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Is your website content dull, boring and irrelevant, then most probably your content is making web traffic visiting your website not to hang around and see all your Web pages. In the majority of cases it's true. Website content is dull, lifeless, characterless, and effectively useless. To put it another way, poor web content does not appeal, won't convert, and definitely will not turn a profit.
It’s easier to be visually effective but very difficult to be writing effectively. A picture can say a thousand words, but it’s not easy to put forth the right message in thousands of words.
That’s why it is very important to hire the services of Professional website Writers. Writing for website is called C ontent Development. Web content development is the process of researching, writing, gathering, organizing, and editing information for publication on web sites.
Content developers may also be search engine optimization specialists, or Internet marketing professionals. This is because content is called 'king'. High quality, unique content is what search engines are looking for and content development specialists therefore have a very important role to play in the search engine optimization process.
A Content Developer for websites uses many different tools to get the desired results. A few are listed below:
- Dictionary
- Thesaurus
- Acronyms
- Synonyms
- Idioms
- Encyclopedia
- Wikipedia
- Periodicals
- Literature
- Books
- Multi-Media
- Movies
- Other Relevant Websites
- Research Material
- Clients Feedback
Content evaluation and organization requires that the purpose of the website be clearly defined. Collecting a list of the necessary content then organizing it according to the audience's needs is a key step in website planning. In the process of gathering the content being offered, any items that do not support the defined purpose or accomplish target audience objectives are removed. The next step is to organize the basic information structure by categorizing the content and organizing it according to user needs. Each category should be named with a concise and descriptive title that will become a link on the website. Planning for the website's content ensures that the wants/needs of the target audience and the purpose of the website will be fulfilled.
Google's advice for your website: Content
The websites actually at the top of Google have only one thing clearly in common: good writing. Don't get so caught up in the usual SEO sacred cows and bugbears, such as Page Rank, frames, and JavaScript, that you forget your site's content.
I was recently struck by the fact that the top-ranking web sites on Google are consistently much better written than the vast majority of what is read on the web.
Of course, that shouldn't be a surprise, considering how often officials at Google proclaim the importance of good content for websites. Yet traditional SEO wisdom has little to say about good writing for websites.
Does Google, the world's wealthiest media company, really ignore traditional standards of quality in the publishing world? Does Google, like so many website owners, really get so caught up in the process of the algorithm that it misses the whole point? Apparently not.
Whatever the technical mechanism, Google is doing a pretty good job of identifying websites with good content and rewarding them with high rankings.
I looked at Google's top five websites for the five most searched-on keywords, as identified by Word Tracker on 27 June 2005. Typically, the top five websites receive an overwhelming majority of the traffic delivered by Google.
The web sites that contained written content (a small but significant portion were image galleries) all shared the following features:
- Updating of website: Frequent updating of content, at least once every few weeks, and more often, once a week or more.
- Spelling and grammar of the website content: Few or no errors. No website had more than three misspelled words or four grammatical errors. Note: spelling and grammar errors were identified by using Microsoft Word's check feature, and then ruling out words marked as mis-spellings that are either proper names or new words that are simply not in the dictionary. Does Google use Spell-Check? Keep in mind that no one really does know what the 100 factors in Google's algorithm are. But whether the mechanism is Spell-Check or a better shot at link popularity thanks to great credibility, or something else entirely, the results remain the same.
- Paragraphs in website content: Primarily brief (1-4 sentences). Few or no long blocks of text.
- Lists in website content: Both bulleted and numbered form a large part of the text.
- Sentence length of website content: Mostly brief (10 words or fewer). Medium length and long sentences are sprinkled throughout the text rather than clumped together.
- Contextual relevance of keywords in websites: Text contains numerous terms related to the keyword, as well as stem variations of the keyword.
SEO bugbears and sacred cows
A hard look at the results shows that, practically speaking, a number of SEO bugbears and sacred cows may matter less to ranking than good content in website:
- Page Rank: The median Page Rank was 4. One page had a Page Rank of 0. Of course, this might simply be yet another demonstration that the little Page Rank number you get in your browser window is not what Google's algorithm is using. But if you're one of those people who attaches an overriding value to that little number, this is food for thought.
- Frames: The top two web sites listed for the most searched-on keyword employ frames. Frames may still be a bad web design idea from a usability standpoint, and they may ruin your search engine rankings if your website's linking system depends on them. But there are worse ways you could shoot yourself in the foot.
- JavaScript-formatted internal links: Most of the websites use JavaScript for their internal page links. Again, that's not the best website design practice, but there are worse things you could do.
- Links: Most of the websites contained ten or more links; many contained over 30, in defiance of the SEO bugbears about ‘link popularity bleeding’. Moreover, nearly all the pages of the website contained a significant number of non-relevant links. On many pages, non-relevant links out-numbered relevant ones.
