This post was written by Interactive Web Copywriter Mike Hoffman at cj Advertising.
In an era of short attention spans, complex search engine algorithms, and 140 character tweets, it’s no secret that people expect fast access to the information they need. But your website needs more than a tweet’s worth of content on every page—and cj is here to help.
From applying the latest SEO strategies to ensuring brand consistency, Interactive’s Content team considers a variety of factors to help your brand evolve with Web trends. That’s why our content strategy is focused on the power of quality Web content.
People know quality content when they see it.
Top search engine rankings expose your website to a wider audience. And engaging content is vital to helping you climb in search results. That’s because readable, informative, and unique content encourages users to choose your search result, stay on your page, and read what you have to say.
A recent article in PR Daily stated, “…just as there is growing demand for healthy options at the drive-thru, there are significant changes taking hold in the realm of digital content that stem from the audience’s demand for quality.”
Web content written to yield clicks often doesn’t translate into a positive user experience. But strategized content can improve your search ranking while building users’ trust in your brand by giving them what they came to get: meaningful answers to their questions.
Quality content drives people to your website.
When you type a query into a search engine, unique algorithms work to deliver relevant results while attempting to weed out spam and other “undesirable” content. These algorithms exist because it’s in nobody’s best interest to serve up bad content.
Google and other search engines change algorithms regularly to deliver the most informative content. Users aren’t interested in large, unreadable blocks of text and spam links, and who can blame them? Jonathon Colman, Principal Experience Architect for outdoor retailer REI, states, “Engaging content is more important for SEO than ever before.”
While it may sound tempting, catering your website’s content to search engines rather than your intended audience can drive users away. During a recent presentation by Colman, he added, “Design for real people. Account for the robots.”
Thoughtfully written content and SEO optimization can work together to not only bump your search engine rankings, but foster trust in your brand through a positive user experience.
There’s growing demand for engaging content.
Twitter and other social networks have popularized short blasts of 20-word content updates. But that doesn’t mean that users are unwilling to read something longer than a few lines of text.
PR Daily cites the @Longreads Twitter account as an example of this phenomenon. Longreads serves users by suggesting long-form news stories, blogs, and even fiction. The account currently has more than 85,000 followers.
In addition, the news blog PandoDaily ran a piece in Oct. 2012 documenting the growing interest in long-form journalism by “new media” startups such as Tumblr and Buzzfeed. These young companies, which gained audiences with quick and digestible content, are now yearning for something more engaging—and they’re willing to pay for it.
In the PandoDaily piece, reporter Sarah Lacey commented on Web users’ evolving content demands, writing, “This is hardly a free-for-all; readers will only read long-form content, if it’s excellent.” Then she adds, “Good content isn’t free—as anyone who struggles to write it or hire good talent knows.”
How does your Web content measure up?
That’s where cj comes in. Our Content team is dedicated to developing and implementing quality content strategies to deliver measurable results for your brand. We work with you and other teams in Interactive to create unique and relevant content to maximize your website’s exposure.
Questions? Contact your Client Services team today.
