Copy, Content & SEO
Message hierarchy, safe AI copywriting, honest imagery and the SEO foundations every small site needs.
A page must say clearly what it is, who it is for, why to believe it and what to do next. Let AI draft words, but give it real facts and never allow made-up reviews or numbers. Use real photos where you can, and learn the basics of getting found on Google.
- Copy
- The written words on a page.
- SEO
- Making your site easier to find in search engines.
- Alt text
- A short description of an image for people who cannot see it.
Never allow made-up reviews or numbers.
A beautiful site with vague words and no proof does not convert. A site that nobody can find does not matter. Words and search visibility are where AI saves the most time, and where careless use does the most damage. The damage is generic copy, invented claims, and thin pages that search engines ignore. This lesson covers messaging, copy that persuades, images, and the search basics that every small-business site needs.
Message hierarchy
Every page answers four questions, in this order. What is this? Is it for me? Why should I believe it? What do I do next? Your headline answers the first two in plain words. The sections after it give proof. The call to action answers the last. Write the headline as a result for a particular person, not as a description of the company. Fresh sourdough delivered to your door in Leeds by 7am beats Welcome to Hearth Bakery.
Using AI for copy, safely
- Give it the client's real facts, examples of their tone and their customers' own words. Require it to use only those facts.
- Ask for 5 to 10 headline options from different angles: result, speed, no-risk, being specific and social proof. Then choose and edit.
- Strip the filler it loves, such as unlock, elevate, seamless and in today's fast-paced world.
- Never allow invented testimonials, statistics, awards, certifications or guarantees. Mark the gaps for the client to fill.
- Read everything aloud. If it could appear on any competitor's site, rewrite it.
Write home page copy for {{business}}, serving {{audience}} in {{location}}.
FACTS YOU MAY USE (nothing else): {{facts}}
CUSTOMER WORDS (from reviews/calls - mirror this language): {{customer_phrases}}
TONE: {{tone_examples}}
Deliver: 5 headline options (outcome-led, under 10 words); a 1-sentence subheadline; hero button text;
3 benefit blocks (each: bold headline under 6 words + 20-word explanation using a fact);
a "how it works" in 3 steps; an FAQ answering the 5 objections below; a closing CTA.
OBJECTIONS: {{objections}}
Rules: no invented numbers, quotes or awards. Where proof is missing write [NEED FROM CLIENT: what].
Avoid: unlock, elevate, seamless, cutting-edge, revolutionary.Calls to action and small words
- Buttons say what happens next. Book a free 20-minute call beats Submit.
- Reduce worry near the action: a guarantee, clear prices, no spam and a reply time.
- Write error and empty messages as helpfully as the marketing copy. That is where users get stuck.
Images: original beats generic
Real photos of the real team, shop and work build trust that no stock image can. If the client has none, arrange a half-day shoot with a phone. Use AI images for abstract backgrounds, illustrations and concept visuals. Do not use them to pretend to show real people, products or results. That misleads visitors and can break advertising rules. Always write useful alt text, set width and height attributes, and compress images.
SEO basics for small sites
- One clear topic and one h1 on each page. A descriptive title tag of about 50 to 60 characters, and a meta description that reads like an advert.
- Meaningful HTML, logical headings, descriptive link text and clean web addresses.
- Fast, mobile-friendly pages. This helps both ranking and conversion.
- For local businesses: a consistent name, address and phone number, a Google Business Profile, a page for each service and area, and genuine reviews.
- Structured data (JSON-LD), so that search engines understand the business.
- Original, useful content beats volume. A few helpful pages usually do better than many thin, AI-made ones. Mass-produced low-value pages risk being filtered out.
<script type="application/ld+json">
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Bakery",
"name": "Hearth Bakery",
"url": "https://hearthbakery.example",
"telephone": "+44 113 000 0000",
"address": { "@type": "PostalAddress", "streetAddress": "12 Mill Lane", "addressLocality": "Leeds", "postalCode": "LS1 1AA", "addressCountry": "GB" },
"openingHours": ["Tu-Sa 07:00-16:00"],
"priceRange": "££"
}
</script>- ✓Answer four questions in order: what is this, is it for me, why believe it, and what do I do.
- ✓Give AI real facts and customer language. Forbid invented claims, and edit out generic phrases.
- ✓Prefer real photography. Use AI images honestly, and never to fake proof.
- ✓Learn the SEO basics: titles, headings, speed, local signals, structured data and original content.
Write and optimize a home page
- Gather real facts for your fictional or real client. Or write believable ones and mark them as placeholders.
- Run the copy prompt. Pick one headline and edit every block until it could only belong to this business.
- Write the title tag, the meta description and the JSON-LD for the page.
- List the 10 pieces of proof or content you would ask the client to supply, and put them in order of priority.
Q1Why should copy prompts say use only these facts?show answer
Models invent believable details. Limiting them to the facts you give prevents false claims, fake testimonials and made-up statistics.
Q2Is it acceptable to use AI-made photos of happy customers on a client's site?show answer
No. Showing made-up people or results as real is misleading, and it can break advertising and consumer rules. Use real photos, or clearly illustrative images.
Q3Why can mass-producing thin AI pages hurt SEO?show answer
Search engines favor original, helpful content. Large numbers of low-value pages can be ignored or pushed down, while fewer strong pages do better.