With web copywriting, there are two audiences:

• Human site visitors (most important)
• Search engine spiders (of secondary importance)

Although what pleases one audience often pleases the other, that’s not universally true. In this post, you’ll get an overview of what to do to satisfy your prospects while also doing what makes sense, given what is known about the current Google algorithm.

Product-level Internet copywriting: how to write to multiple human audiences.

For the sake of simplicity, let’s say that you need to please three types of people when writing a page of product-level copy:

• Person A is eager to buy and just wants to verify that what you’re offering is what he/she needs
• Person B is open to buying, but is not yet convinced that this is the action he/she intends to take today
• Person C knows that it is not yet time to buy, so he/she is spending time in getting an education about the product in question

So, what do you do in your web copywriting? One strategy would be to write a benefit-rich page of optimized text in the inverted pyramid format favored by newspapers. You would place the best, most important and most persuasive information at the top of the product page, followed by a call to action that tells the prospect exactly how to buy.

For person A, he or she would either:

• Know that this was the right product and be ready to buy
• Know that this wasn’t the right product; so, consider also offering links to a couple of related products that might entice prospect A

For person B, he or she might not be persuaded one way or the other yet so, now, after your initial call to action, you can delve more deeply into the topic. Perhaps you could include a video about the product, provide some background on the product and so forth followed up by another call to action. That would give person B more information and he/she may now be ready to buy; meanwhile, person C would keep getting information, which was the goal all along.

Product-level Internet copywriting: how can you make your copy appealing to search engine spiders after the Google Panda update?

You want your great copy to be seen by large numbers of people and, for that to happen, you’ll want to make sure your web copywriting is appealing to the spiders. So, will it be?

Let’s take a step back. What this Google algorithm/site ranking update did was to raise the bar of what’s necessary in website copywriting. For years, sites got away with getting a product feed of manufacturer-supplied descriptions and this was enough. Now, it isn’t. Fresh, original copy is a necessity.

The Google Panda update is also causing a site to be viewed holistically. Pre-Panda, any thin, uninteresting content was basically ignored by the spiders; these lackluster product pages can now drag down your entire site in Google’s eyes. This means that your entire site – not just your new product pages going forward – need to either be “good enough” to meet standards, post-Google Panda update, or be blocked from the spiders.

So, how good is “good enough” in your website copywriting? The bottom line is that your content will be compared to other sites in your industry/online space, with the Google algorithm rewarding those who work harder than anyone else in that space.

Imagine an average piece of content in your overall online space. Consider that as the baseline. Anything better than that, quality-wise, will be at least somewhat helpful and, anything below that in quality will be somewhat damaging to your site. So, for now, you need to be better than the average piece of content in your space; but, as your competitors boost their quality, you will need to, as well.

When will you be done with this process? If you compare content creation on your site to cleaning your house, you’ll quickly see that you’re never really “done” with either.

What are other parameters of product-page website copywriting after the Google Panda update?

Unless you have only a few products, you can’t rework them all, all at once. Instead, your company will need to prioritize its product pages in order of importance. This is a strategic exercise where you’ll want to consult data in analytics; compare profit margins; consider vendor relationships; project what items will most likely be in demand in the future; and so forth.

When selecting which product pages are the most important, the 80/20 rule will probably apply, where 80% of your business comes from just 20% of your product pages. Those pages are definitely worth improving.

Fill those pages with interesting, relevant, unique content. Although there is no magic number for page length, initial tests have suggested that 300-400 words show better results than pages with fewer words. For larger sites, it makes sense to strengthen the site’s database and boost page quality over multiple pages through the use of templates; know that this is only step 1, though, not a permanent solution.

If your efforts show good results in a particular section of your site fairly quickly, it’s likely that you’re doing better than your competition in this area and/or that it is a less competitive space, at least for the time being. If initial efforts aren’t enough, then this is a more competitive space and you’ll need to dedicate more resources.

Now, which pages are performing poorly (per analytics) and just aren’t high on the company’s priority list? Those are worth blocking, rather than investing time in improving them right now. Remember, pages with thin content can actually drag down your entire site, thanks to the changes in the Google algorithm; so, block them. It’s important to handle this carefully, so consult with an expert first.

Watch this blog for more posts about Internet copywriting and about the Google Panda update!

It’s easy to list features of a product: it’s smaller than a breadbox, it comes in 14 different colors, it’s crafted out of plastic and so on. Those features might be important to a potential customer – but what’s even more important is how your product can help others fix a problem.

