How to Write Content That Matters, a conversation with Sean D’Souza
By Jessica Albon
Copyright 2003, The Write Exposure

A master of metaphor, Sean D’Souza writes articles that astound readers. He gives readers what they want, and then some.

You might think writing articles as powerful as D’Souza’s would require epic talent, but in fact, D’Souza says, it all starts with a headline.

When I sat down to interview D’Souza, I was worried he might hesitate to share his secrets for writing engaging content. Instead, he was as open about the behind-the- scenes aspects of his newsletter as he is in each issue. Offering advice from the candid: “The unsubscribe is only an email away,” to the poetic: “Problems are whirlpools,” he clearly explains how you, too, can write great content.

Jessica: Sean, thank you for agreeing to this interview! To get started, what do you try to accomplish with your newsletter, PsychoTactics?

Sean: I want people to learn that marketing can make them millions. But make sure you get into a customer’s brain first. Think like they do. Understand what they really want. They want you to literally second guess.

They want to buy. You do stupid things and actually prevent them from buying.

Jessica: In your newsletter, you provide specific advice on making your marketing more effective. You offer readers information they can’t get elsewhere online, so clearly, there are benefits to being a reader. How does the newsletter help you, as the publisher?

Sean: People writing in saying how their lives have changed, how their business has improved. Empowerment has been the best reward. People write looooooooong five page letters.

But seeing that it’s a powerful tool to generate business and real money in the bank, has been pretty gratifying too.

My credit card register clicks through all the time because people trust that I will give them good stuff. We don’t ask for business any more. It comes to us.

That way, the newsletter is a bit like a view into your soul. We started a membership just today and we already have had dozens of people sign up. They know they can trust us.

If you do things right and promote it well, your audience will materialise. It’s a monster, but a likeable one.

A newsletter is the BEST Tool you can ever have. Don’t underestimate it for one second! But you can’t get away with trash. If you’re going to have a newsletter, put out something momma would be proud of.

Jessica: How do you write the articles that, as you put it, your momma would be proud of? How do you keep your perspective fresh?

Sean: Reading, reading and reading. Nothing will make more ideas pop into your head. The second way is clients or helping other people. They ask weird questions, and the ideas go wild. I’ve got about 10 book ideas in my head and about 30 article ideas. I have to write them down or they give me the slip.

Be bold. Don’t be boring. Anything that isn’t boring is fresh. But also look at it from different angles. Look for examples. They help you explain and help the audience understand.

Jessica: What happens when you run out of fresh ideas?

Sean: I read. I talk to people. But I don’t have that problem any more. Now I just think of headlines and write them down. Dozens of them. That makes it easy. Write what you know about.

It’s making the article powerful that’s difficult. Filling it with emotion, creating little twists in copy. That takes ages. It’s like a good plot. You have to get the timing just right. I take four times as much time in the rewrite, than I do in the actual process of writing it. Thinking it through takes four times as much time too. So the actual writing is the shortest part of the whole process.

Jessica: So, you start your articles with a great headline?

Sean: First the headline, then the outline of the story. Then you think about it, create the story in your brain while you’re walking or doing something else. Then flesh it out. Then edit, edit, edit, rewrite, rewrite, rewrite. (You’re getting the picture.)

Headline writing is a skill developed like everything else. You can’t find it. Write dumb headlines to start with. Then look around and see what headlines grab your attention. Headlines with questions always do. Headlines with curiosity do. Headlines that have nothing to do with the subject like “Why do twins have the same last name, and different first names” work. That’s because people are intensely curious. If you appeal to their curiosity, they will pounce on your headline.

But far by the biggest headline attention getter is the one with a problem in it. Problems are whirlpools. Do you make these mistakes in English? Are you struggling to attract CEOs? These are absolute killers. Identifying the biggest problem your client has and then putting that in the headline. I can assure you, the attention will be yours to keep.

Jessica: After you’ve got the headline written, how do you keep your articles appealing?

Sean: Break up paragraphs. Write good subheads. Keep it flowing.

Use lots of examples. Finish with a flourish. Write like you’re going to say it in a speech.

The purpose of the every line is to make you read the next line. All communication must lead to change. That’s the biggest lesson of all.

