So why do you struggle getting all your amazing information out on the Internet?

You need the processes the experts use.  There are no secrets – just 5 steps you can take right now to improve your web content.

1. Devise a plan on what to write – make an editorial calendar that includes the various topics you want to cover and the audience you want to reach.
2. Research what your target market wants to know – if there are already hundreds and thousands of articles, blogs or web pages on your chosen topic, you will need to alter it to make it interesting for your target.  Some items are worth repeating – but freshen them up with your own slant or new data.
3. Repurpose good writing – if you write an article or newsletter that everyone loves, repurpose that information into blog posts.  CAUTION:  Do not simply cut and paste.  Give it a new slant, get a testimonial or quote on the subject, and find some additional information on the topic.
4. Make your content easy to scan – people need to cram as much into as little time as possible. When you are writing about your passion, it is easy to get carried away. Remember that most people will do a cursory scan of your content first, so make it easy for them to want to read the material.
5. Write powerful headlines – you only have a few moments to capture someone’s attention, so make your headlines really work for you. Keep then succinct, but catchy. Write to your target to let them know this content is for them, and you have the answers to their pain.

The reality is that a big portion of what counts for good optimization occurs off page. For example, trust authority of the domain, link popularity and anchor text or external links count for the majority of your SEO “points.” So why bother to write really good copy? After all, you only have to get a bunch of other sites to link to you, right?

Wrong. Good copy equals conversions. Let’s face it, you can have a bunch of traffic coming ot your site, but  if you cannot get the traffic to convert for you, does it really matter? If you were speaking live to your ideal target audience, would you provide them with current, important information that helps them understand how your company is the best fit for their need? Of course you would! You would not simply worry about the color of your PowerPoint slides, or if your microphone was loud enough, or if you looked good that day. You would want your audience to leave knowing that they will want to purchase from you.

That is what good copy on your website does for you. It let’s all those visitors from the internet marketplace know they have arrived at the right place to ease their pain. Whether you sell services or products, you want your visitors to convert to buyers. Good copywriting takes care of that for you.

By providing good content, you can generate more links. Others will be more likely to link to your site if they know that you are truly on top of things, and that your website delivers on promises by providing solid messaging and excellent content.

So, it is very important to get links to your website. And the key to getting those links lies in generating good SEO copy that delivers. Simple!

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• Goals of the site
• How to use the Internet to achieve these goals
• Who is the target market
• What do you want to say to this target market
• Why this site will be better than the competition

Without answering these basic questions, a client will flounder in his or her attempts to have the web site built, and as writers we will not have the best information to write great copy.

Understand Repurposing Web Content

Another important piece of information to understand is how the content written will be reused. Some basic questions to ask include:

• Does the site need a blog?
• Should articles be written and posted on other sites?
• Are white papers or manuals needed?

Defining the type of content to be written early on will streamline the writing process, save the client money, and give us an opportunity to do our best work. Plus our clients will have a better idea of what pages need to be on the web site, and how the site should be structured saving time and making sure everyone is on the same page.

It is important to you! Why?

1. Content compels people to take action – at least, good copy will drive conversions. Even in the world of social media, interesting headlines and content will capture the attention of the reader. You have a short period of time to grab someone’s attention, so put your best foot forward with good content.
2. Content delivers your unique selling proposition. Just because you have a high search engine ranking does not mean potential customers will understand how you can help them. Good content clarifies the ways you ease their pain and deliver the solution your customers are looking for.
3. Content goes beyond writing. It is your videos, your direct mail pieces, your podcasts – you need good content in order to feed your various marketing media. By creating a solid content strategy, you maximize your marketing dollars by ensuring you have a continuous message without having to create special content for every media, or worse, at the last minute to fulfill a need.

Content goes beyond just SEO, and into driving interaction, supporting your marketing, and creating leads. It is critical to your marketing strategy. So the next time someone tells you that copywriting is not important remember that your customers will not really understand your business unless you tell them. Content is still king!

Then he said something else – something disturbing. “Tabloids will be the only print items to make it.” Wow!

Why are tabloids like National Enquirer so riveting? They use such sensationalized headlines that often have nothing to do with the article inside. They do their best to show the worst in people. And really, can we be sure that they do not make up stuff?

Tabloids are adept at playing to our emotions. They reel us in before we even realize what has happened. And we all have some reaction to those crazy headlines. Whether it be the latest Angelina / Brad scandal, or something about the White House, we are drawn in by the headlines. How do they do it?

Headlines need to be intriguing and easily understood at the same time. Tabloid headlines are great examples. They create all sorts of emotions, even if you believe they are complete garbage.

The next time you are stuck on a headline, or want some practice writing a good one, take a tabloid headline and rewrite it to fit your subject. You’ll learn how they use emotional words and topics. While the resulting headlines may not be fit for use, you will have delved into writing a more emotional, controversial headline. Good practice for when we need to craft a compelling headline for your own use.

