Power Words And Phrases by Al Martinovic

Power Words And Phrases by Al Martinovic

I like to use power phrases when writing sales material. These power phrases add punch to a line or a paragraph and I usually use them to start off a sentence.

You can generally find alot of "power phrases" when reading good sales copy. I usually keep a notebook nearby so that whenever I come across a line or a phrase that I Iike in sales material, I write it down for possible future use.

They are also great for writers block too. When I am stuck in the middle of writing, I'll usually refer to my power phrases, and the next thing I know, the sentences sometimes start writing themselves.

Some examples of the power phrases I use include:

"Listen closely..."
"As you may already know..."
"Now, I don't know about you..."
"Well, I've got news for you..."
"Let me explain..."
"And best of all..."
"In fact..."
"Here's the bottom line..."
"Quite frankly..."
"Now, I know what you're thinking..."
"Take a deep breathe and relax..."
"The answer is yes..."

Power phrases can be used to grab and hold people'sattention so that they keep reading. Some may even call these "hypnotic" phrases.

Even single words can invoke a reaction in some people that can be used to add "punch" to your sales material. I call these power words.
Some power words to use in your marketing include:

Free, Powerful, Incredible, Easy, Shocking, Cheap, Revealed, Best, Uncovered, Hidden, Proven, Results, Revolutionary, Profits, Fantastic, Inside, Learn, Enhance, Hottest, New, Improved, Unbelievable, Ultimate, Offer, Master, Scientific, Private, Breakthrough, Save, Guaranteed, Tricks, You, Love, Limited, Special, Secrets

You can use power words to add punch to a headline, sentence, a short ad, or whatever fancies you.

Those are just a few of the power words and phrases that I have collected over the years.

Do yourself a favor:

Another power phrase...?

No really... do yourself a favor:

Always keep a notebook nearby and look out for words or phrases that capture your attention in sales material. Then write it down. If it captured your attention, it's sure to capture other people's attention too.

And over time, you'll have plenty of power words and phrases to choose from when writing your sales material.

They sure make life alot easier...

And profitable too!


About the Author
Al Martinovic publishes a popular internet marketing newsletter at http://www.milleniummarketers.com and runs a successful home business at http://www.ineedsmokes.com

SEO Copywriting Makeover: Good Rankings but No Sales Part 2 of 2 by Karon Thackston

SEO Copywriting Makeover: Good Rankings but No Sales Part 2 of 2 by Karon Thackston

by Karon Thackston2004-2005
http://www.copywritingcourse.com

In Part 1 of this article series, we looked at a local home security site that had fairly good rankings but whose conversion rate was lacking. (You can see the original copy here: http://www.copywritingcourse.com/topsecurity-original.pdf.) Here in the conclusion, you'll see how several changes helped maintain this company's good rankings while improving their site's lead generation abilities.

The Rewrite

My first thought with the rewrite was to stop making "trust and urgency" the undertones and instead make them the obvious focal points of the copy. As usual, I started with the headline. The previous headline was:

When every second counts, turn to Top Security, Inc. who has been securing Orlando / Central Florida homes and businesses for 689,453,910 seconds.

I wanted something more direct so I changed the headline to:

Top Security, Inc. of Orlando
Security Systems From a Trusted Neighbor

This included one of their keyphrases and also made it perfectly clear this company was local and trustworthy.

For the introductory paragraph, I wanted to get the visitor's attention and hold it long enough to make a point: That security is something you need to think about now, not later. I opened with the following:

"If only Id called you sooner." "I never thought this could happen to me." These are just a few of the many comments we have heard from our customers in Orlando. Security systems suddenly became a top priority for them, but not until after theyd experienced a frightening break-in or a devastating fire. After these disasters, our Orlando neighbors were convinced that burglar alarm and security issues should be a forethought, not an afterthought.

The copy does not beat the visitors over the head with the fact that they could be hurt, face losses, or experience some other frightening situation. It simply plants a seed of "what if" and moves on.

This section of the copy also lends support to the keyphrases Top Security wanted to rank highly for. Because "Orlando Security Systems" can be an awkward phrase to repeat, I split it up in several instances to help the flow of the copy stay natural.

The remainder of the page speaks to the facts that Top Security is local, has longevity in the community, is right around the corner, and offers several other benefits national security companies simply can't (or won't). Benefit after benefit is listed and explained in order to drive home the fact that a local company canand willprovide exceptional service. You can see the current version here: http://www.copywritingcourse.com/topsecurity-current.pdf.

