Blogging, or any other writing that is intended to sell a product or service (called copywriting), is the surefire way to grow your website and therefore your business. In fact, frequent blogging is often called the
path to rapid growth. If Google’s bots can’t scan and categorize text on your website, then your page can get buried in the constant noise of the internet. Quality content—blogs or other writing—can fix that. It gives Google more content to categorize and pull from when potential clients and customers are searching the web.
Unfortunately, not all content is created
equal. Just as Google holds the responsibility for bringing people to your site, you have the responsibility for keeping them there. Today, we want to share some tips to create top-notch blog posts.
Concision
Some people who begin blogging to promote their site learn about something called search engine optimization (SEO), and they mistakenly think that writing longer posts that hit keywords again and again will increase their chances of drawing people in. There are two problems with that line of thinking. First, Google requires posts to walk a fine line between the in-depth and the overdone, posts that just repeat themselves don’t come up in Google searches.
The second problem is that people don’t want to read 5,000 words about why your company is better than the competitor. People on the internet have short-attention spans, they want information and they want it fast. As such, concision can be key.
Clarity
Clarity means a lot of things in writing. Most importantly, it means that the ideas are clearly communicated from the text to the reader. If your posts contain confusing language or misrepresent the product, you will more than likely lose the customer (check out this
link for more on that topic). People want to understand what product they are getting or what payment plan they are about to accept before they give away their payment information. It’s a natural instinct and that’s why clear writing is crucial.
Aside from language, another problem that we have seen that diminishes the clarity of a blog post is the flow of ideas. If a post jumps back and forth through different topics or even different aspects within a topic, the post will be hard to follow. Be wary of jumping around when you write. Headings and new paragraphs are one way to easily guide readers through various ideas.
Proofreading
Everyone has some background in spelling and grammar. But, even people who have received extensive training in writing and editing are known to make the occasional grammar mistake. Thus, proofreading is imperative.
Once you’ve finished writing the first draft of your blog post, take a break. When you’ve distanced yourself from the writing, you’ll be more aware of mistakes or awkward sentences. Reading the piece aloud can help you to identify anything that might be off. You shouldn’t, however, let one round of revisions be the end. Have your friends, co-workers, or employees look at the piece. Proofreading is that important. Improper grammar can absolutely demolish your image and can be very distracting for some consumers.
Good luck with your blog or other writing project! Regular content on your page is crucial for standing out in the saturated market of the internet. If regular content becomes too much of a time commitment, contact us at JAS. We would love to help you keep your website up to date!