web content tips - Express Writers

The 4-Step Guide to Writing Web Content for Your Business Website

June 18, 2024June 1, 2021 by Josh McCoy

4 Essential Steps to Writing Web Content for Your Business Site

So, you started a business, and, what’s more, you’ve kept that business running. It’s all great. You’re working on your own terms. You have customers, and more keep trickling in… But could you do more? Could you increase your lead generation so you don’t have to keep greasing that squeaky wheel? Yes, you could. You CAN. How do you start bringing in more leads in the background so you don’t have to market so hard? Easy. You need content baked into your marketing. ? Content does it all: Builds trust with customers Solidifies your authority in your niche Gets you found via Google Search Nurtures your audience And, once you know how to write great web content, you can rinse and repeat so your business website will be full to the brim with helpful, useful, targeted content that nurtures prospects and converts them to loyal readers, subscribers, and even buyers. Sound good? In this guide, we’ll get into the “how” of writing web content, including 4 simple steps. But first, let’s touch on the “why” – why does content marketing work now more than ever? ? Why Web Content Works Now More Than Ever Getting content on your business website is more important than ever before. Why? Because publishing content helps your business marketing align with the way consumers shop. Consumers these days are savvy: They research their purchases because they want to know if their choices are “worth it.” They read reviews and follow recommendations from friends and influencers. They buy from brands they trust. (According to a Raydiant survey on consumer shopping habits, customers are more likely to leave behind physical businesses with no online presence in favor of an online substitute IF they feel no loyalty to the physical business. 48.7% said they replaced products they previously purchased at physical stores with online alternatives.) They go looking for information on just about anything that pops up during their day. (Do you have a Google trigger finger? Do you look up questions online on just about any topic? So do your customers. Since the onset of the pandemic in 2020, Google searches have topped 6 billion/day.) Content works because it builds your online presence, positions you in Google search, and draws in today’s conscious, research-geared consumers. [bctt tweet=”How do you start bringing in more leads in the background so you don’t have to market so hard? Easy. You need content baked into your marketing. ? More on content’s power + 4 steps to writing web content:” username=”ExpWriters”] 4 Key Steps to Writing Great Web Content for Your Business Now that you know why you should create web content, it’s time to think about how. How do you write web content that accomplishes the goals we mentioned earlier (lead generating, audience nurturing, authority building, Google ranking)? Start with these 4 key steps. Think of them as the necessary prep work you need to do before you start putting down sentences and paragraphs. Rinse and repeat for every piece of content you write. (And here’s the great part about doing the prep: the actual writing part will come much, much easier. ✨) Step 1: Establish Goals for Writing Your Web Content First up: What do you hope to get out of writing and publishing web content? What do you hope to gain? Do you want… More web traffic? Greater brand awareness? More leads? More customer engagement? Higher loyalty to your brand? You can achieve any or all of these goals with your content. Choose the ones most important to you, and focus on them. They’ll guide you forward, especially when you start planning content topics to write about. Step 2: Consider Your Audience Over and over and over again, a question you should be asking yourself before writing web content is who are you writing for? You’re NOT writing content for yourself. You’re not writing for your brand or clients. You’re writing for the people who need the solutions your brand or clients offer. “Who are you writing for?” is vital to know, but once you figure it out, don’t get too comfortable. Your audience isn’t a static entity, but rather a living, breathing, ever-changing organism. They’re people, and people’s needs and desires grow and change right along with them. If you keep asking “Who am I writing for?” regularly, and research to get the answer, you’ll have a good grasp on what they need from your content: What questions do they have about your subject/topics? What are their unique problems? What solutions can you provide? This laser focus on your audience is essential. It’s what differentiates successful content that gets read from the stuff that gets lost in the online content trash heap. No time to research or write your web content? We can do every step for you. Hire our team today. Step 3: Search Engine Optimize (for Readers, Then Google) So, you know your audience. (If you don’t, go back to step #2 and get clear on this. You can’t move forward without that knowledge.) Now it’s time to leverage your audience insight and use it to pinpoint your content topics and keywords. Why? When we talk about digital content, SEO is major. It outperforms paid advertising – in terms of web traffic, trust and authority, and lead generation. It appeals to our Google-happy age where everyone is typing questions into the search box. If you’re out there answering those questions in the form of quality content, you’ll see the benefits in multiple forms of ROI. Do Keyword, Topic, & Competitor Research Don’t just guess what your readers want to read. Do the research. Get data to back up your assumptions, and get data that helps you make new ones. Research the keywords you’ll target in your content. Find topics around those keywords. (Need help? Check out our guide on How to Find SEO Keywords.) Do competitor research to see what’s resonating with their audiences. Find content you could improve on, and write your own, better … Read more

