SEO Copywriting Tips

[BCCopywriting]

Whether you're new to SEO or consider yourself a pro, there's one final step to take before your SEO strategy gets off the ground - writing the copy. There's a lot to consider when integrating your SEO keywords into your product descriptions, personal bio, About page, shop announcement, and so on. Fortunately, there's good advice around, and techniques available to help loosen those creative muscles and help you succeed. To start, let's clear up some confusion around the words "copy," "keywords," and "SEO."

What’s the difference between SEO and copy? And why are we experiencing this confusion? It all has to do with the fast growth of social media, and the masses of new sellers pouring into crowded markets with only vague ideas about how to write copy and how to handle SEO.

As you might already know, SEO stands for “search engine optimization.” “Search engines” are the apps everyone uses to find things on the Internet. Google, Bing, platform engines like Etsy search, and so on. “Optimization” means figuring out how to get seen by people who are using those search engines. It's a complicated process, but there are some basic methods that can help get you started.

“Copy” is any writing intended to sell or persuade. It’s writing with a specific goal. Usually we associate copy with marketing, sales, and advertising. It can include obvious things like TV ads, product listings, email promotions, and so on. But it also includes personal bios on your business website, newsletter articles running as part of your marketing efforts, and your business tag line.

Since SEO refers to Internet search engines, it didn’t exist before the Internet existed. Which means that copy existed a long time before anyone ever thought up the term “SEO.”

SEO helps get people to your website. Copy is what people read when they get there.

There is some overlap. The words that you use for SEO (called “keywords”) get put in a lot of different places. Some of those places are “hidden” and can’t be seen by anyone visiting your website or shop. But some keywords are also used in the copy itself. When they appear in copy, it’s best for these special words to look natural, as though you chose them because you like them, not because your SEO consultant told you to use them.

Like copy, keywords were used in sales and marketing before SEO existed, primarily to identify and categorize products and reference current trends. They're still used today in offline marketing (printed materials). They're also an important part of any document indexing process, in print or online.

The science and art of identifying the right keywords at the right time and putting them in the right location in the right way is what makes SEO so complex. Incorporating this SEO vocabulary in natural language is where copywriting comes in. Unfortunately, If you don’t feel comfortable writing in the first place, the added burden of having to incorporate specific keywords in your copy can sometimes seem overwhelming. But there are techniques that can be used to 1) loosen up your brain so that you can write more easily, and 2) help you to integrate SEO words and phrases without sounding unfriendly and awkward.

This thread is my contribution to this process. Feel free to ask questions about your own copy, or request information on a general copy-related topic. If you'd like to learn more about me, feel free to visit my About page: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TheCopywritingCoach/about

What would you like to know?

[EstateSaleTreasure]

Is it true what I've heard that the first 3 words in the title are the most critical for SEO?

[Former_Member]

Does this tags? Do I use the tags the same way I do the SEO? I'm not selling and I am sure it's because I don't have the right words or the right amount of words to be found.

[bonnielecat]

I think SEO is one of the more challenging aspects of running an online business!! I am always working to learn and improve what I'm doing and am definitely going to check out your link:) Thanks!

[JulianLovegroveArt]

I never know how to choose good keywords, I've tried google's keyword tool but found it too complicated to use.

[BCCopywriting]

Luba - Thanks for your question! You're right about the opener in the title carrying a lot of weight. That's where you want to put your best keywords. Mary would be able to provide the exact details about how many characters in, and so forth.

[BCCopywriting]

Julian: Sometimes those keyword tools seem a little overwhelming at first. I remember when I first started with AdWords, I was annoyed by it. But now, I can drop in anytime and test out a few words and get some suggestions without any problem. Keep at it, and with practice you might feel more comfortable. Have you checked Mary Toland's threads? She's got some posted directions that might be helpful.

[BCCopywriting]

Bonnie: Thanks for your comment! I think it's helpful to acknowledge that SEO is, in fact, somewhat complicated! No doubt about it. But there are some basic things that we can learn and implement on our own. In future posts, I hope to offer some suggestions about how to get started with pages or listings when we've got SEO "on the brain." Stay tuned! :)

[BCCopywriting]

Tammy: Yes, proper use of your tags is part of your SEO. The best approach is to coordinate your title, tags and descriptions. First find your top-performing SEO keywords (the SEO experts can offer guidance there). Then make sure to use those same keywords in your title, tags, and description (that's where someone like me can help a bit). I know it can seem a little confusing at first, but keep at it. There's a lot of amazing expertise here to help.

[umeone]

I never thought about integrating SEO in my About page, personal bio and my shop announcements. Thank you, I will have to go back over them.

[BCCopywriting]

Linda: Yes! Lots of opportunity on various pages to improve your reach. Come back and tell us if you see any difference!

[VintageMaineia]

Thanks, Barbara, for your thorough post!

So, what you term "copy" is what we call our "item description" right?

I always make sure to vary my copy between listings because I have read that it is better to have different copy. I don't use boilerplate descriptions because there is the chance that if my descriptions are different enough, that the search engine might place me twice on page one.

Do I have it correct?

And, yes, I try to naturally sprinkle keywords throughout my copy. I can just about do it in my sleep : )
-----------------------------
I feel bad when I see listings where sellers repeat the title verbatim on the first line of their item description... it's so "eight years ago" technology, lol. Search engines weren't so smart back then...

