When content writing, there is a very simple formula for success: promotion, representation, and readability. But how do you achieve this winning combination? Read on for some content writing tips that will help you make your content stand apart from the rest.
In order to present quality web content, you must ensure that you write with these goals in mind:
- Present your best “face” to the online world.
- Professionally represent your business.
- Provide readable answers for users who may only be skimming your content.
1. Use Good Grammar, Spelling, and Punctuation
Consider this tip “web content writing 101.” Not only does good content obey the rules of writing, it uses them in order to appear professional, get the message across, and avoid confusion.
2. Be Creative and Original
You have your own unique voice. If you take the time to be creative and original with your content, it will pay off. In fact, Google rewards originality in its search engine rankings.
3. Write with Relevancy
As far as topics go, stay within your comfort zone – your knowledge base. Stick to what’s relevant for your business.
4. Give Credit Where It’s Due
If you use statistics or information from another source that isn’t common knowledge, make sure you hyperlink back to that source, or at least give them a quick mention. This gives you credibility and shows respect for other sites.
5. Add Eye Candy
On the web, people read differently than they do when reading printed matter. Adding images, video, charts, and graphs to your web content will draw those skimming eyes and hold them longer than if you simply presented them with a bland wall of text.
6. Update Consistently
Websites grow stale when they’re not regularly updated. With instant publication mediums online, information that’s not current loses reliability. Keep your content updated and timely to maintain relevancy.
7. Write Dynamic Headlines
You don’t have to author a fantastic buzz-worthy headline every time you write a piece of content, but at least attempt to make it interesting. Think about what headline you would want to click on in a list of similar articles, and write accordingly.
8. Make Formatting Count
As noted, most readers on the web skim. Use this to your advantage with formatting. Formatting can be used to visually stop the eye in its tracks – things like headers and sub-headers do this very well. Bulleted and numbered lists are also excellent ways to slow down a reader’s eyes as they skim a page. Organize your content with this in mind.
9. Answer Questions and Write Authoritatively
Overwhelmingly, users hit the web looking for answers. If you provide answers to questions (related to your business or field), the people who need them will find you. Additionally, an authoritative writer is a confident writer in both tone and style. Writing what you know is the best approach to grabbing readers.
10. No Keyword Stuffing. Ever.
Not only does it not help your Google rankings, it also makes your sentences awkward and your writing unprofessional. Instead, establish a flow and only use your keywords where it seems natural, or in important spots (headers, sub-headers, and at the end of first and last paragraphs).
The Bottom Line
Content writing isn’t exactly a science, but there is a way to make it easier to read, easier to find on search engines (not to mention better-ranked!), and authentically original. Use your knowledge, use your creativity, and edit, edit, edit. Putting in the time will most certainly be rewarded.
If you find yourself needing a little help with content creation, we at Thrive Internet Marketing offer a wide range of online marketing services, including content writing for web pages, blogs posts, email marketing and social media. Contact us today to discuss how we can take your content marketing plan to the next level.
