Excess Voice Newsletter
March 2007, Issue # 151

 

In this issue:

 

>> Intro: Yes, we meet our deadlines
>> Review: Consistent favorites
>> Article: Great keywords can help a lot. But sometimes not at all.
>> Survey: Ever get depressed?

===============================================

Find out about my COACHING service.
http://www.asknickusborne.com/

 

===============================================

 

Greetings,

 

Thanks for all the replies to the last issue's survey about meeting deadlines.

 

As one might expect, it seems we all do our very best to meet deadlines, and fail only under extreme circumstances.

 

This issue's survey looks at another aspect of working as a writer – depression. I asked this same question a couple of years ago. "As a writer or copywriter, do you suffer from episodes of depression?" At that time, over 50% of respondents said yes. I wonder if the figures will be similar this time.

 

This issue's article is about when keywords help you, and when they don't.

 

You'll see mention of my Site Build It web site in the article. This is because I wrote the article in response to something I learned from that site, and my first impulse when writing the article was to share what I had learned with other Site Build It users.

 

But regardless of the topic of your site or the platform you use, I think there is a piece of very important learning here.

 

Until next time,

 

Nick

 

Nick Usborne

>> Feedback: mailto:nick@excessvoice.com

 

===============================================

Reviews:

 

#1. Writing Rituals

 

My productivity guide for marketing writers and copywriters. This set of 5 rituals will help you stay focused on your writing tasks, avoiding the perils of procrastination and writer's block.

 

Learn more...
http://www.writingrituals.com/

 

#2. Desktop Marketing

 

A course for freelancers who want to increase their income by offering writing AND design services. For writers with even basic design skills, this is a great way maximize revenues from every job you do.

 

Read my review:
http://www.excessvoice.com/desktop-marketing.htm

#3. The Freelance Copywriter Fee & Compensation Survey, Volume 2.

 

This is the second volume of this survey, fully up to date, and with a lot more information on what to charge for 40 different types of freelance copywriting work, how to find new assignments, and more.

 

Read my review...
http://www.excessvoice.com/copywriting-fees-survey.htm

#4. Michael Masterson's Accelerated Program for Six-Figure Copywriting

 

This is the only copywriting course I wholeheartedly recommend to any copywriter who wants to write copy that drives results.

 

Read my review:
http://www.excessvoice.com/michael-masterson.htm

 

 

===============================================

 

ARTICLE: Great keywords can help a lot. But sometimes not at all.

 

Recently, two important things have happened at my SBI site, CoffeeDetective.com.

 

First, I finally made it to #1 on Google for the term "how to make coffee". [Note: At the time of writing it was #1, but doesn't seem to be in the top spot right now!]

 

I'm pretty pleased with that. I beat out some pretty stiff competition. And it's a very relevant and important phrase for my site.

 

Just goes to show the impact of careful search engine optimization.

 

So yes, doing well with the right keywords can help a lot. I have seen a very significant surge in traffic since I hit the #1 spot for that phrase.

 

But sometimes, keywords have nothing to do with the success of a page at all.

 

One day a few weeks ago I was thinking about my site and about how many people went to my "best coffee makers" page.

 

A big proportion of visitors were going there, and I had a nagging feeling that the page probably didn't satisfy everyone's needs. I have plenty of third level pages I link to from that page, but I still wasn't happy about my visitors' reactions when they first arrived at the coffee maker page. I had a feeling many would think. "Nah, this isn't what I'm looking for."

 

So I put my thinking cap on. I can't tell you exactly what happened while I was thinking, because I can't remember. But I know I went straight to my computer and started creating two new pages: Coffee Makers for under $50 and Coffee Makers for under $100.

 

These are third-level pages. I simply link directly to them from the main column on my home page.

 

I get almost no search engine traffic for these pages.

 

These pages barely make the top 50 as entry pages.

 

They are not featured in my left nav bar.

 

But...they are numbers 5 and 6 in terms of traffic across my entire site.

 

And they have quickly become the biggest-earning pages on the site.

 

Nothing to do with keywords. Nothing.

 

In fact, none of the research tools one uses when optimizing a site helped me identify these page topics as being important to my readers.

 

It was 100% intuition.

 

I just guessed that these page topics might be what my "coffee maker" visitors were looking for.

 

There's an important lesson here.

 

As important as keywords are, they will not always help you identify the page topics that are most important to your visitors.

 

People don't type "coffee makers under $100" into search forms. They type in "best coffee makers".

 

It's only when they SEE the words "coffee makers under $100" on my home page that they suddenly think, "Oh yeah, THAT's what I really want."

 

So how could this apply to your site?

 

>> Feedback: mailto:nick@excessvoice.com

 

===============================================

SURVEY: As a writer or copywriter, do you suffer from episodes of depression?

 

[ ] Yes, sometimes

[ ] No, never

 

Comments:

 

(NOTE: Any comments and your name may be published in the next issue, or on the Excess Voice web site.)

 

Cut and paste your replies to me at mailto:nick@excessvoice.com

 

===============================================

 

NICK USBORNE'S SERVICES:

 

Yes, I do more than write articles and publish newsletters.

 

Ask me to give a training seminar or webinar for your writers or web team.

http://www.nickusborne.com/speaking.htm

 

Ask me to write for your site, emails and newsletters.
http://www.nickusborne.com/copywriting.htm

 

Ask me to optimize your key offer pages...
http://www.nickusborne.com/consulting.htm

 

 

 

Sign up for the Excess Voice Newsletter and get this 35-page Guide FREE.

 

Writing For the Web #1

7 Challenges every Writer and Copywriter faces when writing for the Web

 

 

 

 

 

Sign up NOW and I'll send you the link where you can download this 35-page guide...

 

Email:

(Your email address will be used only for the purpose of sending you this newsletter, and you'll be free to unsubscribe at any time.)

 

 

 

7 Ways to Optimize the Performance of Your Home Page

 

 

 

7 Ways to Power Up Your Landing Page Headlines

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The 6 Elements of a Content-Rich, Money-Making eNewsletter

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6 Questions to Ask Yourself when Writing Subject Lines for Your Emails and eNewsletters

 

 

 

 

Get ahead faster by networking with influential people in your industry

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

© Nick Usborne. All Rights Reserved.