In the early days of the Internet, web enthusiasts were enamored with the technological marvels that the new age put before them.
It almost seemed as though the written content in web sites was put in as an afterthought. Today however, users and developers alike have rediscovered the importance of the written word. Content plays a large role in keeping visitors on a web site. And search engines and their spiders just love good quality, regularly updated content.
When a search engine spider indexes your web site it automatically searches your meta tags and web site content for information. This information is then cataloged and when people search using particular terms that were included in your tags and content your site can be found.
After a visitor has searched for, found, and entered your site, clear easy to understand information helps them to move easily throughout your site. Web sites can be confusing places but good clear copy can make life so much easier for your guests. If the writing is unclear and contradictory then the chances are that you will quickly lose your visitor.
Web content writing requires skills that are different from traditional writing skills. Your web content writer should be able to combine writing, marketing and research skills. They should be able to understand your market segment and how they should target this market. Keyword analysis and density play an important role in content development. Your writer should be able to help you integrate potential search terms and keywords into your web site content. The challenge is to produce readable and grammatically correct text while having the desired level of keyword density.
When considering keyword density a good rule of thumb is four keyword phrases per 250-300 words or for longer pages 8-10 times in 500 words. This equates to a keyword density of 1.6 – 2% per page.
So, how do you know if your written content is doing its job? Start by looking at your web content in relation to your business, your market, and your customers. Do you think your site works? Are you getting visitors and are you keeping these visitors? Are you getting the sales you want? Ask your friends and colleagues what they think of your site. Look at some of your competitor’s sites. Is their message clearer? Look at your search engine rankings and compare it with the rankings of your competitors. If you have any doubts about your content seek out a writer who is skilled at developing content that has been optimized for the web. With their help you can rediscover the power that your web site content plays on your search engine rankings.
James Peggie is the marketing manager for Elixir Systems a search engine optimization company located in Scottsdale, Arizona. www.elixirsystems.com
