That’s right. Now you can use the power of grab words to turn heads.

This amazing revelation is brought to you free-of-charge by Matthew Pattinson, professional UK copywriter at CreativePen.

Free professional copywriter tips

Okay, I’ll stop there. But hopefully you catch my drift. As a professional copywriter, when writing content for web and blog pages, try sprinkling in a few grab words to illicit an intended response on the part of your reader.

‘Free sex’, for instance, will always sell. You might not want to use this grab phrase if you are a florist, though.

And don’t sour the broth with too many grab words. This’ll leave your content bumpier than a ride on a drunken pony. Adopt the mentality of a chess player and strategically place your grab words in a way which really helps sell your copy.

Grab Words That Grab Attention

• Hot off the press
• Coming soon
• Too good to ignore
• Free
• For a limited time only
• Breaking news
• Limited edition
• One of it’s kind
• How to
• Best deal
• Discount
• Sale
• Amazing deal
• You have to see it to believe it
• Sex
• Money
• Cheap

How to use Grab Words

One great way to deploy grab words/grab phrases is to talk direct to the reader. So ask them a question. Instead of saying “here’s a great deal”, say, “have I got a great deal for you”.

The nature of the subject in your crosshairs should dictate the tone and tense of your copy. But like I always say: if a government’s first mandate is to protect its citizens, then a professional copywriter’s first task is to grab the readers’ attention.

If your copy isn’t being read, then it isn’t going to be successful.

Grab Words and Web Copy

Grab words are just one device we copywriters turn to when attempting to hook and hold our readership. Used correctly, grab words can evolve web copy into a well-oiled sales machine.

As we come to a close, let me add a quick disclaimer: no animals were hurt in the making of this blog piece.

Many moons ago, when I was but a grasshopper, my Old Momma would tell me though the crackle of broken dentures: “Why use two words when one will do?”

George Orwell pretty much said the same thing. So if Momma and George said it, it has to be true.

Sure enough, it’s best to keep things simple when approaching any web professional copywriting project.

Professional copywriter tips: Simplicity

As a professional copywriter, avoid the temptation of peppering your web copy with complicated jargon and overlong sentences. Big words might make us professional copywriters sound smart, but if your copy doesn’t function, it’ll fall down faster than a snowman in a heatwave.

If the project calls for it, get technical

But where possible, think about the audience, ring-fence the message you want to convey and deliver it in as straight-forward a manner as possible.

Unlike an Ikea wardrobe, Rome wasn’t built in a day. The same applies to effective keyword research.

Given that keyword research is the most important aspect of your search engine optimization campaign, let’s get things underway by laying a strong foundation.

My no-compromise keyword service means, once the dust has settled, you’ll benefit from SEO-enhanced web copy which raises awareness, drives traffic and increases sales.

Keyword Research Content Strategy

If your website is targeting the wrong keywords, the search engines and your customers may never find you – it’s just that simple. That’s why I offer clients a professional keyword content strategy service ahead of the web copy writing stage.

Understanding your users

When it comes to keyword research, it’s paramount that we understand your users’ language. Remember, your user is unlikely to work in the same industry as you, so technical jargon may prove ineffective.

Undertaking a user identity means we can answer these questions to accurately judge the keywords users are typing into the search engines to find you.

Niche keyword research

Sometimes, the big dollar keywords aren’t always the most beneficial. Niche keyword research is a great way to unearth less competitive terms which can render business changing results. As part of the keyword research strategy, we’ll work out how best to deploy these keywords. It could, for example, be the case that we need to develop inventive ways of creating landing pages which contain these niche keywords.

Web page structure

Web page structure is also a vital part of any effective search engine optimization campaign. Keywords should be included in the:

• Title Tag
• Meta Description Tags
• Headings
• Alt text
• Anchor Text/ Navigational Links

SEO enhanced web copy

So that’s the keyword research process, but what about the final product? This is where the art of good web copywriting comes into play.

Armed with a master list of keywords, I’ll proceed to seamlessly sprinkle them into masterfully composed web copy. The end result will be branded, user-driven, SEO-enhanced web copy which gets the job done.

