Top 3 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Be Writing for Search Engines

“Writing for search engines” is a popular copywriting mantra in Houston SEO marketing firms. You’ve tried every latest gimmick and then some to get your website to monopolize search engine results. Your efforts finally have started to reap the rewards, and Bing and Google are sending more traffic to your site.

You’ve maxed out the keywords in the right places. Your webpage looks weird, but you’re attracting a lot of traffic.

The only problem is you’re not closing the sale and receiving green matter.

So what could be wrong?

Maybe you shouldn’t be writing for search engines. After all, they’re algorithms, not people. They only scan for certain words and code. They don’t care if your content is good or not.

Are your words engaging and holding a reader’s interest?

In other words, you shouldn’t write for machines. Algorithms don’t buy your goods and services. Writing solely for search engine optimization represses interaction, sharability, and your credibility.

1. Writing for Search Engines Discourages Interaction

   The truth is you can attract millions of different visitors to your site. But all that activity is as valuable as a brass penny if you aren’t reaching your intended audience. Lots of website traffic isn’t the key to financial success.

   Visitors arrive at your site looking for information. They want to learn and have specific questions that need answering immediately. The old “I’m here, so now what’s in it for me?”

   So what do you give them?

   We are a kitty supply company that caters to kitty-lovers. We have kitty bowls, kitty pans, kitty toys, kitty collars and all sorts of kitty stuff. Browse our pages and take a look at our unique kitty gear.

   Instead of finding what they’re looking for, you visitor get the same old same old run of the mill content that’s available on millions of other sites.

   Your website and business name already told them you have kitty stuff. They might have clicked on your site because they wanted to find out what was the best kitty toy or kitty pan. Maybe they wanted to find out how to prevent kitty from regurgitating hairballs.

   Or maybe thought kitty was the proverbial rainy day slush fund.

   Walk in, walk out. The visitor isn’t exploring your site. Your sale is gone.

   How’s that for looking trite?

   If your visitor vanishes into cyberspace, you don’t get a chance to make a sale and recruit a new customer. Lost opportunity sinks many businesses.

   Writing for search engines doesn’t encourage interaction with your visitors. Using the maximum number of keywords and key phrases in short copy is very similar to a used car salesman in your face.

   Not only do you end up with mud on your face, your visitors won’t tell their friends about a cool new site, meaning they won’t share.

2. Writing for Search Engines Inhibits Sharability

   You wouldn’t spend time a machine, would you?

   You spend all your time with people you enjoy being around, right? Family, friends, maybe even a co-worker or two. People you enjoy talking with and are entertaining and fun.

   Lesson learned. You’re efforts should focus on content that people enjoy and want to share. If people like you, they will introduce you to their friends.

   You must stand apart from your millions of internet competitors for visitors to like you. Writing for search engines does not make you sharable because there’s not a human touch. Algorithms don’t have personality.

   Many people use blogs to add personality and voice to their business face. It’s a way to stand out in the crowd. Blogging is fantastic, informal way of communicating with your customers.

   Writing informative, unique content addressing your potential customers’ questions and concerns encourages feedback and communication. Visitors get to ask questions and make suggestions. The answers they receive are instant gratification.

   If you are sincere and interact with your visitors, they’ll reward you. Not only with green matter, but with Likes, Tweets, Follows that added to social media cyberspace. They are telling friends and increasing the kind of traffic you want and need.

   Their friends will more than likely stop by and check you out, and the bots notice.

3. Writing for Search Engines Impedes Credibility

   Getting new and repeat business requires customer trust. You only have one chance to make an impression. What kind of reaction do you think you’ll get when a visitor arrives at your website, and all they see is kitty this and that?

   Do you view the ambulance chasing lawyers you see on TV as credible?

   Writing for search engines doesn’t establish visitor trust.

   It’s fairly simple to build credibility with your visitors, and it’s not an in your face sales pitch. To be seen as an expert, you must develop unique, relevant information about your industry and your business.

   What better way to establish yourself as an authority than answering visitor questions? This is best addressed by opening the comment section in your blog, but you should be aware of the drawbacks. Leaving your comments open requires you to stay on top of your blog.

   You must monitor and respond to your visitors every day. If you don’t, your visitors will view you as being less than reliable. If you can’t take the time to check your blog every day, by all means use articles, but indicate a contact email address or phone number for visitor questions.

Now do you understand why you shouldn’t be writing for search engines? SEO is very important, but it’s not the be all, end all. If you need help getting started, Houston’s Directory One has expert bloggers that can help you start engaging your website’s visitors.