Writing for your website can seem intimidating, but that doesn’t mean it has to be difficult. Web terms like SEO, keywords, responsive design, and meta descriptions are enough to throw even the most confident writer into a frenzy of self-doubt, so it’s completely understandable if you’re feeling a bit apprehensive.
Telling your story online will use many of the same skills that have helped you communicate effectively with your customers in person or in print, but there are a few key differences when it comes to Calgary Internet marketing. We’re offering these tips to take the mystery out of writing for the web.
Write to be Discovered
It’s not just about what you have to say. With content marketing, your goal is to engage readers so they want to know more. You are writing not just to communicate, but to build an audience and encourage them to purchase your products or services. Doing this successfully requires a basic understanding of SEO and a few key techniques to help your writing stand out.
In order for people to see the information you’ve provided on your website, they have to be able to find it. We’ve compiled a list of Calgary Internet marketing tips to help you make sure people can see that you care about representing your business online. Most people won’t look past the first page of Google results, which is why it is so important to do everything you can to help it appear higher in the rankings.
Think for a moment about what happens when you search. When someone publishes new content, Google’s “bots” crawl through it and follow links from one page to another, indexing a site’s content within seconds. In the past, search engines relied on keywords that made it easy for people to game the system, but Google uses an algorithm that attempts to return real, useful results. Here are a few key techniques to help you meet Google standards:
- Pay attention to your title. Incorporate relevant keywords, starting out with the most important first.
- “Think meta”. Your meta description encapsulates your content. If you don’t provide one, Google will use the first few sentences on your page.
- Keyword phrases and subheadings matter. They help describe your content for your audience and for your search engine.
- Internal linking helps a search engine understand how your content connects with other content on your site. It’s also a great way to direct your readers to information you’ve provided on related topics.
- External linking to sites with authority can help show you’ve done your research.
Write to the Audience You Have and the One You Want to Build
Higher rankings will help people find your content, but effective Calgary Internet marketing also means making what you’ve written interesting to actual humans. You want to turn those visitors into customers. These tips will encourage people to stay longer, which will improve SEO, and keep them coming back for more:
Keep it simple. Avoid jargon. Your content should read naturally and use straightforward language.
Use internal links to your content rather than trying to fit it all in one place.
- Keep sentences and paragraphs short. One topic per paragraph will help your readers skim through and find information quickly.
- Break up your writing to improve readability. In the last few years mobile has become the way to go. If someone is reading on a smaller screen, they will appreciate smaller blocks of text. Here’s a bonus tip to make your mobile readers happy: Use a font that is dark and big enough to be read easily in dim light. Many users browse their phones in areas that are not that well lit.
- Be professional. Check your writing for errors. After you’ve written a draft, take a break and look at it again (It’s why it’s called “re-vision”.) This applies to all writing you do online, including responding to comments. Remember, if you accidentally post something with a mistake—even for just a few minutes— there’s a good chance someone has already seen it.
- Understanding your audience is one of the most important ways to tell your story online, and it’s number one on our 11 Tips For Successful Online Marketing.
Writing for the web means bringing your story to the world. The team at Emphasize Design knows just how essential good writing is to your Calgary Internet marketing plan, and we can help you develop content if you need assistance.