Your Essential Guide to Creating Killer Subheaders for Web Content

December 31, 2020April 19, 2014 by Adam Oakley

This post was updated in January 2019. You spend hours perfecting your web content. You create a headline that’s unique, urgent, and ultra-specific. Like Michelangelo painting the Sistine Chapel, you carefully craft your content with gentle but passionate effort. When you’re done, your blog is flawless. In fact, it’s beautiful. It answers your audience’s needs, questions, and problems. It’s entertaining. There’s nothing like it online. So why are people still clicking the back button like it’ll save their lives? The answer is you may be doing something wrong that hugely affects your blog’s readability – and that is writing dull subheaders. Your Essential Guide to Creating Killer Subheaders for Web Content – Table of Contents Why Amazing Content Isn’t Enough to Prevent Your Readers from Running How Subheaders Can Attract More Readers to Your Blog 10 Mistakes That Weaken Subheaders for Web Content Five Easy Steps to Compelling Subheaders for Web Content Are Your Subheaders Good Enough to Reduce Your Bounce Rate? [bctt tweet=”You can call your web content the best one you’ve made so far. But why is your bounce rate still high? You might have missed polishing your subheaders! Read this essential guide to creating killer subheaders by @JuliaEMcCoy” username=”ExpWriters”] Why Amazing Content Isn’t Enough to Prevent your Readers from Running The web isn’t your local library. And people don’t go online to ponder upon beautifully written sentences. For instance, imagine yourself clicking a website and seeing a huge block of text like this. Source: Amazon Jeet Thayil’s novel is a deep, thought-provoking work. However, it requires a quiet corner and hours of time to read and ponder on. Online, it’s not about reading for pleasure. It’s about finding a solution to a problem in the shortest time possible. So no matter how helpful your content is, people won’t read it if you present it in a long block of text. This is why amazing content isn’t enough to keep readers from bouncing. You need amazing content and an amazing way to present it. The solution? Divide your text into sections with attention-grabbing subheaders. [bctt tweet=”An amazing web content allows people to find the solution to a problem in the shortest time possible. They don’t have the time to scan through a huge wall of text! So it’s important to use subheaders. ” username=”ExpWriters”] How Subheaders Can Attract More Readers to Your Blog Here’s the cool part. Subheaders can do more for you than just prevent your readers from running when they see long blocks of text on your page. In fact, they can get you even more readers! This is because of how Google’s web crawlers work. Users search for information, products, and help on Google using chosen keywords. What crawlers do is come up with relevant sites that have the content these users are looking for. On your part, it’ll help when you add relevant keywords to your content. But did you know that where you put these keywords is as important as which keywords you use? That’s right. Google crawlers pay extra attention to website headings and subheadings. When you plant your keywords in them, you improve your SEO ranking considerably. The result? More people finding your blog and reading it! [bctt tweet=”Besides making your content more readable, subheaders can bring more readers to your site – especially if you’ve added the right, relevant keywords.” username=”ExpWriters”] 10 Mistakes That Weaken Subheaders for Web Content While your first instinct might be to cut up your content and slap on any keyword-rich subheader you can think of above each section, don’t do that. Why? Your subheaders are the glue that will compel people to read your whole post. Think of them as your mini headlines. While your curiosity-piquing headline sucked people into your blog, it’s the job of your subheadings to suck people into every section of your blog. Subheadings have the power to compel your readers to keep reading until the end of your post. That is if they’re done right. But a ton of things could go wrong with your subheadings. Here are 10 of them. 1. Forgetting Your Blog’s Promise Readers come to your blog because your headline promised them something. For instance, take a look at this headline from Healthline. Readers click on this headline because it promises them something specific: They’ll get relief from a toothache without visiting a dentist. Now, see the subheadings listed below? Each one of them is in line with the blog’s promise. Imagine what would happen if you wrote a subheading like The History of Toothaches. You got it. Readers won’t go that far on your blog. 2. Turning Subheadings into Content Spoilers Subheadings can be tricky. You want to keep them in line with your blog’s main promise. BUT you don’t want them to give too much away. Look at this example: When readers see this subheading, they won’t need to read the content you write under it. They already know everything it’ll say. Now, what about this subheading? This subheading still delivers on the promise of your blog. However, it’s just a sneak peek that encourages readers to get into your content. When they continue reading, they learn that the secret ingredient for outstanding subheadings is uniqueness. 3. Being Too Dry Putting emotion into your writing always works. Why? Because readers come to your blog with their own complex feelings. For instance, think of a small business owner who’s going bankrupt. What emotion is he feeling? Maybe it’s fear, hopelessness, or desperation. When he goes online and finds your blog, he takes these emotions with him. What you need to do with your subheadings is to offer alternative emotions. For instance, “The Unexpected Lifeline That Saved My Doomed Business” is full of hope, courage, and optimism. These emotions will keep your businessman reading until the end of your post. If you want to test your subheadings for emotion, try AMI Institute’s Free Headline Analyzer. 4. Overdoing Creativity Creativity is good, but not all the … Read more

Successful Web Content: What Reading Levels Should You Aim for?