- Originality: A significant number of web pages contained content copied from other websites. In all cases, the content was professionally written content apparently distributed on a free-reprint basis. Note that the reprint content did not consist of content feeds. However, no website consisted solely of free-reprint content. There was always at least a significant portion of original content, usually the majority of the page.
Recommendations
- Make sure a professional writer, or at least someone who can tell good writing from bad, is creating your website's content. Most visitors simply hit the back button when confronted with the unpalatable text, so the increased traffic is just wasted bandwidth.
- If you write your own content, make sure that it passes through the hands of a skilled copywriter before going online.
- Update your content often. It's important both to add new pages and update existing pages. If you can't afford original content, use free-reprint content.
- Distribute your content to other websites on a free-reprint basis. This will help your website get links in exchange for the right to publish the content. It will also help spread your message and enhance your visibility. Fears of a ‘duplicate content penalty’ for free-reprint content (as opposed to duplication of content within a single website) are unjustified.
Conclusion
In short, if you have a mature website that's already indexed and getting traffic, you should make sure most of your investment is devoted to content. This seems to be preferable to graphic design, old-school search-engine optimization, or linking campaigns.
This article was written by Joel Walsh. Joel's archive of web business articles is at the website of his business, Up Market Content, a website content provider.
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 Building a Content Rich Website
By Dr. Mani Siva Subramanian
[ Dr.Mani is Webmaster of the Ezine Marketing Center, and an expert commentator on Ezine Publishing and Marketing. ]
What makes a Website attractive to a visitor? The content it provides, of course.
You might run a wonderful advertising campaign; develop viral marketing tools and attractive affiliate programs. But unless your Website is rich in content, the traffic spikes that result from your efforts will only be transient. Content that is useful, valuable, informative, educational or just plain entertaining can attract and retain an audience better than anything else.
Anyone can create a content-rich Website by following a few key points:
· Be disciplined
· Update your site regularly
· Know how to create content, or where to find it
Discipline and Commitment
To create your content-rich Website, you need tunnel vision and a laser sharp focus. In a word; self discipline. It's easy to waste hours, even days, clicking your way from one site to another. Don't let yourself be distracted: limit your online content explorations only to Websites and resources that are directly connected to your site's subject.
Discipline also extends to content creation. Successful writers do not wait for inspiration before beginning their work. Instead, they develop a regular writing schedule, and they stick to it. Whether they feel like it or not, they sit down at a desk and write.
You too must develop a schedule to add content to your Website, and follow it. Nike has the right idea - 'Just Do It'!
Regular Updates to your Website
Nothing is deader than an untended Website.
Regularly updating or modifying your Website's content gives you an edge over the competition. People will keep returning to your site if they notice something new to see, learn from or enjoy each time. |
Building a Content Rich Website
Creating Your Content
You know best - or should - what your audience wants. It then becomes an easy task to decide about which types of content will best serve their needs and how to go about finding or creating it. Here are some suggestions:
· Editorials
· Feature articles
· News clips or stories
· Art galleries
· Aggregating the best content
· Reviews
· Announcements
· Interviews
· Interactive features - polls, feedback, discussion groups, forums, chat
Editorials
Editorials are the opinion of a perceived 'expert' in the field-- (either you or a guest contributor). And they make good content, because they invite reader response, either endorsing or opposing the writer. This can make for lively debate. Give your readers an avenue to make their views known - by including a bulletin board or guest book on your site. People will return back to your site, at least to read other responses to their comments. And you can use this feedback from your audience by incorporating it into a follow up article in the future!
Full-length Feature Articles
A feature article is the most common - and one of the best - forms of content.
Depending on the nature of your site, the articles may be long or brief, formal or chatty, technical or entertaining.
Here are some tips:
 Articles shouldn't be too long. While there aren't any rules, it is perhaps safe to keep feature articles below 1200 words. If they are longer, convert them into multi-part features.- Articles should be relevant to the topic of your Website.
- They should educate, entertain or inform. Try and limit the message of each piece to one or two new ideas.
- Don't simply rehash an article you've read elsewhere. By publishing something that hasn't been already featured elsewhere, you enhance the value and credibility of your site.
There are several ways to get original content.
Write your own features. This assumes you write reasonably well. If you can't, or don't have the time or inclination then getting someone to write articles for you has benefits to both you and the author. You could offer to:
- Pay guest authors for their work or
- Exchange articles with their Website in return. Your Website visitors benefit by providing them with another point of view. A fringe benefit is that you might hook some new regular visitors from your guest author's site
- Exclusivity. If someone else writes for you, make sure the same article won't be submitted to dozens of other Websites and newsletters. Publishing exclusive content benefits includes syndication opportunities in other publications, online and off, and reader loyalty.
