10 Tasks You Can Do Now to Improve Your Website’s SEO

Googling your business name again? Don’t worry, we all do it. There’s something strangely addictive about checking your Google ranking. We hope for the best but even if what we find isn’t quite as good as we’d hoped for, there’s still some grim satisfaction to be gained. Why? ‘Cos we know that with a little elbow grease, we’ll start to see our site rise up the ranks.

The hard part is knowing exactly which tasks will help you improve your website’s position. There are plenty of background tweaks and content checks you could work on, but without a solid idea of what you need, you may be focusing valuable resources on areas of your website that won’t actually make that much of a difference to your Google ranking.

That’s why I’ve put together 10 tasks you can get on with straight away to improve your website’s SEO, with no gimmicks or shortcuts included.

1. Fill in adequate meta descriptions

We all know how important meta descriptions are, but when it comes to filling in all those metadata forms in the back-end of your website, it takes a very disciplined person to do the task perfectly every single time.

If you have a lot of products on your site, or a lot of separate pages, you might need to put together a task team to get this done in a timely manner. It’ll all be worth it when you see your domain authority creeping up.

2. Buff-up your security

Google loves safety. So much so that sites with good security measures in place for their visitors get brownie points when it comes to Google rankings.

If your rankings have suddenly slumped, the first thing to check is your security certificate. It’s easy to forget to renew it but it can have big implications for your website’s reputation online. Incorporating a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) is a huge step towards completely securing your site against security breaches. Ask your IT team to create a security plan and implement their suggestions as quickly as possible.

3. Include more pictures and optimise them

People find information much easier to digest when pictures are used to break it up. Google recognises this and naturally favours sites with useful, relevant imagery with all the correct metadata filled in.

Good, original photography of your company and the work or products you create is the best possible source for these images. If you’re not in a position to take new photos currently, try looking at free to use stock imagery websites like Pixabay for some temporary placeholders. However be warned: irrelevant, cheesy stock imagery is not a good look for any business.

4. Put a blogging schedule together, and use it

Regularly updated, useful content is always favoured by your customers and that means Google loves it too.

Blogging is still the number one way to keep that content lemony fresh, and the beauty of a blog post is that it can be about anything. So, if you’re looking to tell people about a new service you offer, do it here. If you’ve just taken on new team members, a blog post is a great way to shout about it.

Word of caution though - always make sure you slip in one outward-bound link and two inward-bound links in each post. It really helps with your credibility.

5. Be more mobile efficient

Is your website mobile-friendly? Is it actually mobile-friendly?

Here’s how to test it. Send the homepage url to everyone in your office and ask them to open it on their phones. By the natural order of things, there will be a range of different models and ages of smartphones in use throughout your team, giving you an accurate representation of what your website looks like to almost any phone user.

Now the hard part: which bits of your site look weird? Which don’t function? Note it all down in an audit document and send it through to your developers so they can fix what’s broken and send your ranking back up the charts.

6. Make it snappy

If visitors to your website are having to wait for ages for your pages to load, they aren’t going to stick around. Google penalises websites with long loading times because it makes them look bad for recommending them - so make sure your pages load fast!

There are a number of ways you can do this. Look into reducing the size of images on your pages, you could ask your developers to reduce the code size on certain pages or if you use WordPress, you could look into plugins that help slim down your load times.

7. Consider your keywords

When was the last time you gave a thought to your company’s researched keywords? If your customers are searching for terms that will lead them directly into your lap, use those keywords liberally, and in useful places.

Headings and subheadings are your best options, but including keywords within block text is another great way to show Google that your content is relevant.

8. Be easy to read

Nobody likes a showoff, especially when it comes to web content. Google loves it when you get straight to the point, and likes it even more when you write in clear, concise sentences.

Instead of writing out a long paragraph about your company on the ‘About’ page, why not chop that content into short, snappy paragraphs with purpose? If you’re writing about a complicated process or service, consider bullet points to help readers take in the information. It really will make a world of difference.

9. Get some authority

If you’re looking to stand out, it might do you some good to align yourself with well-known brands within your field.

Some businesses offer guest blog posts to company websites who are more internationally renowned than themselves in order to get some much-needed kudos. Others find it beneficial to link with their local Chambers of Commerce and other local networking groups, with reciprocal hyperlinked badges on their homepages to make sure the world knows they work as a team.