June 19, 2024April 11, 2014 by Adam Oakley

Are you speaking to your readers on their level, or are you going over (or under) their heads? Without understanding what grade level to write online content in for different target audiences, your words will not have the hoped-for impact. Instead, your readers will get bored, confused, annoyed, or all three – exactly what you don’t want to happen. What’s the Most Common Reading Level for Adults? Before we dive into what reading levels to write your online content in, we need to establish a base of knowledge. First off, what is the reading level of an average adult? While adult reading levels vary, it’s helpful to know the average – especially if you don’t know your own audience’s level yet. According to a rigorous literacy study, the National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL) published by the National Center for Education Statistics, the average prose adult literacy level is basic to intermediate. In 2003, 29% of American adults tested at a basic level. Another 44% of adults tested at an intermediate level. When you have “prose literacy,” you have the skills and knowledge you need to comprehend, use, and search information from continuous texts (e.g. novels, textbooks, papers, essays, and other long works). Having basic prose literacy means a person has the skills to perform simple literary activities. For example, they can read and understand short texts and simple documents and locate easy-to-find information to solve simple problems. Having intermediate prose literacy means a person can perform literary activities that are moderately challenging. They have higher-level reading and analysis skills and can sift through denser texts to find meaning and solve problems. So, what are the equivalent reading grade levels? Let’s begin with one startling fact: 50% of American adults are unable to read a book written at an 8th-grade level. (That’s not to say they can’t read it, period. They can probably read some words and some sentences, but the larger ideas and themes won’t connect. That’s because the continuum of reading comprehension will be interrupted and fragmented.) When we compare prose literacy levels with a system like the Flesch-Kincaid Reading Levels, they match up how you’d expect: Most adults fall in the “average” range, which spans from 6th to 12th-grade reading levels. In other words, most adults can read books like Harry Potter or Jurassic Park and understand them without any problems. So, if you haven’t figured out your audience’s average reading level, a good base to start from with your content is indeed on the lower end of average – about an 8th-grade reading level. [bctt tweet=”Improving your content’s readability is beyond writing what works for the majority. Here’s @JuliaEMcCoy’s guide on how you can find the right grade level to write your online content in. ✍” username=”ExpWriters”] How to Know What Grade Level to Write Online Content in for Maximum Readability So, now you know the average reading grade level for most adults. But, what about YOUR audience? Your brand audience may have a reading level on par with most adults, or it could differ a lot. Here’s how to know what grade level to write online content in for YOUR specific set of readers. 1. Match Your Content to Your Audience Before you do anything else, get to know your audience. You have to find out who these people are to know the best reading level to write in FOR them. Find out details like: Their level of education Their profession and job description Their interests and hobbies Matching your content to your audience is essential for your words to make an impact. Dumb it down too much, and you risk insulting their intelligence or boring them. Make it too high-brow or intellectual/formal, and you risk losing them from confusion or incomprehension. No matter the audience you’re writing for, hitting the right balance is tricky. However, the better you know them, the better off you’ll be. 2. Use Your Audience’s Vocabulary Vocabulary and word choice are two big factors that determine reading grade level. For example, does your audience prefer well-worded content? Or do they need it simple and clear? It’s the difference between using words like “elementary” vs. “basic,” or “intellectual” vs. “smart” in your content. Another thing: Will your audience understand your use of technical industry terms, or do you need to simplify those words for general understanding? E.g., if you run a marketing agency for small businesses, you wouldn’t want to use marketing jargon in your content – that’s your expertise, not your clients’. If you DO need to use specialized terms like “brand awareness” or “marketing segments,” for example, you’d need to define or explain them. The best way forward here is to always use your audience’s vocabulary: Research what they say and how they say it – this is easily done by analyzing at their social media profiles, posts, and comments. You can also check Quora and Answer the Public for how they word questions about your topic area. 3. Remember You’re Writing for the Web No matter who makes up your target audience, you must always remember you’re writing content for the web. People read and interact with electronic text differently than they do with printed text. This table from Writing Cooperative shows what I mean: With printed text, the average reader will read from top to bottom. There’s no skipping around. With online text, the average reader will read it piece-meal or skip around. They’ll scroll until something catches their eye or skim the headings of a content piece rather than read it through 100%. A study from Sumo backs this up. They discovered the average online reader will only read about 20% of your blog or article. This is a frustrating reality of online writing, but not all hope is lost. There are actions you can take to encourage your readers to read ALL of your words on a page. [bctt tweet=”How do you know the right reading grade level for your audience? First of all, … Read more