Measure Your Keyword Success

Professional keyword research is all about results. With your website marketing, we measure how successful your keyword strategy has proved and step things up even further to increase traffic and conversions.

• Client? The UK’s leading manufacturer of motorcycle parts.
• Job? Scripting 400 branded, SEO-enhanced, user-driven motorcycle part product descriptions.

End game? Drive traffic to the client’s website, increasing consumer awareness and sales.

Product Description Design

Starring down the barrel of a copywriting project involving hundreds of product descriptions can admittedly be intimidating. The trick, of course, is to resist the temptation of immediately putting pen to paper. That’s why a content strategy was a must if the motorcycle part product descriptions were to garner real results.

Product Description Content Strategy

Users: Undertaking a user identification revealed that my client’s main demographic responded well to snappy, occasionally humorous sales copy. Pursuing a cross sector of industry magazines confirmed this fact.

Listing would also help readability – it’s a device common to motorcycle manuals and guides and would therefore resonate well in the minds of motorcycle enthusiasts.

Speaking in a language / form the user is familiar with helps invigorate the sales process, besides which, given that people tend to scan online, lists offer a great way of fostering web copy usability.

Brand: A fact-finding expedition into my client’s brand principles cast light on the fact that they were as passionate about motorcycling as their customers. Here are a few other key brand principles / selling points which emerged:

• My client always insisted on using the best materials to manufacturer motorcycle parts in the UK – a point they were keen to stress.
• Precision, craftsmanship, personable and professional bubbled to the surfaced as ideals which also chimed with the client’s brand.
• All motorcycle parts are manufactured for ease of fitment to customers’ motorcycles.

At this point it was clear that professional, fact-based, witty web copy would talk direct to the customer base and resonate well with their needs and aspirations.

Keyword Research: In order to drive traffic to the website, it was paramount to SEO-enhance the product descriptions.

Keyword / key phrase research showed that their users were typing direct key phrases into Google which focussed on their bike, model and the part they were after.

Keyword list for the following BMW product description:

• BMW S1000RR
• Tail tidies / tail tidy (fender eliminator)
• Evotech
• Motorcycle

So that’s the process, let’s take a look at but one of the final product descriptions which emerged. To provide real insight, I’ve highlighted brand elements in PINK and the deployment of keywords / key phases in BLUE.

Quick overview (This takes residence on the category page, linking through to the product web page)

If you’re serious about wanting a genuine performance upgrade then leave all the other shiny bits on the shelf and transform your BMW S1000RR by way of Evotech’s magnificent tail tidies.

BMW S1000RR Tail Tidy / Fender eliminator (Main product description)

Evotech’s team of engineers have worked long and hard to design a tail tidy / fender eliminator worthy of your BMW S1000RR. And like some giddy kid on Christmas Eve, we’re excited to say we’ve hit the mark with the precision of an Olympic archer.

BMW S1000RR Tail Tidy / Fender Eliminator Accessory

Because Evotech shares your passion for bikes, our tail tidies are tailored to meet the needs of BMW S1000RR riders. Check out the benefits:

• Our team of UK-based engineers have worked around the clock to bring you a tail tidy which seamlessly integrates with the sporting lines on your BMW S1000RR.
• Because we want you to have time for a cuppa before hitting the road, our tail tidies have been designed to effortlessly fit your BMW S1000RR motorcycle.
• Simply attach by way of BMW original mountings and take view of the only tail tidy modification worthy of your BMW S1000RR.

Evotech’s BMW S1000RR tail tidies shouldn’t be this good, should they?

Original web copy for BMW product description.

Go with me here. These lanterns are pretty flimsy. Should a curious bird peck a hole in one, it’s anyone’s guess as to where it would land. Firework factories and petrol stations would be the most unforgiving targets.

And what happens if a sky lantern gets stuck in a tree or flies through the window of a skyscraper? It just really bothers me.

Comparable problems apply in the arena of web copy. As with sky lanterns, you have to consider all the consequences, all the angles.

Commercial writing is a great case in point. You see, SEO-enhanced web copy is all well and good, but if it fails to augment and sell the brand then it is about as useful as a bucket during a drought.

