Why "You Don't Need to Keep Your Shit Together" Made Her Hesitate, and Why It's Good Copywriting
How an Ottawa Breathwork Facilitator’s Website Reflects Her True Voice
Rita Tapia of Breathwaves with Rita offers Breathwork, a Spring Retreat, Reiki, and Coaching in Ottawa and surrounding areas. She joined one of my Get Found Locally workshops, which led to her hiring me to build her a whole new, fully SEO-optimized website. Like most of my clients, she was overwhelmed by everything it takes to grow a business. A website that reflects who she is, what she does, and who she works with can be a foundation for that growth, and great SEO copywriting is how we get there.
I just want to say “abc”, but I can’t write that on my website!
This is when I know we’ve found the right words.
As soon as a client declares, “I can’t say that!”, I write whatever she said on her website. I click share and let her see it 'live'. I see some smily-hesitation and then a settling, “Yes, that’s me, but…I can’t say that, can I?”
“Yes, this is it. This is you! Is this what you would say to a client or someone who asks you what you do?” I’ll ask.
“Sometimes, yeah.”
“Then let’s leave it here and let it simmer…” I will say, knowing that it’s the copy that will stick.
Why your true voice is excellent SEO copywriting
There are 1000s of small businesses in Ottawa. There are likely over 200 breathwork facilitators. Rita wants to grow her business (work with more great clients), so how does she reach “her” people?
The same way we meet people at a party. Let’s play with this analogy for a moment. Like me, Rita is a fantastic Gen Xer (so we get each other - see how that works?), there are idioms, sayings, and references that only Gen Xers will get.
Imagine you are at a party and you hear one of the guests say, “Pfft, I won’t do what you tell me!”
Your ears perk up, you recognize the speech rhythm, and you glance over at the person who said it with a knowing smirk and nod. That’s all that’s needed; now you know you are both contemporaries of the Rage Against the Machine era, and you likely have even more in common…and so it begins. You are curious. You may even approach and start a conversation - leading with a NIN or Kurt Cobain quote…right?
Good SEO Copywriting isn’t just for search engines; it’s for your readers and potential future clients, too.
Again, this copy demonstrates Rita’s edgy, straight-up real voice (notice the sh*t vibe and pun again). Her people will get this. “I’ve got a road map” means she’s got a plan, which is reassuring to the hesitant new breathwork client. The second line is gentle, welcoming, and exactly what it feels like to work with Rita.
Search engines want to give searchers the best results for their query.
Think about how much information Google (and other search engines) know about you. It might know the music you listen to, the movies you watch, the expressions you use, your interests, your generation, the books you read…(yes, it’s a little scary, but let’s move on from that for today).
So now imagine that someone in Ottawa is looking for Breathwork. She’s Gen X-ish, she’s a little edgy, she’s direct and straight-up, and she’s looking for a soft, yet grounded, tell-it-like-it-is breathwork class.
The search engine already knows her vibe, and after indexing Rita’s website, it registers the commonalities between the searcher and Rita. Of the 200 breathwork practitioners in the Ottawa area, Rita’s optimized website is the best “answer” for the woman’s search.
That woman arrives on Rita’s site, sees the clear H1: Ottawa Breathwork, and she knows she’s in the right place. Then she reads the H2 copy, “You don’t need to keep your shit together.” She chuckles, sighs, and thinks, “This Rita person gets me.”
THIS IS HOW EXCELLENT, TRUE-TO-YOU SEO COPYWRITING WORKS.
“Explore what it feels like to finally let things boil over, to stop pretending everything’s okay, and take off the sugar-coat.” This is unique-to-Rita copy and was inspired by our conversations about how her clients feel when they come to her…most of them are just trying to hold it all together. This is how SEO Copywriting works for you - and for search engines - and for your business. See?
When people recognize themselves in your writing, it connects.
Rita and I spent a lot of time talking out her copy. I would ask questions like “Imagine you are at the YMCA on Argyle, and you see an old friend. She asks what you are up to now. How would you actually answer?”
As Rita spoke, I wrote down key things she said, especially the words that came after a few minutes, because that’s when she really let go and spoke the way she actually does with real people.
Often, clients come to me with websites that sound just like everyone else’s. They are safe and bland, they’ll do - but they don’t convert. They don’t lead to new clients or bookings.
In this age of digital everything and now AI robots writing for many, people are looking for themselves out there. Or they are looking for a familiar face or vibe.
When people see themselves in your business, they will reach out. Don’t be afraid to be you in your copywriting. (and if you need your copywriting to also be SEO optimized, hey, that’s where I come in!)
This is what shows up when I search “Ottawa Breathwork”. Rita is listed as the first top Breathwork Provider in Ottawa. Notice that Rita’s unique copy shows up under her website link? That’s a sign that her SEO Copywriting is well optimized.
Rita is now getting clients from her website
Her copywriting is on point and connecting with the right people. Those people are booking.
Her SEO is on point, so she's ranking in AI-generated top results and on page one of Google. Read more about on-page optimization here.
This is why it’s worth the time to really get clear on your words and SEO strategy.
When you feel hesitation, write it down. See how it lands - those might be the words you are looking for.
Over the last 10+ years (or so) of helping Ottawa small businesses write copy for their websites, I have heard, “I can’t write that!” a lot. 99% of those clients end up choosing those words for their copy, and it works.
“It feels like me!” is something I hear from clients after we’ve worked together. Or, “I didn’t know how to get here, but it finally feels like my website is mine!”
I’ve also had so many clients write to me saying that the words on their websites led to new bookings, because that’s what their new clients tell them.
Try it. Report back, and if you would like guidance from a tell-it-like-it-is GenXer who gets VERY excited about people being who they really are in their copy, while also being SEO masters and who may sing out Ani DiFranco tunes, contact me, and we can work on your copywriting together!
