Top 10 Dos and Donts of Writing Website Content

Content marketing can help your organization gain leads and improve business. According to a study from Hubspot, 40% of marketers place great importance on content marketing in their overall strategy.

That being said, there are a few things that you can focus on to create stellar content for your website without using the help of a different organization.

Here are some tips to help you write content that's meaningful to your audience and search engines alike.

The Do's Of Creating Web Content

There is no fixed way to write a good web piece, but there are some things that you can keep in mind when creating content to make it appealing to your user while also enhancing your SEO ranking.

1. Create Long-Form Content
2. Focus On The Customer
3. Simplify Your Write-ups
4. Always Include A Call-To-Action
5. Proofread Your Piece

Create Long-Form Content

Google says that 300 words are the minimum you need to get ranked on a page. So naturally, if you are doing the bare minimum, you will not have the best results. However, some experts believe that even 1,000 words are not enough to give you the best results.

Content between 1,600 and 3,000 words always seems to rank well. But, according to a study by SEMRush, articles greater than 3,000 words enjoy three times more traffic than shorter articles.

So, all in all, if your subject matter is suitable for writing extensive guides on, do it!

Focus On The Customer

Make sure your content is not aimless. Keep the target audience in mind before creating a content piece. For example, you cannot write about solemn and serious topics in a fun and witty tone. The audience will reject it instantly.

Before writing any piece, learn more about your target audience and understand what they want to read. Research the pain points and devise the content based around them to create appealing topics that your audience will accept.

Simplify Your Write-ups

When reading something off the internet, your reader is more inclined to scan the piece rather than read each word. To help the reader scan better, include numbered lists in your article. Readers have a short attention span and having lists, and highlighted text subheadings can help declutter the piece.

You have 8 seconds to give them all the information they need. Moreover, simplified write-ups make it easier for the reader to skim through your piece and get the information.

Always Include A Call-To-Action

A CTA is a bridge between the content piece and your company. A CTAs primary purpose is to drive conversions. There are several ways you can incorporate a CTA into your content piece. A study by HubSpot found that CTAs placed in anchor texts within articles increased conversion rates by 121%. Ensure that the CTA is visible and allows your reader to convert to your website.

Proofread Your Piece

To err is human; to proofread is a content writer's duty!

It's perfectly normal to overlook mistakes while writing. However, spelling issues, missing punctuation marks, and other similar problems can hamper the quality of your writing and put off the reader. They get busy finding mistakes instead of understanding what you are trying to tell them through the blog or article.

So, if you want your writing to be impactful… proofread! Or better yet, hire a dedicated editor to do it for you.

The Don'ts Of Crafting Web Content

There are some things that you should not do when creating web content. These five points need to be as far from your content as possible. Good content creation determines your sales. Studies show that the most common measure of content success is "total sales," and bad content can hamper these numbers significantly.

1. Don't Plagiarize
2. Difficult To Read
3. Bland & Boring
4. Copyright Images
5. Poor Research

Don't Plagiarize

Plagiarizing is the biggest sin that a writer can commit. CNN fired one of its editors because they stole content from other news sites.

This is an unforgivable sin because your content loses credibility, and in turn, causes you to lose your ranking on Google. The new Google algorithm named Panda is specifically designed to look for copied content and penalize pages with plagiarized content. The best practice is not to copy or 'spin' but take your time to research, understand the subject matter at hand, and then write a blog or article.

Difficult To Read

Readers want something that can be easily digested. Try using simple words and avoid technical terms and jargon. It is advised to keep your sentences short, paragraphs small and ensure that your readers have a good experience reading your piece. The simpler the article, the more audience you will attract and, in turn, get better conversion rates.

Bland & Boring

Reading a long overrun piece like a school textbook isn't precisely what a reader wants to see. Although the purpose of the content piece is to provide information, it is essential to put a bit of personality into your writing. Adding character based on your target audience can appeal to your content. For example, if you are writing for business professionals, write formally.

If you are writing for a younger generation, then adding in a few jokes here and there never hurt anyone. The personality of your writing offers uniqueness. Studies suggest that 78% of your consumers will be more likely to trust your brand if they have unique and customized content.

Copyright Images

Most organizations find images on Google that can easily be used for their content piece. This is a mistake that can drastically affect your SERP ranking. The best practice is to create graphics to use in your piece. Suppose you don't have a graphic designer on deck. In that case, certain websites such as Shutterstock and Adobe Stock can provide you with royalty-free images for your content pieces.

Poor Research

Research is a primary aspect of writing. You cannot expect to write a good piece without sufficient research involved. Unfortunately, several writers are under the impression that they can write about a topic without research, leading to misinformation.

Therefore, it is always advised to research the topic before writing thoroughly. Writing without research can negatively affect your organization's credibility with incorrect or outdated information.

Wrapping Up

Writing for the web can be tricky if you don't know what to look out for. There is no correct way of writing a good content piece for a website. Still, specific guidelines can be followed to help attract readers to your page—the more eyes on your article, the better the conversion at the end of the day.

If you’re looking for some quality writers who can help you promote your business through stellar copywriting, look no further than the experts at Epitome Digital Marketing!

For more reading on writing website content, check out Georgi Todorov's blog post titled How To Start a Blog in 2022 and Make Money from it? [Detailed Guide]