Readers are deadly. The unsubscribe is only an email away. You can’t fool them with the word Free. It has no meaning. I don’t want Free. I want good stuff. Readers can be quite demanding even when there’s no charge. It keeps you on your toes.

Jessica: And part of the “good stuff” readers want in a newsletter is about personality, right?

Sean: Personality is everything. What are you without your personality? What is your product, your service and your brand without one?

Be pink or orange or purple, and let that show through. If you’re a serious number cruncher, be dead serious. Give only figures and serious statistics. There will be a niche for you.

If you are a mad Psychotic like me, don’t be afraid to show that through. That’s literally your thumbprint. It’s got to shine with a million watts. Remember, that a billion people are vying for the same spot.

As Dire Straits sang, “Sitting on the fence is a dangerous course. You could get a bullet from the peace keeping force.”

Jessica: We’re just about out of time. Earlier, you mentioned ending with a flourish, so, I’m curious, how do you write great endings?

Sean: The ending is a not just a wrap up of sorts. It is a clear reflection of the headline.

Different words. Same stuff. It can be again, like a movie. Sad, dramatic, unexpected etc. but it is always a mirror of the start.

If you write a great headline, you have a great ending. They’re twins. They just sit on either side of the bookshelf. Sometimes, it helps to start with the end in mind. If you can turn out articles with the last line first, you’d become a bloody genius!

If you’d like to see more of Sean, visit him at his site http://www.psychotactics.com where he shares specific techniques for engaging buyers online and off. His insight into buyer’s brains will make you wonder if he’s got any cadavers in the basement.

About the Author

Is it your job to increase company profits? The Write Exposure offers the resources you need to do just that at http://www.designdoodles.com

“Healthy Sleep: A Guide To Natural Sleep Remedies!” shows you how to sleep from lights out until sunrise without staring at the ceiling.
Insomnia is one of the most frustrating experiences anyone can go through. Yet 1 out of every 4 people experience some level of insomnia that effects the way they function.
For a lot of people, if they just knew the little things that they are doing to cause their own insomnia if they just knew the little, natural things they could be doing to encourage their body to fall asleep they could end their insomnia within a week.
Mike S. Cecotka - publisher said “you could be causing your own insomnia without even knowing it. It could be in the things you eat or drink - when you went to sleep the night before. In truth the possibilities are numerous. Often in the little decisions you make each day and usually without even realizing it.”
This report is not for everyone. The root causes of some persons’ insomnia are much deeper, and they should seek a doctor’s care. But for many of us - the only reason we cannot fall asleep is that we don’t recognize all the different ways we can painlessly train our body to get some shut-eye.

For additional information go to: http://www.sleepsecrets.info
SleepSecrets.info is owned and operated by Hollywood Sunrise Studio - Publishing Division.
Mike S. Cecotka - Publisher

About the Author

None

No user manual? Surely you jest!

It may seem comical, but it’s a surprisingly common situation. I’ve encountered many companies that don’t provide any user manuals with their products. If they do, their manuals are often horribly incoherent, or else years out of date. It shouldn’t happen, but it happens all the time.

Now, this problem is less common when buying off-the-shelf software or consumer electronics. That’s because these products typically come from large corporations that pay attention to such details. Among smaller engineering firms though, this is a frequent occurrence. In fact, I’d estimate that about half of the small engineering companies that I’ve encountered are guilty of this offense.

I remember how one engineer told me why his company didn’t provide any user manuals with their products. In hushed tones, he said, “It’s because we don’t make any money by writing manuals. It’s not a money-making venture, so our management doesn’t want to waste time on this.” An annoyed expression crept into his face, then he leaned closer and said, “We have lost so many customers because we don’t have decent documentation. Talk about being penny-wise, pound-foolish!”

It’s not just the customers who suffer when manuals are inadequate or non-existent. What about the employees themselves? What happens when a new engineer comes on board, and has to learn quickly? Or what happens when existing engineers need to familiarize themselves more with unfamiliar aspects of their product lines? The user documentation, if properly written, can provide a gentle and efficient way of bringing the up to speed. Without it, they will be forced to rely more heavily on other engineers to educate them, thus wasting the time of everyone concerned. Weeks, if not months, of valuable manpower can be squandered in this fashion.

At times, a company will pay lip service to user documentation by slapping together some hastily written document that is difficult for a new user to digest. “Who cares about wording anyway?” I’ve heard many engineers say. “We’re not writing poetry or screenplays here. What matters is that the manual must be technically accurate.”