[BCCopywriting]

Joanne: Thanks for your comment! You're close. Copy refers to almost any writing within your shop, so it would also cover your About page, your personal bio, your shop announcement, and so on. I don't usually include the title as part of shop copy, because on Etsy, a title is primarily a string of keywords used to ensure that people searching for items like yours will be pointed to your shop. Etsy titles are really more of an SEO project than a copy project. You're right that it helps to vary your listings, but the ways in which identical listings harm you - and the degree - vary depending on the search engine. And again you're right in saying that search engines are constantly becoming more intelligent. Hopefully our SEO guides are just as quick in keeping up with new developments! :)

[FiredCreationsGlass]

Re Luba's comment, I sell lots of similar items where only the shape and colour change, is it ok to repeat the first few words of a listing title, or should they always be different? I often find my listings all start with the same words.

[BCCopywriting]

Angela: Double check this with Mary W. or Mary T. I believe it's OK to repeat your best SEO keyword phrase in the titles for similar listings on Etsy. But the description itself needs to be varied somewhat. It's OK to repeat the keyword phrase itself in the first sentence of the description, but the sentences themselves should sound a little different. A few changes here and there should be fine. By the way, this only works if that keyword phrase you keep repeating is a well-tested phrase that you're sure is a top performer. Thanks for your question!

[VivaTerraVintage]

How does one come up with a list of keywords to use in copywriting?

[BCCopywriting]

Tracey: Well, you've asked the big question! :) That process, if done in a complete way, is extremely sophisticated and probably best left to a professional. However, there are some useful, basic tools available to the average seller. These tools can identify keywords that have a high probability of connecting your listings with buyers who are already searching for items like yours. Check Mary T.'s postings for info on Google AdWords. That's usually the recommended tool. Once those keywords are identified, then I can offer tips for incorporating them effectively and naturally in your copy. Good luck! Let us know how things go!

[EpiphaniesAfield]

I'm a painter who makes cards from scans of my paintings. I never had very many Etsy sales and have basically given up on Etsy as a source of sales revenues since all the hours I've spent on keywords, treasuries, etc. have garnered me such few, occasional, small-dollar sales. I have read in other forums that SEO is overrated for selling visual art. Likely that's true, in that people seeking art through an on line search know what they like when they see it and enter topics, colors, sizes, etc. for what they're after and as long as an artist remembers to include a variety of shoppers' terms like 'landscape' and all possible parameters about the piece of art that anyone would use to describe what it is, its color theme, size, etc. the artist has about as much visibility as another artist offering a similar type of art.

[BCCopywriting]

Tanya: That's an interesting comment about selling art, and the state of the marketplace. I'm wondering, though, if there are other approaches that could be taken with SEO to help improve visibility. Have you had a critique of your SEO by a professional who can spot where you might have missed an opportunity? Also, the materials, physical properties, and categories aren't the only things that can be "sold" with proper artwork SEO. It might take some creative thinking, but it's possible that by looking at your target audience, you can come up with keywords that speak to lifestyle, gender, age, occupation, personal interests, home decor preferences, and other aspects of the life of your target buyer. And make sure the other aspects of your shop are maximized (photos, copy, pricing, etc.). It would be a shame to give up before looking at all the possibilities. In any case, best of luck to you!

[Former_Member]

Tammy,

Your listings are not seen or selling as much as they could be if you were using better keywords in the listing titles and tags. SEO on Etsy is mostly about using keywords that shoppers use. You can find good keywords by doing some keyword research using a tool like Keyword Planner. There is an article in this team forum on how to use keyword planner: https://www.etsy.com/teams/11352/etsy-seo-and-google-seo-beginner-and/discuss/13988472/

[Former_Member]

Luba,

Etsy does read all of the words in the listing title. The first several words are more important than the rest of the listing title but usually more than just the first 3 words, depending on the length of the shop name.

The first 40 characters of whole words would work for your listings.

You should continue working on finding better keywords for your listings. In this listing for example,

https://www.etsy.com/listing/269452673

A better listing title would start like this:

Vintage Romantic Lamp Shade . . . . .

SEO on Etsy is mostly about using keywords that shoppers use. You can find good keywords by doing some keyword research using a tool like Keyword Planner. There is an article in this team forum on how to use keyword planner: https://www.etsy.com/teams/11352/etsy-seo-and-google-seo-beginner-and/discuss/13988472/

[Former_Member]

Tracey,

You can find good keywords by doing some keyword research using a tool like Keyword Planner. There is an article in this team forum on how to use keyword planner: https://www.etsy.com/teams/11352/etsy-seo-and-google-seo-beginner-and/discuss/13988472/

[HKart1]

Thank you for your enlightening article.
There is a lot to absorb and implement:-)

[BCCopywriting]

Thanks, Hana! One great thing is that there are plenty of resources to help out if you have questions. Best of luck to you!

[colonialcrafts]

It gets frustrating for getting proper SEO to me, because there is so much conflicting information out there. One credible source said to copy your title and make it your first line of the description. Then someone else says, "no, don't do it that way". I was mixing the words of the title in a different sequence for the first line of description, so it wasn't exactly like the title. Then I read you don't have to do that. One person said to put commas between the key words in the title, and then the next says don't because it can affect the seo and wastes word space. ??? Which is right? I feel my sales have gone up since I have started copying the title into my descriptions and leaving out the commas. What is your opinion?