10. Revise/Remake

Scan through your old blog posts from more than 12 months ago. There’s some great stuff on there, isn’t there?

Look, nobody says that your relevant, fresh content has to be totally new every time. Even the best companies revise their content. It’s necessary, especially when you work in a sector or industry where things don’t really get shaken up very often.

You’ll find that some of your best blog posts, or some of the posts that had the most hits, can actually be separated out into two or three different new blog posts. Read through the content and see how you could update it, using new findings, statistics or projects you’ve worked on. Voila - great new posts that your customers will really find useful.

Until next time…

Can anyone be a copywriter?

So, you fancy dipping your toe into the wild waters of copywriting? I don’t blame you; being a full-time copywriter is fantastic.

But can anyone be a copywriter?

As is the case in all creative professions, it certainly helps if you’re creatively minded. There are also a few other attributes, skills and must-dos which might be useful, but I believe anyone can certainly learn the basics of copywriting, even if some find putting pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) and making words jump off the page more difficult than others.

Read on for my suggestions…

Read, Read and Read a Bit More

Your schoolteachers weren’t wrong, you know; reading is beneficial - and not just if you want to polish your vocabulary.

Reading more will set you up for a creative career like copywriting or journalism, as it stands to reason that the more words you know (and the better your grasp of the good ‘ole English language) the easier you’ll find it to write.

So, delve into anything you can find - books, magazines, textbooks, brochures and more. In fact, reading brochures and other promotional content will help you to better understand exactly how marketing content is crafted - and how it entices the reader to part with their cash and buy something.

Be Interested (But Not Nosy!)

As is the case in journalism, it helps in the wonderful world of copywriting if you’re someone who takes an interest in people and what makes them tick.

As a freelance copywriter, it’s my job to talk to business owners and learn more about them, their company and how they like to do things. Now, there’s a fine line between taking an interest (and extracting the right information) and being nosy. Don’t be the latter; no one likes a Nosy Parker.

Instead, be personable, approachable and considerate of the other person and the information they’re about to share (and the information they don’t want to share).

Some people are completely comfortable talking your head off, while others may need a steer. It helps if you can chat to just about anyone and ask the right questions to ensure you gather the information you need.

Become a Grammar Nerd

The English language is constantly evolving - and it’s as important to stay as up-to-date with new and trendy parlance as it is to master the fundamentals of grammar and spelling.

If you don’t know your ‘it’s’ from your ‘its’ or your ‘there’ from your ‘their’ or ‘they’re’, make it your business to learn all of the above and more.

No one will trust you or what you’re trying to flog them (by way of the content you create) if it isn’t grammatically correct or spelled properly.

Learn From Professional Copywriters

The best way to learn more about what it takes to be a copywriter? Keep an eye on people who do it professionally.

Follow copywriters on LinkedIn and Twitter and delve into their online portfolios to see what kind of work makes up the role. If you read a copywriter’s testimonials, too, you’ll see what it is that a copywriter’s clients are saying and how a copywriter has helped propel their business with well-chosen words.

Practise Your Prose

Practise absolutely makes perfect, so make sure you take any opportunity to write creatively.

Set up a blog and create some content; even if you don’t intend to share it anywhere, you’ll have a handy log of your own work and you’ll be able to see if and how it is improving over the weeks and months.

Look at what big-name brands are doing in terms of their marketing - and see if you can come up with, say, a better advert or social media post. Just for fun.

While the above isn’t an exhaustive list of what makes a good copywriter, I hope it has provided some food for thought.

Before I go, I’ll add this: you may have a good command of the English language or you might have aced your English exams at school. Both those things don’t necessarily make a good copywriter, in much the same way that someone with a basic grasp of maths isn’t destined to take Rachel Riley’s role on Countdown.

There is lots more that goes into honing your skills as a copywriter than simply knowing where to place an apostrophe in a passage of text, or gaining multiple A grades for your literature essays at school. If I had a quid for every time I’ve received a message from a well-meaning person on LinkedIn or via email who told me they fancied ‘having a go’ at copywriting because it ‘looks fun’ or they’ve heard it can be well paid, I could switch off my laptop and retire early. Not that I’d want to, you understand.

