Content is king. If you build it, they will come.
I’m sure you’ve heard this over and over again.
Sorry to let you down, but although content is king, if you don’t build it the right way, they won’t come.
Throwing together words and phrases in an article will not make them come running.
It’s not enough to just write. You can’t just write anything and hope for the best.
Poorly written content will only waste your time and that of your readers. This means no traffic and, more importantly, no ROI for you.
So, how do you get your content to attract traffic/leads to your site and boost your SEO rankings?
By writing great content, of course.
Great content will give you more exposure, improve your site rankings, and bring in more traffic to your website and more leads.
But how do you write great content?
Let’s take a look at the essential steps:
1. Research
Before you identify a topic for your content, do some research on your existing and potential customers.
Who is their buyer persona?
What is their purchasing process?
These questions help you find relevant content that addresses their needs and interests. With this information, you can then zero in on a topic that will arouse their interest.
When writing content, the secret is to write for your consumers and not for the search engines. Delve deeper into your research and your knowledge base to find everything you know about the topic. This is the first step in giving your consumers outstanding content.
2. Keyword research
Using the right keywords helps Google notice and reward your efforts. Tools like Keyword planner in Google AdWords help you find out which keywords and phrases people use when searching for content in your industry.
If you use Keyword Planner correctly, you can also find which of these keywords you can rank competitively for.
Don’t focus on search volume. Instead, look for niched, long-tail keywords that are bound to attract the right crowd to your website.
This type of keywords isn’t just easier to rank for. It’s also the best way to gain leads and clients.
3. Come up with a great headline
Have you noticed how when scanning your social media pages or the web, there are some headlines that get your attention? The kind you simply can’t resist clicking on? You find yourself picking them over others with the same content?
Make your readers want to click on your headline with great headlines. A catchy and well thought headline always entices and piques the reader’s interest.
If picking a headline proves to be difficult, use HubSpot Blog Topic Generator. This tool is super easy to use. All you need to do is just input three nouns that best describe what your content is about.
It will then give you 5 different topic headlines you could use. Not all of the results make sense, but they are very easy to tweak.
4. Write original content
Websites with high-quality content get rewarded by Google. But you already knew that.
Which is why you may be tempted to copy other people’s content. If that content did great for someone else, it may just do equally great for you, too, right?
Wrong!
Plagiarized content will get you penalized by Google. Plus, your potential customers need to see original ideas if you want them to trust you, right?
This is one area you should never make compromises in. Always create 100% original content.
If you are struggling content creation, you can always ask for help from seasoned content and custom writing experts.
5. Clear call to action
What action do you want your readers to take after they read your content?
Is it buying, downloading an e-book or maybe signing up to your newsletter?
Your call to action (CTA) should be clear, visible, and straightforward. Don’t just assume people will know what you want them to do.
Tell them. Spell it out. Make it clear and compelling.
6. Write for your audience
As specialists in a certain area, we tend to get lost in jargon and forget whom we are writing for.
Remember: you are not writing for your competitors – they already know all the tips and tricks you are offering.
You are writing for potential buyers. And usually potential buyers aren’t this familiar with specialty terms in your industry.
So write content that your audience understands, enjoys, and benefits from. Here’s how you can get there:
- Keep your content simple and to the point.
Using simple terms makes it easier for your readers to comprehend your copy. According to the Harvard Business Review, brands that keep it simple for their audience are 115 percent more likely to get referrals and 86 percent more likely to make sales. - Make your content interactive.
You can do this through videos, animation, graphics and any other visual content related to your content. You can also use rewards, polls, quizzes, comments, and additional follow up material. A research by Content Marketing Institute found that interactive content gets a 50 percent click rate on average and a 40 percent conversion rate. - Provide them with facts.
- Use an introduction that grabs their attention, as well as content that solves their issues and makes their life easier.
- Engage your audience and help them connect with your writing. Questions, a great introduction or a story are all examples of how to achieve this.
- Use a tone that represents your goals. It should also be unique and memorable.
- Make content skimmable.
Very few people have time to go through a whole long-form article or a lengthy sales page. Use lists or listicles to highlight your key points.
Also, remember that white spaces make your pages more appealing and that they also make it easy for your readers to focus. Bold or italicize important points, too.
7. Link to your own articles and blog posts
Interlinking your posts not only adds value to your content, but also helps Google find the right content easier. Each inbound link shows Google bots where relevant content for a certain keyword “lives”.
Also, don’t let older content go to waste. Re-edit older blog posts and interlink them with newer articles and web pages for SEO purposes.
8. Invest in authoritative content
When people read your web copy or blog content, they need to know they are getting valuable advice or tips.
So forget about terms like: “I think”, “maybe” and others. You know. You are the expert in your field, so don’t give anyone the chance to second guess you.
In order to be treated as an authority in your field, your content has to shine. Make sure your research is on point. Link to high-DA websites to back up your claims. Write thoroughly on any topic and make sure you present all the possible angles – yes, even those that don’t support your own opinion.
Final recommendations
Simply filling the web with content isn’t enough. There is plenty of spammy, worthless, clickbait content online already. Don’t add to it.
Instead, work on creating valuable content that supports your brand and makes the internet a better place for everyone.
And if you don’t have time or resources to tackle this kind of content in-house, remember that you can always ask for help from specialists.
