Websites with more content rank better with the search engines.
Any online marketing consultant will emphasize, however, that "more" isn't enough. For successful SEO, your site needs a
steady stream of fresh, relevant content.
Above all, know your audience. Understand what your readers want
and give it to them. More content:
Online marketing consulting emphasizes the need to build site
authority. Information rich, relevant text is the most affordable
SEO tool at your disposal to achieve that goal.
People Read Differently Online
Monitor resolution, color quality, available light, and the fixed
distance and angle of the screen all cause eye fatigue. More
importantly, links encourage distraction. Readers routinely jump
ship in the middle of the paragraph with no guarantee they'll
ever come back.
Use Inverted Pyramid Structure
To compensate, put the most important information in the first
paragraph. Journalists have been doing it for years, well aware
that almost no one will read their entire story. Arrange the rest
of the material in descending order of importance.
Write To Your Links
If you include a link in a paragraph, continue to control the
narrative at the link's destination. Regardless of where a
reader goes in your site, make sure you are presenting a coherent
message.
Repeat Without Copying
Don't be afraid to repeat information, but don't just copy the
same chunk of text. Rewrite repetitive material to vary your
keyword phrasing and anchor text. Every page on the site should
appear fresh and dynamic.
Forget The Five-Sentence Paragraph
Online readers need more white space to make skimming the text
easier. Forget the five-sentence paragraph structure you learned
in English class. Keep online paragraphs to three sentences or
less whenever possible.
When possible, use a mix of bold, italics and underlining to make
skimming easier for the reader.
Keep An Active, Direct Voice
Action verbs create strong web copy. Don't write that you "have
been taught." Tell the reader what you "learned." Speak
authoritatively, not passively.
Keep Your Text Concise
Work for a length of 500 to 1000 words per page. When an article
runs long, pay special attention to paragraph length. Use
subtitles to highlight main ideas and to create more white space.
Consider that the average reader reads at about 200 words per
minute. Keeping them on a page for more than 5 minutes (1000
words) often isn't possible.
Choose Common Vocabulary
Write your text on a 9th to 12th grade reading level. There are
numerous tools online to measure the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level
of your text. Most require nothing more complicated than copying
and pasting the material to be measured.
Proofread Your Copy
Misspelled words and poor grammar scream "amateur." Ask someone
you trust to proofread your copy. Writers get too close to their
words and easily miss mistakes.
Avoid Common Grammatical Errors
Don't be guilty of the most common grammatical mistakes. Making
glaring errors will harm the reputation of your site and tell
readers you don't know what you're doing. In particular avoid:
Loose for lose: You lose your car keys. Your Hawaiian shirt
has a loose fit.
Lay for lie: When you have a headache you lie down. You lay
your papers on the desk.
You're for your: "You're in for trouble if you don't mind
your grammar."
Of for have: "I would have set you straight about this error
if I could have."
They're for their: "They're suffering from the consequences
of their bad manners."
Effect for affect: "A computer problem affects your ability
to work. The effects of the situation may delay the project."
Know When To Break The Rules
There are always situations that require that the rules be
broken. This relates directly to the need to know your audience.
Some topics call for a more in-depth treatment and more complex
language.
Introduce deeper, more complicated material with a brief
synopsis. Make it clear that following the link will take the
reader to an extended treatment of the topic.
Formatting is even more important for in-depth material. Try to
treat one idea per page with a clear indication of how many pages
will follow. This lets readers find logical stopping points and
encourages them to bookmark their place and return to finish
reading later.
Always Remember The Basics
In composing text for your site, never forget the different
mechanics of reading online. Focus on the wants and needs of your
audience. Believe the online marketing consultant wisdom that
content is king.
Keep the most important information in the first paragraph. Use
sub-headings to improve visual scanning. Choose active verbs and
clearly understood words.
Control the narrative throughout your site. Repeat without
copying. Proofread and correct your work and update frequently to
feed the search engines and encourage repeat visits from your
readers.
Paul Marshall: Marketing online since 2004, Paul Marshall can help you market
on a realistic budget. You can learn about his professional
Internet Marketing Coaching and Consulting Services on his home
page: http://strategicwebmarketing.net/. He also offers
Affordable SEO services (and d-i-y Coaching), which you can
learn about here: http://strategicwebmarketing.net/seo.html. Get
to know Paul, just visit Strategic Web Marketing.net today!