Sure, copywriting is fun - and, yes, you can make a very decent living from it, but any business owner worth his or her salt will quickly realise if you’re in the profession for the wrong reasons. Plus, you’ll soon tire of the work that goes into crafting that piece of content when you realise it isn’t as simple as you perhaps first thought. So, work on honing your skills and put the effort in - and the time.

Becoming a copywriter takes passion, commitment and skill. So, can anyone become a copywriter? Yes and no - but anyone can put in the legwork.

Until next time…

Psst: are you a business owner who needs help with a project or two? Get in touch with me - a Huddersfield copywriter - and let’s chat.

6 Myths About Freelancing

If you’ve ever ummed and ahhed about the prospect of becoming a freelancer (or indeed a freelance Yorkshire copywriter) you probably have a few questions, including:

• Is freelancing better than holding down a full-time, in-house role?

• Can I make a decent living from being a freelancer?

• What do I do if the work dries up?

During your obligatory Google research phase, you may have seen a few things bandied around the Internet about what the life of a freelancer is actually like - but without giving it a go yourself, you may never know the answers.

I can’t tell you what every freelancer gets up to on a daily basis - we’re all different, with our work spanning a host of industries, too - but I can help bust some myths about going it alone and leaving your 9 to 5.

It’s a Lonely Life

Don’t get me wrong, there are days when I’d love a spot of company (besides William the friendly windowsill pigeon), but for the most part, I can still be sociable when working from home. ‘How?’, you might ask.

Regular check-ins with clients over Zoom calls, or the ‘old-fashioned way’ - over the phone. While it isn’t always the same as meeting up in person, it can fill the void a little when working on your own gets too much.

Before the pandemic, I’d regularly meet for coffee with fellow freelancers, or just head out for an hour for a walk during lunch time. Just seeing a few other faces on the route - or listening to a podcast while I walked - felt a whole lot better than being cooped up indoors.

So, if you’re worried you won’t hack the freelance life for fear of loneliness, don’t be. Build yourself a little community of sorts and you’ll be fine - even during the pandemic.

You Don’t Have a Boss

Err, yeah…you do. Aside from yourself, of course, your clients - and there can be many of them - act as your ‘boss’, in a way. They set the parameters for any given project - and the deadline. As a good freelancer, you’ll probably want to work in a way that suits them, if you can.

That said, one of the reasons I went freelance is because, sometimes, in a full-time office role, you have to work for someone who undermines you.

You don’t have to stand for that* when you work for yourself - and that’s great. Client not valuing you, your services or your time? Get shut of them.

*To be fair, you shouldn’t stand for it anyway.

You Work for ‘Free’

It still amazes me how many prospective clients take the ‘free’ in freelance quite literally. Of course, they know what a freelancer is and does, but that doesn’t stop some people pushing their luck.

‘Can you write me a sample piece of content before we decide if you’re the right copywriter for us?’. No, I can’t. Neither will I write something for you for ‘exposure’, or the ‘prestige’ of working with you and your high-flying brand.

You wouldn’t ask a painter and decorator to paint one wall first, before you decide if they’re the painter or decorator for you. Neither would you ask him/her to decorate your room for exposure - or because you’re a good client and it’ll ‘look good’ on their portfolio/website/other. Bore off - and, quite frankly, stop taking the p*ss.

There’s No Job Security

Does a full-time office job equal more stability? Lots of people seem to think so.

Sure, you have the reassurance of the same amount of dosh landing in your account each month, but as I often say to people who are considering going freelance, an office job isn’t the be all and end all.

If you’re made redundant from your office job, you’ll almost certainly have to look for another role. Lose one client as a freelancer and you probably have a few more clients to fall back on.

Once you’re established in the freelance world, you may have to lose two or three clients before the panic sets in. Heck, you may have to lose even more than that.

Freelancing can often mean you’re turning work down, which is a great position to be in. Go on; look into becoming a freelancer - you won’t regret it.

It’s Stressful

Like working in a full-time office role, freelancing can be stressful - yes. It’s only as stressful as you make it, though. For me, at least, that means pretty much zero stress. I won’t stand for any nonsense. I believe everyone should value your time and your services - just as you would them and theirs.

Don’t fancy working with a particular client? Just say ‘no’. Or maybe your existing client is difficult to work with. If so, see if you can set some boundaries going forwards. The freelance/client relationship works two ways - and it can be a hugely successful one if everyone involved treats each other with the respect they deserve.

