When we last discussed Google’s ‘Design and Content Guidelines,’ we looked at the role that sitemaps play on your website.  This week, we’re going to be talking about the importance of an information-rich website with well-written content.

Google Design and Content Guideline #3: “Create a useful, information-rich site, and write pages that clearly and accurately describe your content.”

Creating a website with high-quality, useful and original content is one of the best ways to garner traffic and rank well in search engines. A useful website informs, is easy to use, and gives your visitor’s a reason to take the next logical step.

No other method (a clean hierarchy, sitemap, or keywords) will be as effective as a well-written, information-rich website - the backbone of any long term SEO Strategy.

A unique and information-rich website that is frequently updated also ensures return visitors and links from other webmasters, resulting in more organic (natural) traffic and higher search engine rankings.

Writing web pages that clearly and accurately describes your content is essential in order for both visitors and search engines to find you online.  It is a skill that anyone serious about Search Engine Optimization (SEO) needs to know.

When writing web page content, keep these tips in mind:
•    Keywords: If your website is about knitting, the word knitting should appear in your content.  As well, keywords related to knitting (synonyms) should also appear throughout your site.
•    Paragraphs: Short and well-organized paragraphs that cleanly layout your content are essential for readability and viewer enjoyment.
•    Plain language: Now is not the time to sound like a dead English poet.  Use clear, commonly used, and accurate language.  It’s not poetry, it’s utilitarian and it should be written that way.

Up next, we’ll be tackling Google’s design and content guideline on keywords.  Read on!

Writing Web Words Inc:
Based in Toronto, Ontario, we are a full service Web Writing and Content Development Company that helps small and mid-sized companies maximize their online potential via Search Engine Optimization (SEO), SEO Copywriting, Social Media Marketing and other leading edge interactive marketing services.

Part 3:

What makes a successful website?  This is a question that has as much complexity as ‘What makes a successful relationship?’   Unlike the latter however, the former is unlikely to require daily of doses of Dr. Phil or Oprah for answers; thank G_d.

The following are some pointers that should help make your site more effective.  Starting with the Dont’s:

Don’t assume that just because you have a great business model, all you need to do is present information as a static, inflexible regurgitation of your mission statement, uniqe selling proposition, or an online catalogue.  If you thought you had competitors locally, just imagine how many you’re competing with globally.

Start with the basics, such as what sets your company apart from other businesses in your field, and highlight those elements. As a popular advertising adage goes, “State Similarities, Emphasize Differences.”  And be prepared to frequently update your site with relevant content including text, visuals, video and sound if relevant.  This gives your customers the impression that your site and business is fresh and dynamic, as well as encouraging repeat visits from customers and search engine spiders - both desirable for any website with designs of success.

Don’t assume that visitors to your website have the same impression of it as you do.  In other words, if you like it, don’t assume everyone else will.  For example, if I thought the same as my neighbour, I’d be eating McDonald’s every other day, wearing spandex and driving a K Car: thankfully, I don’t.  It’s critical to engage in feedback to gain an understanding of what elements people like or dislike about their online experience with your website.  This can mean something as simple as an online form that allows people to comment on its usability - possibly offering something in return for their input - what they would like to see change, if anything, and how you can improve on their overall experience.  Or it may involve something more complex, like a focus group to get feedback and/or having people - other than your spouse - use, navigate and provide feedback on your site; also known as Usability Testing.  Regardless of the method, listening to your customers and providing for their needs can only help to make your website more successful.

Don’t copy other sites, especially those of a competitor.  In addition to ignoring the obvious legal issues that can ensue, this will only make your business look uninspired and lame.  By all means, take a critical look at other sites, ones you frequent or businesses that you know have a successful track record online; just don’t think that replicating their winning formula will automatically translate into success for your site.  The web allows you to be unique and present information in engaging and refreshing ways.  Take advantage of this.

Now, some of the Do’s:

Do your research.  Thousands, if not millions of websites end up in web limbo simply because businesses didn’t understand what they wanted their site to accomplish. So, to prevent this from happening, define the nature of the site.  For example, is its purpose to inform, educate, sell, or all of the above? Will it have a social aspect (i.e. Blogs, Forums)?  Will it be an extension of your bricks and mortar business? Will you need the ability to update it yourself? It’s best to keep the end in mind when starting your web venture - or adventure.  And once you know what you want, be prepared to learn, learn, learn.  Your success literally lies in your hands when it comes to the success of your business website, so don’t venture into the unknown without a good roadmap.

