Many businesses have been dismayed to discover that traditional advertising methods have less effect on the internet. The average internet user has a heightened awareness of how advertising works, and has a fairly bad reaction to being manipulated. Internet users simply don’t react very well to obvious hype.

The need for honesty in communication should impact on the way you approach your SEO. The SEO methods you decide to employ have to be encased in language, which in turn can affect the effectiveness of your optimisation. If, for example, you house your keywords in slick advertising speak, something worthy of a street spruiker, you’re likely to turn users away. This increases your bounce rate and affects where you sit in the SERPs. If you choose elegant and effective language, you’re more likely to retain users.

Why ad-speak doesn’t work

The advertising and marketing industries have been in operation for a long time, but as a consequence they’ve fallen into certain habits. One of these habits is language. Advertising language is instantly recognisable. As soon as you hear ‘I never would have believed how great this product is’, you know you’re listening to an ad. Your site’s users know it too, and they’re likely not to react well.

The internet has opened up all sorts of interpersonal communication. Businesses have noticed that internet users react better to a clear, open and honest form of language. Sites that present information, rather than an advertising pitch, tend to do better.

Keep it real off-page

Know when to use marketing and when to keep it real with off-page SEO. Your off-page search engine optimisation techniques can be anything from posting a press release to contacting an influential site to forge a relationship. There are times that marketing methods come into play with off-page SEO, such as when you try to get a review on an influential blog. There are many more times when marketing should be set aside. Off-page SEO is all about building relationships. A lot of these relationships will crumble when you introduce marketing language.

Things to avoid

The major thing to avoid on your site is hyperbole. Too many positive adjectives will set off warning bells in the minds of your users. Things like ‘unbelievable bargain’ or ‘must-have product of the year’ are more likely to put people off, unless these phrases are encapsulated in quotes from others.

Things to aim for

The most effective language will be different from site to site. Your business image and the habits of those in your industry will have a lot of influence over how you communicate. Your competitors can be a good guide when you’re trying to find a level, and it can also help to get professional advice. You can talk to our experts at SEO Consult when you’re thinking about the writing style for your site.

In general, however, a friendly tone and an honest approach is best for the internet. Look at some of the more successful sites for a guideline.

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