As someone who has built a career in SEO, specifically content, saying I’m no longer talking about it might seem strange. In reality, I’ll never stop talking about content, I love it, it’s what I do and it’s why I’ve built a content team so that I can KEEP talking about it.
Content is the cornerstone of what we do, whether it’s web copy, blogs, content marketing pieces, editorials, social posts or emails, in my mind it’s an area where you just can’t afford to drop the ball. So, by saying I’m no longer talking about content what I really mean by that clickbait title is – why are we still talking about it like it’s an add-on?
I’ve been writing content for businesses for over ten years and in that time I’ve seen it all, from the keyword stuffed articles that we spun so much they were nonsensical, to considering 100 product descriptions to be unique just because you have changed a keyword. Today, the content landscape is much different, the internet relies and thrives on great content that writers, brands and business owners create to showcase their product or service.
As the head of a content team, my ethos has always been the same, if you hire great writers the results will come naturally. Once a writer starts to think about the SEO elements of a piece of content BEFORE they start writing it, you lose the very thing that Google loves the most – engaging, unique content that offers real value to the reader.
That’s not to say that we forget about SEO completely; keywords, internal links and formatting are all part and parcel of what we do, at the end of the day we all want those lovely page one rankings, don’t we?
Writing great content comes from expertise, passion and a genuine need to connect with the reader. Whether it’s writing about drainage systems or haute couture, your aim is to connect with the reader and convince them that you don’t just want to sell them your product, you want to tell them why.
No page is built the same
At Acquiro, our team know that what works for one website, may not work for another. Through research, we determine what does work best for your business. A great example of this is the length of content we put on a page. Yes, you could stretch a piece of content about a hammer into an essay, but what are you gaining from it? A short, succinct description that tells the reader everything they need to know whilst also naturally including keywords and relevant links to other products or categories could work even better.
On the flip-side, if we see that a page has the potential for expansion, perhaps it’s a page looking at a new tool brand or clothing range, we can look to incorporate relevant queries, explain more about the pros and cons or even ask the experts for their tips for using it. No one page is built the same and once you start looking at your content this way, you will soon start to realise that templated tasks are fast becoming redundant.
Case Study – The long and short of it
It’s all well and good telling you that tailoring your content to suit the page is important, but we know you want to see the results! Our case study focuses on a client that sells baby clothing, we wanted to quickly increase the visibility and traffic to the brand and category pages. The main USP of this website is that their clothing is organic and sustainable, so we focused on creating informative resources on the website that explains their values and why you should choose eco-friendly baby clothing.
For the brand and category pages, we wanted to create descriptions that were straight to the point. This website was for new parents buying clothes for their child, they’ve already done the research into the brand so all they need to know is what clothes are in each section and what they offer. Each individual product has its own detailed description, so all we needed to do was highlight the collection.
We focused on creating short, keyword focused descriptions (around 100 words) for the categories and brands which led to organic sessions up 848% (3 month YOY data) and organic revenue increased by over 1000% over the same period. The content is short enough not to detract from the products on the page, however, it also contains enough focused content so that search engines AND the user get the information that they need.
Content Top Tips
If you’re looking to create content for your website but you don’t know where to start, here are our expert tips to creating content that matters.
Write about what you know
As a business owner, eCommerce manager or assistant, chances are you know more about the product than most people, utilise this knowledge and give your readers what they actually NEED to know.
Web users are savvier than you think
If you find yourself trying to ‘fluff’ out your content with jargon or redundant phrases, you’ve missed the mark. The average web user will switch off the moment they realise that what they’re reading has no purpose.
Think about the user experience!
User experience (UX) and content writing go hand in hand, it all boils down to whether something is right for that specific place on the website (we have a great blog on UX coming soon, check back for our overview!) Look at where your content will sit on the page, is it pushing down the actual products, does it detract from the main purpose of the page? If it’s taking away from your primary aim, you need to rethink.
Test, test and test again
One of my favourite parts of content writing is seeing what works and what doesn’t. Experiment with your words and see what works best for your readers on your website. If you’ve put together a blog that doesn’t get any traction, try reviewing the formatting or adding imagery or videos to spice it up.
Audit what you already have
Look at your current website and see if you have any opportunities to revamp existing content. So many websites fall short when it comes to keeping their content updated and you may find some quick fixes just by reviewing your current content ‘stock’.
Make content part of your day to day
Writing great content for your website doesn’t have to be an arduous task. It should be part of your daily routine to connect, engage and entice your users to choose your business above the rest. We always encourage our clients to share as much of their knowledge and experience with us when we’re creating our work, yes we are fantastic at what we do – but when it comes to your business, we always like to ask the experts!
Looking for some extra help with your website content? Get in touch with a member of the Acquiro Team or pop in for a chat about how we can help you make your content speak for itself
