When you’re creating quality content for your website, two main goals likely guide your efforts: providing valuable info to your readers and ranking high on search result pages.
In the past, the race to stuff seemingly endless keywords into a constant flow of content made it impossible to achieve both goals. As a result, content quality was downright dreadful, but by golly, there sure was a lot of it.
Nowadays, you can take a more leisurely approach to create content – just as long as you have the quality fine-tuned. Today’s bloggers spend anywhere from two to six hours handcrafting each post and it’s paying off.
Their approach to creating content varies wildly, of course. But their ability to achieve great results undoubtedly comes down to having all the following elements in every piece.
Compelling Header Tags
Header tags are a must when creating top-notch content for the web. No one loves a wall of text, after all. Furthermore, search engines use the header tags to understand your content and rank its quality.
To abide by SEO best practices, your content should always start with an H1 header tag. Don’t forget to put your main keyword in this tag, preferably right upfront.
Next, use H2 header tags to create your main sections throughout the content. For better readability, you can add H3 to H6 tags to break up your content even more.
Well-Researched Keywords
Keyword stuffing might be dead and gone. But that doesn’t mean you don’t need keywords anymore.
Search engines still use keywords to match content with queries, although the approach has changed over the years.
Instead of looking for the exact keywords, search engines have grown wise to the power of semantics.
To help the search engine do its job, you must research the best target keyword for each page. Then, use it one to three times to get the point across before moving on to semantically linked keywords.
Need an example? If your main keyword is “gold triangle earrings,” semantic keywords may include gold geometric earrings, triangle hoop earrings, and 14k triangle studs.
Smart Linking Strategy
A smart linking strategy adds value to your web content without sending readers scurrying off the page. It’s a balancing act, for sure.
You must add a nice mix of internal and external links at key points using just the right anchor text. If you do it right, the links will enhance your content and promote conversions.
For internal links, zero in on user intent for the search query that will lead them to the page. Link to a relevant page that will prove helpful to the reader and help move them through the buyer’s journey if applicable.
External links should point to relevant info from reputable sources. The linked content should back up your claims, cite facts and stats, and help establish your authority on the matter.
For both types of links, vary your anchor text while making sure it describes the linked page well enough for both readers and search engines to understand.
Engaging Imagery
A picture is worth a thousand words, right? So, why not put several pictures to work on each page, adding thousands of valuable words to the conversation?
You cannot just slap any photo on the page and hope for the best, however. You must legally source high-quality images relevant to the content on each page.
Then, you have to optimize the images for SEO to avoid slowing down your website. The right image size, file type, and compression rate is key in hosting fast-loading images.
Don’t forget to add a keyword-rich caption if it makes sense for your content. Skip the keywords in alt text; just focus on writing an accurate description for screen-reader users.
The Right Brand Voice
Your brand voice is the personality of your enterprise. So, you must let your true self shine in all your works.
If you don’t want to model the voice after your own, imagine your brand as a person. Are they light and bubbly? Wholly serious? Or something altogether different?
Once you get your brand voice pinned down, use it to create each and every piece of content on your website.
Then, hear your brand voice in your head while you proofread, making changes along the way to better align the content with the personality of your company.
Snappy Introduction
A snappy intro helps readers fall for your content – hook, line, and sinker – often keeping them on the page through to the end.
Statistics, fun facts, and polarizing statements are all great ways to capture the attention of your readers. But sometimes, it’s just best to highlight their pain points and show empathy for their situation.
There’s really no one right way to set the hook.
No matter how you go about it, your readers should be nodding along with your statements within just a few sentences. By that point, they’ll be more than ready to learn more about the subject at hand.
Ample Whitespace
Whitespace brings balance to your content, giving the eyes a brief break between revelations. The content ends up much more scannable, too, keeping readers engaged through the end.
So, don’t be afraid to:
- Use header tags
- Write short paragraphs
- Add bullet point lists
Also, think about leaving a bit of white space around your images. Give each element breathing room without breaking up the content too much.
Helpful Information
If your content doesn’t speak to the needs of your readers, why bother creating anything at all?
To stand out against the competition, your content needs to fully address the search query. And it must do a better job of it than everything else currently on the first search results page.
While that might sound like a tall order, it just takes a little bit of extra time and effort to get it right.
Spend time figuring out all the info your readers might need about the topic. Then, write up the headers that will guide the writing process. Add in all the key resources needed to inspire readers to jump into action by the end.
Strong Call-to-Action
Inspiring your readers is important, for sure, but you must direct their energy to get the desired results. Otherwise, they could click off the page without further engagement with your brand.
Worse yet, they could direct that energy toward your competitors, giving them the win instead of you.
To avoid all that, infuse every piece of content with a strong call to action.
Use clear, concise language to tell your readers exactly how to proceed with the next steps. Encourage them to take action and resolve their pain points, once and for all.
Then, sit back and enjoy all the leads coming your way.
Concise, Error-Free Copy
Nothing inspires self-righteous scolding faster than spelling and grammar errors in online content.
Not even social media posts can get away from the onslaught of corrections – and that goes double for marketing content.
So, don’t miss the chance to tune up and polish all your content before publishing it for the world to see.
Use Grammarly, Hemingway Editor, and even the spellchecker in your word processing program to give you the inside scoop. Then, fix all the noted errors before hitting publish.
You’re bound to miss a few things anyway. But that way, you can at least say you tried before going back to correct things yet again.
Bringing It All Together
Creating quality content for your website helps position your brand as a trusted source of industry info. Each piece serves as a conversation that guides your audience through the buyer’s journey, helping them complete their purchase without worry.
What do you get out of the deal? More sales, better brand awareness, and excellent customer loyalty, just to name a few things.
So, it’s well worth the time to incorporate the above elements into every piece of content you create. Your efforts will ensure the success of your works, helping you to achieve your content marketing goals.
If this all seems a bit overwhelming, just know there are ways to make it easier. The WriterAccess content creation platform is one of those ways. Start a free trial for instant access to the talent, tools and training required for content marketing success.
