Top 5 Tips for Great Website Content:
- Don’t just say what you do, say how and why you are different as well;
- Avoid excessive marketing jargon (ie: We provide solutions! We’re the greatest!);
- Know your audience. Write for the customer you hope to find;
- Include natural keywords where appropriate without sounding spammy;
- Build trust and credibility by updating content often.
We all know how well you rank in search engine results play a major part in how customers find you, and in turn how much business you will receive. I’ve talked extensively about Search Engine Optimization (SEO) importance, and an overview on what factors can improve your ranking. This week I’d like to go into more detail about what I consider to be the most important part of SEO… Content.
Website content in its broadest term is every piece of text or media on a website. For the purpose of this article, I will be referring to just the text portion. A fantastic design and great photos are extremely important in a well-rounded web presence, but when talking about how to effectively direct your target audience to your website it is all about the text.
Search engines can’t match search terms to a website if the text isn’t there to tell them what you’re about. However, this doesn’t mean that a boring page littered with popular search terms will skyrocket you to the top of the results. Keyword usage should always be natural to avoid sounding like a spam ad. Proper website content writing is a fine line between making sure keyword usage is strong enough to be found, yet engaging enough to be credible and shareable.
You may have heard the phrase “Content is King”. In 1996, Bill Gates wrote a piece with the same title, where he explains his vision of the future of the internet being driven by up-to-date, easily accessed information and personal involvement. Fast forward to today, and websites with plenty of fresh content such as Buzzfeed or any news source are dominating. Coupled with the immense popularity of social media sites, it’s clear to see he was correct.
Knowing this, you can see a pattern forming. Customers want to see informative engaging material that will entertain or educate. In a world where everyone and everything is on the internet, you’ve got to stand out!