wordpress-seo-posts-pages
blog post | marketing

Trigger Words and SEO Writing: Why One Matters to the Other

Arsham Mirshah Team Photo
Arsham MirshahCEO & Co-Founder

When it comes to SEO writing, the right trigger words can make or break a sale.

With online marketing being as crowded and volatile a field as it is, you only have seconds to grab the attention of your reader.

Even if your copy does manage to grab your readers’ attention, you only have one chance to convince them to buy the product or service that you’re selling.

Your methods may vary, depending on your style, your client, and the nature of the product.

If you’re selling luxury furniture, for instance, you’ll want to play up angles of comfort and relaxation.

If you’re client sells waterproofing services, then you’ll need to show your reader how the service protects their home and lace your writing with the sense of urgency that will spur him or her into action.

But just what is it that elicits that emotional response and gets your reader to take action?

You may think that it’s the value your written copy carries, and you’d mostly be right. If you want to go a step further, though, you need use certain trigger words that make your reader’s ears perk up and really give that value some weight.

These words get their name from the fact that they trigger something in most readers that cause them to reach for their wallets.

By learning everything about words that trigger emotional responses, you can strengthen your SEO writing and convert your readers into paying customers.

Tapping into Emotion

The practice of appealing to a potential customer’s emotions in order to sell something has been around for as long as anyone can remember.

When you think of television advertising, the best, most memorable commercials leave their mark by stirring up positive emotions, right?

Whether it’s a feeling of pleasure, something that makes you laugh, or something that brings up a good memory of the past, evoking positive emotions most likely increased the chances that you’ll buy that product.

The same thing can be done in your SEO writing.

The big difference, of course, is that television ads have the advantages of sight and sound. You only have the reader’s imagination and the written word to work with most of the time.

That’s why you have to rely on your trigger words to do much of the heavy lifting in order to turn your readers into paying customers.

Keep that in mind when writing your SEO copy and you’ll have gone a long way to converting your customer and convincing them to part with their hard earned money.

Classic Words that Inspire Action

While this list is by no means comprehensive, these are some of the “classic” trigger words that will apply to just about all instances of SEO writing, no matter what the subject is.

Let’s take a look at some of these words and why people tend to respond so strongly to them.

You
This is one that should be used as much as possible if only because it establishes a connection between writer and reader.When reading copy that’s written in the second person, a reader will feel as though he or she is being personally addressed and not just reading something written for a general audience.
Confirmed
>People naturally want reassurance that what they’re going to use will work the way you say it will. Back up your claims with evidence (like customer testimonials), tell them that what you claim has been confirmed, and you will give them peace of mind.
Discount/Cost-Effective
People work hard for their money, so the last thing you want to do is make it seem like they’re spending more than they should be. Assure your reader that they are getting on a good deal on what you’re selling and you’ll go a long way toward winning them over.
Fast
This can depend on context but works either way. You could be telling your reader to act fast, implying that a deal or offer won’t be around for long. Conversely, you could say that what you’re offering, something like a medication, is fast acting, meaning that the reader will have an easier life sooner rather than later.
Simple
Keep things from getting complicated and your product will have an easier time selling. Among the many trigger words out there, this is one that will usually keep people glued better than most because they know they won’t have to struggle to understand a concept.
Free
Everyone likes things that are free, making this one of the most powerful trigger words you could employ. By offering your user something for free, you not only show them that there is no risk to them, but you illustrate the fact that you have so much confidence in your product that you’re willing to give away a sample without the customer having to give up anything in return.

These are just a few examples among many of countless trigger words that will help you sell through your SEO writing.

By using the right language and evoking the right emotional responses in your readers, you can elevate your sales copy well above anything else that your readers may have seen elsewhere on the web.

So give these words a try, try to think up a few more, and see if your results are any better.

Most newsletters suck...

So while we technically have to call this a daily newsletter so people know what it is, it's anything but.

You won't find any 'industry standards' or 'guru best practices' here - only the real stuff that actually moves the needle.

You may be interested in:

Reframing sales and elevating others with Dennis Yu

Reframing sales and elevating others with Dennis Yu

Revamp your traditional sales strategies by evolving to the fast-paced digital world which runs on word of mouth. Dennis Yu is a marketing thought leader, CEO and Co-Founder of BlitzMetrics, and co-author of The Definitive Guide to TikTok Advertising with Perry Marshall. Dennis shares what sales teams need to do to become more effective in...
Read this