Search engine optimized copy writing for business websites is a very specialized type of writing. It requires key words and phrases to be woven seamlessly into informative and entertaining text. For all of its esoteric specialism, SEO writing is still just basic written communication. The receivers of this communication, the readers are the potential customers of the online businesses. There are two fundamental principals in any written communication: • It is up to the reader to choose the language.

Because the reading is voluntary, if the reader is unhappy in any way with the language then the message will not get across. Nothing will turn customers away from a website quicker than typos, bad grammar or confused messages. You will be disappointed if you expect English speaking customers to respond to your website messages if the writers of those messages are not native UK or American. Many readers simply won’t read it in the first place while those that do, will struggle to understand the cultural differences and focus on the messenger rather than the message.

The meaning of any SEO copy can only be judged by the readers’ response. Things could be better with your message if you aren’t getting enough visitors to your website! There is something wrong in your SEO message if you aren’t getting enough registrations or sales from your action pages. Only native UK writers or US can communicate effectively with other native English speakers. The main point about written Internet content is that it must speak directly to your potential customers. There are lots of freelance copywriters available on the Internet.

They work from home in countries all over the World. Most of them are not native English speakers and while they may be cheap they will not be able to speak directly to your customers. These writers are based in poorer countries and are willing to work for less than UK or US writers, but price has to be secondary to getting the message right, English writer to English reader. The lesson is the same for any international SEO marketing copy.

Consider this machine-translated piece of original German content from and SEO marketing company that really should know better: “Grope along forwards…” “How did you find to us? Over a search machine? No miracle! Our proclamation service brings also your Site under the Top Ten of the search results — and as result up to 60% more visitor.” This is even funny in the original German, a pun that goes down well in that market of German speakers.

In English, without the cultural understanding it’s just a big turn off for any web-surfing potential customer. Machine translation cannot overcome cultural differences. Germans should write for Germans and UK writers and US must be used for English markets. Native language speakers must culturally adapt translations if you are to succeed in getting your message across. It is a trap all too easily fallen into when webmasters come up against language barriers and cultural differences. But the reader is still left to “grope along forwards?”