Patience is a virtue. Unfortunately, it’s not one that holds much weight in the world of search engine optimization (SEO) and its users. Websites are an active medium. That means you only have one chance to impress potential visitors. If you don’t grab their attention and reel them in from the get-go, they’ll end up leaving your website right away.

That’s why the content on your webpage should do more than present information. Effective website copy, paired with an excellent digital marketing strategy, powerfully reinforces your brand identity and boosts your search engine rankings. Get your website copy right, and you’ll have numerous targeted, customers right on your doorstep.

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But how, exactly, can this be achieved? Our article will focus on how to create compelling copy that search engines will see as an authentic and credible source while taking the needs of your audience into consideration at the same time.

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Bucket Brigades Boost Dwell Time on Websites

With engaging content, your clients will stay glued to your page. And one way to ensure you capture your audience’s attention is by utilizing an old-school copywriting tactic that makes a text more readable: a bucket brigade.

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A bucket brigade involves using simple connector phrases that add a conversational tone and create smooth transitions in your copy. This incomparably speeds up a person’s reading pace. Moreover, the reduced eye-strain helps audiences read through content almost effortlessly. Used correctly, the tactic will leave your reader so engrossed that, before they know it, they would have already gone through a significant portion of the content.

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There are several ways to draw and keep the attention of your readers, but the four techniques that follow are some of the best.

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Ask a question. To keep the momentum going, the content should address the reader and ask a question like, “Does this sound familiar?” or “Still not convinced?” This encourages the brain to make connections and readies the reader for the next part of the content.

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Get down to business. Guide readers to the next section by building anticipation and making a promise of what’s to come. This includes “Let’s get started” and “Let’s take a closer look.” Leading the reader’s eye this way is a more dynamic approach, so make sure to match its use with an appropriate tone and topic.

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Usher in the point. Make important points stand out by adding phrases like, “Here’s the catch” and “The bottom line is…” By drawing attention to your copy’s main premise, you’ll make it easier for the reader to follow your points because they don’t have to spend more time and attention on looking for it. Once they have a clue on what your thesis is about, then it’ll be easier to take in the supporting points.

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Offer a solution. Provide your readers with new insight. Introduce your thoughts with phrases like, “The solution is” or “That’s where [blank] fits in.” This way, you get your point across faster, packaged neatly in a simple, straightforward line.

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Other examples of a bucket brigade phrase include:

• Here’s the deal:
• You may be wondering:
• What’s the bottom line?
• It gets better/worse:
• Want to know the best part?

In the world of SEO copywriting, bucket brigades keep your copy interactive and goal-oriented. Do it successfully, and you’ll hit two birds with one stone: boost dwell time and make your site golden in the eyes of Google.

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Create Compelling Content with Benefit-Driven Subheadings

Everyone wants a headline that goes viral. After all, articles with attention-grabbing headlines are the most-shared on social media. What’s the secret to crafting a viral headline, though?

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Websites like Buzzfeed and Mashable might make it seem like the ultimate goal is to shock, aggravate, or titillate readers. But creating a compelling headline all boils down to one thing: offering your readers something useful.

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Subheadings work the same way. They act as textual signposts that direct your reader’s eye from one portion of your content to the next. You can have the most powerful headline lure users to your website, only for the users to just as easily leave the page after a few seconds because it fails to meet their expectations after a quick scan.

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So, structure your content with skimmers and scanners in mind and create supercharged subheadings that don’t fall prey to mediocre subheading choices.

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Addressing Common Sub​​​​​head Blunders

Subheadings are a stealthy writing weapon that any writer worth their salt needs in their arsenal and that companies can put to good use to boost their SEO rankings. But when used by the unskilled, this weapon can do more harm than good. Here are some common blunders that cause subheadings to fall flat:

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Plain label subheads. Some bloggers use subheads as a label, instead of a way to pique interest. The subhead, “Why Subheadings are Important,” for instance, is lifeless and predictable. Hook readers with something like, “The Secret to Hooking Your Readers” then let the rest of the post do the talking.

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Spoiler subheads. Subheadings should provide a hint of what the text that follows will expound on. So, if you want users to stay on your page longer, provide a teaser of what’s to come instead of a free pass to skip a paragraph or two. The subhead, “The One Thing Great Subheadings Have in Common” is better than “Use Headlines to Spark Curiosity,” after all.

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Cryptic subheads. When crafting a subhead, it helps to be creative. But if you overdo it, you might end up creating something more confusing than persuasive. The subhead, “What’s the Most Powerful Way to Get more Clicks?” for instance, is a lot clearer than a “Don’t Forget the Worm!” subhead with its confusing bait and hook references.

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Use the APP Formula to Draw in Visitors

Last but not the least, when it comes to creating SEO-friendly content, pulling off a proper introduction is critical.

Introductory paragraphs can spell the difference between the success and failure of the copy on your website and, in turn, the success of your digital marketing strategy. When search engines crawl a webpage, they analyze the context of a website and decide if they want to include it in their index.

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It helps to mention keywords early, like in the first sentence or paragraph. Visitors are, after all, more likely to see the first few words of the page, so it helps to take advantage and place the important information where they’re more likely to be seen.

Sometimes, crafting an irresistible intro to your copy can be a challenge, though.

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That’s where the APP formula can help.

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Exceeding Site Visitor Expectations

The APP formula is a framework that improves the introduction of your webpage. The method increases user experience signals, so businesses can engage audiences and boost the amount of time people spend on their website. APP stands for:

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• Agree – If you want your SEO copy to rank on the top pages of Google, you’ll need visitors on your side. In other words, that means starting your copy with something that the person searching for your keyword would agree with. Doing this shows that you understand your target audience and makes more likely to stick around on your website.

Here’s an example of how you can set up a connection with your reader:

Q: What do Forbes, Entrepreneur, and Backlinko have in common?

A: They rank high on Google and enjoy untapped authority.

• Promise – Give your customers a sneak peek into a better world by promising them something you can deliver in your copy or article. Let’s follow up on the previous example: a good promise sounds something like, “These websites do two things well. First, they focus on the huge-impact Google ranking factors. Second, they use their resources to scale those ranking factors.”

• Preview – How do you show visitors the benefits of your SEO copy? Let them know what you’ve got in store for them. For example, “This blog will talk about the significant Google ranking factors companies should focus on in 2017.”

By providing significant and relevant information, you’ll be able to please both masters. Visitors will swarm to your blog and Google spiders will single out your website as one that’s worth ranking.

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Make the most out of SEO by mastering these three important ranking factors. By using introductions, connector phrases, and subheadings hand-in-hand, you’ll come up with killer copy that will hook your readers. That way, you can come out ahead of the search engine competition.