Searchmetrics “Changes cannot be saved” error message

You know the drill. You encounter a problem with a popular app, and a quick search reveals someone else has had the same issue. That solves it. So when I was working on a document in Searchmetrics, a massive SEO tool, and this kept popping up …

Searchmetrics error message

… I was surprised to see not a single mention of the issue anywhere. Very strange.

The issue is in Searchmetrics Content Manager, within Content Experience. It allows you to write SEO-friendly copy by cross-referencing yours with existing content covering the same subject. The full text is:

Changes cannot be saved to an outdated version of the content. Please refresh the page to view the latest version first.

Error message, Chrome browser, Searchmetrics, Windows 10

Well, I finally got to the bottom of it, and it turned out to be down to an annoying habit of mine that I can’t shake off.

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Google my Busy-ness

Regular blogging is, we are told, essential for gaining and maintaining search ranking. Not only are we providing more content to help the search engines to find us; we are also showing we’re still a going concern, and talking about our work and our industries.

But what happens when we’re just too busy to maintain a blog? It’s something that never really occurred to me when I was re-starting my freelance career after a spell in employment. I did have time on my hands to think up blog ideas, research them, write and edit them, add images and submit to my Google my Business page.

Then I got super-busy.

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Harry Potter in 500 words: the importance of including research time

Work takes time. Don't just look at the end product.

I’ll never forget the day a client asked me how long it would take to write 500 words of copy. I said it depends on the subject, but generally speaking, we’re talking somewhere in the range of 1 to 3 hours.

“Cool,” they replied. “I want you to summarise the Harry Potter books in 500 words. Three hours sounds about right.”

“Ah,” I replied. “I’ve never read any Harry Potter books.”

“Well, just skim through them and get me a 500-word summary by tomorrow. Otherwise we’ll drop you and find someone who can. Cheerio.”

The truth in fiction

Of course, none of that happened. But the inner truth is sound – the end product of a copywriting job is just the visible part of a much greater task. You can see instantly that reading the seven Harry Potter books’ 4,000 pages would be part of the job, not just the 500-word bit. Some companies get it; others don’t. But unless the time required to fully research a topic is granted in terms of deadline and fee, the end product won’t be very good.

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How to write a better call to action: 10 tips

The call to action (CTA) is one of the key components of a piece of copy. It usually sits on its own towards the end of the article, but there could be several sprinkled around the piece. It can be words, an image, a button or some other form of interaction.

Writing a better call to action

What is a call to action?

A call to action is an instruction to do something. In consumer marketing terms, that’s usually to buy something, but with larger, more considered purchase decisions, it can be to guide the reader further down the sales funnel. Typically, it will be in imperative mood, i.e. “Do this.” Online, calls to action usually form the text of a hyperlink or button. Obviously that’s impossible on hard copy (direct mail, TV adverts, newspaper ads etc.), but the intention is the same: to get the reader to do something.

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Seek Perfection and Ye Shall Find … Eventually

Perfection. It does exist, in certain realms. Think of the piston in an engine sized precisely to fit in its cylinder. The evolution of the shark. A hole in one (or 18 of them in a single round). The arrangement of the studs on a Lego brick. They are measurably, objectively and provably impossible to improve upon.

What about Hamlet? Mona Lisa? The Supermarine Spitfire Mk XIV? Eleanor Rigby? Compared to perfection, they fall far short. They might be loved more than loathed, but they are definitely loathed by some. Their qualities are subjective and open to debate.

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I love reading copywriting blogs

Ladybird, symbol of minimalism

I love reading copywriting blogs.

I even said it in the title.

Especially the ones that use short sentences.

One sentence to a paragraph.

One word to a sentence.

(No. I wouldn’t read that.)

Because copywriting is about paring down, not padding out.

Everybody knows that.

Time is precious.

But sometimes I wonder

What isn’t being said?

What assumptions are being made of the reader?

Are there situations when more is, in fact, more?

Can a conversational tone help the conversation?

That’s what the copywriter has to decide.


Image: Glen Carrie

Which ranking factors are affected by copywriting?

Because everybody wants their website to rank highly on Google, the SEO industry is now as important to companies as traditional marketing and PR always were. The boundaries are so blurred that most companies in one of these sectors usually seek to have expertise in the other two. To rank highly is to appear on the first page of a search for what your business does (although lower pages could also be deemed “high” in competitive sectors).

Search engines become popular when the results they give are most relevant to what they think the user has searched for. Resolving this impossibly complex decision has been the goal of every search engine in history, and it looks, for the time being at least, like Google has won. Essentially, its decision is based on how high quality and how trustworthy a source of information is. The way Google works it is to determine the number and quality of links pointing to a page or site. The more websites pointing to your website, the better quality it must be, as people don’t tend to like to associate themselves with rubbish.