We Work in Our Pyjamas

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been asked: ‘You work from home; do you get dressed?!’

Ha.

I’m not going to lie; if I’ve no Zoom meetings booked in, or if I’m feeling a bit groggy, of course I blinking well do. Sometimes, anyway. And so would you if you didn’t have to show up to a face-to-face meeting.

Do we also sit around, twiddling our thumbs waiting for work to come in? Perhaps in the early days, yes.

Now? I’m fortunate - like many a freelancer - to be in a position where I can say ‘no’ if a project doesn’t sound like it’ll be up my street.

When you choose the freelance life, it won’t be long before you’re doing the same. There is often no limit to the amount you can earn, too. Providing you have the time and the people to help you out, you can take on as much work as you can physically - and mentally - cope with.

We can also make our own hours, take as many holiday days as we like, and eat the full cake without sharing it with colleagues. In short, why wouldn’t you want to be a freelancer?!

Find this blog post useful? Let me know by saying hello via my website.

Until next time…

Recently emailed a copywriter? Five Easy Ways to Make it to their 'Bin'

Get in the bin! No, really. That’s where you (or rather, your email) will be heading if you commit one of the following ‘crimes’ when you email your chosen copywriter about the possibility of working together.

Start the Email with ‘Greetings!’

Show me a genuine email that starts with ‘Greetings’ and I’ll show you 1,0235 emails that aren’t. What is it about spam messages?! They literally all start with something wildly ‘olde English’ like ‘Greetings’.

Your email provider is probably so used to this keyword that the email in question will almost always end up in your ‘Spam’ folder anyway, but if not, you’ll probably veto it yourself and send it to ‘Trash’.

So, if you’re a bonafide copywriting client that starts emails with ‘Greetings’, perhaps you need to rethink your strategy.

Tell Us Your ‘Usual Copywriter is Busy’.

Now, come on folks…the first (unspoken) rule of buttering someone up to work with with you is to flatter them.

We don’t expect you to tell us you’ve been a ardent admirer of our work for decades (well, you can if you want) but we don’t want to know that you’re only getting in touch because your go-to copywriter is otherwise engaged.

Make us feel special, yo. Please.

Sob.

Ask Us to Do it Cheaper

No. Just no.

Copywriters (and indeed all other professionals) charge thus because they believe their service is more than worth the price.

Want it cheaper? Find someone else.

Tell Us You’ve Used 3 Copywriters and ‘No One Gets It’.

It’s not me (or rather, them)…it’s you.

Sure, one copywriter might not understand your brief. Two might fall short when it comes to meeting your objectives…but three, or more? It’s probably time to reassess how you brief your copywriter.

We copywriters are friendly folks; we’ll work with you and not against you, in order to ensure you get the perfect prose you’re after - but we aren’t mind readers and we do appreciate something of a steer from you too.

The client/copywriter relationship works both ways. Help us do good work and…well…we’ll do good work.

Send a ‘Round Robin’ Message

Again, we just want to feel special*, so allow us to feel that way.

If your email starts with ‘Hi there’ - and you’ve accidently forgotten to blind copy the other copywriters you’ve messaged, the chances are we’ll simply feel like nothing more than a money-saving exercise.

Sure, you have a budget and you also want to find the best copywriter for you - but pitting freelancers up against each other may rile some of the more sensitive amongst us.

Again, you don’t have to go overboard with the compliments (although, please feel free to do so - a spot of flattery will get you everywhere), but it is nice when would-be clients let us know we’ve been plucked from a sea of copywriters as a stand-out candidate for your project. In fact, it’s blimming brilliant.

*gets out tiny violin for one’s self

Want to work together? Say hello here - and, please, tell me you like my blouse or whatnot.

Until next time…

7 Lessons I've Learned During 7 Years as a Freelancer

I usually mark the anniversary of setting up my business as a freelance copywriter by at least treating myself to a large slice of cake. One year I pushed the boat out and had a spa day. This year? It has literally passed me by. Yep, really. Today - September 24 - more than two months after that all-important date (July 22, if you’re asking), I glanced at my calendar and realised I’ve missed it. Oh well.

