Five Keys to Effective Website Content

Successful marketing professionals know that website content is the backbone of a company’s web presence. It defines the first interaction between the user and the company and sets a tone for further communication. What many don’t realize is that the forces of search engines have changed expectations for effective website content. Only two years ago, we sent out an article highlighting that the keys to good website content were concise writing, easy scanning, objectivity, and credibility. While all these things are still true, the prevalence of search engines as a marketing channel has brought more considerations into the mix. So how do you write content that is effective for both the user and the search engines? Here are five keys to keep in mind:

1. Keywords. The key to making sure your website is found by the right viewers is in the keyword research. Keywords are the words and phrases that web users type into search engines to find relevant information. By including these particular words within your website copy, you increase the chances of your website ranking highly in the right searches. The benchmark for effective website content is that keywords should represent between 2% and 5% of the content on a page.
   
   
2. Keep a clean layout. The average viewer reads only 20% of a website’s content. Reach out and grab your visitors by using relevant headings, writing in short paragraphs, and using bullets where appropriate to make your points. Dense pages are not only cumbersome to the reader; they create clutter for search engines. Bullet points draw a reader’s eye to short, easy-to-digest content that gives them pertinent information.
   
   
3. Use appropriate vocabulary. One of the greatest pitfalls of content writing is using vocabulary only familiar to people within your niche. To make sure that your average reader will understand it, have an outside source proofread your content before you publish it. Try to avoid language that is too technical whenever possible. This will be beneficial to both customer relationships as well as search engine awareness.
   
   
4. Write from the user’s perspective. One common tendency is to include every detail about your company. However, using your website content to boast about your offering is not only boring, it may also negatively impact the way visitors perceive your organization. Put yourself in the shoes of your reader and think about what information you would like to learn from a business website. Or better yet, go directly to the source and ask them. Your effort will be highly rewarded.
   
   
5. Provide original and current content. Your website visitors are looking for relevant, credible, high-quality content. They are visiting because they have a problem to solve or a challenge to overcome, so make sure that your content addresses their concerns. Another key to high quality content is keeping it current. You may even want to explore using a blog to deliver original, frequently updated information to your visitors and your company. Blogs are also a great link builder for SEO purposes.

Website content should build your brand, connect with your audience, and improve your website’s organic SEO performance. By aligning the goals of copywriters and SEO professionals, your organization will be in a better position to produce professional website content that is not only clear and credible, but also allows visitors to quickly and easily find the information they need.