1. Identify the purpose of the website content<\/h3>\n
This first step is simple, yet crucial. You can think of your web content purpose like your mission.<\/p>\n
Everything you create expands on your mission\u2014it\u2019s the backbone of your website content strategy. In other words, your content purpose is your why. <\/em><\/p>\n If your content doesn\u2019t have a purpose, why<\/em> are you creating it?<\/p>\n The following 3 questions create a unique, driven, and helpful content purpose. Reference back to your answers as you create your content strategy<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n Why is your content important?<\/strong><\/p>\n Let\u2019s say you own a digital marketing agency<\/strong><\/a> and want to write about digital marketing related topics. Ask yourself why this would be useful for your audience.<\/p>\n What will your readers take away from your posts?<\/p>\n Who needs to hear about it?<\/strong><\/p>\n Consider who needs<\/em> to learn about digital marketing<\/strong><\/a>. Write down your audience and why your content will make their lives better (we\u2019ll go over how to research your audience in step 2.)<\/p>\n How will my content be different from others?<\/strong><\/p>\n There are hundreds of posts about digital marketing. What makes yours different?<\/p>\n Use your own business, brand, and personality to stand out. Bring something new to the table.<\/p>\n On another note, it\u2019s easy to veer away from your purpose when you produce a lot of content.<\/p>\n This keeps your content true to your purpose and your readers.<\/p>\n A big part of your website content strategy is to build long-lasting customer relationships. Your web content should answer your audience\u2019s questions and relate to their needs. It\u2019s about them, not you.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s another tip\u2014when you research your audience, be as specific as possible.<\/strong><\/p>\n A general audience leads to generic content\u2014you\u2019ll lose your content purpose and what makes you different. A specific audience, on the other hand, connects your purpose with their desired goals.<\/p>\n As you research your audience, write down the following traits.<\/p>\n Pain points – <\/strong>Your reader\u2019s challenges give you a list of questions to answer in your content. Become their problem-solver.<\/p>\n Behavior<\/strong> – Write down the behavior of your audience as a customer, and as a person.<\/p>\n As a customer<\/strong> – Research what they purchase, when they purchase, and why.<\/p>\n As a person<\/strong> – Write down what they do during their free time. What are their hobbies? Do they read other blogs? If so, what?<\/p>\n Find out what grabs their interest and use it.<\/p>\n Desires<\/strong> – What are your audience\u2019s long-term goals? How will you lead them there?<\/p>\n Demographics – <\/strong>The age, occupation, gender, etc. of your reader will personalize the way you write and where you publish content. For example, a 15-year-old is more likely to use Instagram than a 65-year-old.<\/p>\n Once you\u2019ve researched your audience, build your web content around the stages of your marketing funnel<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n You should create content for each stage. Use your reader\u2019s interest to get their attention during the delight stage. Or, nurture your readers into buying your product with their desires.<\/p>\n Writing for the web is trial and error. You\u2019ll notice how some posts receive higher engagement than others over time.<\/p>\n Auditing your website content creation helps you:<\/p>\n Try to audit your website<\/strong><\/a> content every 6 months. This will ensure you\u2019re on track with your goals.<\/p>\n The easiest and most efficient way to perform a content audit is to make use of a tool. In this example, I’m going to use SEMRush Content Audit – if you’re not a SEMRush subscriber you can register now and get a 14-day free trial<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n Here is an overview of the process:<\/p>\n Login to your SEMRush account, create a new project, and go to Content Analyzer.<\/p>\n SEMRush will analyze your content and group them into content sets.<\/p>\n Clicking on any of the sets will present you with a list of recommendations on how to improve the particular piece of content.<\/p>\n You can also connect your Google Analytics and Google Search Console accounts with SEMRush and get more insightful data on how your content performs on Google and social media platforms.<\/p>\n While analyzing your content, do it with a critical mind. Besides looking at the different metrics, try to:<\/p>\n A good rule of thumb is to write down your content goals. As you audit your site, determine if you\u2019re on the right track to reaching them.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s an example: <\/strong><\/p>\n Kristine sells plants to people who live in the city. Her content purpose is to inform readers about the benefits of owning plants in an apartment.<\/p>\n Kristine started her content strategy 10 months ago. She wants to make sure her content is reaching out to the right audience.<\/p>\n After running an audit, she found many posts being shared by suburban house-owners. Kristine realized that her keywords weren\u2019t targeted towards apartment owners, but house-owners.