In the old days, it was enough to just have “some” content, to load it up with every keyword phrase that came to mind, hide it behind some images, and count the money on the way to the bank.

Times have changed though, haven’t they? It’s easier to start out on how obvious it is that poor web copy can hurt you. Panda. Like a thud that algorithmic filter has ruined many a business; it attacked keyword stuffing; it attacked domains and pages with poor engagement metrics; it attacked thin, unnecessary content…basically, the days of using poor copy on a great site died when Panda 1.0 first rolled out. Sure, it has evolved over time and the 4.0 update was even a bit more lenient, but the reality is the same – don’t expect to rank if your copy is as good as the overworked intern at the overseas outsourced company can make it.

It’s possible though to get back your investment by actually paying for good content. If you like math you could setup an equation that looks at the opportunity cost of having bad copy in terms of potential lost revenue. Taken further though, great copy creates a positive feedback loop. The reason this happens is because with great copy, you might not just rank without a penalty (or better, I’m discounting that variable for now) but your bounce rate might drop since you’re giving users exactly what they want in a helpful fashion…if the users aren’t bouncing, what are they doing? Interacting with your site? Clicking an ad? Filling out your form? Adding a product to the shopping cart? If it is really good, it can even earn organic social shares and links.

The upside to creating great copy and the downside for not doing so is making it abundantly clear where search is going to be headed in the next couple of years; the time is right to take advantage of that.


Cheers,
Joe Sinkwitz, CopyPress, Chief Revenue Officer