Heroes, Cowboys & Indians of Web Content

Hi All,

Okay, today I want to get you up to speed on web promotion and web content, particularly the importance of good web content. Now you should know that everyman and his dog wants to get their website into a top 10 position on the Google search pages for whatever keyword best represents whatever they are offering. So how is it done?

First off, the reason why everyone is clambering to get their sites onto that vital first page is... traffic. Everyone wants it and needs it, and even better if it's free. So that's one reason... in fact it's the main reason, and the fact that most searchers will rarely venture beyond the first page that Google presents to them. So, let's look at every aspect of getting your site ranked high and how best to do it.

Let's start with your domain name. Many people stumble at this very basic stage by choosing a domain name, which is the same as their business name. So if your business name is JR Painting & Decorating, do you really want the domain www.jrpaintinganddecorating.co.uk or .com if you can get it? Well... actually, yes... but not for marketing purposes because for marketing it will be totally useless. However, you should register it anyway so that nobody else does. and you can use it to redirect to your main marketing domain or vice-vresa. Also, register both the .co.uk and .com versions if you can.

Right, that done, look for a domain that best represents what you do or sell and try to incorporate your most valuable keyword or keywords. So, if you offer painting and decorating services try to find a domain that covers those services, and if you can't, then find one that describes the results of what you are offering. Here's what I mean...

If you operate within a city area, say Bradford, and you offer painting and decorating, then go for www.bradforddecorators.co.uk... why? Because anyone looking for "Bradford Decorators" in Google will easily find you because the search terms match your domain. Is that it? Oh no! You're not going to get away with it that easy... there's more... much more. That's just about selecting a relevant domain. Next you need to populate your web pages with... CONTENT.

For many years now, savvy marketers have realised that content is king, and content means, copy, images, videos, blog, articles etc. To understand the importance of content you have to fully understand and appreciate why Google and other search engines exist. It's to provide people who are searching the Internet with the most relevant and valuable information in relation to their search terms... or "keywords". Get it!

So, I do a search for "electricians in bristol", and up pops 10 results relating to Bristol Electricians. However, there are over 500,000 entries. So half a million pages will not be presented to me for that search. It's a tough world out there... or in here, depending on how you view it. Now, why does Google give these 10 search results, or 10 websites, priority over all the rest? Content... there it is again... that magic word. But what does it mean exactly? 

Well, it means relevancy to the search term or keywords, it means value of the information provided, and it means quality of copy and any images, and if you have a video onboard the site then all the better. Now when the Google bots (Internet robots) search the vast database of web pages, they are programmed to look for certain criteria. 

They look for headlines that contain the main keyword and best describe the information you are providing. They look for sub-headers that hint at the content of the following paragraphs, which should contain no more that 2 or 3 of the main keywords. This is to ensure relevance. They look for good grammar and spelling, they look for facts and figures and links to external resources etc. They look at the quality of the images and their relevancy to the content subject matter. And they absolutely love video content, which should also be relevant to the website's overall theme. 

They look for copy that reads well and makes sense for the reader. They look at the layout of the website and it's navigation. They look for backlinks from other relevant websites, and they look for order. By that I mean... the website should not be cluttered with all kinds of confusing links, ads and other distractions. The robots will also look at a website's metatags and page descriptions, so this needs some attention also.

If you can get all this right... then you will have a winning website that will bring hordes of customers to your business every single day. So, why do some people skimp on quality content? Beats me! I guess they don't really get it. All the above comes under the umbrella of Content Marketing and on-page SEO needs some serious attention. The head part of your site is the "carrot", whilst the body copy or body content is the "meat and potatoes", for want of a better expression. Listen to Matt Cutts of Google: Click Here

Now, the title of this blog is  Heroes, Cowboys & Indians of Web Content - and the reason for this is because if you get it right, use quality content and be professional, you'll become a hero. Use cowboys to write your content, or those $1 an hour Indians you find on the freelance websites, and you will surely pay the price for trying to fob Google off with crap. Putting quality and valuable content on your website is an investment in your business and your future. Do it right or don't do it at all.

Need quality content? Give me a call and I'll help you rise to the top.

All for now...

Bill
www.topcopywriter.co.uk
www.busyvids.co.uk