Inner Circle Media

The following are seven tips for writing compelling website content. For a more comprehensive “how to” guide, watch for our new workbook about developing better web content.

1. Know your audience- their needs. worries, stresses, goals, ideas, etc.- and write content that addresses your audience members’ concerns in a way that is relevant, helpful, non-preachy, and logical.

2. Stop sounding like your competitors! If you want people to choose your products or services, show them that you are different from and better than your competition. Make sure that the features and benefits you list on your website address your potential customers’ needs and speak in their own common language. Offer your customers something that they can’t get anywhere else.

3. Avoid common content mistakes- such as rambling text that requires scrolling, techie talk or industry jargon, or a lack of a clear focuses message.

4. Make sure the first 25 words on each page include keywords. Use keywords and keyphrases (the common words and phrases that people type into search engines when looking for a product or service like yours) throughout your website content with the most specific terms in the first 25 words. Avoid keyword spamming (over-stuffing keywords into your content to try to increase your search engine rank).

5. Allow easy visual scanning. Make sure your content is easy for visitors to quickly scan by using clear headings, short sentences and paragraphs, bulleted lists, obvious calls to action, inverted pyramids, and error-free content.

6. Keep it current! Make sure you update your website content as often as possible to ensure that your users will continue to visit your website. Fresh content also invites search engine spiders to re-index your website and increase your chances of higher rankings.

7. Invite your visitors to participate. Use a “call to action” to inspire users to call you, purchase products, contribute to your blog, and sign up for your mailing list. If you want your visitors to act in a certain way (such as purchasing your service), then make sure your text effectively guides them toward the appropriate action.

1. What’s Your Passion?
What compels you, motivates you, or gets you fired up? For us, we’re all revved up about blogs and the ways they can help promote, position, and build knowledge bases for businesses and organizations. Determine your own passion and then write about it. The more passionate you are about your topic, the more it shows in your writing.

2. What’s In It For The Reader?
Readers don’t care about old news or second hand knowledge. They want a compelling reason to read your post; they want to know what’s in it for them, so give them what they want. How can you help readers gain new information, avoid the same mistakes you’ve made, or try a new approach to save time, money, headaches, or all of the above.

3. Keywords Are KEY
Figure out the words people use to search for the topics you’re writing about. Then use those keywords throughout your blog in the body text and the headlines. This will help search engines find your blog. Remember not to use too much jargon or too many technical terms in your blog posts. Readers typically prefer posts written in common language.

4. Get To The Point
If possible, write concise posts. Most readers often prefer posts that are easily read in a few minutes. Stay on topic, quickly convey your message, and then leave the reader to think.

5. Create Your Own Style (and stick with it)
Readers like to know what to expect, so you should be consistent with your writing style. Make sure your blog is easy on the reader’s eye. Decide on colors, font style & size, and format, and then stick with it for every entry. This helps your blog to look more professional.

6. Scan-able Posts
The easier it is for the reader to scan your post, the more likely your post will be read. Don’t smush 49 sentences into one long column; it will overwhelm the reader. Make sure to leave lots of white space. Use paragraphs, bullet points, headlines and subheads (see below).

7. Snazzy Headlines & Clear Subheads
To draw the reader in right from the start, begin with a catchy headline. Snazzy titles (with lots of search engine-friendly keywords) grab your reader’s attention, and give your blog a better chance of being read. Clear and crisp subheads make the post easier to read, while offering the reader a quick overview of what’s inside the post.

8. Create Lists
Bullet points and numbered lists help make the post easier to read. They tell readers what’s important and provide quick summaries of your key points.

9. Edit Your Post
Before you hit the “publish” button, read your post, and edit it for maximum readability. Check for grammar and syntax errors. Sometimes it helps to read your post aloud and edit as you go.

10. Links Are Our Friends
Support your blog post by linking to other relevant sites. For example, if you mention a great new product on the market, then you should link to that product right in that sentence. Or if perhaps, you think this post you’re reading on “How To Write In Your Blog” is the most brilliant thing you’ve read in weeks, you could link to it in your own blog. It’s a good idea to invite other sites to link to your blog. This improves your blog’s ranking and popularity.