1. SEO Copywriting Makeover: Good Rankings but No Sales Part 2 of 2
January 21, 2005


by Karon Thackston © 2004-2005 http://www.copywritingcourse.com In Part 1 of this article series, we looked at a local home security site that had fairly good rankings but whose conversion rate was lacking. (You can see the original copy here: http://www.copywritingcourse.com/topsecurity-original.pdf.) Here in the conclusion, you'll see how several changes helped maintain this company's good rankings while improving their site's lead generation abilities. The Rewrite My first thought with the rewrite was to stop making "trust and urgency" the undertones and instead make them the ... (read more)

Author: Karon Thackston | Article Views: 2373

2. SEO Copywriting Makeover: Good Rankings but No Sales Part 1 of 2
January 21, 2005


by Karon Thackston © 2004-2005 http://www.copywritingcourse.com It's been a myth for as long as the Internet has been in existence. Get good rankings and your site will be successful. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but that has never been the case. What you get when you achieve good search engine rankings is a lot of traffic. That *can* be a wonderful thing, but it by no means guarantees even one sale. You see, search engine rankings are not responsible for making sales. They are responsible for getting visitors to click to your site. If you (or your search engine optimizer... (read more)

Author: Karon Thackston | Article Views: 2350

3. Need a New Idea? Try Changing Your Perspective
January 12, 2005


One definition of creativity states that creative people look at the same thing everyone else does, yet they see something no one else does. But even creative people (which includes all of you, of course) can run into roadblocks every now and then. Sometimes it's not possible to see something different. Sometimes you've just been staring at a problem for so long it's now impossible to look at it in any other way. So what do you do in these situations? Why not try changing your perspective? Consider this: A friend of mind who does needlepoint has a design that's mostly black. Rather... (read more)

Author: Michele Pariza Wacek | Article Views: 2325

4. "Super Verbs" Really Move Your Copy
December 08, 2004


By Karon Thackston © 2004 http://www.learn-copywriting.com Run or hustle? Eat or devour? Move or scurry? You can boost the power of your copy by boosting the quality of verbs you use. Verbs show action, and the way you describe that action can have a dramatic bearing on your readers. Why would you want to fill your copy with complacent words when you can conjure emotions and visual imagery in the hearts and minds of your readers? Sure, "run" and "hustle" both indicate that someone is moving fast. But "run" is a dull, ordinary verb while "hustle" evokes definite images in your reader... (read more)

Author: Karon Thackston | Article Views: 2651

5. Three Keys to Crafting Successful Print Ads
November 28, 2004


Want to create print ads that get results? Below are three keys to get you started. 1. Write for the eye. Print ads are visual. Therefore, craft ads with the eye in mind. Eyes are kind of picky, though. So, here’s a checklist of what eyes like and don’t like: * A catchy headline that encourages them read more. * Art, such as photos, illustrations, clip art, shapes, etc. Eyes like art. When you create the ad, create words AND the visual at the same time. Words and visuals should work together. * Designed in an interesting, intriguing, attention-getting manner. Eyes like that. R... (read more)

Author: Michele Pariza Wacek | Article Views: 2582

6. Does Your Copy Look "Fake" To the Search Engines?
November 20, 2004


by Karon Thackston © 2004 http://www.copywritingcourse.com/keyword From the early days of search engine optimization, keywords and content have always been vital to achieving your goals. Starting back in the days when we used to shove every slightly relevant keyword into our Meta tags, it has been obvious that search engines love text. The more advanced the engines have gotten over the years, the more complex and sophisticated many writers have gotten with their search engine copywriting. Supposed formulas, saturation levels, and other mysterious concoctions have been developed to he... (read more)

Author: Karon Thackston | Article Views: 2633

7. How To Write Little Tiny AdWords Ads That Bring Giant-Sized Profits
November 06, 2004


by Karon Thackston © 2004 http://www.copywritingcourse.com It seems to be a phenomenon. You try Google AdWords Select, your ad gets “disapproved” by the powers that be at Google, you count your losses and give up. It doesn’t have to be that way. There are two primary factors to succeeding at Google AdWords. The first is getting the right keywords. The second is writing little tiny ads. Neither is all that easy, but they can both be done. Mark Twain said it best. “If I would have had more time, I would have written you a shorter letter.” The point… it takes much more skill, and m... (read more)

Author: Karon Thackston | Article Views: 2768