Website Copywriting: An Easy Guide for Increasing Conversions
Your website is your digital storefront. But bad copy is like a bad salesperson—instead of converting visitors into customers, you frighten them away.
I've spent years helping businesses transform their web content into conversion machines. In this guide, I'll walk you through everything you need to know about website copywriting—from understanding what it is to implementing best practices that boost conversions and search rankings.
Whether you're writing for a small business website, an ecommerce platform, or a SaaS product, you'll discover practical strategies to turn your website content into a powerful marketing asset.
What is website copywriting?
Website copywriting is the practice of writing persuasive text for your website that drives visitors to take specific actions—for example, making a purchase, signing up for a newsletter, or requesting a demo.
Unlike other forms of writing, web copywriting balances three key objectives:
Engaging your target audience and addressing their pain points
Optimising content for search engines to drive organic traffic
Persuading visitors to convert into leads or customers
The difference between copywriting and content writing is subtle but important. Content writing focuses on informing and educating readers (like this article), whilst copywriting specifically aims to persuade and drive action.
If you’re here, you likely already have a vague idea of what website copywriting is. But chances are, you’re struggling to craft copy that gets the results you need.
The most common challenges I see with website copy include:
Generic, feature-focused language that fails to connect with visitors
Poor structure that makes content difficult to scan
Missing calls-to-action that leave visitors unsure what to do next
Keyword stuffing that damages readability and user experience
Effective website copywriting solves these problems by putting your audience first whilst strategically incorporating marketing and SEO best practices.
Why is good website copywriting essential for growth?
Professional website copy directly impacts your bottom line. Here's why it matters:
Increases conversions and engagement: When your copy speaks directly to your visitors' needs, they're far more likely to take action. The numbers don't lie—personalised calls-to-action convert 202% better than generic CTAs.
Supports SEO and drives organic traffic: Well-crafted SEO copywriting helps you rank higher in search results. Integrating best practices with persuasive copy brings the right audiences to your site. But modern SEO content writing goes beyond keywords. It's about creating content that satisfies search intent whilst maintaining readability and engagement.
Enhances brand messaging and user engagement: Your website copy shapes how visitors perceive your brand. Inconsistent or unclear messaging confuses potential customers and damages credibility. Conversely, strategic content optimisation ensures your brand voice remains consistent across all pages.
Without first understanding your audience—their problems, desires, and concerns—your copy is unlikely to connect. And if it doesn’t connect, it doesn’t convince. The best website copy doesn’t describe a product, solution, or feature. It makes readers feel understood.
3 important types of website copywriting
Different sections of your website require different approaches to web content copywriting. Let me break down the main types.
1. Landing page copywriting
Landing pages are your conversion workhorses. They're designed with a single goal: persuade visitors to take one specific action.
They include your sales pages, product or feature pages, use case pages, and anywhere else you’re directly talking about something you have to offer customers.
Effective landing page copywriting focuses on:
Clear, benefit-driven headlines
Social proof and testimonials
Compelling CTAs with minimal friction
Addressing specific pain points that your solution solves
Your commercial landing pages are the most important part of your website when it comes to increasing revenue. This is where good copywriting is a non-negotiable. Without persuasive copy, you won’t get sales, leads, or sign-ups.
Homepage copy
Your homepage sets the tone for your entire site. It needs to quickly communicate what you offer, who you serve, and why visitors should care—all within seconds.
Homepage copywriting is one of the most delicate aspects of website design. You don’t want to overwhelm visitors with too much information at once. Nor should you leave them guessing what it is you actually offer.
The best homepage copywriting lets visitors know you understand their struggles, you’ve got the right solution for them, and you can be trusted.
Blog copywriting
This is where copywriting and content writing overlap.
Blog posts serve dual purposes: attracting organic search traffic and nurturing relationships with your audience. Quality blog copywriting balances information with persuasion, naturally leading readers toward your products or services.
Good blog copywriting delivers value to the reader. It solves a small problem that they’ve been searching for and gently encourages them to learn about how your product or service can solve an even bigger one.
SEO copywriting fundamentals
SEO copywriting is no longer a nice-to-have. It’s an invaluable tool for getting and converting more traffic. Let’s walk through the essential elements of effective SEO copywriting to help you boost search engine rankings without sacrificing user experience.
Benefit-led copy
Always lead with benefits, not features. Your visitors don't care about your product specifications—they care about what those specifications mean for them.
Instead of: "Our software has a 256-bit encryption protocol," write: "Your customer data stays protected with bank-level security."
This shift in focus makes your copy more persuasive whilst naturally incorporating the language your customers use when searching.
Keyword research
Before writing a single word, you need proper keyword research. Understanding what your target audience searches for ensures your content actually gets found.
