The saying “content is king” has been around for a while, but it’s really true. Marketing methods that used to work don’t get much attention these days. Superior online content gets the attention of clients who could really use your service or knowledge.
People come to me for premium, incisive content. Blogs, websites and white papers that establish your authority in your field and engage your target audience.
I often see clients’ efforts to feature great content sabotaged by little things. By fixing pesky issues – which usually takes very little time – you can get a lot more traction.
Ways to improve your content
- Check for broken links and other problems. This tool works on WordPress and there are other free tools online. You can also sign up for webmaster tools from Google here. You will get details on your site’s health and speed, crawl errors and more.
- Optimize your posts and landing pages for search engines. You know that search engine algorithms favor quality content, but there are still some basic best practices for on-page SEO. These include the following and you can read some good background on this here:
- Use a descriptive URL that includes the main keyword.
- Use the primary keyword in the page headline and secondary headlines.
- Make sure the primary keyword phrase is in the first words of the title
- Keyword phrases are highlighted with bolding, italics or sizing as appropriate.
- Break up big slabs of text. Paragraphs should have no more than about three-five lines, and shorter is better. Readers are skimming and the sight of screen full of unbroken text is hard on the eyes. People will think it’s too much to digest and skip it.
- Make sure your content is easy to share. If you don’t have share buttons for Facebook, Twitter etc., install them. If you have them, test them all and make sure they work.
- Spell check your major pages. Nothing hurts your credibility more than silly typos and spelling errors. You can also run your copy through grammar programs, but I find they often create more errors than they fix. Of course, if you are using a first-rate content provider like me, you can skip this step!
- Add a search bar for your site. This helps people find and return to your content. If you haven’t been tagging your posts, spend a few minutes tagging old ones. If the volume is great, prioritize the ones that offer the most value.
- Look at your site in different browsers. View your pages in Firefox, Chrome, Safari, IE to make sure your content looks good for every reader.
If you need help creating great content, get in touch with me here. I’m bursting with ideas and would love to help you stand out in a crowded marketplace.
