Sometimes in the business world it seems like everyone is trying to get you to outsource. There are a lot of good reasons for this. Hiring experts to take care of complex issues is a great way to ensure you don’t make mistakes that will cost your business. However, there are also a lot of tricksters out there. It can be hard to discern which areas to trust to others and which don’t really require the help of ‘experts.’
Copywriting is one of the areas that is easy to underestimate. Some businesses assume that the writing of content is something easy to keep in-house, and don’t budget for it. This leads to content that isn’t as smooth as it could be, and also fails to make effective use of the SEO strategies a company has invested in.
In many ways, optimising your site is like redecorating a building. When redecorating, you hire experts to assess the building’s foundations, prop up any unstable structures and ensure that all the windows and doors are in the best place to let the light and air in. Getting your web content from a less-than-expert source is like re-plastering the walls yourself. Sure, it’s cheaper, but you also end up with bumps and lumps in the wrong places.
Any form of professional writing is a specialist skill, as full of craft as carpentry or plumbing. Copywriting is a form of professional writing that requires even more expertise, as it usually involves the inclusion of specific phrases and ideas that limit the angles the piece can take. SEO copywriting is not just a matter of correct spelling and grammar, although these are important factors that are all-too-frequently ignored. This specific area of copywriting requires knowledge of search engine optimisation, a grasp of technical issues and a high level of writing skill.
Good SEO copywriting should build on the authority of your website. A good piece of optimised content will not be a series of keywords strung together in a clunky sentence. Early attempts at SEO copywriting by marketers and tech-types resulted in content stuffed with keywords but lacking in meaning. Search engines adjusted and ranked pages with badly written copy low in the SERPs. Since then, SEO companies have learnt the value of well-written, interesting content.
Not everyone advertising an SEO copywriting service is as expert as they claim. A company providing SEO copywriting needs to have the resources to support its writers. Often, companies that provide copywriting independent of other SEO services simply don’t have the resources to blend their content into your existing search engine optimisation strategy. This is why it is often best to discuss copywriting with your SEO consultant, and you can talk to us at David Rendel Marketing about content for your site.
The decision to obtain content from your SEO consultant is an individual one that will depend on the needs of your business and your budget. Don’t assume that content is an area which you can skimp on without paying a price. After your business has invested in other elements of optimisation, featuring low-grade content is a bad use of your business assets.
