And that's POWERFUL stuff.


    So after I do my research, and discover what my target market wants (or needs)
    I start writing with the attitude "I genuinely want to help you, and I believe this product (or service) can help you"

    I find that when I start writing with that mindset, the persuasive copy almost writes itself.


    (Disclaimer: You do have to actually believe in what you're selling for this method to work)
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