What Makes Great Website Content
We’ve come a long way since the days when animated GIFs and scrolling text bars were considered cutting-edge website features. Website users these days have become far more discerning about what makes great website content. Visitors expect high-quality, engaging material that is easy to navigate and delivers value. If your website suffers from poorly written content, badly optimised images or is difficult to use, chances are your visitors will hit the back button faster than you can say “SEO.”
Is Your SEO Up to Speed?
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is a critical part of any website’s content strategy. However, SEO isn’t just about stuffing your site with keywords—it’s about delivering high-quality, well-structured content that’s easily accessible to both users and search engines. This includes:
- Using appropriate keywords strategically
- Writing engaging and meaningful content
- Crafting detailed meta descriptions for all pages
- Including a site map to improve navigation and search engine indexing
- Ensuring images have descriptive alt text that reflects relevant keywords
Getting your SEO right will not only drive traffic to your site but also help you engage visitors more effectively once they arrive.
Content is King
While SEO drives traffic to your site, it’s the content that keeps them there. Many businesses make the mistake of keyword stuffing, overloading their pages with repetitive terms in hopes of improving search engine rankings. However, unique, well-written content that speaks directly to the user is far more effective than forcing keywords into every sentence.
To create engaging content, keep these tips in mind:
- Simplicity is key: Simple language doesn’t mean simple ideas. The BBC News website is a great example of this. Complex issues are covered in a straightforward, accessible way. Follow this model to reach a broader audience.
- Stay relevant: Every piece of content should serve a purpose. Always ask yourself, “Does this add value?” before publishing. If it doesn’t, cut it out.
- Call to action (CTA): A clear, well-placed CTA can make or break a website. Make sure your CTAs stand out from the rest of your content, encouraging users to take the next step, whether it’s signing up for a newsletter or making a purchase.
- Short vs long copy: The debate over short and long-form content continues, but both have their place. Short copy works well for encouraging quick actions, like signing up for a newsletter. Long copy, on the other hand, is better suited for explaining detailed products or services, like recommending a specific camera, where more information builds trust and authority.
An Image Paints a Thousand Words
Words alone rarely make a compelling website. Vibrant images and videos can add depth to your content, enhance user experience, and make your website visually appealing. Images can help with SEO by allowing you to insert alt text with relevant keywords. Well-placed images also break up large blocks of text, making your site more attractive and easier to digest.
Make Your Content Shareable
If your content resonates with visitors, chances are they’ll want to share it. Make sure you have social sharing buttons easily accessible on your blog posts or product pages, so users can spread the word on platforms like Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn. This boosts your visibility and helps to reach new audiences without any extra effort on your part.
Update Your Website Content Regularly
Keeping your website fresh and updated is essential. Static websites that remain unchanged quickly fall out of favour with search engines like Google, which prefer sites with regular content updates.
One of the easiest ways to achieve this is through blog articles. While it might not always be practical to continually update your core website, adding a blog that provides fresh content is an excellent way to stay relevant. Google loves sites that regularly update and a well-maintained blog can help your business rank higher in search results while also engaging your audience with timely and relevant information.
Use a Content Management System (CMS)
Gone are the days when you had to rely on a designer to update your website content. Today, most sites are built using Content Management Systems (CMS) like WordPress, which makes it easy for anyone to edit and update their content without the need for technical knowledge. This means you can take full control of your website content, keeping it engaging, relevant and up-to-date without needing to wait on a developer or designer.
Hire a Copywriter if Needed
If you struggle to articulate your ideas clearly, hiring a professional copywriter could be the best investment you make. Time is always a constraint for business owners and copywriters can take your brief and produce well-written, engaging content that resonates with your audience. The more detailed your brief, the better the results. After receiving the draft, you can tweak the content to reflect your personal voice, add calls to action and incorporate any additional information.
What Makes Great Website Content
Creating great website content is about more than just SEO or flashy design—it’s about creating an engaging experience for your visitors. With simple language, relevant content, clear calls to action and vibrant imagery, you can turn visitors into customers. Regularly update your site with fresh blog content, use a CMS to keep control and don’t be afraid to bring in professional help if you need it.
If you need help with your website content strategy, or any other aspect of your online marketing, The Last Hurdle™ is here to help. Feel free to comment below or get in touch with us at hello@thelasthurdle.co.uk.
Make sure your website stands out with great content and attracts the audience it deserves.
