If you create written content, you want it to be informative, entertaining, and filled with value.
Great content written to SEO standards will easily increase your traffic, and that is a long-term goal and possibility.Â
Content writing is a skill, but luckily anyone can put the time effort into crafting great content.
Here are tips for brilliant content writing.Â
Headlines
Your headline will entice people to read or to scroll on by. There has been a big trend of clickbait titles, but that’s a cheap trick and doesn’t benefit you or the read at all. In fact, you can get penalized for clickbait content.Â
If your headline doesn’t spark interest, then your amazing content won’t get the audience that it deserves. There are some tools that you can use to craft the perfect headline:-
- BlogAbout has Impact Blog Title Generator
- TweakYourBiz title generator
- CoSchedule headline analyzer
- Thrive Headline Optimizer
Hook Them In
Everything has a hook. Something that pulls people in. You have a matter of seconds to get people interested in your content. First impressions count, and there are millions of other pieces of content that a reader can choose from. The first sentence also lets the reader decide if they should keep reading. It is important that you capture your reader’s attention quickly.
Research
If you include facts, statistics, and research, then make sure you have them linked. You can combine your own knowledge with supporting reports and analysis from a range of sources. The idea is that you can create an informative and valuable piece for your readers.
Not only does this give you an in-depth piece of content, but it means that your claims will be supported, and you can provide the reader places to head to once they have finished your initial piece.Â
Topic
It is hard to give ten different topics the same attention within one piece of content. It is better to focus on one subject at a time and really go deep into it. Giving the reader exactly what they need on the topic. A key message will help you craft the keywords for the piece and give you a guide for how to write it. Your headers, headline, and supporting links will all feed into that topic.Â
Tone
Part of creating interesting content is the tone and tempo that you use. You want people to be able to digest your content quickly. Allow them to pull out the points that they need. You might like to have long and intricate sentences that might be flagged as difficult to read. Or you might want short sentences. There are some styles that tend to be favored, but this is about what you want to create.
Your tone should always stick to the audience and the brand’s persona. Writing brand guidelines will help you stick with your style with ease.
It might take some time for you to find the tone that works, but it is an integral part of sculpting your brand. The style will also run across all of your social media and into any printer materials too.
Optimized Content
Your content should be accessible for people to read. And it should meet your SEO goals. The best content usually has short paragraphs, a few sentences at most. This is easier for a broader audience to be able to read and digest.
When it comes to any list content, then bullet points are also the best way to go. It makes your point and is easy to read on a screen.
Take into consideration the font you are using too. There are some fonts that, while looking beautiful, they are not easy to read and can cause readers to leave. The best fonts for people to read on a screen are:
- Alegreya
- B612
- Muli
- Volkorn
- Playfair Display
- Lato
Using this font will mean your content is accessible to more people.
Subheadings can help break up your content and allows people to find the information that they need. They also help Google understand what your content covers. Make sure that your subheadings are easy to read.
You can include a TOC; this will give even more straightforward navigation.Â
When it comes to your SEO, it is often helpful to work with experts Unravel SEO on your overall strategy.Â
Beautiful
There is a lot already to consider when you are creating content. Something that gives your content an extra layer of interest is making sure that it is beautiful. You can do this by adding in images that make sense. You can use stock images or take pictures yourself that support what you are saying.
You can also add-in videos when it makes sense to do so. Videos often work well in tutorial content or where a screenshot and images aren’t as effective.
And finally, in order to give your content some extra flare, find podcasts that support the topic.
Some people learn by reading, some learn by doing and watching, and others simply by listening. This also makes sure that your content is entirely accessible by as many people as possible.
Edit
And then edit some more. Although we all strive to create content that is perfect, we are only human. The odd mistake might happen. When editing, you should be ruthless with yourself and your work.
It can be a painful process, and often it is better done by someone else. Editing is not just about spelling; you are looking for complicated sentences, grammar issues, and any text that might be too colloquial.
Go for the first edit, and then take a break and come back to it. This will enable you to look at your content with fresh eyes and see if there is anything missing.Â
Excellent content writing will have people returning back to you time and time again because they trust your work, and they find it pleasant to consume.
If you are unsure about how to sculpt content for enjoyment, think about the pieces that you enjoy. What do you get from them? Do they leave you either thinking about them or with something actionable?
Create content with a purpose, and traffic will come over time.Â