Tim Bossie.com

SEO, or search engine optimization, is a tricky business. On top of all the little tips, strategies, and “secrets” associated with SEO copywriting there is also the added bonus of wondering whether or not you write for the search engine robots or for the people who visit your site.

I personally don’t much like to going to a website, or blog, with every other word a keyword or keyword phrase. I don’t mind the subheadings and bold words as they help me skim the page better but I just don’t like reading ‘auto insurance’ or ‘make money online’ or ‘free credit report’ fourteen times within the first five paragraphs.

SEO should really be REO

No, I’m not talking about the 70’s and 80’s supergroup REO Speedwagon. (Wait a minute… maybe a lot of you guys don’t remember them???) I’m talking about REO, Reader Eyes Optimization.

You have to kind of remember, maybe take a reality check, about who it is you can actually build a relationship with, sell your products too, and get word of mouth referrals from. It isn’t a GoogleBot.

It’s a real, bon-a-fide person. Someone who is sitting at the other end of the internet staring into their computer reading your wonderfully crafted masterpiece of copywriting. It is this person who will be wanting to click back to you if they are engaged with great content that doesn’t sound like an instructional manual or is full of so many out of context links to other websites.

Sometimes I feel so overwhelmed with all the linking going on in an article, or post, that I just don’t click on anything and spend more time trying to decyfer what I just read. It’s maddening.

Do you need keywords? Yes.
Do you need strategically placed phrases? Yes.
Do you need to place links within your content? Yes.
Do you need to make it incredibly difficult for the reader? You might want to rethink that.

SEO and REO working together.

In a world of ever increasing competition for the top spots in the major search engines great search engine optimization isn’t the only thing to consider. You need to also consider the reader.

You can blend both SEO and REO into your copywriting for a smooth, high ranking page that both robots and people will like to devour.

1. Heading and subheadings are big factor for rankings and readers.

I love big bold headings. I also love subheadings that keep my eyes skimming easily down the page. I don’t lose my place and they help me to understand what I’m going to read about. I don’t have to actually read every word… unless I want to. Robots love them because they are bold and have keywords. Win/win.

2. Use keywords and keyword phrases but not every sentence.

I’m sure you’ve seen the websites that just don’t make any sense at all because they are loaded with keywords and phrases. The sentences are just a jumble of words so the page ranks higher. It’s a mess.

I don’t mind keywords, but I don’t want to re-read the same thing over and over again. Readers will give you a little leeway on keywords as it is a necessary evil but don’t go overboard. And please make sure they fit the context of what you’re writing about. Don’t just stick in a phrase because you need to at some point. Work it in so that the sentence flows naturally.

3. Linking to other websites is good. Being OCD about it is bad.

When I am researching there is nothing I like better than to be able to go from one article to another without having to hit the search engines again. Relevant links within an article or post really adds great readability to the content and gives the reader a much better reading experience.

But, then every other word is linked to a hodge podge of websites, some that barely fit the context of what you’re writing, then I usually tune out the rest of the article and move on. I could care less how my links can possibly fit into a paragraph. I care more about getting the information I want and moving on to more.

4. Remember readers are also linkers.

A major component to really great search engine rankings is to get what is called ‘back links’ to your webpage. All that means is that someone else had placed a link to your website from theirs. You want this. This is a good thing.

But, people will not link back to you if your page is not “reader worthy”. When I link back to a website, or article, I want to know that my visitors will continue to have a great reading experience and not be barraged by something that is incomprehensible and hard to read.

SEO and REO is a great strategy for search engine rankings

Can you combine the two? Yes. Should you? You bet. Is it hard? It’s going to be a little tricky but as you work with it, tweak things a bit, and continue to keep your eye on it, it should become a part of your daily copywriting.

Recommended Resource:

Search Engine Rankings Formula