How to Write for People First

Ah, Google. Anyone who knows me knows that I have a love-hate relationship with this top search engine.  Google’s complex search algorithm likes to keep SEO copywriters guessing. No one quite knows how it works. If they say they do, they are spinning tales. Following Google’s webmaster guidelines can help somewhat, but it is not a complete roadmap for search-ranking success.
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When Google first launched, it only updated its algorithms a few times during the early years. Now, it makes thousands of changes every year, frustrating SEO experts frantically trying to keep their clients at the top of Google search results. Why do we even bother, you ask? Nearly 87 percent of global users turn to Google to find what they need. SEO copywriters and web designers feel pressured to play the Google game to get their clients found online. It rarely ends well. 

Playing the Google game hurts your brand

For many years, SEO copywriters would awkwardly plug industry-relevant keywords into on-page copy, hoping to attract the favor of the almighty Google. Sure, Google found their content. It may have even rewarded it with the number-one spot on page one of search results for the ranking keyword. The problem is that the content was written for an algorithm and not real people. Real people tend to find keyword-stuffed jargon disinteresting (and that is being kind about it). I have read some truly awful copy online from writers trying to get Google’s attention while forgetting their target audience.

Herein lies the problem of playing the Google game. Your content is unreadable. Peppering your content with industry-relevant keywords might get traffic to your site, but what happens once they are there? Do they connect with your brand in an engaging and meaningful way? Or do they take one look at the nonsensical words that were super appealing to Google (but not so much for real customers) and show themselves the door? 
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Playing the Google game can hurt your brand. Putting people first is a better solution. 

Why you must write for real people

Real people like to have their questions answered. After all, that is why they turned to a search engine in the first place. Maybe they were looking for an auto repair shop near them or checking out reviews for a restaurant. What they were not seeking was content sprinkled with SEO keywords in sentence after sentence that all say the same thing without ever really addressing their concern. Some SEO experts claim it is too difficult to write for both people and search engines. I agree that it is more challenging but not impossible. Storytellers who know how to leverage the power of SEO can do both.
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Here are four ways to put people first in your copy that guarantees results.  

1. Invest in a great title 
   People have short attention spans. Like, 8 seconds, and they have moved on to something else, short. That is why your content needs what I like to call a train-wreck headline. Make it so good people cannot help but look.
   
   Here are some examples of train-wreck headlines:
   - 6 Lies People Believe About Weight Loss
   - 5 Ways to Lose Weight Without Trying
   - McDonald’s vs. Burger King: Which is Better?
   - How Twitter Can Predict Your Future
   
   Writing headlines can be challenging. Search engines like them to be between 5 and 7 words and include at least one relevant SEO keyword. Follow these tips on how to write engaging headlines that entice readers and search engines. There is no such thing as writing for people vs. writing for search engines. You can do both if you put a little effort into it. Taking time to craft a compelling title pays off in spades with both search engines and people.
2. Align your copy 
   Once that compelling headline sucks readers in, will they be bored to death by the first sentence? Including the same keyword from your title in your opening appeases both search engines and readers eager to make the connection between your title and the rest of your copy. Then it is up to you, the storyteller, to keep readers going from one sentence to another until they have read your entire piece from top to bottom. If your title asks readers a question, be sure to answer it in the first two sentences. For example, say you have this title: Can I remove bedbugs myself?  The very first sentence should repeat the question in answer format and give a small step toward the answer. Something like this would work: You can get rid of bedbugs yourself, but it will take the right tools and weeks or months of persistent treatment. From there, you go deeper and deeper into every step involved in the process, keeping the reader hooked until the end.
3. Stop trying so hard 
   Putting people first in your copy does not mean abandoning industry-relevant keywords that help your brand get found online. What it does mean is to stop trying so hard to get every keyword imaginable onto the same web page. Do you know what happens when you take that approach? Keyword stuffing that makes your copy unreadable. Search engines will find it alright. Readers will run from it. Here is an example of keyword stuffing using the phrase SEO copywriting:
   
   Here at The Write Reflection™, we offer the best SEO copywriting services. SEO copywriting is important if you want your business to be found online. Without SEO copywriting, search engines will never rank your business. SEO copywriting is the solution to all your search engine problems. Connect with us to find out how we can leverage the power of SEO copywriting for your brand.
   
   That is a lot of SEO copywriting. Not only does it sound redundant, but it runs the risk of turning off your reader. The phrase SEO copywriting is mentioned five times within the first five sentences. It is not necessary to use your keyword in every sentence. Doing so makes the copy uninviting to humans. Instead, use it more naturally throughout the entire piece.
   
   
4. Beg to be shared 
   Your content, that is. Truly spectacular content does more than simply reel in your target audience. It begs to be shared. Brand loyalists who like and share your content can be valuable assets to sustainable growth. Forty-nine percent of consumers follow influencers, trying out anything they recommend. According to Nielsen, 92 percent of global consumers trust word-of-mouth recommendations from friends and family. How do you make your content irresistible? Appeal to your readers’ emotions. Tug at their heartstrings, make them laugh, or get them so worked up they must act. The emotion you elicit depends on the goal of your content. If you get readers this far into your content, then you have done a stellar job of hooking them and converting them. 

Put people first, SEO keywords second

Digital content should rank well with search engines, but never at the expense of your target audience. It is entirely possible to craft engaging content that sucks readers in while also tickling the fancy of search engines like Google. What is the magical secret? Putting people first and SEO keywords second. Weave a tale that turns readers into the heroes of their journeys with your brand. Toss in a few well-placed industry keywords and – voila! – you have the magic recipe for appealing to both people and web crawlers.

Not sure you can master the art of putting people first in your content? No worries, mates. That is why SEO copywriters exist. Drop us a line here at The Write Reflection™ and we can arrange a time to chat about your needs.