This is an appallingly short-sighted view. Technical accuracy is indeed important, but so are presentation and style. Few engineers would listen to a job applicant who shows up in a bathrobe and slippers, or a litigation attorney who speaks like a valley girland yet somehow, these same engineers expect their customers to slog through pages of meandering, poorly phrased text. Even matters as fundamental as spelling, grammar and proofreading are often treated as mere annoyancespiddling details that are worth nothing more than a cursory glance.

(To my relief, I have not encountered any such attitudes at my place of employment. I hasten to say this, lest anyone think that I’m complaining about the people that I work with! No, I’ve found that we all appreciate the value of excellence, for which I am always thankful. But I digress.)

Mind you, I understand that there are times when a company might not choose to invest an all-out effort in user manual development. This can happen during the early startup stages, for example, when manpower is in short supply and the products are still undergoing refinement. Unfortunately, many small companies never grow past that stage. Even after many years, they continue to thinks of user documentation as a trifling detail which deserves only a modicum of effort. By perpetuating that mindset, they ultimately shortchange both the customers and themselves.

Like it or not, a company’s user documentation (or lack thereof) is a reflection on the company itself. You can be sure that your customers will notice if the user manuals are poor or non-existent. In today’s busy world, where people need to absorb information as efficiently as possible, the lack of quality documentation can be nothing short of disastrous.

V. Berba Velasco has been plying his trade for nearly a decade. During that time, he has repeatedly discovered the importance of good technical writing, and the pitfalls that can occur from ignoring its value.

Dr. Velasco currently works as a senior electrical and software engineer for Cellular Technology Ltd (http://www.immunospot.com, http://www.elispot-analyzers.de, http://www.elispot.cn). Dr. Velasco takes great pride in the company’s commitment to user-friendliness and product excellence.

Depilation is the process of removing unwanted excessive hair by employing a variety of methods. Wax hair removal is one of the most common and preferred methods of depilating unnecessary hair.

Wax hair removal involves spreading a layer of combination wax on the skin, covering it with a strip of cloth and then after a moment, pulling the cloth strip away. Along with the wax, the unwanted hair from the region is also removed. The hair remains free of hair from a period of two to eight weeks, depending upon the individual hair growth rate and the strength of the hair. It has been found that repeated wax hair removal for a long time can lead to a permanent reduction in the levels of hair growth.

The advantage of wax hair removal is that the hair that grows back is fine and soft, unlike the hard stubble experienced with shaving and depilatory creams. Also, the hair is removed for long periods of time, and going for wax hair removal treatments once a month, on an average, is sufficient and not to mention, convenient. Waxing removes large quantities of hair at one go and the results are immediate and effective. Another advantage is that waxing is a relatively inexpensive commodity and worth the results and satisfaction.

More skin care tips and advice, hair removal guide and ideas.

I hear many writers refute the idea of writing free content. While I agree,
in the simplest terms, it is “something for nothing”, the benefits of free
content actually outweigh the down-side of writing for free. Is it really
for nothing?

— The Battle for Content —

The competition for content is fierce. Every Web site owner wants content
and hundreds of writers want their content visible on the Web. There are so
many free Web sites that you can literally advertise your goods, services,
and knowledge globally for years without spending a penny.

Of course, there is a cost involved in writing free content—time.
However, the cost in time units is only a fraction of the money that would
otherwise be spent in getting the kind of coverage available by supporting
content sites with free articles.

— What about my income producing articles? —

The idea is not to spend all day writing free content. Generally, once
you’ve completed your articles for paying markets, take an idea and generate
one free content article. I usually select a topic about which I can
generate an article in a few hours. Don’t spend more than two hours on the
article over an entire day—use it as a gap-filler.

The point is to be able to generate a short article that provides a general
overview of your knowledge or work—don’t dive too deep. If someone likes
your work or idea, let them come to you and pay you for a more, in-depth
version. Call it “testing the waters.”

— Exercise Your Brain —

One of the benefits I’ve found to writing free content is in exercising my
brain. I get a chance to generate a short article about something I know
without the added pressure of acceptance and deadlines. This is where you
get to write for the fun of it and be able to produce industry contacts and
resume fodder.

