1. Make a plan for the content of your website
Writing great web content starts with planning. What are your messages? Who is your audience? How will your web content support your organisational or personal goals? Will you incorporate tools like Facebook, Twitter, newsletters and blogs?
2. Use keywords to improve search engine rankings
Search engines work by matching the content of a website to a user’s search text. The more times a web page uses the search text the higher it will rank in the search results.
Using keywords, words that people commonly search for, will help attract visitors to your site. Before you start to write your content do some research, using tools like Google Adwords, to identify keywords commonly searched on in your subject area. Once you’ve identified your keywords try to use them as often as you can without making your text sound contrived.
3.Writing great web headlines
Good headlines help users navigate content and prevent them hitting the dreaded back button and looking elsewhere. Headline text is also given special treatment by search engines, which will rank a site higher if a headline contains keywords. Web headlines need to be simple and informational. “Clever” headlines are not useful for search engines or busy readers.
4. Keep it short
While we’re on the subject of busy readers… The shorter your content is the more likely it will be read. Sections, paragraphs and sentences all need to be kept short. If your topic is big, consider separating across multiple pages.
5. Watch your language
Research has shown that poor spelling and grammar are one of the biggest turn-offs for internet readers. Make sure you use a spell checker. Also think about the style and tone of your web content. Make sure it is consistent and appropriate for your audience.
6. Be aware of the law
It is against the law in most countries to use copyrighted material such as photos or videos without permission. There are also laws against defamation and objectionable material. Think about what you say on your website. Make sure it is something you would be happy saying to a customer or your boss at work.
7. Write about things that matter
The most important tip for writing great web content is to write about things that matter and to keep your content current. There is more than enough junk clogging up the ether with meaningless or out-of-date content. To be great, web content must be important and useful to its audience.
About the Author:
Anna Hudson is a New Zealand-based writer living in Wellington, New Zealand. She loves to write about travel, as well as her home city. You can read more about things she enjoys on her blog. Anna recently completed the Writing for the Web Course at NZ Writers’ College.
Photo credit: Flickr.com_WiesvanErp
