Writing Content For Your Website
If iMarc is building a website for you, the one thing we can’t do is write your content. We can edit, format, and beautify the content, but the direction, voice, and main ideas come from you.
Direct Your Reader
Obviously, an important aspect of gathering content is writing for your users. Put yourself in the user’s shoes. They’re staring at your “Facilities Rental” web page. What do they want? Where are they trying to get to? What other pages might interest them? Write your content so it’s easy to cross-link and direct the user to other pages of interest.
A web page, unlike printed content, provides the opportunity for you to direct readers to other pages. Take advantage of this. Reference and link to other pages on your site.
Write for Search Engines
Another equally important aspect of content creation is writing for search engines. Use phrases that you think people will enter in search engines.
For example, if you think people search for “history of shipbuilding”, use that exact phrase where applicable. Instead of “learn shipbuilding traditions in our…”, rephrase that to “learn the history of shipbuilding in our…”.
Light repetition of 4–5 key search phrases throughout your content almost guarantees that your site will be found when people use Google to search for one of those phrases.
Read These Articles
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The Cure for Content-Delay Syndrome
On most projects, content is the last thing to be considered and delivered. Pepi Ronalds proposes a solution to content delays by demonstrating the importance of a copy editor. -
How Users Read on the Web
An old, but classic, article by Jacob Neilson. -
Writing For The Web
Sun Microsystem’s classic article on web content development. -
Reviving Anorexic Web Writing
From the article, “Content is the heart of the website. I can’t build you a body until you give me a heart.” -
It’s the Content, Stupid: Search Engine Optimization
Keep search engines in mind while writing content. -
Who Needs Headlines?
Tips for writing and prioritizing headlines and body copy on the web. -
10 Tips on Writing the Living Web
If your content is compelling, fresh, and updating daily, you give readers a reason to keep coming back.
Read These Books
Before writing a paragraph of content, read these books. Your customers will thank you by actually using your website.
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