We talk a lot about the importance of content marketing, and how you need good content to fuel your social media, email campaigns and your marketing in general. But we haven’t talked a whole lot about how to actually write good content. And if your content isn’t good, then your results probably won’t be either. Whether it’s a new web page or a blog post, we know it can be difficult to write content if you aren’t used to it. So today we’re going to give you a crash course in how to write website content – let’s go!
Preparing To Write
Before you actually sit down to start writing, you have a little bit of prep to do. First, block out a decent chunk of time in your diary to actually write it. Book in about twice as much as you think you’ll need. Make sure this time is undisturbed and doesn’t get sacrificed for anything else, as you’re going to need every minute of it.
Next, spend some time doing competitor research. Look around at your competitor’s websites and write a list of things you like, as well as what you don’t like, what information they’re missing and what you would want to include. This will give you an idea of what style you want to write in and the information you need to include.
Now, sketch it out. Grab a piece of paper and jot down bullet points for each section of the page or blog. What will be covered, and any particular phrases or words you want to include. This might sound like busy work, but it actually makes writing the whole thing a lot easier. Once you have that outline in front of you, all you need to do is pull it all together into sentences.
Writing Tips
Writing is very much an art – the more you do it the better you get at it. But we all have to start somewhere! So here are a few basic writing tips that will help you create some great web content:
- Don’t use 150 words when 75 will do.
- Try to write simply and naturally. Avoid long sentences and complicated words. Instead, write as if you were talking to a friend.
- Break your paragraphs up with headings that clearly signpost what’s included in each section
- Use the ‘inverted pyramid’ – put the most important information first, and add more in order of importance as you go down the page.
- Focus on the needs of the audience, not what your business offers. Lead with the benefits, not the features.
- Make your content ‘skimmable’ so it’s easy for readers to find what they need quickly.
- Proof read at least twice.
- Don’t forget to include a call to action!
Optimising For Search Engines
If you’re writing content with the aim of boosting your SEO rankings, then you need to do a little bit of extra work once you’ve finished writing. Whether it’s a web page, blog post or an eBook you’re writing, you should ensure it’s optimised for search engines before posting it. That means making sure you have the right keywords in the text, at the right densities.
If you’ve done your keyword research, then you should already have a nice list of target keywords for your business. Choose one or two that fit best with the piece you’re writing. You then need to make sure it’s included enough to send the right signals to Google, but not so much to be classified as keyword stuffing (where you just jam your keywords into the text as much as possible). Ideally, you’re aiming for a 1-2% ratio – which means using your keyword once in every 100 words. There are some great tools out there to help you do this, but this is our favourite.
If you’re writing blog posts, then you will also want to make sure you include at least 1 outbound link (that’s a link that goes out to someone else’s website) as well as 1 inbound link (a link that goes somewhere else within your own website). This signals to Google that you’re providing well-researched information, and puts your blog in context with other posts you’ve been writing.
‘Finished’ Is Not The End
Once you’ve written your web content and got it uploaded, that isn’t the end of the road. Websites need to be kept up to date with fresh, regular content in order to do well online, and to keep the site interesting. One of the easiest ways to do this is with regular blog posts – we usually recommend writing between 2 and 4 a month for maximum impact. You should also be reviewing your web pages 2-4 times a year to make sure they are still relevant, updating the information and making changes to align with your marketing strategy. So even though you finished the content and walked away from the keyboard, that’s not the end of your content journey.At Lion Spirit Media we know how challenging it can be to write content – especially when it’s about yourself! That’s why we provide a range of services that support you in writing your own website content, or do it for you. So if you want to make sure that your ROAR is the loudest and clearest in the jungle, just get in touch with the team today to book your free consultation.
0 Comments