Be flexible.  If you find your site is not doing well, generating little traffic or few sales, change it.  Figuring out what makes your site effective, or ineffective, is crucial.  Spending thousands of dollars on the best designer in town doesn’t automatically mean success, or continued success.   If your site is not performing, find out why and be prepared to do some surgery.

Be sincere.  If you make claims and/or promises on your website - or offline for that matter - keep them.  Nothing destroys a business’ credibility faster than a bad customer experience and/or unkept promises.  The web can be a very unforgiving place, especially for those that fail to meet customer expectations or worse.  Forums and other web communities (see http://www.ripoffreport.com/) are littered with the the ghosts of broken and un-fulfilled promises past and present. So, as the saying goes, “Under Promise and Over Deliver.”

Ray Litvak
Web Content Writer ~ Toronto, Ontario Canada
www.writingwebwords.com

Part 1:

So, after much thought, debate, soul searching and presumably many memos, meetings and conferences, not to mention infinite cups of coffee, your company or business has decided to take the plunge and join the rest of the planet online.   In other words, you need/want/must have a website devoted to your enterprise.

Like many newbies entering the web for the first time, or even if you have an established site, but it isn’t generating the volume of traffic you anticipated, or you just want to update or improve on your current site, there are initially more questions than answers about how to make the darn thing work for you.

Relax; it’s really as easy as ingesting the contents of the average 40 volume encyclopedia.   I’m joking of course, but for many, that’s certainly how it seems.  To give you an idea of what it really entails, this is the first of a 4 part primer on what you need to know.   The real trick to it is to simplify the process, and these are some basic elements to consider;

 1) Recognize the essential requirements for your site, and what you want it to accomplish.

For many businesses, the idea of a website seems like a natural extension of your mission statement, but the reality can be more challenging than you think, especially if there’s no clear idea of what you expect from it.   Don’t make the mistake of assuming some flashy graphics and web slang will get the job done; it’s all about understanding the nature of your business and then getting that across in an effective and engaging manner.

This essentially means that you have to understand your customers or clientele, and what would interest them in your business over that of your competitors.  It’s not merely a matter of undercutting, but of highlighting the features and benefits of your business over any other in the market.

This may seem like common enough business practice, but it involves a dedicated recognition of who your customers are, what their needs are, how best your company addresses those needs, and how your website can distinguish and demonstrate these elements to your best advantage.

Many companies wrongly assume that throwing up a bunch of pictures of your products, while ramming home the idea that your prices can’t be beat is all it takes.  If your average customer is affluent, more concerned with quality than cost, or is more interested in long term service i.e. product or tech support rather than the price point, then making this the focus of your site will not serve your business well.

So begin with your customer, their interests and needs, what attracts them to your business and what keeps them coming back to you, and incorporate that into the structure of your site; it’s not only a more pragmatic approach to getting your message out online, but it’s a more logical way to reach those who are looking to find you as well.

It’s also a good idea to investigate your competitors’ sites as well, not only to see what approach they employ, but also to ensure that you differentiate from them in both content and style.

There are literally reams of online information available about getting your site off the ground, which are invaluable if you’re a small business that has a finite budget available, which I’ll cover in part 4. 

If your budget is more substantial, I recommend you consider a professional web designer, but shop around and get some referrals before settling on one, as there are unfortunately a good deal of shysters out there that can make your first web design experience about as pleasant as a colonoscopy, as many have found to their chagrin.

Ray Litvak
Web Content Writer ~ Toronto, Ontario Canada
www.writingwebwords.com

As of June 30th, Google has the ability to crawl Flash

More to the point, it has learned to index text – including URL’s – embedded in Flash files.

Google says that it “has been working on a new algorithm for indexing textual content in Flash files of all kinds, from Flash menus, buttons and banners, to self-contained Flash websites.”

Prior to this enhancement, websites developed in Flash, including web content embedded in Flash files, were invisible to Google and other search engines.  As of today, Google’s new Flash algorithm means web designers and SEOs can expect better visibility of published Flash content including better search results and snippets. 

Although Google can now index Content in Flash, it still cannot index images.

What are the implications?

For yours truly, this means that I’m no longer able to tell people that a Flash-heavy site is search engine suicide.  It also means that sites with Flash files now have more SEO opportunities available to them. 

That said, with less than a week since this announcement, it has yet to be determined what – if any – impact this will have on SEO and whether Google’s Flash crawling capabilities will rival those of HTML. 

For instance, will the new Flash algorithm recognize formatting?  How search engine friendly is it? Will this enhance usability?  It’s unlikely that Google will share the nitty-gritty of this new algorithm, especially at this early stage.

Stay tuned…

Ray Litvak
www.writingwebwords.com
Professional Web Content and Copy Writer – Toronto, Canada