Your boss just walked in to say that you have to write copy for the company’s website. It must be compelling and convincing while triggering the customer to respond. The problem: you’re a Dutch technical expert, not a writer. And, the technical product copy must be in English. Technical product expert, novice writer Your first reaction is ‘huh?’ You were hired for your knowledge and skills in an entirely different...

Press releases over the past years have played an important role in improving search engine rankings. The game rules for press releases and copy in general have changed since the introduction of the Google Hummingbird update in 2013 (see my blog on how Hummingbird affects copy). New press release game rules Instead of focusing on keywords, provide content your readers seek. Try to figure out what the reader is searching for by putting yourself...

Oil & gas companies can make a big leap forward by embracing a good content marketing strategy. ‘Many in the industry refuse to “meet people where they are at” and demonstrate the true (and nearly miraculous) value oil and gas brings to the world.’ As Vice President of Marketing and co-founder of Castagra Products Tatsuya Nakagawa remarks in drillinginfo ‘there are still only a handful of companies in the oil industry that really push the...

Want to write better online product and service descriptions? Here are some helpful writing tips I received from Dutch SEO trainer Bob van de Vooren. This article handles the building blocks of good web copy. Much more is involved in writing for the web, but these tips will get you started.

Infographic on how to write mobile copy.

You have a small rectangle in which to write a story. Your mission: fill this LED-lit object with simple and concise words that convert. The stopwatch ticks. Eyes focus on the centre upper half. Just like an agile whitewater rafter in the Grand Canyon, your (first) words manoeuvre and propel them further. Over the next paragraph, and the next. Until they reach the finish line. A finger presses a button. Whew. Mission completed within eight...