Brand Building Through Web Copy

Brand building is integral to the success of any product or service. Branding is a way of saying who you are, a medium to voice your unique take on whatever it is you do. Branding is what makes you different from the competitors and in the end, lets prospect users know why they should choose you instead of the other million possibilities online.

When handling web copy projects for clients, I operate in a number of capacities. Sometimes I’ll build brands from the ground up, other times I’ll whittle into an existing model.

Whatever the case, your web copy must tap into and enhance the client’s brand.

How to Brand Build Through Web Copy

Rome wasn’t built in a day, or so the saying goes. So when developing a brand from scratch, it’s best to have a plan in place. Get things underway by mapping out a content strategy which defines the best way to maximise your client’s prospects.

Ring-fence the target audience and work out their needs, desires and tastes. Any keyword research undertaken should flow from this as you get inside the mind of the prospect user.

How are they going to search for your client’s website online? What is your client’s unique selling point and how can you make that shine through web copy? Perhaps a tagline would help build brand and character?

If, like me, you also specialise in online marketing, then it may be that your client needs advice when it comes to building website visitation and sales conversion.

So get down and dirty and work out an online marketing strategy. How are you going to build links? Would the site benefit from a newsletter, discounts, competitions, freemiums or giveaways?

If you decide upon a blog – and nine times out of 10 you probably should – then what type of content and concepts will further the brand?

It’s all food for thought.

If the brand and website already exists, then reverse engineer these questions as you look to get the most for your client out of their online endeavour.

How Inventive Should I Get with Branding?

You know what, if the project demands it, you can get crazier than Willy Wonka in a sweet shop. And if a quieter approach is needed, then slap on some Michael Bolton and enjoy the smooth times.

The bottom line is this. When it comes to branding through web copy or in your role as copywriter, each and every step you take needs to be signed-off by the client.

By all means you should advise and push your professional opinion, but at the end of the day it is the client’s opinion that really matters – even if you have doubts.

How do I turn my web copy strategy into an online reality?

That’s a reasonable enough question. It’s a fair bet that if your client has hired you to write brand infused web copy, they probably already have a web designer onboard.

In my case, I often work in partnership with a cracking web designer on an array of projects. I’ll design the content and marketing while he builds the website. Sometimes, we work on branding and strategy together, it just depends on what the client wants.

And don’t worry how technical your ideas seem, most web designers I work with agree the best scenario is for a website to be built around the content rather than the other way round.

The web designer will create the specific framework to support your web copy strategy.

Brand Building and Web Copy – The Perfect Relationship

As we speak, the dark sky is alight with the glow of a rogue band of Chinese lanterns. I swear by the belly of Zeus that five of the bad boys are currently cutting a fiery path through the clouds above my office.

If any typos have crept into this instalment of Copywriting for the Web, they can be attributed to sweaty palms. Sky lanterns make me more nervous than a vegetarian in a butchers shop.

And where do they go when they die? That’s what I want to know. For the love of God, will somebody just please tell me, where do they go?

Increasing numbers of businesses are ring-fencing branding, marketing and advertising as a means to ride out the economic wave.

Web copy, in particular, is a hot commodity as commercial interests scramble to bolster their online presence.

It’s no surprise then that I’ve been busier than the guy who cleans the windows at the Empire State Building.

In the interests of productivity and expediency, I’ve developed a blueprint which guarantees quality web copy every time.