Let’s say that your company sells clothes hangers. Not just ordinary clothes hangers, but extra-thin hangers with a velveteen coating. It might be tempting to focus your web copywriting on the width of the hanger or the colors of the velveteen. Instead, craft product benefit statements that focus on product benefits to help prospects understand why your hangers are the perfect solution for them.

Statement of product benefits #1: Save closet space with these ultra-thin clothing hangers.

Statement of product benefits #2: Use these velveteen clothing hangers to store your gorgeous outfits with spaghetti straps, tank tops and more without slippage.

Next, quantify your product benefit statements to make them even more specific and helpful – and to differentiate your product from competitors.

Sure, it’s great to save closet space but, how much closet space? Can a person put one more outfit in their closet? Two? Compare how many of your hangers can comfortably fit in a closet and then compare how many standard-size hangers can fit as comfortably in the same closet. In your web copywriting, quantify the difference!

Revised statement of product benefits #1: You can comfortably add 25% more clothing items into your closet with these ultra-thin clothing hangers.

With benefit statement #2, you’ll have to work a bit harder to quantify. But, it’s really not that difficult. Survey customers who have purchased your velveteen hangers (perhaps by offering a free gift to those who participate in the survey?) and ask them questions about reduced slippage with your hangers.

Revised statement of product benefits #2: Sixty-five percent of users say that ABC velveteen clothing hangers allow them to hang up clothing with spaghetti straps, tank tops and more without slippage.

Need help with your web copywriting? Contact The Search Guru today to ask for your FREE 30-minute gift session.

Earlier this year, the Google Panda update affected nearly 12% of websites, sending many sites into a tailspin and causing widespread panic. What do these sites need to do to rank well in Google again?

On May 6, 2011, Google published a blog post with a long list of factors of what they consider to be signs of quality for web page content.

If you’re creating articles, this is a helpful list, with questions such as these to ask yourself about what you’ve written:

• Does this article contain insightful analysis or interesting information that is beyond obvious?
• Is this the sort of page you’d want to bookmark, share with a friend, or recommend?
• Does the page provide substantial value when compared to other pages in search results?

However, if you’re creating web page content for an ecommerce site,it’s more challenging to meet those guidelines. So, what can you do?

Here are suggestions to get you started:

1. Let’s say that your site sells high-end gift products for men. Think about your target market. Who is buying from you? Who would be ideal recipients of the products you sell? Then, focus your web content writing on articles that would be of interest to the buyers – with info about the recipients! This may mean that you write articles about the history of Father’s Day, lists of famous fathers and so forth.

2. Encourage relevant consumer-generated content; say, a contest where people can share why their fathers deserve one of your products as a free Father’s Day gift. Post the best of the essays and then share profiles of the winning fathers.

3. If you haven’t yet started a blog, do so now. Each time that you live a blog post, Google (even after the Google Panda update!) will see this as a fresh new piece of web page content. Plus, sites with a blog receive, on an average, 97% more links than sites without one!

4. If you use manufacturer-supplied product descriptions, begin the (admittedly tedious) task of crafting original product descriptions, starting with the most important and steadily working your way through. What else can you add to those description pages to make them unique and interesting? What about video? What about product reviews?

The Google Panda update has significantly changed the playing field. If you can see it as an opportunity and seize the day, you can greatly benefit.

Need help with your web content writing? Contact The Search Guru for your FREE 30-minute consultation.

That’s an excellent question – and, if you have a specific situation about fair use copyright law that you need resolved, it would be best for you to seek legal advice. In general, though, the law does permit writers to borrow small portions of copyrighted work without asking permission or paying a fee to do so.

How much text, though, is considered a “small portion?” Now, there’s the million dollar question!

Over a decade ago, I was fortunate enough to interview Attorney Lloyd Jassin, the coauthor of The Copyright Permission and Libel Handbook: A Step-by-Step Guide for Writers, Editors and Publishers (Wiley Books for Writers, 1998) – and, although this book was written before too many sticky Internet copyright law questions had time to surface, it is still extremely valuable and I encourage every writer to read this book. From him, I learned that “fair use” is, in fact, a defense that can be used when a person is accused of a copyright violation.

What are the precise parameters of fair use copyright law?

For example, is it safe to be quoting multiple sentences from another writer? According to Jassin, there are no exact standards to follow. Instead, each case is situation specific. You’re getting yourself in potential trouble, though, if you use enough of a person’s text that a reader could conceivably be satisfied with what you wrote – and not feel the need to go to the original source. That’s a red flag, for sure.

