The mistakes you are making with your web content

It’s easy for website owners to make mistakes with their content. The importance of web content is something that I will continue to preach until the day Google stops being important. Which is never. Web content, and a content strategy is what gets your site ranking in the search engines but, it’s easy to make mistakes, especially if you don’t understand the way Google works.
 
Mistake number 1: Keywords need to be EVERYWHERE
 
Keywords have always been at the forefront of the great Google debate. Let’s get one thing clear. The content that you create for your website is not just about keywords. It’s more than that.
The content that you create needs to be relevant, readable, and really, more than anything, it needs to be worth reading. Time is valuable to people. If you want to attract people to your content, then it needs to be worth their precious time.
 
Now, I’m not saying that keywords aren’t important, they are, but, they need to be used properly. Overusing keywords or ‘keyword stuffing’ puts your website at a huge disadvantage. It can be difficult to recover from the wrath of Google, especially when it comes to content. Use your keywords sparingly, and tactically. Use them where they are needed and use variations of those keywords. Use synonyms of those keywords. Most importantly, don’t stuff your keywords, Google does not like it.
 
Mistake number 2: Quantity over quality
 
More words, MORE WORDS!
More words won’t outsmart Google. Google will always favour small amounts of authentic and well-written content over pages and pages of rubbish ramblings. While it is still important to factor in the amount of words used on each page of your website, you need to think about the bigger picture. The bigger picture is this: People want to read content that is relevant and valuable. It’s that simple.
 
Mistake number 3: Content is everything you need to rank
 
Content is my baby, so I will try and say this without hurting its feelings.
 
Content isn’t… everything.
 
Ok, that was hard. But, it’s a truth that we all need to learn.
 
Alongside content, your site needs to incorporate all of the important SEO factors to rank. On and off page SEO, site speed, usability and everything in-between, are needed to work in conjunction with your juicy content. Sexy content and a bold SEO strategy are a match made in heaven, so, get them working for you.
 
 
So, how do I make Google happy with my content strategy?
 
I’m going to let you in on how you can make Google fall at your feet over your brilliant and sexy content strategy. It’s the biggest secret I’ve ever shared, and it’s very, very, important. Drum roll please…
 
Write relevant and authoritative content.
 
That’s it.
 
Plain and simple.
 
Yes, there are keywords to consider.
 
Yes, there is competitor analysis to consider.
 
But, at the end of the day, Google will not fall for any shortcuts or tricks. So, to make it happy, just write good content.
 
Creating a content strategy
 
A content strategy is made up of 4 key stages. If you stick to these, Google will become a close and loyal friend.
 
Competitor analysis
 
Almost every industry has competition. Competitors can actually help us to understand what ranks in the search engines. Take a look at your top competitors and see what they are writing about. This will help with your brainstorming stage.
 
Audience
 
Writing to please Google is important and should be kept in the back of your mind. At the front of your mind should be your audience. You are writing for your readers. You need to learn about the audience that you are appealing to. Think about what they want to read, join forums and ask your audience questions. Your audience is your lifeline, so you need to get them onboard.
 
Keywords
 
You need to consider how and why your audience are searching, then associate that with high volume keywords and long-tail key-search terms.
 
Brainstorming topics
 
The final step is brainstorming. Refine and condense the first 3 steps then incorporate them into your brainstorming step. Think about topics, ask yourself why someone would want to read them. How will they find your writing? What will they learn from your information? Look for trending topics, then make yours better.
 
 
What can I expect from a content strategy?
 
Well, results.
 
Plain and simple, we want you to get results.
 
Having a content strategy puts you on the map and drives traffic through different channels. People searching for your topics will now be visiting your site to read your content. This creates brand awareness and adds real value to your readers.
 
 
If you need help with your content strategy or, want to learn more about how it can help, get in touch with the team at Beyond Leads today.