Content marketing drives the internet and, therefore, search results – that’s probably why many people are still writing articles for search engines rather than for people.
Recently, I came across a site that was using content marketing. Yes, a lot of original content was added to its blog. Yes, it was topical content (in the main), and all the articles had clever, catchy headings. What the articles didn’t have was substance. Essentially, they were glorified adverts for the company; they didn’t add any value to me. I didn’t come away having learned anything from them.
The content was there for one purpose – the search engines.
If your content falls into that category because you firmly believe your primary audience is the search engines, and your articles are there purely to try to attract links and readers to your website, let me ask you a few questions:
Q: Why do you do content marketing?
A: To generate links to my website
Q: Why?
A: To boost my rankings
Q: Why?
A: To get more people to visit my website
Q: Why?
A: To generate more sales, of course
Aha! So, you’re doing this to get more people to visit your website.
Let me say that again, people.
So, why exactly are you writing mainly for search engines? You’ve just admitted you do article marketing to attract people.
If your article is incomprehensible because you’ve stuffed it with loads of keywords, do you think someone will waste their time reading it? If your article doesn’t add any value to the reader, do you think they’ll bother visiting the rest of your website?
The answer on both counts is no.
If you’re going to do content marketing, your articles must be:
- Well-written
- On topics that your readers are interested in
- Full of advice and information that adds value to the reader
- Written using simple language with no jargon
- Written for human beings, not search engines
The moral of this article is to write for your reader first and the search engines second.
What to think about when considering content marketing?
Before you even touch your keyboard, you must think about your reader.
- Who are they?
- What’s important to them?
- How much do they know about your subject matter?
- What issues do they have that they’re looking for solutions to?
- What do they need to know?
It’s not until you have answered those questions that you can create an informative and interesting article that someone will want to read.
But what content marketing keywords?
Just because you’re writing for your reader doesn’t mean you have to forget your keywords altogether.
- Make sure they are in your eye-catching headline
- Break your article up into short paragraphs, so it’s easy to read
- Create informative subheadings to help your reader scan your article
- Don’t fill it with links
To make sure it reads well, forget about keyword density. When you write naturally about a subject, you’ll automatically use keywords and other words related to your topic.
Once you’ve written it, read it aloud to check for rhythm and errors. If you find you are ‘tripping’ over your keywords, you’ve probably included too many. Cut them back within your article’s body but ensure they are present in your headings and subheadings.
Ultimately, if you write with your reader in mind and not the search engines, you can’t go far wrong.
Remember – when it comes to article marketing, your reader is king.
Sally Ormond – a professional copywriter