Back in the days when the internet was just beginning, it was easy to be seen online. You didn’t need a talented web copywriter to swoop in, optimize your copy, and help you be seen in the search engine results pages…

You could just throw some words on the page, wish upon a few stars, and wait for new eyeballs to peek at your site.

But we’re not in the early days of the internet anymore.

And putting a website out into the world with any ole words on the screen won’t get you the traffic or conversions it might have in the early days.

(Fun fact: there are about 1.14 billion websites—and counting!—out in the world right now. Kind of makes me feel like mine is just one tiny drop in a vast internet ocean…)

So how does a talented web copywriter help your site become visible online—while optimizing conversions along the way? And how do you find a copywriter for web that can help you maximize your website (and business!) potential?

I’ll break down everything you need to know about growing your small business with the help of a web copywriter, including what to look for when hiring a freelance copywriter of your own.

First Thing’s First: What Does a Web Copywriter Do?

A web copywriter takes care of any marketing material or online content that will primarily be viewed online.

This might include (among other things):

To keep things simple, let’s just say: a web copywriter writes all the words your business needs to flourish and convert.

But when it comes to copywriting for web, it’s not so easy as finding some pretty words, putting them down on the page, and waiting for the organic web traffic to roll in…

There are two things every freelance copywriter should be trained in to get the results that they promise (and the results that you expect): persuasion and SEO.

What Does Persuasion Have to Do With Website Copywriting (And Other Kinds of Copy?)

It doesn’t matter how flowery, beautiful, cool-sounding, or generally awesome your copy is…

If it doesn’t engage and convert your audience, then it’s not good copy.

(Can we throw that on a billboard, grab a megaphone, and sound those words on repeat please?!)

The job of a website copywriter is to understand who is on the other side of the screen, and speak directly to them.

If that copywriter does their job right (and if they choose the right words!), the visitors on the other side of your web page will feel attracted to your copy.

So attracted, in fact, that filling out their credit card info to engage with you further will feel like a natural next step.

A good copywriter will know how to hold a mirror in front of their audience, one that reflects back all the pain points, frustrations, and anxieties that are keeping them stuck in their current reality.

And then that good copywriter will know how to nurture your audience toward the understanding that your solution and offer is uniquely designed to help them overcome everything that has been holding them back.

So that saying “yes” to your offer is a no-brainer next step for them.

Copywriting and SEO: Why They’re a Powerhouse Combo

It doesn’t matter how persuasive the words on your website are, if they aren’t being seen by your ideal audience then you won’t end up getting the results and conversions you’re after.

That’s where SEO (or Search Engine Optimization) comes in.

Search engine optimization is what separates a website that gets buried in the search engine results pages from one that flies to the top of a user’s screen.

It’s also what separates a small business that is barely-seen by organic traffic (or seen only by those who already know all about the service and are ready to say “yes” to the offer) from one that gets thousands or hundreds of thousands of organic traffic visitors a month.

The Google algorithm might be a tough nut to crack, but it’s not impossible to push your website toward the top of your ideal audience’s search engine results.

However, doing so requires a careful use of SEO keywords in your website copy—strategically placed with search engines in mind.

A good website copywriter will know exactly where to place target SEO keywords.

And if you haven’t already done that research on keywords yourself, they might even know how to find the right SEO keywords to help you connect with that ideal audience of yours.

How Do I Find a Good Web Copywriter?

Though websites like Fiverr or Upwork will put you in contact with thousands of copywriters all ready to write for your website, there’s no guarantee that those copywriters are up to task of persuading your audience, or up to the task of helping drive your visibility in an online space.

In the world of freelance copywriting, things still often happen word of mouth.

If you’re a small business owner, it can be helpful to ask your network for recommendations. And when you go to speak with those recommendations, test the waters to make sure they have audience-centered persuasion and SEO best practices on the mind.

So that the words you ultimately end up putting on your page aren’t, well, just words on a page…

They’ve got so much more conversion power than that.