SEO marketing strategies and clear, well formatted content creation are both vital aspects to be aware of when writing for the web. In order to grab the reader's attention and keep it, bear in mind these 6 easy but highly effective tips.
1. Good Content and SEO, Not One or the Other
Keep your content simple, to the point, and relevant. A big thing to keep in mind while writing for the web is that searchers are looking for a quick and easy solution to a problem. When writing for SEO, keep it interesting, engaging, short and sweet. You don’t want to lose the reader’s attention by rambling on or including extra information that isn't necessary or relevant. A good length for articles or web postings is 300-1000 words. Social media postings can be shorter.
Another thing to keep in mind is to not duplicate what’s already out there on the web or even on your own site. Duplicating information decreases your optimization and ranking within search engines.
And finally, be sure your content is written clearly and concisely with correct spelling and proper grammar.
2. Make Your Headings & Subheadings STAND OUT
Make sure your headings and subheadings are attention-getting and intriguing. Don’t use dull or generic titles that are too commonly used. Make them unique. Headings are what people look at first to decide whether or not to visit a certain site. If your title can grab someone's attention, you’ll have a hit. Once they land on your page, they’ll skim the subheadings to see what the overall content is about. If the words that stand out look interesting and relevant to their needs, they’ll be much more likely to plunge into the reading.
3. Include Keywords or Phrases
You want to include a keyword or phrase in the title. Choose wording that you want to be the subject of your piece. Also, it’s helpful to put keywords at the beginning because search engines give more weight to the first few words of the title. Try to use keywords early on in the first paragraph and interspersed evenly throughout the rest of the body. If possible, use a keyword every 50-100 words.
At the same time, don’t focus solely on or overuse keywords, or your writing could sound unnatural and forced. It looks and sounds tacky and unprofessional to stack keywords up one after the other. Instead, spread them evenly throughout your content.
4. Formatting and Hierarchy
Having a hierarchical system makes life easier for everyone. It gives your webpage a clear, structured, professional look, making you look good and also attracting viewers to your page.
Use subheads that stand out and grab the reader’s attention. For titles use h1 tags, and for subheadings use h2 tags, keeping everything organized and consistent. Having just one massive chunk of text with no breaks is intimidating and time consuming for the reader. Breaking it into subheads can make it easier for readers to locate exactly what they are searching for in the exact place by creating a visual outline.
5. Don’t forget about the Meta descriptions!
Meta descriptions are the first sample of your website that readers see after typing something into a search engine and before clicking on a particular site. It is a 150 word description of the content. When writing this, remember to include keywords and make it interesting enough to grab hold of people’s attention to pull them into your website.
6. Last but Not Least: Images
People like to see images and color, not just text alone. If there is too much text and no imagery to go alongside it, some people will be turned away. Include an image that grabs people’s attention, but be sure that it is relevant to the content.
Good information and formatting markets your company and website by increasing traffic flow, potential clients, search engine optimization performance, and ultimately revenue.
