7 Rules to Follow When Creating Content for Websites
Sarah
Writing content for websites can be challenging. First, you need to have expertise in proper grammar, formatting, and other logistics. You must also write compelling copy that draws readers in and maintains their interest. How do you get it right every time?
While quality writing is subjective, you can follow a few golden rules to ensure your copy is well received by readers and optimized for search engines. Keep these seven rules in mind when creating content for websites:
1. Know Your Target Audience
Appealing to your audience is vital in producing quality content that drives leads. Ask yourself these questions:
- Who is my primary audience, and what are their needs?
- How will they find my content?
- Where does my audience live, and what industries do they work in?
- What challenges do they face, and how can my content help them?
The better you understand the audience you want to reach, the better you’ll be able to directly address their needs. For example, the language you use in your content will be vastly different if writing for millennials versus baby boomers.
2. Keep It Simple
The average human’s attention span is now 8.25 seconds — shorter than a goldfish’s. If you’re creating content that’s too long and winding, complete with drawn-out sentences and huge blocks of text, your readers will likely move on before getting to the point of your message. Keep your copy simple, direct, and at a seventh- to ninth-grade reading level.
3. Write With SEO Best Practices in Mind
You want your content to crawl up page one of Google search results. That means writing to appease search engines and following SEO best practices. Some of these strategies include:
- Use relevant keywords
- Avoid creating duplicate content at all costs
- Optimize title tags
- Optimize website loading speed
- Include relevant alt text for images
- Include internal links
- Build backlinks with other websites
Search engine algorithms are constantly changing, so keep up with Google’s recommendations for SEO best practices to ensure your content stays relevant.
4. Showcase Your Expertise
You write content because you want prospects who are searching for your products or services to find your website and choose you over the competition. However, if your content strategy comes across as too sales-focused, readers may feel as though you’re writing strictly to promote your business instead of to help them.
Boost your credibility by putting your expertise front and center in your copy. Showcase your knowledge of your industry and leave readers wanting to learn more from you with a solid call to action.
For example, let’s say you sell hair bows for children. You could say, “Our hair bows are great, and we know you’ll love them,” but that lacks authority.
You will look more like an industry expert if you say, “We made our latest collection of hair bows from a knit fabric and 5% spandex. They’re flexible and durable, designed to stay put no matter what your little one gets into.”
5. Add Visuals to Boost Your Writing
Researchers have shown that 65% of people are visual learners, so adding images, infographics, or videos to your content can increase reader engagement. Visual content creation can also show off your products and give readers additional context surrounding your topic.
6. Be Friendly With Your Readers
Instead of talking to your audience like a salesperson, speak to them as you would a friend. Accomplish this by using active voice. For example, write “You can pick up our products today” instead of “Our products can be picked up today.” Active voice sounds more confident and keeps sentences from becoming too complicated or wordy.
7. Encourage Action
Finally, at the end of your copy, encourage readers to act. Whether your copy’s purpose is to get your audience to sign up for an email list or call for a quote, it’s vital to include a clear call to action. Examples include:
- Join now
- Sign up
- Subscribe
- Watch
- Learn more
- Get a quote
A compelling call to action will give readers the final push they need to make a move that benefits your brand.
Create Compelling Content for Websites With Help From Write Collective
From landing pages to blog posts, high-quality website content can help you connect to your audience, boost your organization’s online visibility, and drive more sales. However, your writing is most effective when you follow the best practices for content creation.
Write Collective offers professional landing page content writing services to help your company stand out. Explore our packages to learn more about our highly optimized content for websites.