I had an interesting conversation with a client recently. He had hired a company specializing in SEO to try increasing traffic to his website. One of the recommendations was to remove all of the written content from his Home page and replace it with images. I explained that while this might add visual appeal, it would certainly result in reduced traffic. He decided to give it a try and had me remove the content.
My prediction was correct and the SEO specialist was promptly cut loose.
The reason SEO suffered when the written content was removed is that our client’s Home page was suddenly rendered invisible to search engines. Search engine robots – that scour the Web looking for content – are excellent at reading text, but unlike humans, they can’t “see” images.
One of the questions we’re asked most often is “what’s the best way to increase traffic to my website?” The answer is pretty simple: good content.
So what is “good content”? Good content is meaningful and descriptive written information. It doesn’t have to be fancy; plain English (or French, Spanish or Mandarin) will do.
I remember many years ago reading an essay written by Bill Gates in 1996 titled “Content is King”:
“Content is where I expect much of the real money will be made on the Internet, just as it was in broadcasting.”
“Those who succeed will propel the Internet forward as a marketplace of ideas, experiences, and products – a marketplace of content.”
– Bill Gates, Content is King, 1996
Without good content, your site may be attractive but it will be difficult for people to find. For some people this is perfectly acceptable. I have one client who doesn’t want to be found via Web search. She prefers to share the link to her portfolio site personally and privately.
But if you do want to be found via Web search, remember: you are the expert when it comes to your business or organization. If writing isn’t your strength, that’s ok – there are people who can help (contact us, we’ll be happy to assist).
So, if you have a website or are considering creating a Web presence, consider your reasons for having it. If one of your objectives is to draw visitors to your site, the simplest and most powerful way to do that is using good content. Tell people who you are. Share your information and ideas and visitors will come, based on the content you publish.
If you are concerned about having too much written content and want to avoid “a wall of text”, there are ways to do this that will enhance SEO – without having to resort to purging your pages of valuable information.
Whatever you do, don’t underestimate the power of good content.
If you’re interested in knowing more about content, writing for the Web, and organic SEO, send us a line at in**@bl************.com.