Building a Content Rich Website
Reprints
Reprint articles written by others, but you must always obtain permission. All work, from the moment it is written, is copyright and owned by the author, whether it is marked with a copyright symbol or not. Content is not free. You can, however, make reprints interesting and personalized by putting your own 'spin' on the content. Write an introduction to the subject, or comment on the author's opinions or conclusions.
Take care to avoid 'editing' the original article without the author's permission. Avoid articles that have been reprinted many times before on other Websites and electronic publications.
The News Desk
Your Website can become a source of the latest developments and happenings in areas of interest by providing timely news on topics of interest to your readers.
Create a separate section of your site to deal with industry news. Or you might devote an entire Website to news updates.
There are many ways of presenting news:
- As a feature article
- As short news clips, with a link to the full story
- As news stories, where each item is explained at length
Whichever way you choose to present the news, make sure to stamp it with your own personality. Make it interesting, personal, chatty, fun, unique, or all of these - with your style of writing, or by adding your point of view.
As with feature articles, news clips should be
- Relevant
- Useful to your reader
- Timely. Remember, old news is no news!
There are many resources out there to help you find news stories to feature. You could:
- Subscribe to Ezine on your topic
- Sign up for news delivery services that send updates periodically by email
- Register to receive press releases on your topic
- Actively hunt for newsy items during your Web surfing
- Read newspapers, magazines and books on your subject
- Attend conferences, workshops or seminars and write about your impressions
The Content Aggregator
By making your Website the ultimate content resource on issues related to your topic, you would attract and retain a loyal audience. Your site will become a destination for anyone seeking information on your subject.
As an expert on your topic, you can evaluate sites and other resources (eZines, directories, books, offline publications) for the best, and then list them along with your rating and opinions.
Building a Content Rich Website
The Art Gallery
Text is not the only form of content.  Sound, music, pictures, photographs, video clips - and soon maybe smell and dreams (!) - can be attractions on a Website.
If you are a professional photographer, you could create a display of your snaps. If you are a music group, you might offer some of your creations for download. Amateur moviemakers can use the Internet as their low-cost global distribution channel.
 As broadband connectivity becomes more widely accessible, we might soon see the majority of Websites converting to such interactive and dynamic content models.
The Reviewer
Use your Website to recommend the *best* products and services to your visitors - books, websites, music, movies, artwork, web designers, restaurants, anything. You, the expert, tell them what is good and what isn't.
Share something that will be of interest and benefit to them. If you read a great book, or surf into a wonderful Website, then tell your visitors about it. Reviews help build credibility and trust for your site.
How to write a review?
Here are some tips:
- Provide contact/ordering information for those who want to know more.
- Be relevant. Limit your reviews to the topic and subject of your site
- Be selective. Set high standards for the products you review. Be analytical. Tell your reader specifically what is good or bad about the thing you review, and why.
- Don't go overboard. Restrain your impulse to offer extremes of praise and criticism.
- Offer Recommendations. At the end, say what you think about it. Is it good? Or bad? Should your reader buy the product, visit the Website, order the service? Tell them.
What should you review?
Anything - as long as it is relevant to the topic of your site, and is likely to have interest for your reader. Here are some ideas:
- Books: There are bound to be many books on your topic. Review good ones, and even bad ones. If an author/publisher sends you a book to review, write about it.
- Websites: If you have a favorite Website, or run across one that is useful, entertaining or informative, review it. Your readers will love you for this - they might never have found it on their own!
- Products and services can also be grist for your mill. Just remember to stay within the guidelines - relevant and useful to your reader.
Announcements
- Has your company done something new and innovative?
- Have you developed an improved version of your product?
- Are you privy to insider information in your industry?
- Do you follow the rumors and gossip in your field?
- Do you track swings and developments closely?
If you do, announce them on your Website. People love to feel informed and up with the latest gossip and happenings.
Building a Content Rich Website
Interviews
An  interview with an expert in your field or a famous person makes exciting, valuable content. And it is easy to conduct an interview via email or over the telephone.
Choose an expert or guest you think will be of interest to your readers. Learn more about your expert - special interests, experience, achievements, status in field, etc. This allows you to create pertinent questions.
 Decide upon a topic for the interview. Prepare a set of questions you'd like to ask. Then contact your guest with an interview request.
Most people would be happy to participate in your interview. For those who seem hesitant, mentioning the exposure they would get from being on your Website is enough to get them to agree!
Send a copy of your questions to the guest by email, make a phone call or even arrange a face-to-face meeting. Once you have your copy, make editorial changes so that it reads well. This might mean re-arranging the questions so that there is a smooth flow of thoughts. And by intelligently interspersing additional queries and comments, you can make it appear as if the interview was carried out in person and make it more interesting to read!
Ask additional questions, or for clarification when necessary. Finally, make sure to get your guest's approval for the final version of the interview. Then go ahead and publish it on your site.
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