Why your content should be audited…

Content is often overlooked in the grand scheme of website building – and an afterthought for business owners when building their website. However Content is INTEGRAL to the functionality and success of your website! Good content will engage your visitors and encourage them to come back. So whether it's regular blog posts or updated galleries, videos or information, it is essential to keep your content regular and fresh. This is where an audit of your content can help in ensuring an optimal web presence, as it can help lead you to higher traffic and quality really is the new SEO 😉

 

So what can you do to conduct a content audit?

 

1. Go through your entire archive of content and place it into a spreadsheet or word document. Check off and categorise each piece of content into the following categories:

a. Keep (good content that will stay on your site)

b. Improve (content that is on target but needs updating or modifying)

c. Consolidate (for example shorter content on a similar subject can be combined into a single post)

d. Remove (delete because it is not relevant or no longer part of the image you are going for)

 

 

2. Once analysis of your existing content is complete – the next step is to improve the quality of information in each category. This can be achieved by:

 

a. Using shorter paragraphs. Avoid long paragraphs and huge blocks of text. Due to our growing poor concentration spans – the more scannable your content, the better. Try to keep paragraphs under 5-6 lines (ideally 2-3). Content needs to be long enough to thoroughly cover the subject but don't drag it out!

 

b. Hook readers in from the beginning. It's sad but unfortunately people have low attention spans. If you don't have a compelling “hook” at the beginning of your web pages, blog articles etc, people will click off in seconds. You can hook them in by teasing the benefits of the article, telling a story, or stating a common problem that your audience faces.

 

c. Use “Bucket Brigades”: Bucket Brigades are short sentences (words or phrases) aimed at getting people to stop, pay attention, and continue to the next line of text. The term, (coined and popularized by Brian Dean of Backlinko) usually stands alone and ends with a colon and directs users to another paragraph continuing the article.

 

Some common Bucket Brigades include:

Look:
Here's the deal:
For example:
Even better:
In fact:
That said:
However:
Now:
Okay:
They grab the reader's attention and entice them to read on.

 

 

d. Use sub headings and bullet points where you can. They are easier to read and scan than traditional essay writing formats. They visually block the information for the reader so that they can skim and get the main point of the subject matter. Bold and Italics are useful to emphasise points – however again use carefully.

 

e. Don't forget about Images and Visual examples to give your reader a visual break.

 

f. Taglines and slogans are also effective tools. Ensure your tagline or slogan delivers a clear meaning and value proposition and is near a Call to Action button.

 

 

 

 

3. Know that Quality is key!

When writing your new content it needs to be of the notion that less is more but also grab the reader's attention. You want to create curiosity, urgency and emotion in the reader. Alliteration and power words used carefully can enhance your content, but ultimately you want to make the value of your content as clear and interesting as possible!

 

 

 

4. Use social media to promote content

 

Social Media is a powerful tool in helping promote your content and generate traffic to your site. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram etc can all help distribute useful information on your website. Blog posts, articles, whitepapers, video images and the like are ways of constantly updating your content – which in turn helps SEO and your digital marketing. Look at the metrics, page length and social shares from your website. These can help you determine how your audience is responding to content and however you can alter it to suit your marketing efforts more directly.

 

Conclusion:

The key to a successful website is having relevant and keyword rich content that delivers the right message with power and conviction! Good website content should not only be “on point” in terms of the subject matter or theme but also target your audience, engaging them further into your site. A content audit will help both your SEO & content marketing efforts by boosting both your business' profile and sales performance.

Want some expert help in this area? Why not call Central Coast Web Design on 43313313 for a chat on how we can help your content perform.