What is usability in SEO Copywriting?
– Definition
Usability in SEO Copywriting is to
provide users with the information they need in an accessible way when
preparing content for positioning. This is one of the
more important features of SEO texts that copywriters sometimes forget about
when creating texts with relevant keywords, but without answering the questions
that bother readers. Without usability, content will not
have adequate substantive value that will allow the reader to choose the right
product or service. At the same time, it is an important
element of web usability, i.e. all factors determining the functionality of a
website for users using it.
– Application in texts
When creating content, the
copywriter should be aware of what the user can expect, what issues raise his
doubts and what he is looking for online. Then he should
try to fulfill them in a clear, clear way so that his message is understood by
a person who does not have extensive knowledge in a given topic. Remembering usability and wondering how to write SEO texts correctly,
you should also take care of other elements affecting web usability, i.e. a
properly created visual layer of the text and its availability on the site.
The most important features of useful content for SEO Copywriter
We will briefly present in this text some of the most important principles that SEO Copywriter should follow in order to construct statements that are useful to recipients of their content that meet the principles of web usability. The basic activities that are used to create content that fulfills the task of usability are:
– simplicity of communication and compliance with the KISS rule,
– creating a persona, i.e. a
portrait of a potential recipient of content,
– providing only useful information
for users,
– adapting the content to the rules
for creating texts for the Internet.
The simplicity of the message
An important feature of usability and web usability is the creation of content that will be simple and understandable to the average user. When writing about car batteries, for example, it’s impossible not to use professional phrases related to its construction and parameters. However, this should be done in moderation and ensure that every user, even one who has little knowledge in the field of motoring, can obtain useful information for their needs. The KISS rule is connected with this, in the light of which texts should be created without unnecessary additions.
KISS (Keep it Simple, Stupid) is currently one of the important principles not only of SEO Copywriting, but also of the entire marketing industry. These words are already over 50 years old and are attributed to Kelly Johnson. It was an American aviation engineer who recommended the construction of machines in such a way that any mechanic could cope with their maintenance and repair. This quote became so universal that it later found its practical application in many other areas of life.
When applying the KISS rule, it is worth remembering to be moderate in creating content, according to the advice: “Write straight, but not simply!”. When creating content in an accessible language, you must remember about the language correctness. The simplicity of the message can not be associated with stylistic or linguistic errors, as well as indecent words!
Creation of the persona
Creating a persona is a very important step in creating content that complies with web usability. This is a portrait of a typical recipient of our content who will be interested in using our services or buying a product. By performing this action before writing the text, we will know what our potential customer is looking for, and thus providing him with the information he needs to make the right decision – that is, take advantage of our offer – will be easier.
By creating persona you will know the basic information about your standard client: how old he is, what he does professionally, what interests he has, as well as many other features that will not only help to achieve user satisfaction and increase sales results. They will also facilitate SEO Copywriter writing texts and allow you to create a text scheme that will be useful and valuable in terms of web usability.
Facebook can also be a useful tool in creating persona. Thanks to the data contained in this social network, we can have a clear picture of users responding to our business: likes, commenting and sharing our posts.
Providing relevant information
It often happens that we read a text with several or even several thousand characters, but after reading it we have the impression that we have not found anything interesting. It is very possible that we will not get through it, because most of the content will be useless to us. The so-called. “Pouring water” certainly does not promote the usefulness of SEO texts and web usability. The copywriter should include the substantive issues to the maximum extent possible. The previously mentioned persona is connected with it, thanks to which it is possible to determine what information the potential customer will be looking for and such data should be received.
Content creation in accordance with the principles of webwriting
The place in which we publish content determines how they are placed so that they are most useful to the user. In the case of websites, such rules are set by webwriting, i.e. the technique of creating content for online needs. The features of utility mentioned earlier are closely related to it, namely simplicity and brevity. It is also worth applying other web usability principles:
– include the most important information at the beginning of the content to
attract the reader’s attention,
– use short sentences, without
multiple constructions,
– use friendly formatting: short
paragraphs, headers, as well as bullets that will draw the attention of
“scanning” the content of the recipient,
– use visual materials: photos,
graphics or multimedia.
Summary
Caring for usability in SEO Copywriting, which is an important element of web usability, is one of the most important rules for people writing texts in terms of positioning. Without complying with it, the texts can become completely useless to the recipient. Therefore, it is worth following the following guidelines:
– When writing SEO texts, you should focus on a maximally simple and
understandable message, and at the same time correct in terms of language.
– It is extremely important to
create a persona, i.e. a portrait of the universal recipient of our content,
thanks to which it will be easier for us to adapt the appropriate content to
users. At the same time, it will affect the effectiveness
of our activities.
– Users want only useful
information, so you need to limit the use of unnecessary content that is not
related to the topic.
– Adapt the content to the rules
that prevail on the Internet – prepare texts that are visually attractive,
including multimedia materials, containing the most important information at
the beginning of the text, using webwriting and UX writing techniques that
affect web usabiility
UX writing is a writing technique that complies with User Experience, i.e. the user’s experience on the website, adapting the content to the usefulness of the recipient. You can read more about UX writing in the future text of our web usability guide.
The usability of content is only one of the elements, although very important, belonging to web usability. We will describe this issue in more detail in one of the next texts on our blog about positioning.