Every copywriter knows that one of the classic mistakes they can make involves substituting one word for another that makes there copy read badly. Of course you caught that little mishap as it was done on purpose, right? 'There' for 'Their?' Many words sound alike but make no mistake, choosing the wrong one can mean that the whole meaning of the sentence can be altered.
Although many of these you're sure to remember from grade school, there are several that are a little less conspicuous but can cause just as much trouble for a copywriter, especially when they're working with the kind of web content that's sure to get first exposure like a home page. For example, a principal is of the first rank in importance and might be the person who runs a school while the principle is generally only a guiding rule. As you can see, transposing these can change the meaning of things drastically.
Some of the other examples are more common like it's (the contraction of it is) as opposed to 'its' being the possessive form of it. It's also necessary to avoid buzzwords in general business copy as well as web content. Don't ever give your readers an excuse to click away from the site that you've worked to get them to. Writing modality when you could use the plain words style or method is unnecessary.
Try to avoid the kind of writing that's long winded and heavy handed as well. E.B. White called this kind of writing the 'language of mutilation' since it always butchers the meaning. You should always strive to use the kind of language that's clear and direct so that you get your point across with as few words as possible.
As well as the wrong words, you'll want to stay away from generalities as well. Often here the writer has something specific in mind but doesn't write it. When you leave readers to guess at what you mean, the result is generally they will click off the page where the bad writing appears or flip the page.
The last bit of advice here is that you should try to write naturally. There's nothing as jarring in web copy as stiff writing that's got too many words expressed in a long winded manner. There's really no reason that the spoken language needs to be written in a completely different manner. Try writing with the same cadence that you speak in.
If you want successful search engine rankings without resorting to any tactic that search engines like Google, MSN, Live, or Yahoo might frown upon, you need to find yourself a reliable SEO company that will provide you with clean and deception-free SEO service. This is especially true if you are making your living through your website. One bad move, like a using a black hat tactic, even without your knowledge, can land you in the doghouse and rid you of clients and income. Sounds bad? If you don't have a good SEO service provider working with your right now, here are few tips on finding them.
1. Google them. The easiest way to find out if a particular SEO is one that you should avoid is typing their name into Google or any other large search engine, and adding the words bad SEO, SEO blacklist or SEO scam. If other people have had unpleasant experiences with a particular SEO service they will most likely want other people to know about it.
2. Do not go for the black hat SEOs. You probably already know them, or you probably won't recognize them even if they're right under your nose. Black hat SEOs you should avoid like the plague if you want to stay best buddies with Google or Yahoo. Avoid SEOs that guarantee number one rankings right off the bat, change meta tags, or create doorway pages to help you climb up the ranking ladder.
3. You can look for good SEO firms by joining SEO forums such as Clikz, SearchDay or SearchGuild. You can also ask for recommendation from friends or from other websites that you trust. Friends who have experienced quality SEO service from SEO firms will most likely recommend them to you.
4. Once you have a potential SEO firm on your sights, do some digging. Research on the company profile, how long they've been in business, company accounts, number of full-time employees and such. A firm knows for good SEO service will usually be in business for a relatively longer amount of time than a firm that specializes in black hat techniques.
5. A good SEO firm will give you detailed answer about how they intend to help you get the rankings that you want. Asking them about this is one way to make sure that you are not dealing with a black hat SEO, and one way to tell them that you don't want any black hat tactics used.
6. A good SEO service means that they also provide a reliable customer support service. A good customer service is one reliable way to gauge the company's reliability as a whole, so if you find a customer service that is available whenever you need it, it's likely that you've found yourself a good SEO.
Choosing the right SEO can make the difference between higher page rankings and a successful online business, or getting lower rankings and worse, getting booted out. Choose your SEO firm carefully using the guide above and you'll be on your way to a profitable online business.
Article Source :
About Author
Both Robert Starr & Daniel Millions are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Robert Starr has sinced written about articles on various topics from Site promotion, Business Intelligence and Writing. Robert Starr is a professional writer/editor with several published books and a degree in journalism. He's brought 20 years of experience in the craft to his own on line writing/editing service. You can reach him at. Robert Starr's top article generates over 3600 views. to your Favourites.