Internet copyright law misconceptions: don’t fall into these traps!

You might be saying to yourself: well, that piece of writing is “all over” the Internet. It can’t hurt for me to use it, too. The reality is that it can hurt you if the copyright owner chooses to pursue the issue with you. (Remember the question that your mother used to ask? If all of your friends jumped off a bridge, does that mean it would be okay for YOU to jump off that bridge?)

You might also be thinking that, because you listed the original source of the material, then you’re okay to use whatever you want. That’s also not true. As Jassin explained it to me, this logic would mean that it’s okay to be a thief, just as long as you clearly identify yourself as one. (And what would Mom have to say about that??)

You might also be thinking that, if you use just one line of text, you’re in the clear. Or, maybe someone told you that 25 words – or 100 or 300 words – is the magic line between copyright violation and fair use. That’s also not necessarily true. Taking 100 words from a book may be considered fair use by a court but quoting multiple sentences from a poem could get you into deep trouble.

Here’s where you can read more about my interview with Lloyd Jassin about fair use copyright law.

And, here is:

• the US Copyright’s Office information on fair use
• Stanford University’s policy on what is considered fair use
• Information from the University of Maryland on the topic
• Columbia University’s fair use checklist

In the February 2011 Google algorithm change, the search engine spokesperson stated that Google will reward quality content, so it makes good sense to focus on creating that for your website.

There are many types of useful, worthwhile content that you can include on your website and the best strategy would be to mix and match several of them. These pieces of content can appear in many different formats, including as articles, blog posts, or e-books, to name just a few. Read on for more info about the types of content that will enrich your site.

Case study format: Some case studies go into significant depth, while others provide a nice summary at a high level. Here are some case study examples from The Search Guru of the latter type:

• Sample case study 1: bridal business
• Sample case study 2: dental business
• Sample case study 3: sports business

In a longer case study format, you:

• share a problem faced by one of your clients or customers
• often list choices that the customer could have taken to solve the problem
• provide details about the solution that your company used to solve the problem
• often include statistics that illustrate how much better off your client is after using your products or services

Case studies provide useful content that is valued by other companies or people who are considering your products or services.

Good topics for research: When you provide research about your industry in a way that’s useful for your customers, it helps to build up your reputation as an authority. When choosing good topics for research, always keep your clients in mind. What questions do they need answered? How can you get the info you need?

You can conduct research by surveying customers; by analyzing historical data (buying patterns, financial data and so forth); and by reviewing previous research on the subject and comparing your data to the data previously collected. What valuable conclusions can you come up with to help your clients? For example, potential clients of The Search Guru might be interested in:

• how search engines work
• what they should know about site usability issues
• how to handle on-page elements on their sites
• how to handle off-page elements on their sites
• what they should know about site architecture

(Anyone who signs up to receive our e-newsletter via the search box found on the home page will receive a free whitepaper that addresses those exact issues!)

Interesting news stories: If you are fortunate enough to be at the ground level of events that are relevant to your industry and to your clients, writing interesting news stories is a terrific away to get traffic and links pointing at your site.

If you haven’t broken a story, you can still benefit from the news by linking to a relevant article and providing an analysis that is useful to your customers. An example of news analysis would be when The Search Guru provided insight into the January 2011 Google algorithm change.

Still other types of web content writing include:

• Interviews: Write profile pieces that provide behind-the-scenes peeks about what goes into the products and services that your customers want and need. You could, for example, interview the manufacturer of a key product that your company sells.
• Company profiles: Share info about your employees, letting your customers share in your corporate culture. These can be light-hearted and fun (where employees share their favorite foods, colors, movies and so forth) or thoughtful and introspective.
• Opinion pieces: Provide your educated opinion on topics that matter to your clients. By sharing your expertise, you build up your reputation as an authority in your space.
• Humor/fun pieces: You don’t always need to be serious! You could write fun blog posts every Friday or otherwise inject some levity into your web content writing.

If you’d like to talk further about what types of web content writing would work well for your site and business, email The Search Guru today!

On February 24, Google blogged about what they called “a pretty big algorithmic improvement to our ranking,” one that affected a whopping 11.8% of search queries. According to the blog post by Google, the goal of this update was to “reduce rankings for low-quality sites – sites which are low-value add for users, copy content from other websites or sites that are just not very useful.”

On the upside, Google promises that this will result in “better rankings for high-quality sites – sites with original content and information such as research, in-depth reports, thoughtful analysis.” Note that, so far, this update has only been put into play in the United States.

