If you’re in any type of business these days you should have an online presence – and that doesn’t mean just posting your lunch on Facebook!

Copywriting for your website should be professional, interesting, informative and engaging, but it should also follow some basic rules if you want your business to be discovered.

Search engine optimisation (or SEO for short) is a general name for the tactics and techniques used to get your website noticed in search engines such as Google.

SEO is a complex business, and to make the most out of it you could try the services of a firm which can provide SEO in Dublin, such as http://www.rycomarketing.ie/.

Here, to get you started, are seven rules you should be following:

Use an Attention-grabbing Title

Your title, or headline, if you like, should serve the purpose of grabbing the attention of your target audience – that is, those people you want to visit your website.

So it must be interesting (questions are good, and you should use keywords which people may be searching for). However, be careful not to make it misleading.

Meta Descriptions

Your article’s meta description is what summarises it, so is no longer than around 160 characters in length. Again, remember to include keywords, but don’t just repeat the title.

Keywords are Key

The one thing everyone seems to know about SEO is that you need to include keywords. Of course you need to include them, but they must be used sensibly, and with relevance – there’s no point just scattering random words around.

Structure it

It should go without saying that your copy needs to make sense, but remember it should have a proper structure which is easy to read and access. Use paragraphs properly and add sub-headings and bullet points if necessary, to make it simpler to read.

Picture This

It’s not all about the copy. Photographs are another thing which will get your site noticed, so use relevant, striking photos and images but try not to make them too big, or else they’ll slow your page down.

Be Unique

You should never copy someone else’s articles – always get your own copy written. According to The Telegraph, copy which breaches copyright could even be removed.

Link it

Used sparsely, linking copy to both internal and external sources can have super results. But don’t overdo it.