In A Galaxy Far, Far Away: Blending Storytelling In Web Content

January 1, 2021April 7, 2014 by Adam Oakley

What do you and Tolkien have in common? While it might be tempting to answer, “nothing,” I’d encourage you to look a little deeper. Sure, Tolkien invented magical lands and languages and creatures few of us could concoct in our wildest dreams, but there’s still a similarity. That similarity links you and me, and all of us who work in the written word, to Tolkien, Rowling, Nabokov, and Chekov. What is it? The similarity is a love of stories and a fondness for telling them. Today, too many people sell “marketing” or “commercial” writing off as a pursuit devoid of creativity. They see it as nothing more than some empty pitches and a hard-sell. Lucky for them, and for us, those people are wrong. As someone who has spent all my life creating and consuming stories, I can tell you that storytelling is central to great brand writing and that only companies who nail it right off the bat succeed with their customers down the road. Today, we’re going to talk about storytelling: what it is, why it matters, and how you can blend it into your web content. Read on. What is Storytelling? No matter who you are, where you came from, or what you studied in school, you’ve probably had the experience of hearing a story that knocked your socks off. Think about that story for a moment. How about the opening lines of Star Wars (one of my all-time favorite cinema classics)? Maybe you were enamored by the opening lines of Kafka’s Metamorphosis: “When Gregor Samsa woke up one morning from unsettling dreams, he found himself changed in his bed into a monstrous vermin.” Or Nabokov’s Lolita: “Lolita, light of my life, fire of my loins. My sin, my soul. Lo-lee-ta: the tip of the tongue taking a trip of three steps down the palate to tap, at three, on the teeth. Lo. Lee.Ta.” Maybe it was the opening line of The Hobbit that made you sit up straight in your chair, suck in your breath, and clutch the book a little tighter at the sheer joy of the story to come: “In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort.” While each of these stories came from a different part of the world, different culture, and a different time, each has one thing in common: they grab you, and they won’t let go. This is storytelling, in all its richness and beauty. Why Stories Matter Storytelling in copywriting is the perfect way to engage readers and claim their attention. To understand how to tell great stories, though, it’s essential first to figure out why they matter so much. Stories are integral to human society. Stories are and have always been, a part of life. Since the excellent way ancient beings painted petroglyphs on the walls of caves, to the day when Rowling sat down to write the first few lines of her Harry Potter series, not much has changed. Stories are meant to entertain and delight, to help people pass the time and uncover deeper meaning in life. Today, the methods by which people tell stories has changed, but the importance they hold in society hasn’t. As such, marketers who understand how important telling stories is can succeed capturing something rare and extraordinary that allows them to reach the next level of connection and emotion with their readers. The Connection Between Copywriting and Storytelling You don’t think copywriting and storytelling go hand in hand? It might be time to think again. What do you think you’re doing when you write up that long product description or your latest press release? Sure, you’re providing customers with the facts, but you’re also telling a story. It might not be something from the Brothers Grimm, but it’s a story nonetheless. And this story helps delight your readers and assist them to make a connection with the product, good, or service you’re writing about. When you tell the story the right way, you have the potential to make a new connection with your readers and help them remember you the way you want them to remember you. This is a rare opportunity afforded to only the best and bravest marketers. How To Incorporate Storytelling In Your Web Content: 5 Epic Tips Even if you fancy yourself more an inbound expert than a mythologist, it’s still possible to create unforgettable stories. Here are five epic rules for incorporating storytelling into your online content, starting now: 1. Keep it Relevant and Interesting A great story teller knows who is going to read it, and tailors its voice accordingly. The same needs to go for your online writing. Relevant stories perform better with their audiences, and help perpetuate that feeling of enchantment and mystery. Luckily for you, staying relevant doesn’t have to mean getting boring. To keep your story relevant and exciting, find ways to tie it back to your target audience consistently. As you write, ask yourself if they would appreciate, connect to, or identify with the topic of your story. If so, keep going. If not, reevaluate. The more relevant you can keep your tale, the better it will perform with your readers. 2. Do the Opposite of What GRRM Did George R. R. Martin is known for his lengthy descriptions of banquets and the gigantic nature of his A Song of Ice and Fire novels. He is also known for taking eons to publish his books. They are amazing, there’s no doubt about it. But if there’s one thing online creators should learn from George, it’s what not to do – and here’s why. If you want to succeed at storytelling online, do the opposite of what George did. Instead of going into painstaking detail so extensive you lose the online reader, who has 8 seconds to keep their … Read more

