CONTENT IS KING: WHY KEYWORD STUFFING IS NOT ENOUGH
There is a common thought process that seems to be going around amongst business owners and online marketers that writers are menial laborers who do little more than stuff some keywords into an article and call it a day. Sure, as a writer, I could be a little biased, but it irks me to no end that people don?t seem to understand the value of good web content and copywriting. It?s true that almost anyone can write a sentence, but it takes someone with skill to write a sentence that makes people think and respond. That?s what a good writer can offer businesses. It?s about a lot more than just SEO and writing as much in as little time as possible. Good writing requires research, personality, as well as way with words. It also persuades and encourages customers to take whatever action businesses want them to take.
Because of the way this ?writers aren?t professionals? thought pattern annoys me so, I thought I?d explain exactly why web content isn?t just ?SEO work? ?keyword stuffing? or any of the other crappy writing hybrids people seem to think are sufficient for marketing a business. Good web writing is so much more than keyword density. Not only will quality writing increase your search rankings, but it will also increase conversion rates, gain new readers for your blog, or add a whole level of credibility to your website. On the flipside, poor writing will likely do the exact opposite.
Why writers are now seen as laborers rather than skilled professionals:
I think this little concept came to fruition due to the sheer number of site owners who believe that keyword stuffing is the best way to increase search engine rankings. It doesn?t really matter that this train of thought is wrong on many levels, enough people believe it that web writers have been reduced to writing what are known as ?SEO articles.? This is a nice term for ?keyword stuffed crap.? Since virtually anyone can write these articles, even those with very little knowledge of the English language, real writers have been pushed to the side and replaced with those who can write high volumes of content for very little money. Or highly educated writers are forced to take low paying work just to pay bills. This isn?t just a problem for those who make their living writing, either. It?s also a problem for business owners who don?t grasp the value of good content, since it is their businesses that will suffer in the long run.
What?s wrong with this picture?
Appalling pay rates aside, the main problem with this model of hiring writers is that it doesn?t work. With Google?s latest updates, subpar content is simply no longer going to help increase traffic to your website. In fact, the new algorithms were designed to increase the organic search rankings of sites with high quality, unique, and well written content over those with keyword stuffed SEO articles. Therefore, what was once SEO, is now quite the opposite.
The other problem many business and site owners don?t seem to consider is the impact poorly written content will have on their reputations. Even if your sites did make it to the very top of search results, when users click on your pages to find broken English or generic, irrelevant content, they aren?t going to think much of your organization.
In the online world, your content is?you. It?s all you have to portray who you are, what your mission is, what you?re trying to achieve, and the type of company or organization you?re trying to run. Present good content that makes readers think, feel, or want to take action, and you?ve earned followers who will be more likely to take you seriously and help you succeed. Give them the bare minimum, and they?re likely to click away in a hurry.
Copywriting vs ?web content?
Business owners also have to differentiate between basic web content, such as blogs and articles, and copywriting. They are not the same, and the latter takes a considerable amount of skill and effort to do correctly. However, that?s not to say that writing a good, well researched article doesn?t also take a lot of time and effort. It?s merely to point out that many business owners assume that anyone who can write an SEO article can also write sales copy, when this isn?t always the case.
Why do you need good copywriting? The copy on any site (or any printed material for that matter) is often the first ?voice? a customer will hear related to your company. Having good site copy to sell your products, services, and business as a whole will ensure that the voice they hear is targeted to their needs or desires. Good copy can increase conversion rates and increase sales.
Why content is king:
There are several elements involved in any marketing campaign that must come together in order to make it a success. Market research has to be done. In the case of an online campaign, a site has to be designed and hosted, and graphics are created and added. Each of these things is important, and each one could break a campaign if executed incorrectly. A site without user friendly navigation will likely never be read in the first place. Without any of these pieces, the campaign is more likely to fail.
The difference, then, is that these other elements encourage users to stick around, but the content is what makes the sale. Think of web content as your own personal sales person, reporter, and announcer all at once. Even if all other elements are in place, if your content bites, you probably will not make the sale.
There have been many successful campaigns without fancy graphics or high tech websites. The one thing they all had in common was effective sales copy written by a professional writer. There is no way around having good content. While your customers will notice if the graphics are horrible or the site is poorly designed, strategically written content can still bring home the sale. There is a reason landing pages consist of plain white pages with a few pictures scattered here and there: it?s the content that does the selling.
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