— Resume Fodder —

Yes, resume fodder. If some popular site picks up your article, you can use
it on your resume. Make sure that you write something that pertains to your
areas of expertise. If you post something like “101 Fun Things You Can Do
With Toilet Paper” and it’s picked up by an unknown MLM site, I’d think
twice about adding it to your resume.

Many major sites are monitored and rated by some of the larger corporations
and industry experts. If you article catches their eye, you could end up
with a client that you would have otherwise never had the chance to work
for. The wider the audience, the more additional work you can acquire!

— Writing a Free Content Article —

Writing a free content article is simple and follows a similar professional
approach as an article for a standard, paying market. A few pointers are:

* Be Concise
Keep it under 1,500 words. Some professional organizations might pickup
your article for a paying market and they usually only accept between 500
and 2,000 words. Also, if you can write an in-depth topic in fewer than
1,500 words, that usually demonstrates that you have a handle on the topic.

* Be Real
Take free content articles seriously. Be professional and write about
something you know professionally. Stay away from the MLM articles and
avoid meaningless writing.

* Be Honest
I’ve seen some authors use the same free content from other writers and just
modify it a little to suit their needs. Do you own work!

* Your Byline
Make sure that you byline provides enough information to identify yourself
and provide contact information. This byline is your business card!

— Here, steal my work! —

As I’ve said, I sometimes see that same article used by numerous writers.
Sometimes, unethical people steal other’s work so that they can look good in
the public eye. Take it as a compliment, but protect yourself.

Protecting free content is no different than protecting paying market
content. One place to go is MediaRegister (http://www.mediaregister.com).
They will register your work online for a minimal fee. This way you can
distribute your work and protected it from the little thieves of the
Internet.

— What next? —

Free content articles can provide you with enormous amount of exposure on
the Web. In some cases, you can obtain exposure that you would have
otherwise missed!

About the Author

Edward B. Toupin is a freelance consultant, writer, and published author
living in Las Vegas with his singer/actress wife. He currently handles
technical writing tasks for various companies in New York, Chicago, and
Denver as well as imagineers and markets feature-length screenplays.

When I first began trying to publicize my novels online, I
encountered a number of obstacles. First, I write print
westerns under a pseudonym, Lance Howard, and ebooks under
my own name. This, I quickly discovered, created a bit of
confusion. I needed a way to separate Lance Howard from Howard
Hopkins, while at the same time letting folks know they were
the same author.

I also “paint” ebook covers, design promotional cards, postcards
and bookmarks for other writers and needed a way to get this
information across without cramming up my signature lines or
diluting their impact.

The press kit seemed like a partial answer; that way I could
delegate sections for my books, my ebooks and my artwork. Why
partial? Well, designing a press kit takes a lot of time and
consideration and an author wants to make it look as professional
as possible. Yet at the same time the costs involved can be
astronomical. Printing the individual elements on quality paper,
color, sturdy folders, business cards for the inside pocket and
postage to send them to various sources add up quick. And while
press kits are effective where physical newspapers, magazines,
or radio are involved, they don’t solve the problem of online
promotion very well. Since I wanted to focus on my ebooks and
e-art, that was a quandary.

Enter the Virtual Press Kit. I am not sure why I didn’t hit upon
the idea sooner. I had been publishing an electronic magazine for
half a year, all the while stowing the online promotion idea in
the back of my mind, or slipping individual pieces of it into my
publication. While laying out my last issue, those elements
suddenly gelled. Why not desing a publication dedicated to
promoting my work exclusively. From there it was a short step
to the Virtual Press Kit.

What goes in your kit? Well, the same elements that go into your
printed version: press releases, flyers, a business card, contact
information, etc. I will try to take you on a brief tour through
the one I created to get you started. From there you can tailor
it to your own needs and individual tastes.

I created my Virtual Press Kit for Adobe’s PDF, because I had
the software for my electronic magazine and because Adobe
Acrobat is cross-platformed for Windows and Mac operating
systems. However, the Adobe software is a bit pricey so you
can do yours in Word if you prefer. I set mine up using Word 97,
so I will gear the article towards that program.