How to Make People Want to Read Your Web Content: 5 Formatting Tips

December 31, 2020April 5, 2014 by Adam Oakley

Want to get people to read your web content? Buckle up and settle in. It’s harder than you may think. Good content that people want to read isn’t just well-written. It’s also: Organized Concise Scannable In other words, it’s easy on the eyes. You don’t have to do much work to make sense of it. But, why is this important? It’s simple: People read differently on the web than they do anywhere else. “Anywhere else” includes papers, books, magazines, and other printed matter. Whatever the physical medium, people do not read them the same way they read a web page. If you’re not optimizing your web content for the way people read on the web, you’ll be turning them away more often than inciting them to dive deeper. Want people to get the most out of your content? You need to fan the flames of their interest, not douse them in freezing cold water. Why Do People Read Web Content Differently? Why do people read differently on the web than they do for printed matter? We could surmise that people don’t feel like they have time to read every page they encounter word-by-word. The web is so large, and there’s so much information to sift through, something’s got to give. Think about how many pages you click through daily. If you have no idea, check out your browser history for yesterday. How many websites did you visit? If you’re like me, the list is most likely a mile long. There’s no way I would have digested all that information unless I scanned it. Deep reading is not conducive to web browsing. What Does Research Say About Reading on the Web? Research backs up the fact that people don’t read web content like they do books. In fact, the Nielsen/Norman Group found this was true 79% of the time in an eye-tracking study they did. They measured over 300 people’s eye movements as they browsed hundreds of websites. They came to an overwhelming conclusion: People do not read on the web. They scan. Slate came to a similar conclusion when they tracked how far people scrolled down their web pages before leaving. Even if people do stick around long enough to scan the page, they don’t stay for long. About 50% of users stopped scanning at the halfway mark in a Slate article before they clicked away from the page. Across the web, people stopped at about the 60% mark. Here’s Slate’s conclusion: “Few people are making it to the end, and a surprisingly large number aren’t giving articles any chance at all.” Another Nielsen study found that to be true. According to the research, people only have time to read (or choose to read) about 28% of any given web page. If this isn’t discouraging for web content creators, I don’t know what is. If we can’t get people to read our content, how do we make any impact at all? There’s Hope: You Can Get People to Scan and Scroll Your Web Content Yes, you can improve your chances that people will scan your content, read at least some of it, and scroll all the way to the end. On the internet, where attention spans are shorter than a blip, that’s a huge deal. Some of these tips to achieve these goals may be obvious, but some may be surprising. Here are five ways to make people more likely to skim, scan, and read. [clickToTweet tweet=”Learn the five strategies to get people to scan and scroll your web content via @ExpWriters!” quote=”Learn the five strategies to get people to scan and scroll your web content via @ExpWriters!”] 1. Organize Your Content Well Well-organized content is scannable content. It’s a cinch to read, plus, you can easily find ideas within the text. Some examples of good organization: Bulleted lists Numbered lists Headings and sub-headings Short paragraphs with one main idea in each Meaningful links These all have one thing in common. They’re all ways to break up your content so it’s scannable. Readers latch on to these text markers – all of them are alerts that say, “Hey, this is important. Pay attention.” And, luckily, most readers do! So, what does the opposite look like? This leads us to my next point: 2. Don’t Build Walls of Text! You can find content with zero organization most often in that infamous “wall of text.” You know what I’m talking about. It’s hard to scan and will make people want to punch their computer – never a good scenario. Because they can’t punch their computers, instead, they’ll leave your website without a backward glance. 3. Make Your Organization Logical A page that’s organized is great, but if that organization isn’t logical, you’re still not helping your readers. What does logical organization look like? It means ideas are grouped together. One paragraph, one idea. One bulleted list, one main idea. Here’s a fantastic example: Note that all items in each list go together. On one hand, there’s the list of ingredients. On the other, there are the instructions. These groupings make sense. They’re logical. Here’s an illogical example: Note the formatting. Some of the items have punctuation; others don’t. Some are one-word long; others are sentence-length. Also, note the information itself. All the items in this list relate to ice cream, but they don’t all belong there. A bulleted list needs to have the same type of “thing” next to each bullet. Don’t make these errors. Instead… 4. Format Your Bulleted Lists Well Good organization helps your readers immensely. It also makes them want to linger on your page. When your page is easy-as-pie to scan, your readers can glom-on to important information. They’ll grab the hook and get caught on your line. Here are some main keys for strongly organized lists in your content: Don’t mix sentence fragments with full sentences in your lists. Use phrases exclusively, or only use sentences with periods – not both. If you find yourself typing … Read more

How Investing In Web Copy Can Make You Money

January 1, 2021April 1, 2014 by Adam Oakley

Are you one of those people who really think that the success story of their business is going to write itself? We hate to break it to you, but without a solid growth plan based on effective, personalized online marketing strategies you will probably wander in the dark for a very long period of time. Content plays a very important part in this process and can guarantee your smooth evolution and considerable profitability and popularity increases on time and on a budget. Great content is one of those things that just seem too good to be true, and yet they are: it is affordable, even if you rely on professional web writing services, effective and offers you the chance to make a name for yourself in your field of activity, sell better and faster than ever before, bury you main competitors 6 feet under the ground, diversify your clientele, improve brand awareness and enhance your online presence. The Era of the Content Beast: Feed It Regularly! The most recent infographic launched by Express Writers tells us that we live in the era of the content beast. To keep the beast on your side, you have to feed it regularly. This means that you have to publish and update quality content as often as possible. Doesn’t this sound like a fun challenge? Truth be told, fantastic, reader-oriented content won’t bring you your coffee in the morning, but will pretty much take care of the rest. So what’s stopping you from putting your awesome writing skills to the test? We will let you in on a little secret: investing in web content can make you money. Money makes the world go round and great content will rock your entire universe, turning you into a well-known, influential, highly competitive player in your sector. Contrary to popular belief, first-class content doesn’t have to burn deep holes in your pockets. Obviously, there are two categories of copy: bad copy that makes you pinch pennies and good copy that gets you where you want to be and lets you sit on a pot of gold, according to Forbes. Does Your Web Copy Help You Make or Waste Your Resources? These days, Google gives you everything you could ever need to create stellar, search engine-friendly and user-friendly content. From essential SEO tools to cost-free guidelines enabling you to optimize your content the easy way, Google bends over backwards to give you the key to perfecting your web copy. Since all these amazing resources are widely available, not using them would be like finding the gold fish and throwing it back in the water. Why Your Copy Could Be Throwing Money Out the Window Before we go any further, try to provide an honest answer to this question: does your web copy make you earn or lose money? If your current promotion strategies haven’t taken you very far, chances are that your content stinks. Fortunately, there are many ways in which you could address this pressing problem. First of all, you have to identify the cause. Your web copy writing could be impacted by multiple issues, including the 2 concerns listed below. You’re Not Getting Enough Traffic. OK, so you write headlines better than David Ogilvy, understand your audience and create content based on the elementary needs and demands of your audience. You play by the book, and still you don’t get enough traffic. This probably means that you don’t make the most of 3 key elements that could save your business and help you pursue your most ambitious goals. A Verified, Personalized Content Strategy: According to Forbes, a content strategy represents the solid foundation of any marketing campaign that you may want to launch. To evaluate you current content strategy in an objective manner, you should ask yourself a few important questions: Am I creating and delivering web copy on a regular basis? Are both my content and my website properly optimized for search engines and tailored to the real necessities of my reader? Do I expand on interesting topics that can actually convert my readers into fans, followers and devoted buyers? Am I on the shortest path to SEO success or did my outdated, unverified, ineffective pre-Panda and pre-Penguin optimization tactics made me get lost in a labyrinth of unpaid bills and ever-growing expenses? White Hat Link Building Strategies: Inbound links work to your advantage, letting Google know that you are a high-quality, popular, trustworthy source of information. If other respectable sources link to you, this basically means that they vouch for you. Guest blogging, getting listed in local directories and creating link-worthy content pieces are three excellent methods to build credibility and trust, according to AudienceBloom.com. Social Media: Some of the most popular social networking websites give you the opportunity to profit from free or extremely affordable promotion strategies that support your current content distribution tactics. Social media can amplify your web copy marketing strategy and act as a powerful brand builder. You’re Not Selling. Isn’t it extremely frustrating when you do as you are told and somehow your sustained efforts never get rewarded? We hear you. You have always crafted killer web copy which is 100% original, optimized for search engines and complying with all the rules and guidelines introduced by Google. You make the most of the very best marketing strategies and you are still very far from improving conversion rates. Your story doesn’t have a happy ending: your readers are not buying. There are a few possible scenarios that you should factor in: You Are Not Launching the Right Bait: perhaps the web content that you have been creating so far is not actually targeting your ideal customers. Before crafting web copy, you have to define and analyze your audience, to be able to come up with inspiring, compelling articles and blog posts. Your Content Is Not Stimulating Your Readers to Take Action: a content piece that does not include a powerful call to action is as useful as a bathing … Read more