This Google algorithm change is part two of a one-two punch by the search engine giant to downgrade sites with low quality content to let good content shine.

On January 21, Google revealed that it was about to take action on two different kinds of sites: scraper sites (although that term was not used in this particular post) and content farms (a term that was used in this post). The goal of the upcoming updates, Google explained, was to reduce webspam, which is the “junk you see in search results when websites try to cheat their way into higher positions in search results or otherwise violate search engine quality guidelines.”

About one week later, the first of two updates took place, where Google took action against scraper sites, which are spammy websites that copy content from other sites; the goal of web scrapers is typically to try to earn advertising revenue quickly and easily.

If you haven’t already read our analysis on web content writing posted in response to that first Google algorithm change, consider doing so, now.

What should your response be to these algorithmic changes? How should it alter your web content writing strategy?

If you’ve been reading blog posts and/or e-newsletters from The Search Guru, you already know that we’re a huge advocate of writing fresh, original, relevant content for your site. Now, it’s more important than ever.

Inspiration for great article ideas is all around you. Here are some tips:

1) What questions do your customers or clients ask you? Craft a thoughtful useful response to these questions and use each question/response as a blog post and/or an article on your site.

2) Do you have access to customer surveys? What jumps out at you as a customer concern? What content can you create to address those concerns?

3) What stories in the news affect your business and, by extension, your customers? Write a thoughtful analysis of the impact on your customers and, again, turn it into a blog post or article.

4) Interview people who work at your business and turn their responses into an article. This will help you put a human face on your business, the first step towards building deeper relationships.

5) Interview customers and feature them in articles. What problem led them to seek out your business? What solutions did you provide them? What next steps exist for this customer? What advice would this customer have for other people in the same type of situation?

6) In these articles and/or blog posts, avoid being overly promotional. Instead, use them as opportunities to educate potential clients; the goal is that, when the time comes for them to make a purchase, they will remember the quality info that you have provided and come to your site when it’s time to buy. Put any promotional blurb at the end of the article.

Do you need support in your web content writing? Take advantage of a FREE 30-minute consultation with The Search Guru.

You’ll love having our expert team assist you in generating great article ideas that will provide useful info your customers love and will help you to have the fresh, original, relevant content that Google rewards.

There has been a lot of talk in the media about how building web content has become big business. This talk has been fueled largely by the impending IPO of Demand Media, a mass content farm that churns out an unimaginable amount of web content every day. So, how does this affect you in determining web site content? Here’s why: because most of that talk has not been positive and the Google search algorithm has been changing as a result.

Determining if web site content is good or bad

The reason Demand Media is causing such a ruckus is because they are building web content that is poor – at least according to well paid journalists and writers. Demand Media’s business model is to pay very little for a “writer” (in many cases untrained stay-at-home moms and other people who are happy to make a part time living from home) to churn out a quick, uniquely written article that focuses on one long tail keyphrase.

This tactic works because no one targets long tail keyphrases with original content. This niche has traditionally been filled by what is known as slice and dice database web sites. These are web sites that take a database and “slice and dice” the data to build thousands, sometimes millions, of pages in a very quick period of time. Technically many ecommerce web sites fall into this category.

The news frenzy around Demand Media’s IPO has caused many reporters to look closely at the Google search results and their conclusion is that the search results are full of useless information. These reporters meant to tarnish the reputation of Demand Media (as it was their content they found to be useless), but the overall effect was that Google also took a look at what makes good and bad content.

How this affects duplicate content in Google

While Google does not yet have the technology for determining if web site content is good or bad, they can take a good, close look at different kinds of duplicate content in Google search results and whether this kind of content is helpful to their users. We all know that whole articles copied and duplicated is bad for SEO, but what about an ecommerce site that uses database content provided by a product manufacturer that hundreds of other sites use? What about a site that aggregates and displays excerpts from press releases, articles and blog posts? What about sites that provide addresses, phone numbers and other contact information that is available on many other sites?

In the past, this partial duplicate content did all right in Google. Page content that only used a little duplicate content could combine that data with text or important words and bring in a decent amount of traffic from long tail keyphrases.

This is changing. The past three major Google search algorithm tweaks have been aimed directly at sites that use these kinds of duplicate content. The latest tweak happened just last week and Matt Cutts has stated that the hunt for ways to weed out “poor” and non-unique content is not over.

What this means to you when building web content

These changes from Google indicate that the days of riding on content provided by other companies and sites is coming to an end. If you want good search traffic, you need good, unique content.

