Write your website for people to read, not for Google to read

No, I haven't got that the wrong way around. Even though we need to be very concerned about search-engine optimisation (SEO), the best way to keep Google happy is to do what it wants.

And what Google wants you to do is think about the people who will come to your website, not the software which will index your site.

You see, thinking about people means providing them with good content written in an easy-to-read, engaging way. And Google loves both real content and high-quality writing.

If you orient your writing to search engines, Google will spot it. If you try to trick Google by using dodgy techniques to improve your SEO, Google will know. Neither of these make Google happy. And if Google gets very unhappy, it could penalise your site by pushing it lower down the rankings, or even blacklist you altogether.

The software Google uses to read webpages is incredibly sophisticated, and the people at Google have seen all the tricks before. You can't beat the system.

So instead, work the system. And if you don't know how to work the system, find a copywriter who does.

SEO isn't simple... and even when you understand the principles, applying it in the right way can be difficult unless you absolutely know what you're doing. That's why you need a copywriter who specialises in writing websites.