Using SaaS SEO tools helps you identify:
Primary keywords with sufficient search volume
Long-tail keywords that indicate buying intent
Related terms that support your topic authority
Questions your audience is asking
Each page should target a single primary keyword. Your goal as a copywriter is to produce the most relevant, valuable, and useful content to answer the question behind that keyword.
Using keywords effectively
Strategic keyword placement beats keyword density every time. Search engines have evolved well beyond counting keyword frequency.
Place your primary keyword in:
Your page title and H1 heading
The first paragraph of your content
At least one subheading (H2 or H3)
Your meta description
Image alt text where relevant
These placements should feel natural. Forced keyword insertion damages readability and can actually hurt your rankings.
Structure and formatting
Proper content structure helps both readers and search engines understand your content.
Use heading tags to create a logical content hierarchy. Your H1 should be your main topic, with H2s for major sections and H3s for subsections. This structure helps search engines understand your content whilst making it scannable for readers.
81% of people skim rather than read web content fully. Breaking your content into digestible chunks significantly improves user engagement. Keep paragraphs to 2–3 sentences maximum. Use bullet points to highlight key information and numbered lists for step-by-step processes.
Use high-quality visuals and media. Well-placed images, videos, and infographics break up text walls and reinforce your message. They also provide opportunities for additional SEO through optimised alt text.
Optimising for conversions
Conversion copywriting bridges the gap between attracting visitors and turning them into customers.
Focus on:
Clear, action-oriented CTAs that tell visitors exactly what to do next
Removing friction points that slow down decision-making
Building trust through social proof and testimonials
Creating urgency without being pushy
Your call-to-action means the difference between turning site visitors into customers. A web page with a good CTA is like a bookshop—a web page without one is just a library.
Website copywriting best practices
Effective website copywriting takes years to learn, decades to master. With many businesses resorting to unfeeling, impersonal AI tools for copywriting, there’s a major competitive advantage to be had by sticking to what truly works. Here are some of the proven practices I use when writing copy for websites.
Write for humans first
Search algorithms are sophisticated, but they're not your customers. Write copy that connects with real people first, then optimise for search engines.
This means:
Using conversational language that mirrors how people actually speak
Avoiding jargon unless your audience expects it
Focusing on clarity over cleverness
Nearly 65% of companies report better SEO outcomes after bringing AI tools into their stack, but 86% still edit AI-generated text. Why? Because human oversight ensures your copy actually resonates with readers.
Maintain a conversational tone
Marketing copywriting works best when it feels like a conversation, not a lecture. Write as if you're explaining your product to a friend over coffee.
Use:
Contractions (like "you're" and "we'll")
Questions that engage readers
First and second person pronouns
Active voice for directness and clarity
The best web copy uses the voice of the customer. Familiarise yourself with the way they speak about your area of expertise. Learn how they describe the problems they’re having, and the solutions they’re looking for. That’s how you really connect.
Address pain points and outcomes
Your copy should focus on the transformation you provide. What problems do you solve? What outcomes do your customers achieve?
Addressing buyer fears and reservations is essential. Don't shy away from acknowledging challenges: address them head-on and explain how you solve them. Honesty is the best policy—if you can’t solve a specific problem, tell them. It’ll make you more believable about the ones you can.
A/B test headlines and CTAs
Small changes often yield significant results. A/B testing for copy helps you discover what resonates with your specific audience.
Test elements like:
Headline phrasing and length
CTA button text and colour
Opening paragraph approaches
Benefit statements
Never assume you’ve nailed the copy on your first try. The most successful companies are always tweaking and changing their content based on how it performs.
Update content regularly
Web content isn't set and forget. Regular updates signal freshness to search engines and ensure accuracy for your visitors.
Review your key pages quarterly to:
Update outdated statistics or information
Refresh examples and case studies
Optimise for new keywords
Improve conversion elements based on performance data
Remember, life is always changing. The landscape today is different from yesterday. Keep ahead of trends and speak about what’s going on in your customers’ worlds now.
Turn traffic into customers with website copywriting services
Poor web copy costs you money every single day. Visitors arrive at your site through search, social media, or paid advertising—but generic, confusing copy sends them straight to your competitors.
The challenge? Creating compelling webpage content requires specific skills. Most business owners don't have time to master these skills while running their company.
That's where professional website copywriting services make the difference.
I specialise in creating benefit-driven, SEO-optimised copy that turns visitors into customers. Whether you need landing pages that convert, blog posts that rank, or complete website content that establishes your authority, I can help.
Working with a professional copywriter means you get:
Copy informed by keyword research and competitor analysis
Persuasive messaging that addresses your audience's specific pain points
Content strategy aligned with your business goals
Professional storytelling for websites that builds trust and credibility
Don't let poor copy hold your business back. Get in touch to discover how strategic digital copywriting can transform your website into a revenue-generating asset.
