Avoid The Top 10 Website Content Mistakes Now

We've all heard it before content is king, but what makes content fit for a king? What are the sneaky tactics behind getting content to sit on the iron throne called position one in search? I mean it's really only words on a page, no big deal anyone can do it, right? Yes, while I agree anyone can generate content that can bring their site traffic, there are a few guidelines you may want to enforce try and make sure you're content lands right on the money more often than not. If you've never done a content audit before now would be a great time to start.

Optimising your content can greatly improve conversion and push your content strategy to new heights. So how do you make sure your content is of standards fitting for the web in 2016/17? Take a look at our checklist here:

1. Too Little Text

Easily the most common issue with the modern website, thin or no content. Pages that are autogenerated, build from supplier feeds, copy and paste jobs, or simply set up to get users to click through to your conversion funnel are never going to fair well with organic traffic. Every page you create for your site needs to serve a purpose, needs to drive value for the user and provide context. A simple "this is a shoe buy now" simply won't cut it.

2. Too Much Text

Not as common as number one but equally as bad is content stuffing. Filling your pages with long arduous paragraphs that no one will really take the time to read. The content is so long either because it's drifting off topic or it's stuffed with boilerplate or generic copy. Fluff content that provides no relevant value to the user and was only put in place to satisfy the SEO gods.

Make sure your content pieces are structured, provide sub-topics and allow users to be able to scheme through to find parts of the content they're most interested in at a moments glance.

3. Seasonal Copy

Being topical on social media can help drive traffic to your site. Creating content ahead of time, repurposing old content for a trend like Valentine’s day can help you ride the wave and get eyes coming back for more. If you are going to be seasonal, you will want to make sure you give users something fresh for best results.

Protip! Since seasonal content is only applicable for a certain time period, you can add an email sign up to catch stay users who find your content outside that period. Then send those users an email when new related content is posted.

4. Poor Image Usage

People are visual creatures and images stimulate their sensors and drive emotive responses. Which is why quality images boost sales. Not just by a little bit, but by up to three times as much. The internet has improved its adoption of rich media over the years and it's not just about slapping an image on a page for reference anymore. When adding images to your pages consider the following:

• Resolution – Make sure the quality is there. Do not use pancake quality images.
• Professional Quality – There is a big difference between a photo taken on your coffee table and a studio quality, properly lit product.
• Pan and Zoom – Allow users to zoom in on the photo and look around. This is where quality matters most.
• Compression – Using quality imagery can mean large data files, compressing images so it does not slow down page load is a must, if not it can prove fatal

Protip! Using GIFs, clickable image galleries, panoramic or 360-degree view images can set your content apart. Allowing users to interact with your images not only improves time on site and lowers bounce rate but also increases conversion rate.

5. Autoplay Media

If your content has any play media like podcasts or video DON'T use autoplay. This is one of the most annoying things you can do to your visitors, and it just does not work. Allow users to interact with the content they feel is relevant and from there you can gauge how effective your media content is, was it engaging enough for users. Additional Issues with autoplay:

• It is disruptive to the browser’s experience.
• It conflicts with the user’s thoughts.
• It does not work on mobile.
• It leads to a higher bounce rate.

6. A shift in Audience or Goals

Depending on when the content was first created, your audience may have shifted. Maybe your website is much different now than it was when you started. Maybe you were once focused on reaching out to one type of consumers, but now you are mostly talking to additional niches or have a b2b focus. Your content will need to reflect that and also appeal to those segments.

If you have changed focus, and most businesses have at one point or another, the content may be seriously outdated. There is really no way to tackle this except going piece by piece and revising the content.

7. Cluttered Pages

The main goal here is to dump the clutter. First off, you will need to track what people are actually doing on your pages. Look at what they enjoy and what is lacking. Once you have this data and organise your page accordingly. There are many analytics and page heat mapping tools you can use to gather this data, find the one that suits your budget and data capturing needs.

8. Not Taking Advantage of Your Assets

It is important that you look back at any of your content and see if it is promoting your assets to the best of your ability. This could mean new products, new promotions, new offers, new affiliate programs etc. Outdated content can often point users in the wrong direction or worse put them off your brand completely. The omission of assets can reduce conversion rates and keep you hidden from search queries you could satisfy.

Producing quality content isn't an easy process but there are many types of content assets you may not realise you have:

• Testimonials and case studies – When other people enjoy your products, it helps them sell. Use this to your advantage.
• Statistics and inside info – You probably have some information in statistics that no one else has. Popular products, what works what doesn’t, etc.
• Turn customers into promoters – Promote their experience and tell their story. Have them help you.
• Day to day business – Go behind the scenes. It will help you be more human and show there are faces behind this website, that you're not some scam or internet troll.
• Employees – Some of your best assets behind the scenes can be stars for you out front. Tell their story.

9. Not using HTML markups

Make sure you're using HTML mark-ups and that you're using them as effectively as possible. Structure your pages using H tags to make them a better reading experience and easier to digest, use schema to improve your SERP displays, use lists and tables to increase your chance of becoming a quick answer and holding down position 0 in SERP. HTML mark-ups, when used correctly can be the silver bullet your content needs.

10. No analysis

There is really no reason to apply any of the previous 9 recommendations if you're not going to capture and analyse the data. Flying blind is never a good idea when it comes to content optimisation unless of course, you like to live dangerously. Tracking the before and after effects of the previous recommendations to see if they're working for you, tracking which content topics are driving the best quality visits and which aren't.

Focusing on winning content niches, which niches to target and building your organic empire will all rest on the power of your analytics. You can set out an initial strategy using the above check-list. Then use your analytics to refine it into a winning strategy. One you can literally take to the bank and cash it in, cheque or savings is up to you!

Contact us

If you want to know more about content marketing don’t be shy we’re happy to assist. Simply contact us here

Tags: Content Marketing, How to, SEO