Writing unique content can be a daunting task, especially if you have an ecommerce site with thousands of products. But you do not have to face this task alone. We here at The Search Guru can help you with determining a web site content strategy that will work for your company, budget and resources. Whether it’s helping you write the content or training your staff to effectively write the content themselves, The Search Guru is happy to be your partner. Contact us today to find out how we can help your business write unique, SEO friendly content that will help skyrocket your search traffic.

Note: This latest algorithm change is related to blocking low quality content scraper sites and not content farms. The so-called “content farm algorithm” is yet to be released.

At the heart of organic search engine optimizing is well written, optimized copy – and, at the heart of optimized copy is just plain good copy: clear, direct and persuasive. Here are tips to remind you of how to focus on the strength of your business copywriting:

Copywriting tips #1: Be concise

We typically recommend that a page of copy should contain 250 to 350 words. This, though, does not mean that you should stretch out your text to fill space.

Can you express a certain part of your message as effectively in 50 words as you can in 100? Then do so. It’s even better if you can whittle that part of your copy to 25 words. In general, the longer the copy, the less chance it has of being read and absorbed. No one wants to read long-winded copy, so get your points across as succinctly as possible.

Copywriting tips #2: Be direct and clear

Hold a conversation with your audience. Speak to them – not at them. Sure, it’s tempting to use big words and impressive-sounding phrases in your business copywriting, but you’ll generate better results with simple language that’s easy to understand.

Remember, you’re not trying to win a Pulitzer or impress your senior-year English composition teacher. You’re trying to portray your message in the most effective manner.

Copywriting tips #3: Know your target audience

Your Web site copywriting will vary, depending on its intended target. If you’re writing for professionals in your field, it’s okay to use some industry jargon and perhaps spend less time explaining how your products or services work. But, be sure to give the details your readers need to make their decisions.

If you’re writing for a consumer audience, assume they know little or nothing about your products or services, and go with more core copy. Also, consider typical demographic factors, such as income, education, geography, interests and age, and adapt your copy accordingly.

Remember: specific, targeted copy trumps broad copy.

Copywriting tips #4: Write like you talk

Aim for engaging copy that pulls in readers. Write the way you speak – in a natural flow using everyday words. Before you use a phrase like “leverage your core competencies,” think about how often you actually say that during a conversation. If it’s not something you would ordinarily say, it’s probably not going to enhance your Web site copywriting.

Copywriting tips #5: Read your copy aloud

It’s difficult to catch your own writing mistakes. So, when you’ve composed your message, read what you wrote aloud. You might be surprised at the errors you’ll catch. Plus, this is a great way to determine if your business copywriting sounds natural – or canned.

Copywriting tips #6: Develop a connection with your audience

Don’t just start pitching your products or services in the copy. Show your readers you understand their problems, needs, or goals – in a sincere, honest manner. Once readers see you relate to them, they’ll be much more apt to listen to what else you have to say.

Copywriting tips #7: Talk about features – but don’t forget about benefits

It’s not enough to tell your audience about the wonderful products and services your company offers. Explain how they can benefit your audience; in other words, help them connect the dots. Present details about how your offerings can improve their productivity, give them more energy, make their lives simpler, save them time, increase their wealth, reduce their stress – or whatever benefits your products or services provide.

Copywriting tips #8: Understand writing for the Web

Web audiences tend to have shorter attention spans and itchy fingers. To combat this, use compelling headlines in your Web site copywriting that quickly allows readers to see what your copy is about – and if it merits their attention. Use brief paragraphs, short sentences and bullet points to make your Web site copywriting easier to scan. And, avoid passive tense whenever possible – aspire for snappy, fresh copy.

Copywriting tips #9: Ask questions

Do you want to grab your audience’s attention? Do you want to engage their minds? Do want them to focus on your message?

Then, sprinkle some questions throughout your copy – just like that. The human brain is inquisitive, and questions automatically trigger our natural curiosity. Plus, questions can break through barriers, and create a connection with the audience.

Copywriting tips #10: Use social proof

As a group, we like to look to what others are doing for clues as to what we should be doing – often on a sub-conscious level.

So, if you have testimonials from satisfied customers or statistics about the popularity of your products, use them. This information can be a powerful force that drives sales. Even phrases like “best-selling” work well – anything that denotes widespread appeal. If your company has been around for a long time, call attention to that as we often associate longevity with popularity.

