You might be asking yourself, “Why is copywriting so bad for SEO?” After all, doesn’t Google want me to write compelling content that will attract, retain and motivate the people I want to reach?”
Unfortunately, the answer is: yes, but…
Here’s why:
It Lacks Creativity.
One of the things that makes content so powerful is that it can be customized for a specific audience. With copywriting, you’re essentially taking a pre-existing text (like an email campaign) and trying to make it appeal to as many people as possible. This means that in order to be effective, your copy needs to be high-quality and engaging.
Unfortunately, when you make a copywriting effort for SEO, you’re often required to cut corners in order to make it work within a limited word count. As a result, you’re often forced to lower the quality of your writing in order to meet the required word count. This makes your content lackluster and unappealing.
It Creates Buzz.
Another important factor that contributes to the success of your content is social media buzz. When people are talking about, discussing, and anticipating your content, it means you’ve successfully engaged your audience and they’re anticipating your next move!
Unfortunately, when you’re under stress to meet a tight deadline, you’re often forced to sacrifice content that could have been popular if you’d taken the time to do it right. When this happens, you lose a precious opportunity to engage with your audience, and you even risk creating negative buzz that could damage your business.
It Lacks Humor.
Even those of us who love to laugh occasionally need encouragement from time to time. Thankfully, humor is one of the most effective ways of encouraging people to do something, and it makes even the most serious topic seem lighter.
However, when you’re stressed about a deadline and want to meet the demands of your client, you might not have the time to add a humorous anecdote or quip. In these situations, you need to make the most of what you’ve got, and that usually means getting a little dry.
While writing for a technical audience might not seem like a common occurrence, if you’re taking your career into your own hands and want to prove that you can be the man (or woman) for the job, why not try for a more authoritative tone? After all, that’s how you’ll initially convince the employer that you’re the right person for the job!
It Is Unstable.
In the world of creative writing, copywriting is often considered a ‘creative type’ of writing. This means that it requires a high degree of skill and passion which can be both frustrating and exhilarating at the same time. While there is plenty of stability in creating copy for other industries (such as financial services or legal documents) there is a certain degree of instability involved with writing for fun.
Even when you’ve got an experienced and talented team around you, the creative process can still feel like a roller coaster ride. Once you’ve gotten over the initial thrill of putting words together, you need to prove to yourself and your team that what you’ve created is worth what you’ve spent on it. This means iterating on your ideas and continuing to develop your content until you’ve got something that is both original and compelling. At this point, you can sit back and enjoy the fruits of your labor.
It Is Confining.
Even those of us who love a good listicle sometimes need a change of pace. When you work in corporate life, you might feel as if you’re restricted to creating dreary email campaigns and brochures. While there is certainly nothing wrong with these kinds of activities, you might feel as if there are better ways of expressing yourself creatively.
If you’re passionate about creating content that will engage with your audience and encourage them to take action, why not try your hand at some fictional story-telling? After all, that’s what great writers do, right?
It’s Not For Everyone.
If you get bored easily or if creating content feels like hard work, why not consider doing some copywriting for fun? Just make sure that you are using some quality control tools to ensure that your work is of a high quality.
As much as we like to think that great creative writing emerges easily and naturally from talented individuals, it often takes a lot of work to become good at it. If you, as an entrepreneur, freelancer, or sole trader, are looking to add some quality content to your business, why not try a new and innovative approach? Why not write an email campaign, create a blog post, or even a product description for an eCommerce store? Instead of feeling pressured to come up with the most compelling argument possible within a limited word count, why not write from a place of curiosity? Learn something new about your topic every time you sit down to write, and before you know it, you’ll be composing engaging copy that leaves your readers craving more!