First I created my cover using Paint Shop Pro 7. Most authors
aren’t virtual artists, though, so I would suggest picking your
ebook cover as an opening page. Word allows you to insert a jpeg
and a great cover grabs a reader’s attention immediately. For the
next page, I used Word’s WordArt feature. There are a number of
fancy designs, but I would suggest selecting one of the more
subdued, professional looking patterns. I titled this page
Howard Hopkins’ Virtual Press Kit. Not particularly original but
it gets the point across. On the next page I placed my contact
information, my email and webpage address. I would suggest not
entering your mailing address, unless you have a post office
box specifically for that purpose. Anyone in need of your
mailing address can contact you through your email.

On the next page I placed my bio.

Beyond that, I set up a section listing all my hardcover and
paperback credits, then my ebook credits. I keep a number of
pages after that for my print and ebook covers. Next, I inserted
press releases for my most recent novels.

Last I offered an information section and samples of my artwork
for covers, cards and postcards. I included some of my favorite
works and pricing guidelines.

That’s all there is to it. If you are skilled with graphics,
then pretty it up in whatever way suits your style. If you
have Acrobat, print it to PDF then research places that might
be interested in seeing your work, perhaps local newspapers –
if you can find the local reporter’s email listing in the
paper, all the better. I got an interview this way.

For those who would like to see a virtual copy of my kit for
ideas and set up feel free to download it at:
http://howardhopkins.com/media.htm

About the Author

Howard Hopkins is the author of six horror and western ebooks from Atlantic Bridge Publishing (www.atlanticbridge.net) under his own name and more than twenty print westerns under the penname Lance Howard. His novels can be purchased at bn.com,www.amazon.co.uk and amazon.com and he lives in Maine.

Most books aren’t rejected because the stories are “bad.” They’re rejected because they’re not “ready to read.” In short, minor stuff like typos, grammar, spelling, etc.

I don’t mean places where we, as authors, deliberately break the rules. Those are fine. That’s part of our job. Language always changes with use, and we can help it on its way. No, I’m referring to places where someone just plain didn’t learn the rule or got confused or overlooked it during the self-edits.

I’ve been editing novels for over three years. Looking back at my experiences, I feel like sharing the most common mistakes I’ve seen. If you’ll go through your manuscript and fix these before you submit it to a publisher, your odds of publication will increase dramatically.

Once you’ve found a publisher who publishes what you write, you want to present yourself in the best way possible. Submitting an unedited manuscript is a bit like going to a job interview wearing a purple Mohawk, no shoes, torn jeans, and a dirty T-shirt. Your resume may be perfect, and your qualifications impeccable, but something tells me you won’t get the job.

The publisher is investing a lot in every book it accepts. E-publishers tend to invest loads of time, and print publishers tend to invest an advertising budget and the cost of carrying a large inventory. Why ask them to invest hours and days of editing time as well? If the publisher gets two or three or ten nearly identical books, you want yours to be the one requiring the least editing.

The first thing you need to do, and I hope you’ve already done it, is use the spelling and grammar checkers in your word processor. This will catch many of the “common mistakes” on my list. But I’ve been asked to edit many books where the author obviously didn’t do this, and I confess that I may well have been lazy and let a couple of mine get to my editors unchecked. Bad Michael!

There are some other valuable lists at the following websites:

Common Errors in English http://www.wsu.edu/~brians/errors

Words That Are Often Confused http://lbarker.orcon.net.nz/words.html

Here’s a list of the mistakes I see most often.

* Dialogue where everyone speaks in perfect English and never violates any of the bullet points below. Okay, I made that up. That’s not really a common problem at all. But I have seen it, and it’s a terrible thing.

* It’s is a contraction for “it is” and its is possessive.

* Who’s is a contraction for “who is” and whose is possessive.

* You’re is a contraction for “you are” and your is possessive.

* They’re is a contraction for “they are,” there is a place, their is possessive.

* There’s is a contraction for “there is” and theirs is possessive.

* If you’ve been paying attention to the above examples, you’ve noticed that possessive pronouns never use apostrophes. Its, whose, your, yours, their, theirs…

* Let’s is a contraction for “let us.”

* When making a word plural by adding an s, don’t use an apostrophe. (The cats are asleep.)

* When making a word possessive by adding an s, use an apostrophe. (The cat’s bowl is empty.)

* A bath is a noun, what you take. Bathe is a verb, the action you do when taking or giving a bath.

* A breath is a noun, what you take. Breathe is a verb, the action you do when taking a breath.