Here’s Ten Things Not To Do When Writing Web Copy

1. Don’t Fall Asleep. As with driving, it’s important to keep your eyes open when writing web copy. If you can’t see the keypad, you may struggle to write.
2. Don’t Take a Shower: Shower time should be restricted solely to the bathroom. Taking a shower in front of your desktop can be electrifying and not in the good way.
3. Don’t Hit The Computer: Writing web copy can be frustrating at the best of times. So take that little anger monster, roll it up into a ball and throw it out the window. Remember: a computer is for life, not just for Christmas.
4. Don’t Eat the Keyboard. Confusing your keyboard with a cheese sandwich is an easy mistake to make. So don’t do it.
5. Don’t Overdo Things: Everyone deserves a break. So have a little time away from your web copy project and go on a fishing trip.
6. Don’t Turn off Spellchecker. Even the most conscientious of spellers need a little Microsoft help from time to time. Search and destroy any mistakes that slip through the editorial net.
7. Don’t use the Word ‘Teddy’ Instead of ‘The’. If possible, avoid replacing instances of ‘the’ with the word ‘teddy’. Should you succumb to temptation your content won’t make much sense at all.
8. Don’t Start Talking to Yourself. If you start talking to yourself, evacuate the office and engage the first person you see in conversation, even if they are juggling dead cats.
9. Don’t Paint the Computer Screen Black. Painting the computer screen black reduces visibility and causes confusion. It’s not a very smart thing to do either.
10. Don’t Lose Faith: Web Copy projects vary in size and depth. Whatever project you are tackling, keep the faith. If a jockey can do it, so can you.

“This is the life”, mutters Frank as he takes view of the green fields below.

With that, both engines start to chug.

Houston, we have a problem!

Bullet points and in-flight safety?

Abandoning the cockpit, a frantic search for a parachute ensues. All Frank finds is a ruler, a half-eaten sandwich and a copy of Reader’s Digest.

7,000 feet and counting…

A bulb suddenly lights up the murky abyss of Frank’s mind. Whipping an iPhone from his trouser pocket with the precision of a gunslinger, he connects to the internet.

6,000 feet and counting…

Frank shakily thumbs the words ‘what to do when a small aircraft goes down’ into Google. Clicking on the first return, a stream of dense content clogs the screen. With time of the essence, Frank hits the back button and continues his search for more easily digestible material.

5,000 feet and counting…

Now don’t take this the wrong way, online readers generally have short attention spans. This is especially the case when aboard a light aircraft in freefall.

As such, writers of web copy are tasked with keeping readers on the beaten-path and averting any unnecessary detours. This is no easy feat to achieve.

The copywriter must unleash a furious assault on the senses of the reader. Bullet points, of course, are a crucial cudgel in the copywriters’ arsenal.

Chunking-down body copy with bullet points

4,000 feet and counting…

A quick glance out of the cockpit window informs Frank that the once distant fields below are creeping up faster than a cheetah in a Ferrari. Desperation sets in. Clicking on the next search down, Frank hits the same wall. “I don’t have time to read a book”, he screams, “where are the bullet points and lists?”

3,000 feet and counting…

Frank is of course right to suggest that the visual composition of body copy is vital to holding readers’ attention. So when tackling a dense web copy project, why not try throwing a bullet pointed list into the mix? This will break your content down faster than a snowman at a tanning shop.

Readers are partial to the odd bullet point

2,000 feet and counting…

Beside himself with anger at the uninviting content, Frank sets about writing an email to the website’s author:

Dear Sir/Madam,

This may be my final communication with the outside world, so I feel it crucial to underscore the importance of bullet points when it comes to online readability.

Web writers use bullet points for a number of good reasons:

• Readability                   – quite simply, people like lists
• Concision                     – makes for scannable web copy
• Visual                           – visual layout is crucial

In closing, bullet pointed lists must contain relevant information. They won’t work unless the list has been carefully thought-out. Bullet pointed lists need to be understood at a glance.

Regards

Frank

Ground control to major tom: we need bullet points

1,000 feet and counting…

With the end in sight, Frank makes one last ditch effort and clicks on the next website down. Hallelujah! The body copy is immaculately presented, utilising the benefits of headings, subheadings and bullet points.

Quickly scanning the content, Frank lays claim to an invaluable piece of information – ‘check the ignition’. Dashing into the cockpit with more vigour than a tooth fairy at the dentists, Frank spots that the ignition key is turned to ‘off’. Rotating the key one click to the right, the aircraft quickly jumps back to life.

2,000 feet and counting…

Ascending back to the heavens, Frank gives thanks to the bullet point which just saved his life. Dialling home, he tells his wife of the near catastrophic events. As the conversation draws to a close, Frank muses:

“Bullet pointed lists, headings and subheadings offer copywriters a fantastic method of making content visually pleasing and easy to read. Honey, we need writers to keep rocking the boat by peppering their content with appropriate page breaks. After all, to make a cake, you’ve got to crack a few eggs.”

