I keep on bringing this up, because we still get many questions from our readers and clients about copywriting. Copywriting is not just having excellent writing skills; it involves a strong coordination between topic research, keyword research and understanding your specific audience for a specific page. I cannot emphasize it enough.
Before all of the Google updates, quantity was king. You wanted to push out as many articles as you could and feed the machines in order to stay on top and ahead of your competition. Now, with the Google Panda update, quantity is starting to take a backseat to quality work. The update can better filter out spammy or overused content as well as keyword stuffed articles, and it can now recognize quality writing filled with brand new information. Quality is what you should be after, and this is especially true for local businesses.
Unique content is the key, meaning you want to publish content on your blog or site page that a user would not find on 100 more websites using the same exact wording. A local business truly needs unique content, given that they are actually aiming for local traffic. If your local customers are clicking on your site and only finding poor quality content right at the start, they are likely to just click on through and not stop. Informative, well written (meaning written for human eyes not robots) articles are what you should be investing in.
What should “quality” articles cover, anyway? They still need to be related to your business, of course, but instead of trying to fit in tons of obvious keywords, you want the writing to flow naturally. You also need to put yourself in your customers’ shoes. If they are doing a search for information on a product you carry, then articles with helpful details should be your focus. People love to feel like they are gaining something from visiting a website, and that gain can be in the way of knowledge news, incentives and so on.
In the end, your articles should now be written to read like they are for your real human customers, and no longer for search-bots. Focus on quality writing and stay ahead of the game when it comes to your local business.
If you’re unsure how to proceed, contact us today
