Ever wondered what a copywriter’s process looks like? Because you’re finally ready to start taking your business seriously and want to know how to do research for copywriting.
Well, hop on board, cowgirls, boys, and theys! 🤠
Here’s my exact research process—consider it the first half of my website copywriting guide. It’s how I go from your onboarding questionnaire to first-draft-ready.
But since you might be a business owner writing copy for you (and not for a client), I will also include some jargon-free, actionable tips for how you can apply this to your DIY journey.
#1 I comb through your questionnaire to get a feel of your brand, your offers, and where you’re at with your messaging.
Yes, copywriting research always starts with you. During this phase, I visit your existing site, your inspiration sites, and those you don’t resonate with. I take notes about what stands out about each:
- What stands out about your offers?
- What makes them different from others in your industry?
- What makes your delivery of those offers unique to your clients?
I write questions to ask you during your onboarding call for clarification and to dive deeper into what seems like it could be your brand’s “molten core.”
⭐How you can use this⭐
- Choose 3-5 websites that inspire you (from your industry or another)
- Write down what draws you in (vocabulary, layout, tone, how it makes you feel).
- Make a list of 3 websites with similar offers that you don’t resonate with
- Write about what gives you the ick.
- Make a list of things that past clients have said about you that stood out to you.
- Brainstorm at least 3 things that make your offer different from even the closest competitors
- Once you’ve done this, start highlighting the words and phrases that stand out (what resonates in one color and what doesn’t in another).
#2 I connect to your brand’s vibe during a 60-minute onboarding call.
This is where I fill in the blanks between what you’ve written, what I’ve observed, and what you actually want.
I work with a lot of neurodivergent folks, which often means that their in-person verbal expression is a lot more precise than what they put on paper.
Hearing you talk about your brand in your voice in real time always offers some of the most valuable golden nuggets.
⭐How you can use this⭐
- Record a voice note of yourself introducing your offer to someone you just met.
- They don’t know anything about you but came across you because it seems interesting. What do you say?
- Record yourself talking about why you do what you do.
- What gets you up in the morning, rushing to your [workspace]?
- What’s the change you’re hoping to make?
It sounds so basic, but I ASSURE you that you will find at least one phrase, concept, or word that will become foundational to your messaging.
#3 Identifying your brand archetype (using Tarot).
You’re probably thinking, “How is witchcraft going to help me learn to do copywriting research?!”
Hear me out: this step helps me connect to your brand’s energy and core purpose before ever getting into the technical zone.
Why? Because it’s really easy to get swayed by SEO and market research, making your brand’s energetic frequency an afterthought.
And I can’t tell you how many brands have come to me with on-page SEO up the wazoo but no soul or depth to their copy.
The easiest way to avoid that is to write from the core and optimize for algorithms later. Write from your energetic archetype, which will attract those (consciously or subconsciously) seeking that archetype’s guidance.
⭐How you can use this⭐
- Find an archetype that resonates with your brand’s purpose.
- It doesn’t have to be a Tarot card—it can be an oracle card, a superhero, or one of Carl Jung’s 12 archetypes.
- How would your brand speak from this archetypal persona?
- Don’t worry about writing coherent sentences.
- This is still part of the messy brainstorm jungle. Be wild. Be free.
Integrating Tarot archetypes into my business and brand messaging offers allows me to form a deeper connection with my work and my client’s projects. However, it wouldn’t be possible without the generous teachings of Sarah Faith Gottesdiener from The Moon Studio, whose work inspired me to venture into the world of Tarot many years ago. She also introduced the concept of Tarot archetypes for personal branding in her Clear Channels workshop. Her podcast, Moonbeaming, has an archive of Tarot deep dives that I listen to time and time again! If you’re interested in Tarot, subconscious work, magical practices, and lunar insights from a deeply grounded and insightful intuitive with over a decade of Tarot reading experience, take one of her workshops!
#4 Research. Research. Research.
Okay, this is where I’ll share some of my deepest secrets about how to do copywriting research!
During this phase, I start researching your products/services/niche through different search tools, engines, platforms, social media, etc.
I take note of the words your peers use in their copy, headlines, and on social media.
I take note of key terms and run them through SEO research tools for your target locations. From there, I create a list of potential keywords for each page.
Finally, I observe your peers’ clients on social media and words they use to talk about your services, taking note of any gems.
⭐How you can use this⭐
- Pretend you’re one of your clients. what would you search into Google to find someone like you?
- Try this several different times, changing the search terms until you start to see sites/services that are closely aligned with yours.
- Take note of the words/phrases they use in their headings, titles, and copy.
- Do you see any that would make sense on your site? Keep these in a list titled “SEO research”. You’re welcome.
- Go on one of your peer’s IG profiles and browse the comment sections to see how their community talks.
- What are their grievances?
- What do they look for in your type of offer?
- Add this to your “market research brainstorm” list.
- Repeat the above step for any other forums, groups, discord channels, or other online spaces where you clients might hang out.
The Best Free Resources for SEO Copywriting Research
- Ahrefs Free Keyword Generator
- Ahrefs Keyword Difficulty Checker
- Google Keyword Planner
- AnswerThePublic
#5 Organize
With a million and one organizational tools out there, you take your pick! Whether that’s Notion, Google Docs, or good ole pen and paper is up to you. But trust me, you do want your hours of research to be accessible when you need it.
My Favorite Organizational Tools for Copywriting Research
- Notion – unlimited features and organizational capabilities, but has a learning curve.
- Milanote – great for visual brainstorming and project planning
- Google Sheets – handy for collecting & organizing keyword research & statistics
Make the Most of Your Website with an In-Depth Copywriting Research Process
If you’ve started the research process, but your brand voice still isn’t *quite* coming together, I’d love to help you develop a Brand Voice Kit. Not only will this make your web copy DIY 1000x easier, but it will also make sure every communication effortlessly attracts your ideal client. Inquire here!
Perhaps you’ve started the research process and are ready to start writing. But the About page has left a massive question mark bubble floating above your head. Let’s burst that bubble with aligned copy ideas! Download my FREE About Page Checklist for Service Providers to get started.
Wish you could skip all this DIY and get a professional to launch your brand’s next chapter with effective, done-for-you website copy? Get in touch to plan your copywriting journey.
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