10,000 feet and counting…

These days I see things differently. When devilish apparitions spring to mind I quickly replace them with visions of sugarplums and dancing fairies.

There is, however, one thing that still gets under my skin; one thing that makes me shudder more violently than an Eskimo in a heat wave. And that, my dear readers, is poor headline writing.

‘Man eats microwave’: a tasty headline…

Putting a cat in the oven doesn’t make it a bun. By the same extension, cobbling a few words together to sit atop your web copy does not constitute an effective headline.

Headlines are integral to the process of web copy.

Let me explain: headlines, in essence, entice your reader into the story you are about to tell them. If the headline doesn’t sing, the reader is likely to pack their bags and take the first bus out of town.

So don’t torment them. Hit the nail on the head and let the reader know what to expect.

Reading on the internet is such a particular beast. When consumers purchase a magazine, for example, they do so with the intent of reading it.

No such agreement resides between the reader and your web copy. So where possible tempt them with an enthralling headline and make a big splash.

The headline is, after all, a springboard to your body copy.

Web copy headline hints and tips…

Effective web copy headlines come in all shapes and sizes. Even so, every headline is tasked with describing the story they represent.

Here are a number of approaches worth bearing in mind when engineering a headline:

1) DIRECT HEADLINES: Get straight to the heart of the matter and bypass complexity in favour of simplicity. Adopt a ‘does what it says on the tin’ mentality and inject an air of transparency into your opening message. In a world of spin, direct headlines often generate a favourable response.

2) INDIRECT HEADLINES: Spark curiosity in the mind of the reader. A degree of mystery will capture their attention and make them want to read on.

3) NEWS HEADLINES: News headlines call attention to the ‘scoop’ of the story, the central thrust. Generate interest with a catchy headline and instil a ‘read all about it’ mentality on the part of your audience.

4) THE ‘HOW TO’ HEADLINE: This headline device is capable of instilling a sense of value to the content the reader is about to devour. Prefixing your opening salvo with ‘how to’ indicates that they are about to get some useful information for free.

5) PUN HEADLINES – Puns are often used in headline writing – most notably in tabloid news media. Wordplay translates well to web copy and witty twists on familiar phrases can hook your reader in faster than a cat at a fish market.

When it comes to web copy, no headline should be incidental. Everything happens for a reason; at least that’s what I’m told.  So also optimise your page for better search engine placement by building keywords and phrases into the titles.

Headline web copy, the final curtain…

A close friend imparted a string of wise words to me this morning. Musing over his coffee he turned and said: “If you’re going to make an omelette, you’ve got to break a few eggs”.

At first I was baffled. It wasn’t until later in the day when I realised what this most incisive of individuals was trying to say:

The most effective headlines are usually produced once the body copy has been finalised. At that point you’ll be perfectly placed to tailor your headline to fit the content.

Brilliant advice!

He also told me to “hit it when it’s hot”. On that, I’m less clear.

Air sea rescue mounted a desperate operation in the form of a spoon but the sodden remains of said biscuit are yet to be found.

Biscuits and writer’s block…?

As I searched desperately for the crumbly castaway in the murky abyss of my coffee cup, it occurred to me some things in life are universal.

Those who partake in the time honoured tradition of biscuit dunking run the risk of sullying their mugs with fallen biscuits. Biscuit density and quality is of course a factor. At the end of the day though, it doesn’t matter whether you are rocking McVitie’s or Tesco’s own brand, we are all prone to losing a biscuit here and there.

Superman’s Achilles’ heel was Kryptonite. Dunkers face the risk of biscuit breakage. So what is it exactly that sends a collective shiver up the spine of the copywriting community?

In a nutshell: writer’s block! There I said it. It’s not a dirty word, its nothing to be ashamed of; it’s something all copywriters must battle from time to time.

Walls are made to be broken…

As with biscuit breakage, there is no scientific formula to excavate your person from the shadows of the writing block wall.