How to Write Location-Specific Web Content

December 31, 2020February 4, 2014 by Adam Oakley

Do you own a local business? Do you want to market it more effectively? Are you confused about how to rank well for your physical location? If so, you’re not alone! There are currently more than 23 million small businesses in the country, many of which have a brick-and-mortar location! And these small businesses are more impactful than you might imagine: they account for 54% of all sales in the U.S. economy and have created more than 8 million jobs since 1990. To put this another way: small businesses are powerful, and they deserve a marketing approach that understands that. This is where location-specific marketing comes in. By strengthening the presence of a company in a local environment, location-specific marketing makes it easier for brands to earn local customers and become household names. When you learn to write location-specific web pages for your company, everyone wins. Today, we’re going to talk about how you can ensure you’re creating valuable content for your local business – content that takes all your hard work, dedication, and commitment into consideration. Read on. Why Local Web Content Matters: Understanding the Big Picture It’s no secret that Google’s algorithms are getting smarter each year. As such, local business owners can’t afford to stay stuck in the stone age when it comes to their web content. Instead, you need plenty of “tricks” in your content creation arsenal. If you’re still not convinced that location-specific pages are that important, here are some local content stats to consider: More than 63% of smartphone users frequently use apps that require the input of the user’s physical location. This means that tailoring your content to be geo-specific can help them find you. More than 50% of people who visit Google Maps will select one of the top three SERP results. This is a major perk for the companies that manage to rank in those spots. In 2011, more than 60% of marketers reported that geo-targeted ads offered a stronger ROI than the alternatives. That number has only grown since then, thanks in large part to the mobile revolution. Hyper-local search engine marketing is cheaper and more efficient than broader approaches. Within the last ten years, the role of website content has grown incredibly. The world’s best-known search engines have realized that if they want online users to find the results they want, and the results that will be more relevant to them, they’ve got to start prioritizing local results, especially now that everyone and their brother has a smartphone. The Goal of Creating Location-Specific Web Pages Local content serves dozens of purposes. On the one hand, it educates your users, on the other, it provides a serious SEO boost. Here are the top things you can look forward to when you start investing heavily in your location-specific content strategy: More qualified site visitors More inbound links to your website Higher levels of social shares More brand awareness More sales! Possibly the best thing about location-specific web content is that it can do several things at once and that these goals aren’t mutually exclusive. A great local content campaign will serve all these purposes and more, which will help you improve your company from the inside out. Ranking for Local Search in the Modern Day Ten years ago, getting your website to rank at the top of the SERPs was pretty simple. All you needed to do was stuff your pages with keywords, and “presto!” Your website was automatically the top result. If a budget wedding planner in Los Angeles wanted to be among the high-ranking sites, all they needed to do was stuff the term “budget wedding planner Los Angeles” into the body copy and headlines a few times. Seem simple enough? Get this: the phrase didn’t even have to be contextually relevant. Nope. In fact, creating grammatically incorrect, fluffy, empty content was all the rage in the late 90’s, and it didn’t hurt your image one bit. Something pretty much like this: Today, however, that trend has reversed. It’s 2017, and search engines and users are smarter and more discerning than they’ve ever been. This means that things like relevant content and good keyword research are essential in today’s world. While it’s true that users search for more local content than they have in the past, they’re not just looking for crappy fluff that doesn’t do anything but clog up their devices. Instead, they’re looking for contextually relevant, helpful, value-dense material that will lead them to great local establishments. And it’s your job to deliver it! How to Create Location-Specific Content: 10 Steps So you want to create location specific content, but you don’t know how. Hold onto your hats, though, because you’re about to learn! Here are ten professional steps to follow: 1. Stay Unique Just because you’re creating location-specific web pages doesn’t mean you get to go and be boring. Exactly the opposite, in fact! Location-specific web pages should be unique, especially if you’re targeting various locations. For example, say you’re a computer repair company with locations in Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York. Even though the company behind those three places is the same, they geographies are so different that they’re virtually entire separate entities, and it’s critical to treat them as such. If all you do is swap out your geo-keyword (“computer repair in Los Angeles” for “Computer repair in New York,” for example), your readers are going to catch on, and you’re going to lose leads. Instead, you’ll need to create unique content for each page. For best results, aim to develop material that takes the individual factors of each location into account. 2. Focus On Web Pages, Rather Than Blogs We’ve all seen blogs trying hard to squeeze themselves into local SERPs. These blogs typically have titles such as the following: How to Select a Good Budget Wedding Planner in Los Angeles Why a Budget Wedding Planner Los Angeles Can Help You 10 Reasons to Hire a Budget Wedding Planner Los Angeles … Read more

