It’s the digital marketing phrase of the century: content is king.
Time and time again, it’s been proven that valuable web content allows companies to achieve their marketing goals. People want to learn, be inspired, and they don’t want to get lost or misled, so there are certain requirements that need to be met.
To write great content for the web, you need to know a few things before you start typing away:
- Your Purpose
- Your Audience
- Your Audience’s Behavior
In this blog post, we’re going to break each bullet down, and by the end, you’ll know exactly how to write quality web content.
Know Your Purpose
Staring at a blank screen is one of the worst things you can do for yourself. Always start with an outline. Even as I write this post, I’m typing my main points out within an outline, so I don’t ramble off topic. Outlines provide structure and solidify your content’s purpose.
What is the user intent here?
Speaking of purpose, what is the user intent? What will a user search that will make your blog post show up in their search results? User intent is the goal or expectation a user has when searching for something on the web. By understanding user intent, you can create solutions that meet the needs of their users.
There are different types of intent, including informational, transactional, educational, navigational and so on. For example, this blog post is educational. I want to make sure that I make this content valuable for anyone who searches: how to write good content for the web or web content writing. That brings me to my next point.
What is the objective of your web content?
It’s okay to ask yourself—why am I writing this? The objective is usually one thing summarized in a succinct statement. SEMRush summarizes the most common objectives, including:
- Selling a product
- Increasing revenue
- Generating leads
- Build a community
Your copy should support these individual goals and bring in tangible results. If you’re still unsure, remember that all content needs to solve a problem the users have.
What problems do you want to solve?
Do your research. It’s time to stalk Reddit, Quora, Twitter, and Facebook to see what problems your users are having.
For example, let’s say you’re a content writer for a dog food company and you want users to know about your high quality dog food. When you research, you find people who are complaining about the lack of organic options for their pets.
Now your content has a specific problem to solve instead of writing random content and throwing it out into the world.
Know Your Audience (Including Your Competition)
Content written for the web can be seen by a wide variety of people, so it’s important to research your audience to create an effective message. Knowing who you’re writing for can help you craft content that is appropriate and resonates with your readers.
Researching your target audience can help you better understand their needs and interests, enabling you to craft content that speaks to them.
Tailoring your content to the interests of your audience is essential for creating content that stands out from the competition. By understanding your audience’s pain points and concerns, you can create content that is relevant and helpful.
Analyzing the data from your audience research can also help you make decisions about when and where to promote your content. Knowing when your target audience is most active can help you ensure that your content reaches the right people at the right time. With the right research, you can maximize the impact of your content and get the most out of your content marketing efforts.
Know their pain points and goals
By understanding your users’ goals and pain points, you can create content tailored to their specific needs. This content should not only provide the users with the information they’re searching for, but should also be engaging and relevant to their interests.
When determining your users’ pain points and goals, you can also identify areas for improvement in your content strategy. This can include creating more detailed content to address specific pain points, or identifying topics that users are interested in that you haven’t yet explored.
Look for data from analytics, surveys, focus groups and customer feedback that can help you understand your audience. Also, consider using social media to engage with your audience, listen to their feedback, and learn more about them.
Writing Tips
When writing content for the web, there are some tips that can help you create content that resonates with your target audience. First, you need to understand the basics of SEO, or search engine optimization. Doing so will help ensure your content is easily found by potential readers. If you have a WordPress site, an SEO plugin like SEOPress can make life easier.
Make sure your content is engaging and informative enough to keep users coming back for more. After you’ve finished writing, proofread and edit your content to make sure it is error-free and professional.
It is important to use visuals when creating content for the web. Visuals such as images, videos, and infographics can draw attention and break up the text. They can also explain more complex concepts.
Including visual cues, such as arrows and lines, can also be beneficial for users with cognitive impairments. These cues guide users through the content and provide structure to the page.
Finally, consider incorporating storytelling into your content. Stories can be a great way to connect with readers and make them feel engaged with your content. Use vivid descriptions and imagery to create a captivating story that resonates with your audience.
The Importance of Accessibility
It’s important to ensure that your web content is accessible to all users, regardless of physical or cognitive abilities. Accessibility means that everyone, regardless of their individual needs, can access and understand the content on the web.
One of the most important aspects of accessibility when writing content for the web is the use of alternative text for images. This alt image text allows people who are unable to view the image, such as those with visual impairments, to understand the content that is contained in the image. Another way is to include descriptive text for links so those using screen readers can understand the purpose of the link and where it leads.
Last but not least, the language used in your content should be clear and concise. Use short paragraphs, proper heading hierarchy, and lists to make it easier for users to scan the page. Additionally, using a visually appealing font and font size will help users with visual impairments read the content.
By following these accessibility guidelines when writing content for the web, your content becomes accessible to all users. This creates an inclusive and equitable experience for everyone who visits your website.
Final Thoughts
To sum up, writing for the web is a unique form of communication that requires careful consideration of the audience, purpose, and platform. A good web content writer knows how to use language, structure, and visuals to create an effective, engaging experience for their readers. As you work on your own web writing, keep these tips and techniques in mind to create engaging and effective content for your audience.