* You wear clothes. When you put them on, you clothe yourself. They are made of cloth.

* Whenever you read a sentence with the word “that,” ask yourself if you can delete that word and still achieve clarity. If so, kill it. The same can be said of all sentences. If you can delete a word without changing the meaning or sacrificing clarity, do it. “And then” is a phrase worth using your word processor’s search feature to look for.

* Keep an eye on verb tenses. “He pulled the pin and throws the grenade” is not a good sentence.

* Keep an eye on making everything agree regarding singular and plural. “My cat and my wife is sleeping,” “My cat sleep on the sofa,” and “My wife is a beautiful women” are not good sentences. (I exaggerate in these examples, but you know what I mean.)

* I and me, he and him, etc. I hope no editor is rejecting any novels for this one, because I suspect that most people get confused at times. In dialogue, do whatever the heck you want because it sounds more “natural.” But for the sake of your narrative, I’ll try to explain the rule and the cheat. The rule involves knowing whether your pronoun is the subject or object. When Jim Morrison of The Doors sings, “til the stars fall from the sky for you and I,” he’s making a good rhyme but he’s using bad grammar. According to the rule, “you and I” is the object of the preposition “for,” thus it should be “for you and me.” The cheat involves pretending “you and” isn’t there, and just instinctively knowing “for I” just doesn’t sound right. (I think only native English speakers can use my cheat. For the record, I have great admiration for authors writing in languages that aren’t their native tongues.)

* Should of, would of, could of. This one can make me throw things. It’s wrong! What you mean is should have, would have, could have. Or maybe you mean the contractions. Should’ve, would’ve, could’ve. And maybe ‘ve sounds a bit like of. But it’s not! Of is not a verb. Not now, not ever.

* More, shorter sentences are better. Always. Don’t ask a single sentence to do too much work or advance the action too much, because then you’ve got lots of words scattered about like “that” and “however” and “because” and “or” and “as” and “and” and “while,” much like this rather pathetic excuse for a sentence right here.

* On a similar (exaggerated) note: “He laughed a wicked laugh as he kicked Ralphie in the face while he aimed the gun at Lerod and pulled the trigger and then laughed maniacally as Lerod twisted in agony because of the bullet that burned through his face and splattered his brains against the wall and made the wall look like an overcooked lasagne or an abstract painting.” Now tell me this sentence isn’t trying to do too much.

* Too means also, two is a number, to is a preposition.

* He said/she said. Use those only when necessary to establish who’s speaking. They distract the reader, pulling him out of the story and saying, “Hey look, you’re reading a book.” Ideally, within the context of the dialogue, we know who’s talking just by the style or the ideas. When a new speaker arrives on the scene, identify him or her immediately. Beyond that, keep it to a minimum. Oh yeah, and give every speaker his/her own paragraph.

* Billy-Bob smiled his most winning smile and said, “What’s a nice girl like you doing in a place like this?” I don’t like this. Use two shorter sentences in the same paragraph. Billy-Bob smiled his most winning smile. “What’s a nice girl like you doing in a place like this?” Same effect, fewer words, no dialogue tag (he said).

* In the previous example, I don’t like “smiled his most winning smile,” because it’s redundant and also cliched. Please, if you find yourself writing something like that, try to find a better way to express it before you just give up and leave it like it is. During the self-edit, I mean, not during the initial writing.

* “The glow-in-the-dark poster of Jesus glowed in the dark.” This editor won’t let that one go. Much too redundant, and it appeared in a published novel.

* Lie is what you do when you lie down on the bed, lay is what you do to another object that you lay on the table. Just to confuse matters, the past tense of lie is lay. Whenever I hit a lay/lie word in reading, I stop and think. Do that when you self-edit. (Note: Don’t fix this one in dialogue unless your character is quite well-educated, because most people say it wrong. I do.)

* Beware of the dangling modifier. “Rushing into the room, the exploding bombs dropped seven of the soldiers.” Wait a minute! The bombs didn’t rush into the room. The soldiers did. To get all technical about it, the first part is the “dependent clause,” and it must have the same subject as the “independent clause” which follows. Otherwise it’s amateur, distracting, and a real pain for your poor overworked editor.

