As Google’s algorithms continue to change and mature, compelling content is headed to the forefront of website success. Although many people have known for a long time that compelling, relevant, engaging and timely content were crucial, the Internet world as a whole has been slow to catch on. Most all of us have found content on the web which makes little sense and is largely a string of keywords put together with little thought of actual readability. On the other side, frequent web users generally have certain sites they visit time and time again.
What Makes People Return to Websites?
Think about what makes you come back to the same site over and over and likely you will find it to be the relevant, interesting and compelling content. This level of content not only keeps readers coming back, it even sparks readers to share the content with friends and among social media. Sites which reach the level of “compelling” generally offer unique, well-written content with links which not only point users to other site areas but also keep spiders well-fed, resulting in better search results. These sites also have content which is considered “evergreen,” meaning the information will not be out-of-date next month—or even next year.
Compelling Content Nobody Can Find
But what if your content is top-of-the line, grade A content, meaning it offers expert and timely information in a compelling and engaging manner—yet nobody is able to find it? This is where other factors, such as the right keywords and scannable text, come into play. Suppose you wrote an article about building rocking chairs, yet nowhere in your content were the words “rocking chair?” Aside from being a little crazy, it would also make it impossible for searchers to find your site when they typed in the search query “build rocking chair.” While this is certainly an extreme example, what it should tell you is that quality web content must be extremely easy to find and must be relevant to what the searcher is searching for.
Using Keywords Wisely
Keywords are vital to the ultimate success of your web content therefore you must take special pains to make them stand out, while also ensuring they make sense within your context. Search engine spiders are looking for your keywords and they need to be able to quickly determine whether your page actually describes the topics your keywords are advertising and, if so, how relevant your pages actually are. There are many ways to come up with the best keywords, but following a system can ensure you get the ones which will send traffic scurrying your way.
First of all simply start with the easiest words you can think of, right off the top of your head. Next, figure out synonyms for those words and finally consider your user’s vocabulary. This means you should factor in misunderstandings, incorrect terms, associated concepts and even classifications children would come up with. Once those critical keywords are firmly in place, work at integrating them in your content in the most natural way which keeps the content flowing and doesn’t make them shout “keyword” to your readers.
Final Thoughts
Remember to keep your content eminently scannable remembering that web readers have little time and even less patience when they are looking for a particular bit of information. Web readers scan, looking for stand-out sentences. This practice dictates that you include engaging headlines, chunks of text and bulleted lists in order to hold their attention. While content is certainly king, great content may never be read without a few tweaks along the way.
Tags: website content
