Good web page content are believed to be the most deciding factor in achieving optimal organic rankings; if that is the case, it then makes sense that content is the king for a web site.
Writing and preparing content for the web requires a different approach from writing then preparing content for print documents and publications. So I thought I would prepare a list of 6 tips for writing good website content. Keep these in mind as you are deciding what to write in your copy and your search engine optimization efforts will show better returns.
Content clarity – keep it simple!
Clarity of content about your product or service is the most important factor in determining whether a customer buys from you or not. Ask yourself the question: “Why should I buy from this site?” Say it loud and say it clear. Above the fold and keep it simple.
What sets you apart?
What differentiates you from your competitors? Free shipping, discounts, warranty, price protection, privacy, customer service, etc.? If you’ve got it, exhibit it! Researching your competitors is the key to determining these traits.
Write naturally
Write just as you would talk to a friend. State your key message clearly and concisely. Then, after the copy (content) is written, add in some relevant keywords. No one likes to read rigid copy. Make it interesting.
Keyword density – add keywords to your text
Your website is full of hot spots that search engine spiders check regularly. Use important keywords in headlines, subheadings and the body copy of your web pages; but use it sparingly. Keyword “loading” can actually have a negative effect on your ranking. The ideal keyword density should range from 4% to 6% of the total content. In other words, pick out your main keywords and make sure they are repeated 4-6 times on a page of 200+ words.
Update content regularly
Update your content regularly. This will make the search engine spiders come to index your site more regularly. If the search engines find your content unique and relevant, you stand a greater chance of having your site ranked higher. Make sure to link the keywords within your content to the other pages so as to guide both the spiders and readers.
Article writing
People generally come online for two reasons: to check their email or to look up for information about a given topic. They search for an answer to a question or seek a solution to a problem. You can then provide answers to their query through a series of short articles. Look for article ideas in the questions that you regularly hear your customers asking or about things you regularly see people doing wrong. Share tips on how to use the products you sell or talk about industry trends. A great way of coming up with article ideas is to use Google Alerts.
Other tips on this subject are:
- Keep articles short and simple
- Put keywords in your titles
- Insert keywords in the first and last paragraphs
- Provide a short credibility-building bio at the end of your article.
Hi Shola,
Thank you for your constructive and candid content tips. See google loves content updating sites more than anything else; their bots always search for fresh content. A nice idea is to incorporate a blog within the site so that regular postings can be made. Remember google leads visitors to a site, but its whats inside that counts!
Steve
Very helpful hints for website copywriting Shola. Precisely written and optimized copy plays a very important role in where search engines place websites. It’s interesting to note that there is a balancing act involved in the whole process. Who should one write for is a tricky question to handle. Whether for the search engines which look for keywords in the website or for the user who types in those keywords in the search engines, that is the question. While keyword rich content might keep the search engine spider interested it just won’t do enough to keep the user interested. Readability is what interests the user and it should never be compromised. Write for the humans and optimize for the engines, maybe that should be the right answer to the question!
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