Content writing for websites is an artform on its own. Badly crafted writing will not get you many hits when people search for the topic you’ve written about. It takes a lot of time to write a good web article.
You must not only write knowledgeably about the content, but you should do so in a way that offers you potential rewards for your efforts. If your writing doesn’t reap you benefits such as more traffic on your website, it won’t be worth the effort.
What are some of the golden rules for writing good content?
1. Punchy headlines
When you’re writing content for a website, your headline is very important. In today’s world of swiping left when you’re not interested, a bad headline can lose you readers. When a person enters a topic on a search engine, they are given multiple options to read from. If your headline is not attractive to them, they won’t bother to go to the article. They’ll skip it and look for a headline that does appeal to them.
The vast majority of people will only read your headline and ignore it if it doesn’t ‘speak’ to them. “A headline needs to promise the reader what the article will deliver,” says David Brown, a blog owner who utilizes cheap essay writing service EssayWritingLand for his work. “When you tantalize the reader with your headline, they’re likely to want to read further.”
Play around with words and be objective about how persuasive they are. Use strong verbs and descriptive language in your headlines. Craft it so that it’s short but packs a powerful punch!
2. Original content
Search engines such as Google do not look favorably upon copied content. They reward websites for original content by means of their algorithm update. As a writer, make sure that your work is not a reworded version of someone else’s work. Not only will search engines not recognize it, your readers will soon see through it. You will lose loyalty and credibility. This will reduce traffic on the website and, in turn, hurt your bottom line.
When you are writing multiple articles for a website, quality is more important than quantity. Don’t think that posting a whole lot of low-quality articles will help you in the long run. Rehashing the same content over and over again in different ways will switch readers off, too.
Focus on posting high-quality, original articles. They should be thought-provoking, tell a story, and leave your readers wanting more. That may mean that you post less frequently, but that’s okay. If your content is that good, your readers will be more than willing to wait for it.
3. Understand SEO
Search engine optimization (SEO) writing is vital to getting your article to the top of the list after a search. It is done by utilizing keywords and phrases in the article. SEO writing includes using anchor text and links to other websites.
The big secret is to add this ‘scientific’ element to your writing without making it sound disjointed. Your writing needs to flow naturally but still incorporate elements of SEO. It is essential that your main keyword or phrase features in the headline of your article.
Find a balance in how many times you mention keywords and phrases. If you do it too often or too seldom, Google will question it and rank it lower than you’d like.
When you sit down to write an article, brainstorm some keywords and phrases that you will intersperse your article with. Think about what a reader would type into a search engine if they were searching for an article like yours. For example, you might be writing an article explaining the process of learning to ride a bike.
If you use phrases like ‘acquiring the skills to pedal a bicycle’ instead of ‘ride a bike,’ you won’t get the hits you want. Why? When people are searching for this topic, they’ll type in something such as ‘how to ride a bike.’
4. Show knowledgeability around the topic
You need to have some expertise in the content you’re writing about. Your article is supposed to provide information to those who want it. It’s important that you demonstrate a sound understanding of the subject matter. You also need to provide this information in a scan-friendly way.
Some people don’t read the whole article the first time around. They’ll scan through it to see if they can pick out the information they’re looking for. If they see that what they’re looking for is there, they’ll stop long enough to read the whole thing. That’s why it’s important to make use of headings and bullet points, as these facilitate scanning.
Many of your readers will absorb what you have to say and then ask questions. It reflects poorly on you when you are unable to answer those questions because you don’t know the answers. Be prepared for feedback and questions so that you gain reader confidence and loyalty.
5. Grammar does count
If your work is full of spelling, grammar, and punctuation mistakes, a lot of what you’re trying to say will get lost. Once people pick up errors, they’ll continue reading so that they can pick out more. A lot of people feel better about their abilities when they see someone else’s mistakes.
Errors such as these will be what people comment about, not your content. Avoid direct translations from one language into another. They never work, and you’ll wind up being the butt of jokes all over social media.
There are online spelling, grammar, and punctuation checking tools that you can use to make sure you’re on the right track. But remember, these are tools that run on algorithms. And sometimes the conventions of English cannot be encompassed by an algorithm.
It’s advisable to find an English-speaking person to assist. There are many freelance editors out there who can help. Some websites contract writers to write their content. They detail what they want and let the writer ‘paint the picture’ with words for their website.