As well as cutting myself a slice of belated anniversary cake (what else?!) after my tea, I thought I’d share some lessons I’ve learned during seven years as a freelancer. If you’re thinking of going it alone too, you might find these snippets of info useful. Or not. Here they are anyway…

Getting Your Tax Return Done Early is Always a Good Idea

Tax return season always seems a long way off. Until it’s not a long way off - and you suddenly have three days to find all those receipts and pull an all-nighter to get everything ready to send to HMRC.

If I have any advice for anyone entering the word of freelance, it’s to get your tax return done as soon as possible.

Get an accountant on board, organise your receipts and expenses month by month (set up a handy filing system to sort everything by type) and get your return done as early as possible. When January rolls around, you’ll be giving yourself a big pat on the back. Quickbooks is my saviour and it might be yours too.

Working in Your PJs Doesn’t Always Mean You’ll Be Less Productive

It’s a rite of passage that when you go freelance, you have the opportunity to work in your PJs as much or as little as you want. It isn’t something I make a habit of, but when I’ve had a sleepless night or a rough start to the day, I have been known to answer a few emails in my pyjamas. Guess what…it doesn’t mean I’m any less productive.

When you’re freelance, you work from home and you don’t have to head out for a meeting or client catch-up, the suited and booted office look just isn’t necessary. That said, I wouldn’t advise you log onto a Zoom call in your fleecy onesie.

…But Sometimes it Does

If there’s no excuse for you not to be wearing something ‘proper’, get out of those blinking PJs and get blinking dressed. Do I sound like your mother?!

More often than not, getting changed does equal boosted productivity. So does making your bed. And tidying your workspace. Tidy space, tidy mind and all that.

It Doesn’t Matter How Long You’ve Been in Business, You’ll Still Question Your Prices

I don’t know a freelancer who doesn’t agree that going freelance was the best thing they ever did. When you’ve pretty much turned something you love doing into a career, you WILL question your prices. After all, getting paid for something you enjoy seems like the dream. Allow me to let you into a secret…it is.

On occasion, you might also question if your prices are too high - especially if you charge by the hour. Remember, though, clients aren’t just paying for the time it takes for you to complete a project; they’re paying for your experience, which took way more than the one, two or three hours it took for you to draft that piece of work.

Sometimes, You’ll Have to Tell a Client It Isn’t Working Out (And That’s Okay)

In seven years as a freelancer, I can count on one hand how many times I’ve had to back out of a project before I’ve completed the work. In fact, I can probably count on two fingers. Sometimes, though, it happens.

Try as you might, a client relationship doesn’t always go smoothly - just like the relationships we have with friends, family and others around us. Personalities can, sadly, clash, and sometimes the client (or you) is expecting a project to work out differently.

If you’re experiencing a tricky working relationship that doesn’t fit well with you or the way you do business - and you’ve tried your best to make sure the work…er…works out - don’t be afraid to back out.

The joy of being freelance is that you don’t have to say ‘yes, sir’, ‘no, sir’ to a ‘boss’ you can’t - or won’t work with. If someone doesn’t value your time or expertise, I promise you’ll feel great if you gently explain that another freelancer might be a better fit for them - and that’s fine too. We’re not forced to get on with everyone we meet, after all.

Saying ‘No’ Can Be Liberating

Sometimes, you can spot red flags before you even start working with a client - and you should always trust your gut. If someone is causing unnecessary issues before the project has kicked off, it might be worth your while to just say ‘no’.

I know from experience that the client who takes weeks to respond to initial emails will also take weeks to pay your invoice.

Ditto the client who gets in touch to say ‘I’ve worked with X number of copywriters and I’m not happy with any of the work I’ve seen’ is probably harder to please than most. You could take on the work, or you could confidently say ‘no’ and save yourself the stress. Success as a freelancer - or indeed in anything - isn’t based on money alone.

You’ll Never Work a Day in Your Life

Eagle-eyed readers of this blog post may notice that the sentiment of this lesson is pretty much the same as the point I made about pricing your services. Basically, it’s so true that when you work for yourself it won’t feel like work…that I just had to say it twice.

Thinking of going freelance? I promise you won’t regret your decision.

Until next time…

PS: Find this blog post useful? Let me know by saying hello via email. Oh, and if you need a Yorkshire copywriter to help you with a project or two, I’d love to hear from you too.