Is Your Copy Trusted by Google?

As long as I've been an SEO copywriter, I never knew that Google had its own trust factor with relation to site pages and their copy.  Yet, a recent column in the Google Librarian Newsletter did a wonderful job of explaining what Google is looking for in the way of copy.  These are practices I've preached with fervor for years.  This information can help your copywriting become a trusted source for Google and potentially aid in increasing your rankings. 

Is There Really a Difference Between Online Copywriting and Copywriting for Print?

One of the biggest copywriting mistakes I’ve seen over and over again is writing about features rather than benefits. But, you say, I want everyone to know all about my great product. How do I get them to buy it if they don’t know about its great features? Sorry to burst a bubble, but the truth is they just don’t care. What they do care about proves a basic truth about human nature—we’re basically selfish creatures. We care about benefits instead of features.

“What’s in it for me?” That’s what’s really important. What that means is that you need to know exactly how your product or service will benefit your readers, and then be able to convey it to them in terms they’ll understand. Another common mistake is writing to everyone. Your target market cannot be “everyone”. If it is, nobody will truly get the message. And if nobody gets your message, nobody is going to buy either. Determining who your target market is before you start to write will at the least, focus your writing. And go even further than determining a broad target market if you can.