Content Generation: 10 Must-Read Tips for a Better Web

January 1, 2021January 17, 2014 by Adam Oakley

Anyone who has ever published a website is automatically familiar with the term “Content is King”. Lots of time, money, and effort goes into reaching top ranking on well known search engines such as Google, MSN, Bing and Yahoo!. But many of the people that invest in an attempt to get high page ranking on search engines give little thought to the chief elements needed in creating the foundation: content that is reader-friendly. New Year’s Mantra: Content Is for People, Not for Search Engines It is very important to understand that the content you write should be first and foremost for people, and not for search engines. Once readers value your blog or website content, they will definitely keep coming back for more and even share your content with others. If you follow the content generation tips below, you will not have a problem writing reader-friendly content. The cherry on the pie is when search engines begin to rank your website or blog high because your content is well-written and reader-friendly. If you invest the time to read a lot of articles on the internet about content creation, you will notice that it is nearly impossible to find an article that really hammers on the importance of writing for readers and not search engines. With the popularity of this trend, one will be compelled to ask “Are bloggers and web content writers totally ignoring readers and focusing all their attention on search engine spiders?” Hmm… it would be untrue to say that most bloggers and semi-professional website writers genuinely create content with the sole aim of educating their target readers. Most writers simply create content that will rank high in search engine results, period. Professional copywriters focus on 3 things before writing ridiculously effective content pieces. Professional writers have mastered the art of writing articles that will please both readers and search engine bots. Must-follow Tips for Better Webpages in 2014 1. Generate Content on What You Specialize In. There is no doubt that this is the most important thing for any writer to take into consideration. When you have in-depth knowledge on a subject, it provides you with the tools and inspiration to write compelling articles that will keep readers coming back to your web page for more. Specialization also gives you great confidence and helps you provide details about the topic you are covering. You are most likely to include facts and insights when writing a very familiar topic that may have not been covered by other writers who have written on the same subject. There is nothing more wonderful than seeing writers connect with your thoughts and nodding their head in agreement while reading what you have written. Have you ever read an article where you felt like the writer is actually in your home and understands what you are going through? Yes, that is the power of a compelling content – it connects with the reader. When you write on topics that you are most familiar with, it really sets you apart from the crowd. Visitors to your website will, in time, love your content and will definitely keep coming back for more. There is no Google algorithm change that will EVER affect this particular content generation tip – and you can take that to the bank! Search Engine Optimization Hint: Highly informative and well-detailed content are known to rank high on Google search results. 2. Group Major Parts of Content into Sub-headings. One of the content writing tactics to avoid includes using poor formatting. When you categorize your content into subheadings, this will help you structure your content better, and make it reader-friendly. People like to read articles that are structured and flow well. You should consider which headings need to be placed higher and which headings should follow. Even if an article is five thousand words long, if it is well structured, readers will keep reading from the top to the bottom. Search Engine Optimization Hint: When your article is well-structured, it will be a lot easier for you to create crisp, compelling title tags and headings for better SEO ranking. 3. Stay Focused on the Chosen Subject – Don’t Stray! There are times when you want to write about a subject matter, but you find yourself going on and on about another topic that is closely related to the main topic you are writing about. It is important to stay focused on the key topic of the article. You need to understand that the attention span of an average web user is short, and they do not have the time to waste on reading irrelevant content. Readers want to read well-written content on their enquiries. Concise and crisp articles are inviting to readers. Web pages and articles that lack focus seldom get repeat visitors and often NEVER get shared, tagged or pinned. Creating content that sticks to the subject matter is a great writing practice that every writer should stick to. Search Engine Optimization Hint: Having content that gets repeat visitors will help boost your search engine ranking with search engines, especially almighty Google. 4. Create Opinionated and Detailed Content. It is very easy to use your personal experience when you write on a subject matter that you specialize in. Providing your honest opinion wherever possible will come easily to you. People love to read an expert’s personal experiences and also want to know their honest opinions. Once they know that they can count on getting your personal contribution on the topic of their liking, there is a high possibility that they will bookmark your blog or website, share your content with others and keep coming back for more. Search Engine Optimization Hint: Having more visitors to your blog or website means having higher search engine ranking. 5. Include an Introductory and Conclusion Paragraph… Always. It is important that you follow a simple, yet important and expected writing style. Include an introductory and concluding paragraph wherever possible within your blog posts or … Read more

