I know “content is king” is a bit cliché, but the picture I found for this post was too good to pass up, so there you have it! Cliché or not, there is nothing more true than “content is king” when it comes to how well (or not) your site ranks. Remember the other day when we were talking about keyword research and how one of the two key factors that affect your ranking is relevance? Well, what better way to determine whether your website is relevant for a particular subject matter than the actual text on your page?
There’s a catch though. Writing good copy that attracts Google is tough. Writing good copy that attracts and converts visitors is tough. Writing good copy that both attracts Google and attracts and converts visitors is an art form.
Most websites do one of two things. They either over compensate for Google by cramming every known keyword in their industry onto the page with an occasional conjunction (junction, what’s your function…sorry, couldn’t help myself). Or they write solely for their visitors without giving a second thought to Google, assuming the traffic fairy will descend upon their website and bring them visitors.
The goal of this post is to figure out how we can accomplish both.
Who is Your Ideal Client?
Before we start talking we need to figure out who we are talking to so we can make sure we are all speaking the same proverbial language. For example, if the average age of your target audience is 20 and you are writing in 1980’s slang and Breakfast Club references, you aren’t likely going to connect with your visitors.
You also don’t want to be vague or falsely convince yourself that the world is your ideal client. A restaurant client of mine when asked who their ideal client was responded “anyone that is hungry.” Well that narrows it down. Such a noncommittal statement is the reason for those nasty Chinese Food and Pizza places you see every now and then. By trying to make everyone happy you end up making no one happy. Read Sushi and Donuts for more about that!
In order to figure out who your ideal client is, all you need to do is think about the 20% of your clients that make up 80% of your income and see what they all have in common. That’s who we want more of, so just pretend that you are speaking with them when you are writing.
Write to Solve a Problem
Once you have a clear picture of who your ideal client is, it’s time to solve their problem. The majority of searches online are individuals looking for the solution to a problem or the answer to a question. That problem could be a foot of water in the basement, interest in going on a vacation or an answer to a question on search engine optimization. Whatever it is, they have a problem and if you have a solution, it’s a match made in heaven! So, when writing your text, imagine your ideal client having a problem that your product or service solves. What are some of their concerns? If they were standing in front of you right now, what would you say?
Write Compelling Content
I think Mitchell Kapor put it best when he said “getting information off the Internet is like taking a drink from a fire hydrant.” There is so much information out there and yet the majority of it is garbage. Don’t add to it. Regardless of whether you are writing for your website or blog, make a conscious effort to help clean up the Internet a bit by adding some value to your readers. Compelling content will not only help you sell your product or service but it positions you as an authority on the subject…and is often much more likely to attract people linking to your site as a well spoken authority!
Writing for Search Engines
Up until now the majority of the advice we have gone through has revolved around appeasing your visitor base. That’s OK…we’re about to change that. Once you have your text pretty much written out, it’s time to take a look at those keywords you are targeting for that page. If you did the homework yesterday, they are already listed in the keywords meta tag. Read through your keywords again and then the text. Is the text relevant to the keywords you are targeting? Do you use any of the keywords within the text you just wrote? If not, where can you work them in without it sounding forced? You should try and use each keyword phrase at least once or twice on that page. Yes, it’s probably a little better if you could go 3 or 4 times, but now we’re starting to cross the line of what is acceptable to your reader. If you can do it without it appearing obvious that you are talking to Google and not your visitor, go for it, otherwise stick to once or twice.
Some Last Minute Fine Tuning
Once your text is done and reads well for both Google and your visitors, it’s time to drop it on the page. You will likely have a bunch of intimidating looking text and paragraphs that may scare away the average visitor. There are a few things you can do with it to make it a bit more scannable and less intimidating such as:
- Use bullets or numbered lists instead of listing items separated by a comma
- Use bold text to emphasize specific words or phrases
- Use links to take the visitor (and Google) to other areas of your site
- Use sub titles above paragraphs…eve better if you can use keywords
- Use images throughout the text that supports your message
The important thing is just to enhance readability so people can easily scan the page and determine if they really want to spend their time digging through your site looking for a solution.
We still have a lot more to do (6 more steps to be exact), but if you have successfully and thoroughly gone through each of the first three steps, Keyword Research, Meta and Title Tags and Content, don’t be surprised if you start to see a little hint of a difference already in how your site is being perceived by your clients, prospects, visitors and even Google!
» Step 4 – Blogging
« Step 2 – Meta and Title Tags
The post 9 Steps to Google Greatness: Step 3 – Content is King appeared first on Marc Ensign.