Copywriting tips #11: Don’t forget about emotions

While we like to think we make decisions on a factual basis, the truth is that emotion dictates much of our buying behavior. Keep that in mind when writing copy, and use some “trigger” words that appeal to the emotional side. But, use sound judgment – don’t come across as pandering.

Copywriting tips #12: Leave a call to action

Direct your audience to what you what them to do – whether it’s to e-mail for a quote, call for a free consultation, or order a product or service. Many marketers forget this important step in their Web site copywriting.

Make it as easy as possible for your audience to take action, too. Provide a link, phone number, e-mail address, or whatever works for your situation.

Manufacturers often provide copy about their products so that retailers can use it to describe those products to potential buyers. Although this copy may be useful to people who arrive at a retail website, manufacturer-created copy causes multiple duplicate content issues from a search engine optimization standpoint.

You may be asking: why should I care if duplicate content issues cause problems for the search engine spiders?

Take a look at search engines from a search engine company’s perspective (Google, Yahoo, Bing and so forth). Each of the search engines want online searchers to choose to use their services, right? To get this to happen, a search engine focuses on providing the best results for each search query; to quote the most successful of the search engine companies about one of the ways that they accomplish this: “Google tries hard to index and show pages with distinct information.”

To accomplish the goal of providing searchers with distinct information, search engine spiders may not index all pages that appear to have duplicate content – and, when a page is not indexed, it cannot be returned in response to a relevant query being typed into a search box.

In other words, un-indexed pages cannot receive ANY of the traffic generated by people using search engines to find products and services – and that’s a big problem for any company, including yours.

Here, in more detail, is why manufacturer-created copy can cause duplicate content issues for websites.

Descriptions created by manufacturers:

• Tend to be short; search engine spiders typically need at least 150 words of original copy to “get” what a page is about.
• Tend to be similar – or sometimes even identical – to other descriptions within a site; when this happens, search engine spiders may not index all of the product pages.
• Tend to be found on multiple websites; it is therefore likely that only some of the sites using this duplicate content will appear in the search engine results pages in response to relevant queries. Your competitor’s site may be presented in the search results, instead of yours.

Fortunately, The Search Guru provides SEO copywriting tips to combat the problems associated with manufacturer-generated copy.

Our SEO copywriting tips include:

• Prioritize the importance of your pages; this is especially important on a larger site. Top priority pages may include:
  - Landing pages for types of products and/or services
  - Pages featuring products and/or services with larger profit margins
  - Pages featuring products and/or services that form the core of your current sales strategy

• Create original content for as many of your pages as possible, in the order of their importance.
• Optimize the content to help the search engine spiders understand the theme of a page/site, so that YOUR pages can effectively be returned in response to relevant search queries.

Continue to watch The Search Guru blog for more SEO copywriting tips and much more.

When was the last time that you conducted keyword research on your site? If the answer is a year – or more – then it’s definitely time to repeat the process. First, rerun all the keyphrases that you’ve been using. (The Search Guru provides links to terrific free keyword research tool options.)

What changes do you notice in your keyword research results? Why do you think those changes are occurring? What do they mean to your business?

For example, perhaps you’ve been featuring the luxury version of your product, because keyword research had previously indicated that there was significant interest in that product line. Perhaps, in today’s more uncertain economy, fewer people are searching for the luxury version of your product – but there is much stronger search traffic now on another product line of yours. How will this change your business – and search – strategies?

If you decide to change the focus of your product promotion, you’ll need to do more than just switch out keywords in your web page content.

If you’ve been touting the exclusive, prestigious nature of your luxury products, you’ll need to change the benefit statements included in your content when you start focusing on more mid-line products. Perhaps you could revise one of your main benefit statements to read this way:

Pamper yourself with the competitively-priced Product A that will make you look and feel great without putting a damper on your budget!

Or, as the economy is improving, the reverse may be true; you may notice that MORE people are wanting a luxury version of your product. So, again, when choosing keywords and revising web page content, keep that in mind.

What about local traffic? Should you be choosing keywords with a geo-targeted focus?

When you first optimized your web page content, you may not have included geo-targeted keyphrases. If your audience largely comes from specific geographical areas, though, you’ll want to revise your text to include appropriate geographical references.

Remember that Wordtracker has a question-based keyword research tool that allows you to see what questions your prospects are asking.

Use this keyword research tool to brainstorm topics for the new editorial you’ll also be adding to freshen up your site.

Watch The Search Guru blog for ways to freshen up your online reputation management strategy – and for some great technical tips, too.