I believe that in general we do not think about the strategy early enough in the process.  You really want to begin devising a strategy when you are building, or updating, your web site.  The earlier you map out your goals, the better off you will be. I cannot tell you how many times a customer would have been better served to have retained the services of both the web designer and a web content writer early in the process, thereby ensuring that the web site was conducive to search engine optimization through copy and meta tags. Often I run into web designers who either do not employ SEO tactics, or believe that they can do everything needed on the back-end.  If you utilize an overall strategy, you will have better success in the search engines, and you will have compelling copy that speaks to your target market.

Building a strategy is not always easy. It requires you to think about where you want to be in the future, and know a significant amount about your target market.  By determining what you want to be when you grow up, you’ll have a solid foundation to build your business, and a better mix of online and offline marketing tactics.

So what is the first step? Write down exactly what you are doing and who you are selling to – and be very detailed.  If you are selling gutters, for example, list exactly what type of gutters and who benefits from them the most.  Remember that while the ultimate goal is to sell gutters, you cannot sell them without understanding what your target market wants.  Understanding your target market goes into everything you do – your web design, the information on the web, whether or not you will blog, write articles, what information you will impart to show your expertise, where you will “hang out” online to build relationships, and what the mix of online and offline marketing dollars will need to be in order to be successful.

A written strategy will provide you with a baseline from which to launch all your online marketing efforts. You must also track these efforts to determine their success. The Internet provides an inexpensive way to reach potential customers, but you will be much more successful if you work diligently from a strategy, execute diligently, and track and report regularly.

It’s important to understand why you want, and need, good content. Yes, it’s good to have a writer who understands SEO, keyword placement, and all that ranking stuff.

But…it’s very important to have content that speaks your target market’s language. You spend all the time and effort driving people to your web site, then you should give them content worth their while.

Content is helping your readers understand how you can ease their pain, or fulfill their dreams, or make their life easier. It’s sharing your expertise so that browsers become regular readers, and even better, clients.

So, yes there are a lot of pieces you need to get that primo ranking. Make sure your content is ready to speak to your readers. Think of it this way – if you have a great old car you have completely redone with new paint, tires, and even a souped up engine, but you forgot to put in a driver’s seat – what’s the point?

Web content must be pertinent, interesting, well written, and most importantly, current. Customers will flee from a web site with old information in lieu of one with more updated data, even if the data is very similar or the same. The Internet moves so quickly that your target customers are accustomed to having their information immediately, and they expect that information to be focused directly on their needs.

An important part of the strategy is to determine the appropriate format for the content. For example, in addition to the typical static informational pages, you will want to consider including articles, press releases, photographs, charts, customer reviews, blog posts, order forms…the list is extensive.

Each type of content requires its own method. Articles and blog posts need to be timely, and are usually more conversational. Press releases have a specific format and not only reside on your web site but are typically published via an Internet service. The content you employ enables you to communicate more effectively to your target market and existing customers. Spending time developing an overall web and Internet content strategy saves you time and money, and most importantly ensures your message is clear regardless of where the content resides.

The primary purpose of an Internet presence is marketing your business. Give your target market an easy road-map to follow. Whether reading an article on a third-party site or one of your web pages, your company will receive a higher return on your online marketing investment and greater success in converting those web browsers to buyers if you have spent time developing and implementing a web content strategy.

For example, if you spend a lot of time writing for the Internet, like I do, use a pen and paper and just write a letter. Make it to a fictional person, or a famous person, and really get something off your chest. Maybe you want to write to your congressman about some boneheaded thing he did recently, or maybe you want to write a love letter to Brad Pitt. Whatever it is, make it entirely different.

Try poetry, fiction, short stories, or even a screenplay. Really try to stretch your writing skills. Who cares if it’s bad? You don’t have to show anyone. The important thing is to really push yourself to do something different. You may find you like it, or you have a knack for another writing style you did not know you have. Or maybe…you’ll find that you should stick with what you do best! Either way, you’ll have given yourself a break from writing the same thing, and that will refresh your approach. The most important thing – have fun! It’s not meant to be frustrating, but simply a way to break up your routine and keep your creative juices flowing.

Happy writing!

Content is not about what your reader wants, nor is it about your company. It’s about your customer. It must be relevant to your potential customers and delivered to them in a compelling way. The voice should be based on a strong understanding of your target market so they feel you relate to them. You can assist this process with an editorial style guide that provides guidelines and examples to help anyone craft content and messages in a similar style.

There are several criteria that you want your content to meet in order to ensure the highest of quality. This is beyond the typical marketing or sales writing. Not every page on your site is about selling to someone. Sometimes it is about providing information to educate that person on how your product or service is the best solution for their need. A balance of sales copy writing and education is needed.

The content should be more useful to search engines, so you want to not only utilize keywords and phrases appropriately, but also create relationships through cross-linking.

Content should be comprehensive and cover the requirements for the web site, as well as any third-party applications that are needed. Part of this process is a gap analysis between what exists and what needs to be written. Placing all pages in the site map and outlining their overall function within the site helps ensure that all topics are covered, as well as any new topics that should be considered for the future.

At the end of it all, though, it is important to remember what your customer wants from you. Then write it down in a way that they truly understand how you deliver on that desire. Your content is better and your customers are happier.