Content. Without it, what would your website be? It might look nice, but it would be an empty shell.
In 2018, content is both what makes your website yours and drives traffic to it. It’s what determines what keywords and queries your website comes up for in search engines. It can be the difference between being in the search results and being completely absent. It’s just not an option to have poor content anymore!
Okay, you probably know about the importance of content if you’re reading this article. You understand how it can set your website apart from your competitors, and how it can drive a successful marketing strategy. It’s the bread and butter of your campaigns, and you’re ready to make it shine.
So, let’s dive in! Here’s a guide to writing content for your website in 2018.
2018 Website Content Writing Best Practices
The term “content is king” has been around for a good several years now. You’ve probably heard it so many times, it makes you roll your eyes. Well, bring on the eye rolling, because it’s still true. Content is the best strategy for optimizing your website and bringing in more visitors in your targeted audience.
To really make it work for you in 2018, though, you’ll need to follow some best practices.
[bctt tweet=”Content is the best strategy for bringing in more visitors in your targeted audience. To really make it work for you in 2018, follow these best practices. #contentstrategy #Content”]
Give it Purpose
This sounds straightforward, but you’d be surprised about how much content you’ll find on your site that’s not very purposeful. Any time you add new content to your site, ask yourself: “What is the purpose of this content?” Every content piece, whether it’s a page or a blog post, should serve a purpose that you can pick out right away.
Write for an Audience
Any time you’re writing content for your website, you need to have your audience in mind. Who is it you’re writing for? Who are you hoping will find and read it? What do those people want to get out of it? What is their purpose for seeking it out and reading it? Keep each post and page tailored for an audience.
Investigate Your Topic First
Before you start writing, open Google and start typing in your topic. Take note of what Google autocompletes as you’re typing. This can give you some great insight into what people are searching for when looking for your topic, and can help you figure out what to put into your content piece. Also, take note about what others have written on the subject, and what types of content are ranking.
You can also use sites like Quora.com to see if people are asking questions about the topic.
Keep Mobile Users in Mind
A huge percentage of internet users are now browsing on their mobile devices, and Google is rolling out their mobile-first algorithm. So, you have to constantly think about your mobile users. To write content that works both on desktop and mobile, make sure it easy to scan and understand. Use headings, bullet points, and short paragraphs to keep users on any device engaged and able to quickly find what they’re looking for.
You can also write content specifically for mobile users. Use Google Analytics and segment your traffic to find which pages your mobile traffic is interested in. What do mobile users want from your website? Once you’ve used data to inform your ideas, create pieces of content that are short and meant for mobile users. Bonus tip: Make your content AMP.
Write for People, not Search Engines
Long gone are the days when just stuffing a piece of content full of your keywords made you rank in organic search. Google and the other search engines want to show your content to the right people, and they’ve gotten very smart at deciding what content should rank. They reward natural content that answers questions in authentic ways, rather than whatever content says the keyword the most times.
That said, your content still needs to include the keywords and phrases that you’re trying to rank for. Add keywords in important places like the title, URL, and headings. To keep it natural, though, do not over-stuff your content with your keywords! Saying it a couple times will suffice – not over and over again, and only where it makes sense and fits naturally into your content.
Make it Sharable
Social media can be a big piece of the digital marketing puzzle. Building and cultivating an audience on social media can not only send qualified leads to your website, but it can also create a whole group of people who are interested in your content and what you have to say.
If you don’t have a large following, you can still end up getting some traction on social media with great content. So, whether you have a decent social media following or not, keep social sharing in mind when writing.
Some ways to make sure your content is shareable:
- Make it relevant to what’s on people’s minds today
- Give it a snappy, stand-out title
- Use an attention-grabbing visual, such as an image or infographic
Use a Content Marketing Strategy to Amp up Your Content
Implementing a well thought-out content marketing strategy can take your content and make it work for you. At Thrive, we have specialists experienced in both content writing and content strategy. Need some help? Let’s chat.