* If you are able (many readers are not), keep an eye out for missing periods, weird commas, closing quotes, opening quotes, etc. When I read a book, be it an ebook or a printed book, I can’t help but spot every single one that’s missing. They slap me upside the head, which makes me a great editor but a lousy reader. If you’re like me, use that to your advantage. If not, that’s what editors are for!

Michael LaRocca’s website at http://freereads.topcities.com was chosen by WRITER’S DIGEST as one of The 101 Best Websites For Writers in 2001 and 2002. He published two novels in 2002 and has two more scheduled for publication in 2004. He also works as an editor for an e-publisher. He teaches English at a university in Shaoxing, Zhejiang Province, China, and publishes the free weekly newsletter Mad About Books.

Copyright 2004, Michael LaRocca

Michael is an American who’s lived in Asia since 1999. He currently teaches English at Shaoxing University in Zhejiang Province, China. He telecommutes to Hong Kong as a legal transcriptionist, edits for Books Unbound, and he published four novels in 2002.

His website will show you how to improve your writing, find the right publisher, and promote your book after the sale. It explains why you should never pay to be published. It has won two Sime~Gen Readers Choice Awards and was listed in Writers Digest’s The Best 101 Websites For Writers in 2001 and 2002. http://freereads.topcities.com

michaellarocca@yawweb.org

by Karon Thackston © 2003
http://www.copywritingcourse.com

As a search engine optimization copywriter, I’ve seen my share of keywords. When working with me, clients choose their own keywords (or have someone else choose them) and then send me the list to include in their copy. I must admit, sometimes I’m just amazed at the selections I receive.

It’s absolutely imperative that you make wise choices in the area of keywords. Many people simply look at statistics. Others go strictly on the most highly searched keywords from one particular search engine. Still others do no research at all and just guess. While the first two can work in combination with one another, they still don’t offer a complete solution.

From working with many search engine optimization (SEO) experts, I have gathered a few tips on how to choose effective keywords that bring results. I’d like to share that information with you so you can improve both your copy and your search engine positioning.

Narrow Focus

Choose keywords that have a narrow focus. The most common “mistake” I’ve seen when selecting keywords is choosing those that are too broad. For example, one client sold cleaner for granite countertops. One keyphrase that was originally under consideration was “granite countertops.” However, as his SEO expert explained (and I agree), people could be hoping to find information on almost any aspect of granite countertops… installation, price, service, dealers, etc. This keyphrase was too broad and eventually was discarded.

The same applies to geographic locations. A real estate agent wanted to use the keyphrase “Richmond County.” However, upon searching the ‘Net for this phrase, his SEO expert discovered that there are at least three states that have a Richmond County. Instead, the SEO expert chose phrases such as “Richmond County, Georgia real estate” to narrow the focus and ensure qualified traffic.

Applicable to the Page

Another common area where people wane is in being determined to use keyphrases that simply don’t apply to the page. In one case I was asked by a client to use the keyphrase “payment portal” on a page that had nothing to do with that topic. At the time, that was an excellent phrase to target, but it would have been quite a stretch as it had little to do with what the site was about.

Just because a keyphrase gives you the opportunity to be highly ranked doesn’t mean you should use it if it has nothing to do with your site.

More Traffic or Better Traffic?

I see the battle between lots of traffic vs. more targeted traffic just about every day. Clients are generally programmed by Web hype to believe you need as much traffic as you can get regardless of where it comes from.

Most SEO experts I’m associated with (and this SEO copywriter) believe you need traffic that will actually stick around once they reach your site.

Why have tons of people coming to your site if they will just leave after three seconds because they didn’t find what they were looking for? It’s better to have fewer people - more targeted prospects - who are more likely to buy.

By targeting your keyphrases so they are as accurate and focused as possible, you will gain the attention of customers who are specifically searching for what you have to offer. While your unique visitor or page view count may go down, your bank account balance will likely go up!

About the Author

Which words make *your* customers buy? Let Karon show you. Boost your sales and your search engine positioning by learning to write strategically created copy that hits a nerve and makes the sale. Get the details now at http://www.copywritingcourse.com.

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RESTRICTIONS: no pets allowed

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CHECK IN: no check in after 11:30 p.m.

CHECK OUT:at 11:00 a.m. but with an agreement it can be done also in different times.

Optional services:
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Candle light dinners on roofs of Rome.
Transfer to/by airports or train station.

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