7 Key Factors That Make Up An Exceptional Website Content Writing Service

January 1, 2021December 16, 2013 by Adam Oakley

Your site is nothing more than a pointless parking space for your logo and brand, if you don’t have good web content on it. But there is a lot more to good content than offering up useful information. Today’s internet reader becomes bored easily, so you have to offer up something fresh, creative and engaging every time — that is, if you want the reader to come back for more. Enter the secret: Talented website writers from a website content writing service, that can create expert copy for your niche and brand. Let’s face it. Not every business owner is a good writer. Or handy with SEO. Or a conversion expert. And let’s face it: a real copywriter, an expert website content writer, actually is all that. Your investment will come back tenfold. Let’s explore the key qualities a top online writing service will have. Hire A Website Content Writing Service to Serve Up the Right Content So how do you nail awesome content each time? We’ve compiled seven key tips that exceptional website content writers will utilize in creating great content. Keep your content flowing and producing this year by hiring the right web writing service. 1. They get to the point & skip the fluff Like we said, today’s reader wants you to get to the point and keep it as concise as possible. Don’t ramble on and on or go off on an irrelevant tangent — that’s just poor content marketing altogether. Your web content should have an introduction that clearly tells the reader what he or she will gain by reading on. Then, your content must deliver on what you’ve promised. Use as many words as it takes to bring your point across and eliminate any unnecessary fluff just to reach a particular word count. A knowledgeable web creator will know this. 2. Lists are loved & put to use List formats are awesome! List-based sites, according to Grammarly.com, get tons of page views. Why? Because everything is grouped in neat little points and it’s easier for a reader to digest. The title also clearly states what the reader is gaining by reading your web content. For example, if you title your content “Top 10 Copywriting Tips” the reader knows he’s going to get ten copywriting tips if he reads further. 3. They are headline gurus Headlines can make or break your content. If you have a drab, uninteresting headline no one is going to click and read more. Think of a headline as an invitation to a web content party. The party is your content and your headline is what encourages people to join in on the fun. So how do you write a catchy headline? According to an article by Social Media Today, a good headline is one that: Is clear and tells the reader exactly what she’s gaining by reading your article; Makes a promise to the reader; Tantalizes, teases and even hits a nerve — compelling the reader to go forward; Is a one-liner that is easy to share and understand. 4. They don’t make it just about you Your web content shouldn’t be about you, ever. People don’t want to read about you, they want to know how you can help them. An expert website content writing service will know just how to tactfully do this. Don’t expect many conversions if you boast about your product, service and how it all benefits you. Instead, turn it around and make it all about the reader. Tell the reader exactly what benefits they’ll receive by reading your content or buying your products. The word “you” should be throughout your content so that the reader feels as though you’re talking directly to them. 5. They’ll break up that wall of text A wall of text turns readers away instantly. After all, if you walked up to a big wall would you want to climb it or walk around it? Reading web content online is the same thing. No one wants to sift through a wall of text — they want it broken down so they can easily climb over it, or, even better, walk through it. Shorten up your paragraphs — quit being epic. Use short, concise sentences. Put powerful statements, call-to-actions, and other important notations in their own paragraph, on their own line for maximum impact and visibility. Just like we’re doing here. 6. They’ll infuse personality into your content If you’re a dull dud, it’s time to add a spark of personality to your web content. Be personable, talk to your readers as if you’re talking to a friend, and be true to your brand. Are you a youthful brand? Think of your target customer and how they would relate to a person talking to them. If you’re targeting older individuals, you will want to keep it professional, but still friendly. If you’re targeting the 21 and younger crowd you better toss in a few slang terms, add some fun to it, and be social. The tone you use in your content, according to Search Engine Watch, should suit your brand’s personality and your target customer’s personality. Obviously, if you’re selling legal services you should sound professional and avoid slang, but you can still be friendly in the process, right? 7. They’ll offer expert insights People want web content they can trust. There’s too much content out there that doesn’t showcase authority or a company’s expertise in the industry. Make sure your website content writing service offers expert advice. Ask for a few “how-to’s” or guides that are in-depth and teach the reader something. Conclusion: Get Your Best Website Content Writing Service Yet The more effort you put into your web content, the more your content can do for you. If you want to increase your conversion rates or get more social media recognition, consider your content first. By following even a handful of these tips here you can give your content a much-needed face lift and make your content work for you. We are a high-quality, proven website … Read more

5 Ways to Find New Website Content Ideas For Your Blogs and Websites

January 1, 2021September 5, 2013 by Adam Oakley

Google LIKES fresh website content. In the way a cookie monster likes his cookies. So much so that Google Blog has said that the Web is experiencing growth at the rate of a few billion pages daily. That’s a lot of pages to index every single day—but Google is doing it. That’s one big cookie monster.