New to The Blogging World? Here are 5 Tips for Writing Great Content

Good content is an extremely powerful asset to have in today’s day and age. Nothing beats content that is engaging, valuable and original. From the web design and layout to the quality of writing – there are a lot of ingredients that go into creating great content.

While you may have experience in writing essays and research papers, writing for blogs is another ballgame altogether because in the latter, you are writing for an audience and they need to be kept in the heart of your content.

Ask writing service experts, what the secret behind writing great blog content is and here is what they will tell you:

SEO Optimised

Website content and SEO go hand in hand and rightly so because as per HubSpot, 75% of Internet users never scroll past the first page of search results.

So, if you are creating content for websites, the first thing you must ensure is that it is optimised for search engines. What does that entail? Start with incorporating a mix of short tail and long tail keywords in your headline and across your content.

Think like the reader – what are the words they would type that can lead them to your page? Those are the words that will serve as your keywords. Avoid going overboard with keywords. The idea is to strategically use them in relevant places.

Apart from keywords, make sure you have a meta description to give a clear indication to readers and Google about the nature of your content.
The whole idea of existing on the World Wide Web is to be discovered easily and being SEO optimised takes you a step forward.

Compelling Headlines

Getting people to read your content starts with giving it a compelling headline. You cannot get clicks if your headline is not powerful enough to entice readers.

A great headline is one that includes data, impactful emotional words, has call-to-action words and gives a unique proposition. As bad news sells better than good news, it is also a good idea to use negative words in your headline to grasp a reader’s attention.

So, whether you keep your headline for the end or start your article with it, you must spend a good amount of time in crafting it and never underestimate the power it has.

Localise Content

Many bloggers overlook the importance of localising their content which can lead to the drop in the readership. The internet is a global marketplace and while you may think having your content in English is enough, it most definitely is not.

If you have a global website that has readers from all over the world, it makes complete sense to invest in translation services. Start with conducting a research and assess the countries your audience is from basis which you can narrow down on the languages.

Localizing and translating your content will help you resonate with a wider audience leading to an increase in traffic and conversions.

Make it Readable

Yes, you managed to get people’s attention with a catchy headline but what’s next? Is your content readable? There is no way you can retain readers with long paragraphs. Your content needs to be accessible, clear and easy on the eyes for it to be readable.

Using only text format makes for a very monotonous read. Instead, use a good mix of text and visuals such as images, GIFs and videos to make it appealing. Break your content into shorter paragraphs, use short sentences and do away with the jargons.

Your tone of voice says a lot about your content. The key is to use active voice wherever possible and stick to a conversational tone as it is more welcoming, empathetic and friendly.

Create Shareable Content

Shares are the ‘word-of-mouth’ in the digital world. The more shares your content gets, the more traffic it brings to your website. So, when you are drafting content, don’t forget to focus on the shareability aspect.

For your content to be share-worthy, it needs to impart value and strike a chord with your readers. A good way to maximise shares is by incentivising readers by offering them discounts or free giveaways.

Lastly, you should also plug in social sharing buttons on your posts to make it easier for readers to share it on their social media platforms.

Your website content needs to speak to your audience such that it attracts and retains readers. So, ensure you understand your readers and develop a strong content strategy to boost your content marketing efforts.

Adela Belin is the Head of Digital Marketing at Writers Per Hour. She creates content surrounding marketing with a focus on social media and digital marketing. Feel free to contact Adela on G+.