Hire an SEO copywriter to take care of your web content writing, and you’ll be found more easily online, give the browser a better impression of your business and bag loads more lovely customers. And isn’t that what it’s all about? Although it may seem like yet another marketing expense (after all, everyone can write. Right!?), outsourcing the SEO optimised content for your new website, landing pages, or blog articles to a copywriting agency will absolutely pay off.
Web content writing is likely to be the bulk of any copywriter’s workload these days. So they know what they’re doing. An SEO copywriter will be familiar with the ideal keyword density for higher search rankings and how to write killer content that will captivate and convince your readers. Ker-ching!
But, if you want to save a few quid by having a stab at writing your online content yourself, here are 18 handy tips to help you out:
Don’t Plagiarise
Make sure your web content writing is completely original. Don’t be tempted to cut and paste and try to pass someone else’s content off as your own. Just don’t do it.
Keep Your Web Content Writing Simple
Simplicity helps clarity. Use shorter words and everyday language when writing your content, and try not to get sucked into using long, little-known words. Remember, you’re trying to communicate with your reader, not show off your vast vocab. So, choose shorter words with fewer syllables, and you’ll keep your writing more conversational and create a stronger connection.
Keep Complex Sentences to a Minimum
Of course, your web content writing needs a range of sentence types to read well and to have rhythm, but try not to include too many long, complicated sentences. By keeping your sentences shorter, you’ll help to make your content less confusing and more readable.
Remember, if you find yourself staring blankly at your screen or you can’t find the time needed to write your content, give us a call on 01782 914166 or send an email to hello@wearewordnerds.co.uk. We’ll take care of your SEO content for you, whether you need a blog article, a persuasive landing page or engaging content for an entire website.
Don’t Waffle
Avoid repeating yourself. I mean, if you keep banging on about the same thing, your reader will soon be off. Or asleep.
Keep it Short & Sweet
Avoid hefty blocks of text by keeping your paragraphs on the shorter side. Short paragraphs are easier to read, less intimidating and more effective. They also help create plenty of white space on the screen, creating a cleaner, calmer read.
Don’t Be Pushy
Now, I get it. You want to sell, sell, sell. But steady on, your readers don’t want the hard, pushy sell. They want to know what your product or service will do for them while being given all the information they need to become a customer. Clever web content writing persuades rather than tells.
Know your Target Audience
Your content needs to connect with your target audience. So, you’ll need to know who they are. Once you understand precisely who you’re creating content for, imagine you’re writing directly to them. And use language your target audience would use.
Write Enticing Meta Descriptions
Meta descriptions are often overlooked, but they’re the first (and if they’re rubbish, only!) piece of content your reader will see. Your meta description is the few lines that show when your business features in an online search. So those few lines need to be enticing.
Know Your Goal
For each page or piece of content you write, have a clear goal in mind. What do you want your reader to know? What do you want them to do?
Write Compelling Call to Actions
Again, don’t be too pushy but be clear. Tell your reader exactly what they need to do to become a customer. And remind them again why your product or service will make their life a whole lot easier.
Make a Plan
Before you sit down to tackle your web content writing, it’s best to have a plan. Even if it’s a rough one. Have a plan in place before you start tapping away at the keyboard, and you’ll experience fewer hair-pulling hours. Your piece is likely to be much better structured when working from a plan, too.
Use Everyday Language
You’re human, and your potential customer is also human. So make sure your writing sounds like one. Use everyday conversational language and a friendly tone to make a strong connection with your reader. Basically, write as you’d speak.
Make Your Web Content Writing Digestible
No browser wants to face a solid wall of text when landing on your web page or blog. It’s intimidating and a real turn off. So, break up your content to make it easy to digest. Include lists, bullet points and plenty of subheadings, and your reader will be able to happily chomp through those tiny chunks of content.
Make it Easy for Your Reader
Make everything as easy as possible for your potential customer. This includes making it easy for them to like and trust you. The best way to do this is to create content that’s useful to them. What does your target audience need to know? What problems do they have? Create informative, helpful content that answers your potential’s questions, and you’re building trust by showing them you know what you’re talking about.
Perfect Your Paragraphs
Keep your paragraphs clear and concise. Your paragraphs should be short and always centred around one single point. Don’t include any unnecessary information, go off on a tangent or make multiple points.
Create Scannable Content
As we all have short attention spans, your reader is unlikely to read every single word you write. So always place the most important information at the top of your page. And structure your web content writing in an easily scannable way, so your reader can take in the highlights as they move their eyes over your content.
Don’t Keyword Stuff
You know you need to include keyword phrases in your content but remember to sprinkle them throughout. Don’t stuff your content full of keywords. Keyword stuffing will make your writing sound awful, your business appear desperate, and Google really won’t thank you for it.
Remember to Edit
You’ve written your content. Brilliant news. But remember, you’ve not finished until you’ve thoroughly edited your piece. This means checking for grammatical errors, reading your writing aloud to listen to how it sounds, and making any changes needed to improve its flow and clarity. Publishing content full of mistakes, jarring keywords or poorly written paragraphs will create an undesirable impression. So, edit, edit, edit.
Whether you’re writing a blog article, a landing page or the content for your website, best of luck. But if you don’t have the time or find yourself staring blankly at your screen, give us a call on 01782 914166 or email us at hello@wearewordnerds.co.uk and we’ll take care of your SEO web content writing for you.