The early years were tricky. All sorts of dodgy practices were put in place to increase the number – if not the quality – of links pointing to websites. But as time went by, Google became much better at determining which links were trusted, natural and valuable. Since it’s far and away the most popular search engine, let’s assume that customers are generally happy with the results.

Are there 200 ranking factors?

You might have heard that Google has 200 (or more than 200) ranking factors. These have long been considered to be things like:

  • your page load speed
  • how secure your site is
  • whether you have the name of what you do, rather than who you are, in your URL (which is why B&Q uses the domain diy.com, not BandQ.com)
  • whether a site has been blacklisted
  • whether a user has your site in its bookmarks

Unfortunately, it’s not that simple. Moz’s Gianluca Fiorelli points out that the famous 200 number is mythical. Repetition, deviation and plain untruths in the most popular lists of ranking factors (and a click-baity need to reach the magic 200) make such lists unreliable. And a huge factor in ranking is which device a searcher is using, and what their location is. Site builders have no control over that.

There are definitely a lot

That said, there are many factors that can confidently be determined to be signals that your site is of good quality. Since nobody outside Google knows exactly what they are, the SEO industry experiments and analyses data to try and come to conclusions. And we therefore have a pretty good idea of the elements of a site that add up to a better rank.

Ranking factors for which copy is important

With the above caveats in mind, here are the ranking factors that you should be able to improve through better use of copy.

Spam

Make sure every second word is a keyword to fool the search engines into thinking yours is the number one authority on the subject. That’s what we were all told in the mid to late 1990s. It took the search industry a while to figure out ways of ignoring or penalising spammy sites. But now they are very, very good at it, and will come down hard on sites that try to manipulate their language and links to fool the engines. Just write naturally, mentioning the key searchable factors a natural number of times, and Google will work out what your page and site are about.

Remember, it’s all about quality, trustworthiness and usefulness, and spam doesn’t satisfy any of those factors. If a human reading your page would feel dirty doing it, have a re-think.

Having a keyword in the title tag and URL

Google is much better at understanding synonyms than it once was, so this is of minor importance. But having some mention of what your business does or sells in the title tag and URL is useful. Starting the tag with the keyword might be helpful too. There’s certainly no harm in it.

Including keywords in the meta description tag

Not a ranking factor per se, but if searchers see the word they searched for in the description under the URL, they could be more likely to click through. That can mean more chance of interaction and conversion. Moreover, having a well-written meta description should make your search results listing more attractive, so rank becomes less important.

Having keywords in heading tags

H1 tags, or headings, give Google a lot of clues about the content of a page, and therefore the website. Including them in your H1s is important, but making them interesting and readable is a copywriter‘s job. Although H1s are the most important, don’t forget about your sub-sub-headings (H2s, H3s etc.).

How long and relevant the page copy is

The optimum length of an article is one of the most hotly debated topics in SEO land. Some say 300 words, others 500, others 1000, and some people will insist that the longer it is, the better. From a reader’s perspective, the article should be exactly as long as it needs to be. Waffling on to please the search engines isn’t a good idea, especially if you’re looking for backlinks.

Some studies suggest that if all else is equal, a page with 1500–2000 words will cover more information and therefore give the search engines a better indication of the page’s content. And that can result in higher ranks.

If people find your piece interesting enough to link to, it’s long enough.

Keyword density

This used to be an important factor but because it was optimised to death, it became less important. Don’t aim for a percentage as such. Just make sure you mention your keywords, write great copy and don’t spam yourself. And remember, words that mean the same as your keywords, or signify similarity, are just as good.

Duplicate content

Having the same copy on two or more pages has a negative effect. Where you’ve got similar things to say over several pages, completely re-write the copy on each one. If you sell blue sheds, red sheds and green sheds, don’t use your “what is a shed” copy on each page, followed by a sentence about the colour – come up with something new for each page.

Keeping content fresh

A constant supply of new copy is a good thing. It tells the search engines that your site is a living, breathing thing, and that it’s not been abandoned. Take time to write new content that demonstrates your authority in your industry, and gives a positive signal to Google. It also increases the likelihood of its being linked to.

Since repeat traffic could be a good indicator of quality, make sure you use newsletters and social media to let people know about your new content.

You can even give your static pages a refresh from time to time. Your “About Us” page, for example, might change as you take on new clients and expand; and your core services probably change over time, too.