Having worked in the writing trade for the best part of a decade, the Writing Block Monster only rears its ugly head occasionally nowadays. Even so, when the beast does transpire in all its ferocity, I still struggle getting coherent thoughts down on the page.

With web copy deadlines on the horizon, it’s easy to panic. But don’t, this is what the sharp-toothed blockish partition in your mind wants.

It feeds on a diet of fear, so make sure it goes to bed hungry.

Here are a number of methods I find useful in shepherding my mind back to the righteous path of web copy:

1) Come out with your hands up and step away from the keypad! Take a break, have a biscuit (careful if you’re dunking). It may sound overly simplistic, but give your eyes and mind a rest.

2) If your web copy deadline permits, why not leave it till the next day? Things always look different in the morning. Even though you may have temporarily stepped away from the project your subconscious will continue processing information. This will help iron out those creases in your mindscape.

3) Talk to a friend, family member or colleague. Use them as a sounding board to bounce ideas off. I often find fleshing out web copy ideas with others triggers that much need inspiration to keep the Writing Block Monster at bay.

4) Read material related to your web copy project. Not only will this count as research but it could help you view the work through a more positive prism.

5) Rearrange or rewrite the outline/draft for your web copy endeavour. Like a Rubik’s Cube, fiddling often helps the pieces fall into place.

6) Don’t bang your head against the wall. It’s hazardous to your health and you could end up chipping the paint.

7) Fuse your mind with the things you find inspirational. For me, that’s films, literature and music.

The fall of the writing block wall…

Some things are built to last, the writing block wall isn’t. How you scale the wall will depend on you. But scale it you will.

In most cases perseverance and self-belief should dissolve writer’s block faster than a biscuit in a sea of coffee. On the odd occasion, it may take longer.

Whatever the case, just stick with it and remember: unlike mermaids, submarines, goldfish and Olympic swimmers, biscuits don’t like being left in water for too long.

Act 1: The Beginning

Good web copy is all about flow. Once you’ve finished your final draft, sit back and read it aloud. Does it roll off the tongue? Did you hit any verbal roadblocks?

Here’s one thing that is all but guaranteed: if you, the copywriter, stutter along the way, your reader will encounter the same problem.

Such errors can prove more disruptive than an Icelandic volcano. If you keep tripping the audience up you risk disconnecting them from the copy altogether.

And as any good copywriter will tell you: that’s a ‘no-no’.

Act 2: The Middle

There are a number of fundamental devices – besides good writing – I use to instil a free-flowing feel in my web copy.

One such method is to harness the archetypal three-act structure many creative writers use.

There are a number of reasons I like to do this: -

Firstly: the beginning, middle and end modus operandi offers copywriters a paradigm that resonates well in the mind of the majority of readers.

People, whether they know it or not, respond well to the three-act structure. Tap into the emotional selling point of the product or service you are promoting and build a meta-narrative around it.

Tell a story. Work out the start point, the middle and the end. This will invigorate the reading process and help nestle the information better in the mind of the reader.

Secondly: a three act structure allows the river of web copy to flow more freely. On a personal note, while I always have an eye on the overall narrative, I also build this three-tier concept into my copy on a smaller, micro level. So each paragraph I write, for example, will have some semblance of a beginning, middle and end and where possible, I endeavourer to do the same for each individual sentence.

When the ink dries the constituent parts of your copy should come together to function as one homogonous whole. The end result, of course, is free-flowing copy.

Thirdly: story-telling is the most universal form of communication on the planet. People relate to stories, they want to be drawn in, lose themselves momentarily in what you have to tell them.

Act 3: The End

If a piece of web copy is to maximise the potential of a product or service then all of its individual parts must work in unison.

Remember, ducks always fly together.

A lack of structure will leave your web copy dancing more erratically than a Texan oil miner who just struck gold.

So next time you sit down to compose a piece of web copy, shuffle the need for structure to the forefront of your mind.

Hook the reader by introducing the main goals, the setup and inciting incident. Use the middle ground to flesh out the facts and figures then land a knock out blow with an ending the reader won’t forget.