Whenever we land on a site our initial focus is taken by design, quickly followed by content. If youve got a brand new site, complete with all the flash bells and whistles, but dont have the copy to match it, youll leave visitors disinterested and ambivalent.

Were all predisposed to communicate. Whether amongst friends, colleagues or even total strangers we write, talk and discuss everything. Websites are a medium where the written word is crucial in communicating your message. Without a strong message, there is no website. So the importance of good quality copy, whether thats snappy headlines or emotive body text, is of paramount importance.

Here are a few good tips for really reaching out to your audience and boosting your SEO in the process.

1. Dont oversell yourself
It might seem a bit self-defeating but if you overkill your self-promotion it can work against you. Stating what differentiates your site from the rest is one thing, but gratuitously reaffirming that point without additional facts (i.e. awards, certificates and client comments) isnt going to do you any favours.

2. Be natural
Writers tend to be their own harshest critics. Copy should sound and flow naturally. Dont try to overstretch yourself, get the message across in a way that is easy to understand and typifies your sites ethos.

3. Dont force keywords
SEO copywriting has had a bad name in the past due to its overreliance on keywords. Today this is generally regarded as bad practice and should be avoided at all costs. Adding a few here and there isnt an issue, but you should certainly be looking at a keyword density of no more than 5%.

4. Write for your audience
It seems simple, but youd be surprised how many websites and copywriters forget this fundamental rule. If youre writing for a trendy clothing company, it goes without saying that it should be written in a tone that is significantly different to that of a heavy engineering firm. Be informative and light-hearted where necessary, but dont forget who it is youre supposed to be appealing to.

5. Always proof your work
Theres always a temptation to finish a piece of work and send it straight out there and getting a start on the next one. However, if your writing copy without editorial control or at least some kind of overseer then you need to ensure that what youre producing is accurate. Glaring errors are a good way of ruining a sites credibility, particularly if theyre dotted around liberally.

6. Offer some motivation
With business and, more particularly, ecommerce websites, you need to try to be emotive with your copy. Visitors need to be given a reason for using your services and its the job of the copy to do this. A call to action buy this today and receive a free… is an extremely successful way of rounding of product copy particularly. You dont need to go overboard, but a little gentle nudge is always useful.

7. Quantity and quality
Websites that are packed to the rafters with copy can be as much of a deterrent as those with none at all. Between 200 and 300 words on each page, excepting those that require additional information, is usually enough to offer a succinct overview and provide all of the information necessary. Quality spread out in the right quantity offers the ideal balance.

8. Keep copy relevant
How many times to you read a site that hasnt been updated for months or even years? Its off-putting and unprofessional when you see something that refers to the upcoming Easter holiday in July. Unless used in a blog, or you are prepared to go through and update the relevant pages, avoid using date or event-related phrases. It takes a lot of work to keep a website fresh, dont make it harder on yourself.

9. Dont forget your headings
Your page headings (H1) and sub-headings (H2) not only inform the search engine spiders about your sites content, but they also provide visitors with an immediate point of reference. Keep them to-the-point and relevant to your body text and its hard to go wrong.