There are two schools of thought when it comes to writing internet content (which is what I do):
- Doesn’t matter what it says or how well it’s written as long as it contains the right SEO keywords and maybe a few flashy grabber words here and there to catch the attention of search engines and marginally literate internet dilettantes with bad, unmedicated ADD.
- Good writing matters, even if your audience is rushing and barely reads what you write.
I bet you can guess which school I belong to. I think good writing matters. And I particularly believe in stories. I write mainly for businesses, which might not seem like the most creative of mediums. But I would beg to differ. In fact, the more droll the subject matter, the more creativity required to talk about it in a way that’s interesting, unique and true.
Those of you who use Twitter (or any social medium, really) know how hard it is to tell a good story in a limited amount of space. It’s easier to go on and on. It’s challenging to be concise. But it can be done. And when it’s done well, it’s brilliant.
But just because I am a narrative-driven writer doesn’t mean that I don’t think SEO is important. It’s crucial to use the right words (in internet parlance known as “keywords”) in order to get your web site or blog to actually show up in search results. Search engines are not that smart. They can’t read between the lines, and they willfully refuse to recognize text that’s embedded in graphics. So if your web site says “Sharma Doppolis, best yoga teacher in San Francisco” in its beautiful, well-designed graphical banner — but you don’t mention that fact that you’re a yoga teacher in San Francisco anywhere else in the actual words of your site — guess what? As far as Google is concerned, you’re not a yoga teacher in San Francisco.
Being a good business writer means being able to balance the right keywords with compelling, well-written narrative copy. With my own web site, I’ve been pretty uncompromising about what it says and how I say it. I don’t want it to sound like it’s just a library of high-ranking Google AdWords. Yet, I somehow managed to get it to rank on the first page of results (the only one that matters) on a Google search of “freelance writers San Francisco.” Yes!
Email me if you want help with your web site’s words.
By the way, I spend a lot of time in front of the computer, writing and editing. When I need inspiration, I go outside for walks. This helps clear my head. And while I’m walking, I often listen to storytelling podcasts on my iPhone. Some of my favorite:
1. The Moth
2. Radiolab
3. NPR’s Snap Judgment
4. Porchlight
5. RISK!
And if you still don’t get the point of Twitter, check this out.