<\/p>\n To solve this problem, Kristine conducted more audience research. Then, she readjusted her target keywords and social sharing for city-dwellers.<\/p>\n A unique website content strategy is nearly impossible these days. There will always be others who write the same content as you.<\/p>\n The goal is to stand out from your competitors. You can do this by learning from them.<\/p>\n Before you create a post, do a Google search. Search for your topic and other ideas similar to it. Read the most popular posts and ask yourself, \u201cHow will my content be more informative? Insightful? Actionable?\u201d<\/p>\n Basically, how will your post be better?<\/p>\n Along with reading other posts, try out these 3 strategies:<\/p>\n Change your angle – <\/strong>Write about your topic from another perspective. Take a different approach to solve a problem, or share a unique experience.<\/p>\n Get readers to leave your post thinking, \u201cI\u2019ve never thought of it like that before.\u201d<\/p>\n Revisit your content purpose – <\/strong>Define what makes your content purpose different from others and use it in your posts.<\/p>\n You can also implement your brand. Show off your personality and write in your own voice and humor. Or, implement brand colors to personalize your blog.<\/p>\n Encourage engagement – <\/strong>The more engagement your web content gets, the more popular it\u2019ll be.<\/p>\n You can increase social sharing and:<\/p>\n You should add social media sharing icons to promote engagement. As you go through this process, make sure you\u2019re still reaching out to your targeted audience<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n Your posts should stand out to the right people<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Website content creation is one part of your website marketing strategy<\/strong><\/a>. Being discovered is the second part.<\/p>\n Sure, you can reach out to your audience with ads. But the secret is letting your audience find your content on their own.<\/p>\n There are a couple of strategies to help users discover your content:<\/p>\n Schema markup<\/strong><\/p>\n Schema helps Google and other search engines<\/strong><\/a> to understand the meaning of your content and display relevant search results for users.<\/p>\n When you implement a schema markup, your content is more likely to appear in a relevant search.<\/p>\n They also help you create a rich snippet<\/strong><\/a>. <\/strong>Rich snippets display other valuable information to your search result.<\/p>\n When you search, \u201clasagna recipe,\u201d this pops up on Google.<\/p>\n Notice how each result has its own photo and rating\u2014this is a rich snippet. There\u2019s other information than your title, description, and URL.<\/p>\n Rich snippets are best used for:<\/p>\n Site structure<\/strong><\/p>\n The more web content you create, the more likely it\u2019ll become disorganized. You can avoid this with an optimized site structure<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n A good site structure declutters your content and helps Google crawl your site. Plus, it helps users read through multiple posts and stay on your site longer.<\/p>\n You can improve your site structure with a hierarchy, content categories, and internal links.<\/p>\n Hierarchy – <\/strong>A hierarchy organizes your content from most important to least important.<\/p>\n Content categories – <\/strong>Content categories split your posts into different topics. For example, if you write about healthy living, you could divide your web content into diet, exercise, mental health, etc.<\/p>\n This helps users find exactly what they\u2019re looking for on your site. It also helps Google identify your content for search.<\/p>\n Internal linking – <\/strong>This links one piece of content to another. It makes it easy for users to click through your content.<\/p>\n Internal links<\/strong><\/a> work best when they\u2019re relevant to one another. If you link random pieces of content together, it\u2019ll confuse your audience and Google. Good internal linking practices can also give you sitelinks<\/strong><\/a> in Google search results.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s go back to the healthy living example:<\/p>\n If you wrote a post about running, you could add an internal link to a past article about the best running shoes. A reader who\u2019s interested in running would also be interested in the best running shoes\u2014they\u2019re relevant to each other.<\/p>\n It\u2019s commonly said that trust is the most important part of any long-term relationship\u2014this includes your customers.<\/p>\n But, like any relationship, trust takes time. You can make this process easier and create educational, consistent, and credible content.<\/p>\n Educational<\/strong><\/p>\n Successful web content becomes the go-to source for an audience. They answer their reader\u2019s questions and show them how to reach their goals.<\/p>\n When you write a post, show your readers why they should know about X and how to achieve it. Use credible research to back up your work.<\/p>\n Consistent <\/strong><\/p>\n Long-term relationships work\u2026 if you show up. Showing up tells your audience, \u201cI\u2019m here for you, and I will continue to be here for you.