What Does A Website Copywriter Actually Do?
(More than you think, I bet! Here’s why this matters for you.)
Two client Qs recently stopped me in my proverbial tracks.
The first told me she felt nervous about completing the pre-project questionnaire, and when I asked her why, she said, “Well, I feel like I don’t have “the answers” and that’s why I’m coming to you… like if you ask me about my brand positioning, am I supposed to know that already or do you help me figure it out?”
The second asked me, “When you write my site, are you taking into account things like the CTAs for each page, and if each page connects to the others, or…????”
When I heard those questions, my immediate reaction was: Yes! Obviously! Any good website copywriter should be doing those things! How could someone charge you $$$ to basically just write headlines and paragraphs and then hand them back over…???
To me, this is “What does a website copywriter do?: 101.” But I’m not in my clients’ shoes. And if it was obvious, they wouldn't be asking questions like these!
Which means they’ve either seen enough not-great websites to know what they don’t want, or they’ve worked with copywriters before who didn't do these things, or they’ve worked with designers who gave them an impression about what copywriters do/don’t do, or they’re smart enough to know there are gaps they can't even see yet.
And that also means that *I* could be more clear about all of the details involved in how I work!
Because unless you've hired multiple copywriters before (and had wildly different experiences with each one), how would you know what's "standard" versus what's exceptional? What would “standard” be anyway?
I try to do as good a job as I can being completely transparent about what’s included in my services and how each one works (I even do a video walkthrough in every proposal where I show examples of actual copy docs!). And in my marketing, I’m always looking for ways to pull back the curtain and educate (cough cough Website Business School!).
But I can do more. So here, I’m gonna take it even farther to show you exactly what goes into professional website copywriting with me—not to overwhelm you or try to ✨dazzle you with details✨, but to help you feel confident and informed about what you're investing in. (With me, specifically, since everyone has a different process!)
It Starts With the Foundation: Brand Messaging
If we’re working together on brand messaging (either in a standalone Brand Messaging Guide or as the first step in Brand Messaging + Custom Web Copy), this is where we begin. It’s the foundation!
Before I write a single word for your actual website, I'm thinking about how you sound, what you stand for, and what makes you different.
Here are some of the pieces that go into in how that works, what I do, and why it matters to you:
I get your distinct brand voice down on paper, with documented guidelines you can reference forever
So your website sounds like YOU (including expressions you use, what kinds of punctuation you gravitate to, and a list of terms you *don’t* use!), instead of anyone else out there… orrrrr chatGPT’s default settings.I research what your competitors are up to, to help find opportunities for you to zig where they zag
What are the core beliefs, perspectives, and messages we want people to be able to associate with you? Those set you apart, so we spell ‘em out.I define your messaging hierarchy so you’re clear on what you want to be known for
This is brand positioning! What’s the unique, distinct space you take up? How do you embody that space? What differentiates you from anyone else? We peel back layers and layers of the onion here so you really have a place to plant your flag.I “mine’ (as in dig for gold) your client reviews, testimonials, and the actual language that your ideal clients use
So your copy feels accessible and familiar to the right people (using phrases they'd actually say), not like marketing talk—which creates instant recognition and trust.I explicitly define who/what you're FOR and who/what you're NOT for (the “attract/repel” factor)
This helps the right people lean in harder ("yes, THIS!") and wrong-fit leads self-select out before they ever book a call with you.I map out each individual audience type, alongside the emotional AND rational reasons each audience buys
By really getting into their heads and hearts, you’re not just listing what you do—you're speaking to the stuff that really matters to them and the real psychological drivers that influence their hopes, worries, objections, and more. This creates authentic, compelling connection without any ick or manipulation!I track how you can effectively speak to multiple audiences (if relevant) without watering down your message
Think individuals vs. organizations, DIYers vs. people looking for custom services, or kids going to therapy + the parents who are making decisions for them. This way, everyone understands and can feel like “this is for me!” without feeling confused about whether they’re in the right place.I help you balance your personality/personal info with business credibility
An effective website is that middle wedge in the Venn diagram between “here’s all the stuff I want to tell you about me, the founder” and “here’s what’s on your mind, future clients, and why this work relates to what matters to you.” (You will never catch me writing, “Hi, I’m NAME, welcome to my website!”)
Ultimately, your complete Brand Messaging Guide is basically every word you need to capture the guts of your biz—it’s a clear representation of your voice and tone, your vision and values, who you are and what makes you different, who your people are and what they care about, and how to connect with them.
(Tbh, most clients cry when they get theirs because it’s like holding up a mirror and seeing your biz reflected back in the full, brilliant strength of what it is.)
Then We Move Into Website Copy Strategy + Tactics: How Your Site Is Structured to *Work*
Whether we’re working on custom web copy or a done-with-you site, I’m approaching your website as a system, not a collection of pretty or separate pages.
Your site navigation, the pages that make up your site, and the sections on each page all need to be clicking along together to support a GOAL, not just dumping info or letting your reader wander around.
So that means I’m paying attention to things like…
Mapping the complete customer journey across your entire site
So every page has a clear job and leads logically to an intentional, specific next step, rather than treating your homepage, about page, and services page as isolated islands.Recommending a particular site structure (which may be different than what you have or what you think you want!)
