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10/16/2004: "The Job of the Copywriter has changed --- at Least Online."

When I first started writing web copy for clients some ten or twelve years ago, all I had to concentrate on was writing for the sites visitors. Getting people to take some action was my only goal. Perhaps that action was a phone call or to subscribe to a newsletter or even place an order. But the job was basically straight forward and for an experienced copywriter, it was a very pleasant job.

But alas, fast forward to the Age of Google and things have changed. Now we copywriters who write online copy must write not only for visitors and get them to take action but we must write search engine optimized copy that will get us and the client high rankings. That is one hell of a hard job. And it is made harder by Google who changes daily. You can check your ranking hourly or daily and it will differ! This is not a good thing.

When a prospective client asks me what I charge to write SEO copy, some are taken aback because it is much higher than straight copywriting. But look, when a copywriter has to do so damn much for so many people and things, it's going to cost more. Get over it. Any decent copywriter will charge more for all the damn hassle involved in doing straight copywriting combined with search engine optimized copy. And it must be the copy that's optimized. An SEO company can't do it. Not like a copywriter can.

The truth is, a good copywriter who can write excellent copy and get you indexed high in the engines is worth a hell of a lot. So pay up. And be thankful that someone can do it. Because, to be really honest, it's not a job for a novice or a kid. It's a job for someone who studies the net and the search engines and, in addition, is one hell of a good copywriter. And that's not easy to find in one person.

When you do find a copywriter who can do both, grab him or her if you can. You're lucky to get them at any price.

My Duh of the Day to cheap folks who don't want to pay for the value they'll get from a really good copywriter and who end up making a hell of a mess of their marketing by either doing it themselves or hiring someone who has no idea what they're doing. They get what they deserve and it ain't much.