All throughout these sections of the copy, keyphrases are reinforced in the copy. When applicable, keyphrases are used in bold phrases or others that include special formatting. However, I never forced keyphrases someplace they didn't fit just for the sake of doing it. Keyphrase placement has to meld with the copy, not overpower it.

The call-to-action for the home page was simple. It asked three questions dealing with the biggest complaints about home security that users or potential users have regarding dependability, false alarms, and price.

The Results

The high rankings Top Security had prior to the SEO copywriting makeover were retained for most terms and even increased for a few others. While that's great, what's more important is that lead generations from the site increased, which gave Top Security, Inc. a broader customer base and the potential to make more sales they previously would not have been able to make.

It just goes to show that, even if your site has high positioning, copywriting can play an incredibly important role in bringing growth to your business. After all, what's the point of having good rankings if you have no sales?


About the Author
Karon Thackston is a veteran copywriting pro who specializes in SEO copy. If your copy isn't getting results, let Karon teach you how to write SEO copy that impresses the engines and your visitors at http://www.copywritingcourse.com. Be sure to check out Karons latest ebook How To Increase Keyword Saturation (Without Destroying the Flow of Your Copy) at http://www.copywritingcourse.com/keyword.

SEO Copywriting Makeover: Good Rankings but No Sales Part 1 of 2 by Karon Thackston

SEO Copywriting Makeover: Good Rankings but No Sales Part 1 of 2 by Karon Thackston

by Karon Thackston2004-2005
http://www.copywritingcourse.com

It's been a myth for as long as the Internet has been in existence. Get good rankings and your site will be successful. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but that has never been the case. What you get when you achieve good search engine rankings is a lot of traffic. That *can* be a wonderful thing, but it by no means guarantees even one sale.

You see, search engine rankings are not responsible for making sales. They are responsible for getting visitors to click to your site. If you (or your search engine optimizer) have done your job, you'll have descriptions in your search returns (or PPC ads) that bring in qualified visitors. But still even with qualified visitors, the engines are not in a position to make sales at your site. That's the job your copy and usability elements handle.

Top Security, Inc. faced this problem. They had good search engine rankings. They were listed on the first page of most of the major engines. They had the traffic. Sales, however, were not where they wanted them to be. What was the cause? One look told me the copy was the culprit. (Take a look at the original copy here: http://www.copywritingcourse.com/topsecurity-original.pdf.)

The Problems

Top Security had a tough sale by anybody's standards. They sold home security systems and maintenance services. (Something hardly anybody likes to talk about until after something happens, and it's virtually too late.) In order to get someone to move on products/services like home security, insurance, and the like, you really must develop a sense of trust and urgency.

When I first viewed the Top Security, Inc. home page, it was obvious that they knew what they needed to do. They had made a few attempts on the page in the form of graphics and MP3 files to accomplish those two goals. For example, they posted a current Threat Advisory graphic from the Department of Homeland Security (establishing urgency). There was also an MP3 that played kindergarten children singing "God Bless America" (plays toward patriotism and trust). Lastly, the headline was designed to try to build a sense of longevity. However, none of these was reflected in the copy. The most important part of the page was overlooked.

In order to turn the home page around, the salesman of the site (a.k.a. the words) needed to speak to the visitors in their own language. It needed to show them what can happen to those who have no security system and then offer a way to prevent those tragedies. The copy had to give assurances and build trust while at the same time helping visitors to stop procrastinating and make a move now.

While current rankings were good, there was still room for improvement. For search engine purposes, the copy needed to offer better support for the chosen keyphrases. There were virtually no keyphrases in the original body copy and that had to be changed.

The Solutions

The biggest part of the solution for Top Security was to develop copy for the home page period. The copy on the original site was minimal, was company-focused instead of customer-focused, and needed to do a better job of addressing the needs of the site visitors and search engines.

The new copy had to set a tone of trust and community since Top Security dealt only with local Florida residents. In fact, I pulled out all the benefits small, local companies can offer their customers in order to play up Top Security in the new copy.

At the same time, I wanted to weave the client's keyphrases into the text without making them stand out. The goal was to have a home page that read as naturally as possible to humans while giving the spiders and bots what they needed in order to boost Top Security's rankings.

In Part 2 of this article, I'll show you how I implemented the changes in order to improve conversions and what the results were.


About the Author
Karon Thackston is a veteran copywriting pro who specializes in SEO copy. If your copy isn't getting results, let Karon teach you how to write SEO copy that impresses the engines and your visitors at http://www.copywritingcourse.com. Be sure to check out Karons latest ebook How To Increase Keyword Saturation (Without Destroying the Flow of Your Copy) at http://www.copywritingcourse.com/keyword.