So you end up with the pages you actually need for your particular business type, audiences, and goals, with the least possible clicking (or confusion!) on your reader’s part. Maybe your Services page should actually be split into two different sales pages. Maybe you’re thinking you need “My Story” and “My Approach” and “My Mission” when those can all be one “About” page, and a better one, at that!Planning for different visitor types and awareness levels
If someone finds you through Google via a specific search, and someone else has been following you forever but is finally checking out your services, those people have different degrees of familiarity with who you are and how you can help them. The next step they take may also be different! I anticipate it all and structure the site around that knowledge.Building SEO strategy into the foundation, not as an afterthought *for Brand Messaging + Custom Web Copy projects
There are so many puzzle pieces to SEO—sprinkling in some keywords doesn’t cut it. I take care of keyword research, keyword implementation, recommending proper heading structures (and reminding your designer about how to implement them on the back end so they can actually make an impact for you!), writing your title tags and meta descriptions, and more.Prioritizing information hierarchy so the most important things come first
We want site visitors to immediately “get” what a page is about within three seconds and without scrolling down… so yeah, not just any old headline/subheadline combo without a button will do!Planning an internal linking strategy to guide visitors through your site’s ecosystem
So someone who lands on your blog or services page naturally flows to the next logical place (not a dead end), we guide a reader’s attention to priority parts of your site, and Google understands how your pages relate to each other.Recommending a navigation structure that matches how clients actually think
We want your site’s menu to use the language and categories that make sense to your audience (not industry jargon or vague terms)! I also recommend a left-to-right order of pages that’s backed up by data. (Spoiler: there’s a reason you link a high-action, high-priority page in the upper right!)Building a robust, SEO-informed footer that actually DOES something for you
No one’s holding you in a headlock and forcing you to just have a privacy policy down there, you know… you’re allowed to include actual information in your footer! So I mock one up for you that includes stuff like a description of your business, your tagline, your location for local SEO, quick links to key pages… that way it’s actually helpful for you and for a potential client!Lightly wireframing your copy doc
(“Wireframing” is kind of like creating a blueprint—a lo-fi visual structure that suggests things about its layout, content placement, etc.) This is suuuuper helpful because it means that your designer (or you, if you're DIYing) can immediately see what's an H1 vs. H2 vs. body copy, where buttons go PLUS what the button should say PLUS what should happen when someone clicks the button, where I recommend that a particular image should be placed next to a particular piece of copy… it's literally copy-paste ready, not a guessing game about hierarchy and layout.
The result is a clear, complete, compelling (+ SEO-rich) copy doc that feels like… coming home. It makes everything that’s been in your head and your heart tangible—like “Wow, this is me. I’m holding it all in my hands. I have the words. It all makes sense. I make sense.”
And after?
Now that you have the words to fully own what you do and what you’re known for, you’ll have the words to share it, widely, over and over, and continue building your reputation on that.
➡️ Here’s what it all boils down to: when we work together, you’re not placing an order at the word factory and hoping for the best. You’re getting a strategist, architect, and artist who has your back.
Someone who’s the word factory is helpful to a certain extent, but that value only goes so far—because website words don’t exist in a vacuum.
When you're writing for a website specifically, the copy has to work in tandem with strategy and tactics. It’s a particular form, a medium that people interact with in very specific ways. They scroll. They skim. They click. They bounce. They arrive from different places with different levels of intent.
A website has structure. It has navigation and hierarchy and user flow. It lives in an ecosystem where competitors live too. It needs to be found by search engines. It gets viewed on a 27-inch monitor (or two monitors at the same time, if you’re a monster like me) and a 6-inch phone screen.
So the words can't just be good words. They have to be the right words in the right place doing the right job within a larger system that's designed to guide someone from "I just landed here" to "I'm ready to work with you."
And THAT’S why I wanted to spell all of this out for you, so the pieces that go into it feel clear and real, not hidden behind a vague “trust me!” assumption.
Because when you invest in web copy, you deserve something that’s more than well-written in the abstract. It should also be well-placed, well-structured, and well-integrated into everything else that makes a website work.
And with *this* copywriter as your partner (hi!), you’re never left trying to connect the dots or juggle the pieces by yourself.
I neverrrrr want you to feel like you’re piecing things together or wondering "wait, what about the navigation?" or "should this be a button or a link?" or "what happens after someone fills out this form?"
I'm thinking about all of it. I'm anticipating the questions before you have to ask them. I'm shaping the entire process so you don't have gaps to fill or decisions to make alone.
You know that feeling when you're working with someone and you constantly have to say "okay but what about this thing?" and "did you consider this other thing?" and you're doing the mental work of holding the checklist all together? (I hear this is how most people feel when they hire a contractor for their home reno 😆)
That sounds exhausting! And it's not what you're paying for.
So when you hire me, I'm the one holding the pieces and guiding the process. I'm thinking three steps ahead because you’ve put your trust in my expertise to do that, and I’m gonna deliver. I’m not writing on demand, but actively shaping your website strategy, structure, and copy into a cohesive whole that actually works.
You get to show up, share your expertise and vision, and trust that I'm handling the rest. That's what a strong guide does. And it’s genuinely an honor to be invited behind the scenes in your biz to do that for and with you!
And if you’re curious about working together…
Okay, now you know pretty much everything. (Is there ANYTHING I haven’t covered by this point?! If so, lmk.)
If now you’re like, “Ohhhh I GET IT finally and I need this!!!,” head on over to my Services page and see if you’d be a good match for brand messaging + custom web copy or done-with-you website copy.
And if you’re not quite ready but you wanna keep hearing more about how it all works, let’s be email friends! I share resources, reflections, and recommended reads every other Tuesday to help you make smart decisions about your website and your business. It’s a point of pride for me to write emails that are actually worth reading!