There are typically two different camps when it comes to website copy. Those that think SEO is the most important aspect, and a (much smaller) camp that thinks conversion is more important.
Put me in the second camp. When it comes to web copy, conversion is more important than SEO.
Now, this doesn’t mean you can’t have both. I’m perfectly capable of writing converting copy using keywords / keyphrases. But the keywords / keyphrases are NOT my ultimate goal. If I can’t intelligently fit the best keyphrase into the first headline because it sounds silly, then I won’t. SEO experts be damned.
There’s a reason why I feel this way. Two reasons actually.
The first reason is for most websites, keywords are just not that important in determining rank. Yes, you need them to give Google (et al) an idea of what your page is about, but think about this logically for a second – you and all of your competitors are generally using the exact same keywords.
Read that last line again.
I did an SEO keyword test last year. It shows that keywords WILL rank you if nobody else is using your keywords. And it shows that using any keywords that are even remotely common have no effect on rank.
So anyway, let’s get back to the topic and tell you my second reason why conversion is better than SEO.
It’s because you can buy immediate traffic. Just open an adwords account and go to town. You’ll have targeted traffic interested in your stuff in an hour.
But Natural SEO traffic? Even under the best circumstances, it will take months. What’s your plan until then? Do you even have one?
I’ve seen it happen time and time again – people spend 1k on adwords, and because their site is well-written and converts, they gross 5k off of the traffic.
If your site converts, and you make a reasonable profit on the level of conversions, the amount you spend on adwords is irrelevant.
Write your copy to convert. Or hire me to do it. Your profits will thank you.