You may not realise it, but one of the most important parts of your website project (besides visual design, ease of use and clean coding) is to fill up the site with relevant website content.  Creating webpages with appropriate phrases and keywords will not only direct potential new clients to your website but will also help create content that is easily read by Search Engines. Please read the article below or download our guide to help you get started.

What is Search Engine Readable Content?

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) relates to how well your website will be ranked by search engines such as Google. Your rank, that is whether you are positioned first on page one or third on page three, will be affected in part, by the content (text) you provide and whether it is Search Engine readable. This is not to say that search engines just look at your content, there are many techniques that can be used to optimise your site, but ensuring your website content is filled with effective keywords and phrases will help.

What are Effective Keywords and Phrases?

Any keywords and phrases you use should be relevant to your business, line of work and products.  These are words people are most likely to use when they are searching online for the services and products you provide. These keywords and phrases are also a factor search engines consider when ranking your website, therefore the more the keywords and phrases your website contains that are relevant to your business and products, the more trusted your site will be by the Search Engines.

What keywords and phrases should I choose?

We will provide you with a list of suggested keywords and phrases sourced from Google but the easiest way to explain why these words are recommended is to give you an example.

 Design 2 Envy provides both graphic design and web design/development services in the Adelaide Hills.  Therefore, some recommended keywords and phrases for our business are:

• Adelaide Hills web design
• Adelaide Hills graphic design
• Web development Adelaide Hills
• Logo design Adelaide Hills
• Brochure design Adelaide Hills

 Dos and Don’ts

• DO include keyword phrase in page titles and sub-headings. Including keywords from your page content in the page title and sub-headings reassures search engines that your content is legitimate.
• DO include the keyword phrase in the first paragraph and multiple times throughout the page if possible.
• DO vary keyword phrases.  Each page should have content that is unrelated to other pages on your site and so the keywords and phrases should also be different on each page.
• DON’T fill each page with keywords and phrases just for the sake of it.  Search Engines are very clever and will not look at words that are unrelated to the page title, sub-heading and content.
• DON’T include a paragraph or list of keywords and phrases at the bottom of every page. This practice ‘annoys’ search engines and will do more harm than good to your website ranking.
• DON’T duplicated content on multiple pages

What style of writing should I use for my content?

Ask yourself what your clients will want to read on your website and what information you want to convey to them.  Considering your content from both viewpoints will help you to answer the following key question:  How do you want to present your business online – formal or informal?  However, regardless of whether you want to present a formal or informal message we recommend you keep your content simple

Do and Don’ts

• DO use everyday language that is easy to understand and read.
• DO make it personal. Know your audience and have a clear vision of who you are writing for.
• DON’T use complicated words that your average viewer will struggle to understand.
• DON’T use slang and humour unless it directly relates to your business. Slang or humour that one person finds funny may offend another.

How should I structure my page content?

The text on your website should be easy to read and understand.  It should be logically structured and can include headings, sub-headings, lists, tables, paragraphs etc. It is also important to include suggested keywords and phrases without compromising quality and logic.

 Dos and Don’ts

• DO use headings that are 6 words or less.
• DO include sub-headings that contain keywords for your content.
• DO keep sentences concise and uncomplicated.
• DO logically group content into paragraphs.
• DO aim for more than 200 words per page.
• DO make good use of the keywords provided to you.
• DO include links to other relevant pages and external websites.
• DON’T use extra-long sentences, 20 words or less is recommended.
• DON’T use extra-long paragraphs, 80 words or less is recommended.
• DON’T group unrelated information, one page per topic is recommended.
• DON’T exceed more than 350 words per page.

Should I include images with my content?

Absolutely!  After all, as the saying goes, a picture paints a thousand words.  A good illustration, photograph or diagram will help to reinforce the message you are trying to convey.  We strongly recommend you include relevant images on each page.  This will not only create a visually appealing website, but also assist in communicating your message and promoting your business.

 Dos and Don’ts

• DO include images that are relevant to your content
• DO consider purchasing images – please ask we can purchase images on your behalf!
• DO include professional, high quality images.  Providing crisp, clear images will ensure no loss of quality when image resolution is reduced to enhance website loading time.
• DON’T include images just for the sake of it.  Unrelated images will only confuse your clients.
• DON’T use poorly composed, low quality images.

What should I do once I’ve written my content?

Check, double check and triple check you content. We recommend you use Microsoft Word and the built in document checking options. We also recommend you check the readability of your content by obtaining a Flesch Kincaid Reading Ease Score.  You can do this by checking your content with The Readability Test Tool.

Download Our FREE Guide

If you would like to download our Writing Effective Website Content guide please click here.