Spelling and grammar

A pure ranking factor? Possibly, but if you want people to trust you and to keep those bounce rates low, make sure your writing makes sense, reads well and is correctly spelt.

Original content

Make sure your content is your own. Don’t be tempted to copy and paste text from other websites, even if you do go to the trouble of changing a few words. It’ll probably be flagged as duplicate copy, and might even get you a letter from a solicitor.

Readability

Like spelling and grammar, your site’s reading level probably isn’t a ranking factor in itself, but if you bamboozle your typical readership, it’ll show up in your bounce rates and inbound links.

Anchor text

This used to be a powerful factor until it was abused wholesale, so now it might be a tiny signal of relevance. Make the text in your links relevant and logical and don’t worry too much about it.

Bounce rate, dwell time and time on page

These factors are all concerned with how a user interacts with your page after being sent there from a search engine. They have similar but different meanings, as discussed here. Whether they are ranking factors is still debated in the SEO community, but do analyse your visits. You’ll see which pages visitors stick around with or use as the starting point for a journey around your page, and which ones they simply close or click back to the search results.

If Google sees a page where every visitor bounces after 2 seconds, then the promise of the results page isn’t being delivered, and that that page is not relevant to that search term.

Featured snippets

Have you noticed how sometimes you search for something and the answer appears in the search results page, rather than in a link to the site it came from? These controversial things are called snippets. They’re controversial as some site owners believe they are costing them clicks, because the user gets the answer without having to visit the site. But still, a lot of companies try very hard to become the one that’s chosen for a snippet because it makes them look authoritative (and the snippet will include a link if further reading is called for).

Snippets are chosen for the quality of the content and how accurately they answer the questions being posed by the searcher. So once again, good quality content wins.

Mentioning your locality

Google uses all sorts of signals to work out where you are, but if your business is geographically sensitive (a local shop or venue, for example), make sure there are mentions of the district, town, postcode, city, country etc. to help pinpoint where you are.

Quality counts

So in summary, make sure your copy is well written and researched, has good intentions and is not copied, stolen or otherwise duplicated. Write like a human and humans will respond, and your search ranking should – perhaps slowly – improve. Think about the content that you like to consume, and be inspired to better it.


Image: Liane Metzler

Who needs About Us pages when there’s Wikipedia?

About Us Pages

About Us Pages

I often need to find out basic information about companies when I’m researching copywriting jobs – when they were formed, what they do, how they differ from competitors; that sort of thing. Obviously the first place I look is usually the “About us” page. I’d estimate that that proves useful about 20% of the time. It’s usually some guff about being a synergistic B2B fulfilment facilitator that has a customer satisfaction factor 3.5% above the industry average.

If it’s a large organisation, there’s a good chance it’ll have its own Wikipedia page. So that’s usually my next stop. It’s where I’ll get the actual information I’m looking for.

Why not share the basics?

I think there are three reasons for this phenomenon.

  1. Companies like to think they’re big, and therefore assume everyone knows what they do.
  2. They think the person reading the page will be familiar with the jargon
  3. They can’t miss an opportunity to turn a pure information source into a marketing opportunity.

I think the third reason is probably the most relevant. Over the years I’ve read plenty of copywriting advice that says, “Don’t start your ‘About us’ page with the year you were formed.” The theory goes that you should be using the “about us” page not to say who and what you are, but to tell people how great you are. Forget about the fact that customers are clever enough to know when they’re being led by the nose to some call to action – they don’t actually want to know about the organisation; they want to know how amazing you are.

It’s easy to see how this practice took root. From a marketing perspective, it sort of makes sense – people inspired to find out more about your company are already primed with the basics, so now you can guide them into a narrower part of the funnel. Unfortunately it ignores the people who still want to find out more about your company: people just peering into the funnel.

So like me, they look for third-party sources of information. Other people’s opinions on the company. Warts and all.

Tell it like it is

Should the “About us” page be a marketing tool? Of course. Everything you publish is. But your story is part of your marketing push. Why not talk about it?

The simplest thing you can do is imagine the person reading the “About us” page knows nothing about your company. So you tell them what your business does, when it was formed, who its founders are/were and what were their inspirations. It only takes a sentence or two. Then you can move on to the awards you’ve won, contracts you’ve secured, green credentials and plans for the future.

They might even be impressed.

Need help?

If your About Us page is lacking punch, get in touch. Whether in needs a rewrite or just an edit, I can help.

Example

Here’s an example of what I’m talking about. Something I was writing made reference to ASTM (an international safety body). Can you find what it stands for without much diving?


