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Myth-busting: 1,500-word blogs in an hour

4/25/2021

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As a professional copywriter, one of the questions I get frequently from prospective clients is, “How long will it take you to write a blog post?” That query usually is followed up by, “How much will it cost to write a blog post?” Reputable copywriters have a process and always are happy to explain it to their clients. Where we tend to get into a conundrum is when clients come into the process with a preconceived notion of how long a project should take and what is involved in producing the work.

One of my favorite assumptions as of late is the idea that any copywriter worth their salt can write the perfect blog post in an hour. Apparently, there is a so-called expert out there claiming this, complete with instructional videos on how to create the perfect 1,500-word blog post in one hour. That sure does sound appealing. I can understand why clients would be enticed by such a claim. The problem is it is not realistic. Can you write a blog post in an hour? Sure. Is it going to be top quality? Probably not.

Let’s break down the rationale behind this “perfect blog post in an hour” promise and explore why it is not the best method for producing the kind of content search engines will adore.

Claim #1: Hit lists
Keeping a “hit list” of articles reduces writing time. The theory is that if you have a go-to list of topics that already includes relevant keywords and some subheadings for inclusion, it will save you time later.  

This is not an entirely bad idea. Many copywriters who have clients in specific niches find creating such a list helpful. The downside to this is if you have several clients within the same niche, you risk repeating copy for clients. Then you get into spun content territory, which never ranks well on search engines. What is spun content? It is taking the exact same copy and reworking it just enough that it appears slightly different to search engines. It contains all the same keywords and basic ideas, just rearranged a bit. Sometimes search engines can be slow to catch on to spun content, but Google’s bots are getting better at detecting it. Google dislikes this practice, and if it catches a website egregiously using spun content, it will penalize it by ranking it poorly.  

Claim #2: The guy next door
Some of these self-proclaimed writing experts suggest you can cut your research time in half by taking the “guy next door” approach in your response. Rather than do proper research, the notion is to admit you are not an expert in the subject and that you had to do some quick Googling yourself to get the answers. Then just state the information without citing your sources.
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While the “I’m not an expert, I just play one on TV” approach might work sometimes, it is not appropriate for every blog post. Some clients may be experts in their fields and require content that establishes them as an authority. In fact, 95 percent of the content I write for clients falls into this category. Conducting proper research and citing sources takes time (most definitely more than an hour). 
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Claim #3: Earning rich snippets
Anyone can earn a rich snippet if you just follow this guide to writing the perfect blog in an hour. At least, that is the claim from some self-appointed writing gurus. Before we explain why it is harder than it looks, you are probably wondering what the heck a rich snippet is and why you need to earn one. Amiright?

​A normal snippet displays the page title, the URL where it is located, and a short description of what the page is about. A rich snippet includes extra information above and beyond the norm. It can include photos and reviews or ratings from customers if it is a product or business page. Rich snippets are important because they tend to produce a higher click-through rate on websites. Consumers love search results that give them a lot of information upfront.  Here is an example of what a rich snippet looks like:
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The claim says to earn the coveted rich snippet, you should write your opening sentence and paragraph before you do anything else. You must write it in a question-answer format known as a response-style blog. A response-style blog poses a question (ideally in the headline or opening sentence) and then answers it within the first paragraph of the blog post. To help boost your chances of earning a rich snippet, these experts suggest bolding the answer part of your response. The thinking is bolding text will help Google’s bots know you mean business and to reward you for your efforts. While bolding text is an old SEO copywriting trick to attract Google’s attention, it is not a surefire technique.

Why can it go wrong? Well, we can think of a few reasons. The most obvious is that your content is not original. We are going to circle back to that whole idea of spun content again. If you did the “guy next door” approach to your research, chances are, there is not much new or unique about your bolded content. So, even if the bolded text initially attracts Google’s web crawlers, they still may refuse your content a rich snippet if it is just like 20 other posts on the same topic.

Claim #4: Subheads can hurt your ranking
Long-form content ranks better with search engines. Why? Thorough content has a greater chance of earning quality backlinks that can boost your rating with search engines. One of the final aspects of these so-called perfect blogs in an hour is a warning that Google can sometimes treat long-form content like puny, thin content. Why? Their rationale is the subheadings lack substance and are irrelevant to the original topic.

On this, we can agree – to a point. Copywriters who shove subheadings into a blog just to reach word count are doing their clients a disservice. If the content does not add value, Google’s web crawlers will completely discount it.

The best way to keep long-form content relevant and exciting to Google and other search engines is to turn long-tail SEO keywords into subheadings. It is a sneaky way to ensure your extra words stay on target while giving them some extra oomph.