\u201d<\/p>\n Along with writing consistent web content, keep up with your readers. Ask them how they\u2019re doing and what they want to learn more about. Listen and answer their questions.<\/p>\n Credible <\/strong><\/p>\n Back up any claims you make with statistics. This ensures readers that you do your research.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t forget to add an author bio at the end of each article. This puts a face to your brand and boosts your credibility as a writer.<\/p>\n If you continue to support, inform, and show up for your audience, they\u2019ll do the same for you.<\/p>\n In other words, be relevant and personable. Revisit your audience research and consider the following:<\/p>\n Demographics <\/strong><\/p>\n Demographics determine how someone communicates. They also clue you in on your audience\u2019s interests and everyday routine. Use this info to relate to them on a personal level.<\/p>\n For example, if you\u2019re writing about finance, look at your user\u2019s job title. A senior position is more inclined to use industry jargon than an entry-level position.<\/p>\n How they digest content <\/strong><\/p>\n Analyze what content format your audience prefers\u2014social media, blogging, etc. Look at your data and take note of your most popular content.<\/p>\n Your brand <\/strong><\/p>\n While it\u2019s necessary to relate to your readers, you should also be yourself.<\/p>\n Apply your own language to your website content strategy. Implement your values throughout your web content and use personal experiences and humor.<\/p>\n Your readers want to get to know you, too.<\/p>\n On-page SEO<\/strong><\/a> helps both search engines and users understand what your web content is all about.<\/p>\n Google uses this to decide if your content is relevant. And your audience uses on-page SEO to scan your posts.<\/p>\n You might be wondering why someone would scan an article. Think about the last time you read a post. Did you read it word-for-word, or did you skim it?<\/p>\n Many, if not, almost all of you choose the latter. This doesn\u2019t mean your posts are meaningless. But your most valuable content should stand out.<\/p>\n Create a powerful headline <\/strong><\/p>\n A powerful headline (also referred to as the h1 tag<\/strong><\/a>) targets your audience. Focus on a problem, desire, or both.<\/p>\n Something to keep in mind: Don\u2019t add too much info in your headline, it\u2019ll diminish curiosity. Say just enough to hook your reader.<\/p>\n Write subheadings <\/strong><\/p>\n Subheadings help readers understand your main ideas. Use H2 and H3 headings to divide your web content.<\/p>\n If your post is long (2,000+ words), consider adding a table of contents. This way, your readers can jump around your post.<\/p>\n Use whitespace <\/strong><\/p>\n Whitespace separates blocks of text into easy-to-read paragraphs. Long paragraphs are hard to digest\u2014divide them into 2-3 sentences.<\/p>\n In addition, keep your sentences short and simple. Don\u2019t write sentences with more than 15 words and avoid complicated vocabulary.<\/p>\n Remember, you want to make your content as easy-to-read as possible.<\/p>\n Insert images<\/strong><\/p>\n Photos help readers visualize your writing. They\u2019re especially helpful for breaking down a technical idea.<\/p>\n Plus, pages of text are overwhelming. Use images to break up your writing.<\/p>\n Keep these on-page SEO practices handy every time you build website content. They\u2019ll become second-nature to you as you practice.<\/p>\n Resources to Learn More <\/span><\/p>\n This is also known as a call-to-action (CTA). A CTA tells your readers what to do after they read your web page content.<\/p>\n A compelling CTA gives your audience an incentive. In other words, your call to action benefits your reader.<\/p>\n There are 2 ways to do this:<\/p>\n Be specific <\/strong><\/p>\n What looks better to you?<\/p>\n \u201cSign up now,\u201d or, \u201cDownload your free guide\u201d?<\/p>\n The first option is generic. Readers may wonder what they\u2019re signing up for. But the second option tells them what they\u2019re downloading, and they know it\u2019s free.<\/p>\n Ask yourself how your CTA will benefit your audience and use it in your copy.<\/p>\n Be relevant <\/strong><\/p>\n General call-to-actions, like social sharing and comments, can be used across all content.<\/p>\n Specific call-to-actions, however, should relate to your article. An example of a specific CTA is signing up for your online course.<\/p>\n Whatever the next step is, make it personal and relatable for your readers. You should also analyze your CTAs to optimize them. You can do this with analytics and A\/B testing.<\/p>\n Writing for the web isn\u2019t a one and done situation. The most optimized posts are updated every 6-12 months.<\/p>\n These 3 tools will make updating easier:<\/p>\n Editorial calendar<\/strong><\/p>\n An editorial calendar organizes your content, SEO-optimization, and traffic. You can divide these categories into multiple editorial calendars or combine them into one resource.<\/p>\n Organizing your web page content helps you notice what content and SEO needs updating. Some common updates are:<\/p>\n I also suggest creating a category for future content. Write down any ideas you have. When you need inspiration, look there.