Photo: Kristina Flour

First impressions and the second chance

It’s funny how little sayings stick in your mind. I first heard the phrase “You never get a second chance to make a first impression” about 30 years ago at some careers event, and I’ll be damned if I’ve ever heard it since. But there it is, lodged in my mind, taking up space where the location of my car key is or how to get words to wrap in Excel.

Maybe the phrase remains lodged because it’s recalled so often in my disappointment-strewn life. A few months ago a local shop closed down, and an interesting-looking deli was due to take its place. I knew this because it had “interesting-looking deli to open here soon” lovingly written in mushroom pâté on the sheets that hid the refurb team. Maybe it was tapenade.

The shop did seem to take a while to get fitted out, which only made my excitement grow as I took my daily walks past it, wishing I had somewhere to go on the other side. I pictured the counter with its array of goods from around the globe; samples atop the display cabinet on cocktail sticks and a subtly concealed spittoon for sampling errors; helpful, knowledgeable staff who put the deli in “delighted to help”.

You already know where this is going.

Opening day

arrived. Stepping in, something felt right. The refurbishment was extraordinary. Products on display looked suitably esoteric. The lighting was subtle. Three bistro tables and a few chairs filled the entrance square, which meant you could eat in and drink coffee, something I hadn’t considered before. First impressions exceeded expectations.

Then I stepped forward to talk to the woman behind the counter. Just small-talk, you understand. My queries about the provenance of the Fiore Sardo would wait till I’d been home and googled Fiore Sardo. I got a one-word response. Some snubbing can be excused as daydreaming, absent-mindedness, even excitement. This was a more studied snubbing, like the snubbing Julia Roberts’s character gets when she goes clothes shopping in Pretty Woman. I smiled and raised my eyebrows to offer her the chance to correct her errant ways. She didn’t take it.

Another customer came in and her attempts to start a congratulatory conversation met the same response. Whether we were the wrong type of customer or whether company policy was to avoid eye contact and conversation, I don’t know. And it’s likely I’ll never find out. The lack of excitement about their own enterprise would make any visitor wonder if it’s worth caring about.

Warm words work wonders

So what did I learn that day? As a writer, I’ve always known the importance of making that first impression, whether I’m pitching for a client or writing content for them. With a website, you don’t get that chance to individually greet visitors and take their questions. You have to simply let people know that you’re open for business and you’ll give them your best possible service. It could be the start of a beautiful relationship.

No doubt we’ve all visited websites where we have felt like the company is snubbing us. It could be the loading time, the design or my bit, the copywriting. Some welcoming, warm words go a long way. Which is what I’ll have to do to get hold of some Fiore Sardo.


Photo: Joanna Boj

Back to Freelancing

As far as I was concerned, I was a freelancer. Sure, I’d had 9-to-5s before, mainly in darkrooms. But when the traditional photographic industry started to get some outside pressure in 1998, I turned to my love of reading to become a freelance proofreader. I built a website straight away, and fortunately managed to collect a small number of clients who kept me busy. Within a year or two I was copy editing and writing.

And that was that until 2013 – fifteen years’ worth of making contacts, winning, retaining and losing clients, and writing millions of words of copy. One day I would be working from home; the next I’d be in a briefing in Manchester; then I’d be travelling to London or Edinburgh to be briefed; and overlapping the small jobs, I’d usually have a big project on the go, a big edit or a ghostwriting project. It was definitely who I was.

An opening from a marketing agency

But in 2013, one of my clients, a digital marketing and development agency, tweeted that they were looking for a full-time writer. After cursing them under my breath for their sheer CHEEK, I applied, was interviewed next day and within two weeks I was there full time.

Self-doubt did afflict me before I started. Would I be able to cope with the daily commute? The regular hours? Talking to other humans? And being a relatively new father, I was sure I was going to miss nipping off to Dunham Massey to feed the ducks. Sometimes I’d even take our child. And yes, impostor syndrome, and the accompanying fear of being found out, were there too. But I have to say, I took it in my stride. I worked on a few award-winning campaigns, made some good friends and learnt a lot about digital marketing and SEO. And I got to experience freelance life from the other side of the fence when I had to hire the feckless wastrels for projects we were working on. That was a useful experience.

Freelancing beckons

But in April 2018, it all had to end. Things had changed both in the company and in the industry, and we amicably parted ways.

Over the five years, I had never fully given up freelancing. I still had a few clients that sent me work, and my website remained live and would occasionally spawn a new one-off job. But obviously it was limited. I was ready to throw myself fully into it again. I ditched my old domain, gpuss.co.uk (don’t ask) and relaunched under my own name, with this domain. What happened in the following year I’ll be writing in another post, but things came to a sudden halt and I had to face a new challenge. But for now, I’m back. And ready to write.