Here’s What Great Website Content Is Made Of
Great content is what your website needs to succeed, but do you know how to write it?
Writing for online audiences is different from writing for print audiences. People online may not read your entire article, but you still want them to get the gist. Make your content easy to read and understand, well structured, and optimized for search. Give your content all the elements good web content is made of – and then let it supercharge your search engine optimization (SEO). Here are the component parts of a good piece of web content.
A Compelling Intro
The intro is perhaps the most important part of any piece of web content, just as it is with most other types of writing. An intro should consist of a hook that snatches the reader’s attention right away, and piques enough interest to keep the reader reading. Use an interesting data point, a shocking assertion, a question, or an anecdote to hook the reader.
Meaningful Titles and Headers
Titles and headers help readers and search engines alike understand what your content is about. It can help readers scan content to find the specific info they want. Headers and titles should be direct and they should be written so that they can be understood outside of the context of the body copy. They should incorporate SEO keywords and avoid abbreviations, technical terms, and jargon.
Plain Language
Fifty-four percent of Americans read below a sixth-grade level. Make your content easier for them to read by using clear and simple language. Keep your writing concise and use a lot of active verbs. Write in the active voice (“The train hit his car”) rather than the passive voice (“The car was hit by his train”). The active voice is more concise and more informal.
A Friendly Tone
Web content will reach readers better if it’s written in a friendly, informal tone. That’s one reason to use the active voice. You can also address readers by using statements like “You can place your order” or talk about yourself or your company in the first person using “I” or “we”.
Lists, Visuals, and Short Blocks of Text
Most people are just going to skim your web content rather than read every word. For that reason, try to use the inverted pyramid structure to include all of the most important information in the beginning of your piece. That way readers will still get the general gist even if they only read a fifth of your article.
Break your text up into short paragraphs about four lines long. Present information in the form of lists (bulleted or numbered) as often as you can. Include pictures, graphs, and other visual elements, like videos.
Links Whenever Relevant
Whenever it’s relevant, link to other pages on your website. When is it relevant? Whenever that other content comes up. You should also link out to resources and sources whenever relevant. Using a statistic? Link to the source. Writing a profile about someone in your industry? Link to their website.
Links should be contextual – that means you should place them in the relevant text. Choose four to eight relevant words in your sentence to create a link.
SEO Optimization
Your local marketing company might be able to sell you some white label SEO services if you have trouble optimizing your content for search on your own. You have to use search keywords judiciously, so that the content still flows and feels natural, which can be difficult for a lot of people.
You can usually put your keywords in the title and subheadings of your piece, and in the introduction and conclusion. Don’t use it too many times in the rest of the content – two to four times is fine for an average 700-word piece. Using your keyword too many times will result in keyword stuffing, which makes your page seem spammy to search engines.
A Strong Finish
You should end your web content with a call-to-action exhorting your reader to take some action you want them to do. Maybe that’s sign up for an email newsletter, join a forum, follow you on social media, or make a purchase. The purpose of your content is to get your reader to take a specific action – this is your chance to tell them what it is.
Is your website content as good as it could be? Take the time to make your content truly great, and you’ll soon be swamped with new visitors.