Quality trumps quantity every time
Cranking out the perfect 1,500-word blog post in an hour is simply unrealistic. The methods that some of these writing gurus tout will not earn your blogs the ratings they promise. Like any other “get rich quick” scheme, it really is too good to be true. It will just end up causing you frustration when these methods do not produce the promised results. Quality trumps quantity every time. Any good copywriter understands this and will never agree to methods that do not promote thorough research that produces engaging and relevant content. Ready to learn more about the right way to produce unique content that adds value to your brand? Contact us today to schedule a no-obligation consultation.
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Keyword Obsessed? 4 Ways to Cure Your Content

4/15/2021

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This is probably going to sound a bit bizarre coming from someone who makes her living writing SEO copy for clients. Here goes anyway: Do not rely on SEO keywords to rank well on Google.

You did not misread that. I did, indeed, just suggest that you should not rely on SEO keywords to rank well on Google. I told you it was going to sound insane coming from an SEO copywriter. There is a method to my madness, though.

Don’t get me wrong. SEO keywords are a valuable tool for any website. The mistake is in making them your only strategy. For years, SEO experts like myself have worked hard to raise awareness about the importance of SEO keywords in all branded content. The downside to our efforts is that some organizations have gone all-in with SEO, thinking it some miracle cure-all. There is such a thing as keyword stuffing, and the golden hand of Google can and will smack you down if you engage in it.

While it’s true that Google likes making things … challenging … for content providers, earning a page one Google ranking organically isn’t some golden chalice from which the average peasant will never drink. It is attainable when you commit to a multi-tiered approach to SEO. Here are 4 ways to kick your game into gear and get your brand noticed.

  1. Populate your pages with quality content
    This doesn’t just mean SEO-rich content. It means content that sets you apart from every other brand in the marketplace. To be blunt, the problem with most content online today is that it’s been spun. Someone decided they liked a blog post their competitor did and asked for something similar for their site. The problem is their content is not original or groundbreaking in any way. Website crawlers are smart enough to detect this and will not reflect kindly on your page when they discover this kind of unimaginative content.

    Sure, you’ve gotten something on your page, but is it something worth talking about? If the answer is no, then you need to look elsewhere for quality content. A top-notch SEO copywriter can help identify your brand’s point of difference and shape your content around it. Every piece of content that is written for your brand should be backed by thorough research and feature the right experts within your organization. The goal should be to make your page an authority that others aspire to emulate. When it is done well, you may even earn some of those coveted backlinks everyone is always talking about.

  2. Attract website crawlers with advanced meta tags
    If you are asking yourself, “What the heck is a meta tag?” you are not alone. Most people are blissfully unaware of what they are and how valuable they are to online visibility. Metatags are a form of metadata easily read by search engine web crawlers. Metatags give web crawlers extra information about a webpage. It is then used for ranking in search results, and for displaying snippets of text from pages in search results.  

    There are three important kinds of metadata on every page. Make sure you are touching on each of them for maximum results:

    Title metadata is the code used to generate page titles at the top of your browser. They also serve as the headline for your page’s search engine results. It is, without doubt, the most important kind of metadata on your page. Remember to use SEO keyword phrases in the title metadata to add relevancy to your page.

    Description metadata is the text that browsers use in the search results for your page. This text should include top-ranking SEO keywords for your brand and clearly explain the content found on that page. As a rule, search engines love description metadata that is no more than two sentences and 156 characters max.

    Keyword metadata is rarely used for search engine ranking purposes. These are the SEO keywords that are most relevant to your brand. They should be worked into all branded content and include between 3 and 7 phrases, with each phrase consisting of 1 to 4 words.

  3. Boost your website’s user experience
    If we all close our eyes and think hard, I’m sure we can come up with a memory of a website we’ve visited that’s been anything but user friendly. Flashy graphics, confusing navigation, and the failure to optimize for mobile viewing are some of the most common issues with websites that make site visitors cringe. With more than half of all website traffic originating from a mobile device, it is imperative your website display well on both desktop and mobile devices. Here are some things you can do to make your page more engaging and attractive to visitors.

    • Leave some white space. No, really. There is no need to pack every nook and cranny of your webpages with content and graphics. Leaving some empty space, especially around text and titles, makes it more pleasing to the eye.

    ​• Improve page loading speed. People are busy. They don’t have time to sit and wait for your images and other graphics to load because you failed to optimize them for quicker loading. Even an extra 5 seconds of wait time can increase your website’s bounce rate by more than 20 percent.

    • Use simple (and well-placed) calls to action. Just like the rest of your content, any calls to action should be natural on the page. You want them to feel like a helpful street sign directing your visitors, not a Dumpster fire they can’t help but stare at but adds little value to their experience.

  4. Engage your target audience on social media
    I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Your website is a destination. Think of it as the train station where all passengers must get off. So, if your website is the station, where is the train? If you guessed social media, you would be correct. Failure to engage your target audience on social media can hurt your brand’s online visibility. 
Need help getting your webpages noticed online? Reach out to the experts at The Write Reflection to schedule your no-obligation consultation today. 

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    Shari L. Berg is the owner/operator of The Write Reflection, and a writing professional for 25 years.



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