<\/p>\n Auditing<\/strong><\/p>\n As mentioned in step 3, you should perform a content audit twice a year. You can think of this as a cleansing period\u2014get rid of the content that doesn\u2019t serve your audience or Google.<\/p>\n Repurpose<\/strong><\/p>\n Good content shouldn\u2019t be used once, but multiple times. Analyze what gets the most traffic and repurpose them into other forms of media.<\/p>\n For example, you could turn a series of blog posts into an eBook. Or, you could create videos for your most popular how-to articles. Repurposing revives golden content for your readers and Google.<\/p>\n Once you\u2019ve updated your content, share your new posts through social media and\/or email.<\/p>\n As you build your website content strategy, keep these 3 things in mind:<\/p>\n Content is more than creation\u00a0 – <\/strong>A complete website content strategy includes continuous auditing and revisions. Your content will evolve as you update your strategy and goals.<\/p>\n Your audience is everything – <\/strong>Writing for the web isn\u2019t about you, it\u2019s about your reader. All of your content decisions should include your audience. You help them, and they\u2019ll help you.<\/p>\n You\u2019re not in this alone – <\/strong>Writing for the web isn\u2019t as easy as it sounds. It takes a lot of time and there will be moments of confusion. Turn to online resources to help you solve any problems and connect with other content creators.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Think about the last time you visited a website with amazing web content. How did they do it? What steps did they make to build a seamless content strategy? This guide will answer all of your questions about writing for the web. You\u2019ll learn how to build a website content strategy that aligns with your […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":20106,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","mc4wp_mailchimp_campaign":[]},"categories":[493],"tags":[149,54,635],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.reliablesoft.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20103"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.reliablesoft.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.reliablesoft.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.reliablesoft.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.reliablesoft.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20103"}],"version-history":[{"count":23,"href":"https:\/\/www.reliablesoft.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20103\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":29244,"href":"https:\/\/www.reliablesoft.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20103\/revisions\/29244"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.reliablesoft.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/20106"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.reliablesoft.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20103"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.reliablesoft.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20103"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.reliablesoft.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20103"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}2. Research your audience and their needs<\/h3>\n
![\"Research](\"https:\/\/www.reliablesoft.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/audience-needs.png\")
![\"Marketing](\"https:\/\/www.reliablesoft.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/email-sales-funnel.png\")
3. Perform a website content audit<\/h3>\n
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![\"Content](\"https:\/\/www.reliablesoft.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/content-audit-tools.jpg\")
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4. Create content that is better and different than competitors<\/h3>\n
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5. Make your content discoverable<\/h3>\n
![\"Rich](\"https:\/\/www.reliablesoft.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/rich-snippets-in-google-search-results.jpg\")
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![\"Ideal](\"https:\/\/www.reliablesoft.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/idea-structure-blog.jpg\")
![\"Internal](\"https:\/\/www.reliablesoft.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/internal-linking-best-practices.jpg\")
6. Demonstrate your experience and expertise<\/h3>\n
7. Speak the user\u2019s language<\/h3>\n
8. Optimize for SEO<\/h3>\n
![\"On-Page](\"https:\/\/www.reliablesoft.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/on-page-seo.png\")
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9. Give user\u2019s options what to do next<\/h3>\n
10. Update your content to stay relevant to search queries<\/h3>\n
![\"Example](\"https:\/\/www.reliablesoft.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/content-marketing-plan-example.png\")
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![\"Content](\"https:\/\/www.reliablesoft.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/content-repurpose.png\")
Key Learnings<\/h2>\n