Author Archives: Amrit Hallan

About Amrit Hallan

Amrit Hallan is a professional content writer who helps businesses improve their conversion rate through credible and compelling content writing. His main strength lies in writing search engine optimized content without compromizing quality and meaningfulness.

Quality content is the best SEO

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As rightly mentioned in this blog post titled “The big SEO secret for bloggers” there is nothing like high-quality content when it comes to improving your search engine rankings. Long gone are the days when you had to use “SEO tactics” to get good rankings; right now it is primarily the quality of your content that decides what rankings you’re going to enjoy over the search engines.

So it doesn’t matter how you publish and organize your content? Sure, it does. You have to organise your content in such a manner that it is easier for search engine crawlers to find your content, index it and rank it.

Do your niche keywords matter?

They do. But you don’t have to go overboard. Using “keywords” doesn’t mean a certain density, it just means using the right words to convey your message and prepare your content. For instance, if I write a blog post on content writing, this expression should appear in the text rather than “content preparing” or “content formulating” (I know it doesn’t mean anything, but it is just an example). The basic idea is, delivering some value that makes people come to your blog or website again and again, and this is what search engines are looking for. They want to present relevant links to their users.

Doesn’t bad content rank well any more?

It surely does. Search engine algorithms are not foolproof and sometimes links that don’t deserve good rankings get good rankings. But they don’t enjoy good rankings for long, sooner or later they are discovered and then allocated ranking they deserve.

Spend more and more time on producing better quality content rather than lots of content and you will see a marked difference in your search engine rankings and also, your conversion rate.

How to create content to engage your prospects

Your content has to be relevant in order to engage your prospects

Content marketing entails sending out content to your prospects on an ongoing basis. Now, sending out content doesn’t mean that they are automatically looking forward to it. They need to want it. Why would they want your content? It solves their purpose. Nobody is interested in hearing from you for sheer love except for your mom or your smitten girlfriend or boyfriend. You have to deliver them content that solves problems. You have to deliver them something that entertains them, informs them, and encourages them to remain in touch with you and engage in conversations whenever desirable.

But how do you deliver relevant content when different people have different tastes?

For that you have to properly understand your audience (your prospects). Why would they want to hear from you? Step into their shoes instead of assuming that they would like to hear from you anyway (because your product or service is so great). The relevancy of your content depends on

The product or service you are marketing
The format of the content people prefer in your market
The regional/indigenous preferences
The pressing needs of your readers/visitors

Once you have these things sorted out you can create relevant content for your market.

You need to publish content regularly

Just as quality and relevancy is important the regularity of your content publishing is vital too. You need to be constantly visible only then you can become familiar to your visitors. When you publish content regularly it gives everybody a reason to talk about it and consequently, maintain a buzz around it.

With the right mix of relevancy and regularity you can create engaging content that encourages your visitors and your friends and followers on social networking websites to engage in conversations with you and establish long-term relationships that eventually may turn into business partnerships.

What makes you an outstanding content writer?

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Becoming an outstanding content writer

So are you an outstanding content writer?

I was just now going through this “Business Insider” article that talks about how you have to be above average, or rather extraordinary in order to survive today’s work environment. Of course we have different definitions of exactly what is extraordinary and outstanding; it depends on your level of expertise and the degree of competition you face around you. But the article makes sense.

Since I provide content writing services, I am thinking in terms of a content writer; what makes you an above-average content writer? To understand this we have to go to the root of exactly what service you have to provide in order to become extraordinary.

Although my primary business is providing content I have no hesitation in admitting that it’s not the most important thing in your Internet marketing kitty, nonetheless it is the most fundamental thing. I mean, if you don’t have content, you have got nothing. It isn’t just content that can help your business. You need to disseminate that content, you need to market it (and hence, content marketing), you need to grab attention, you need to improve your search engine rankings, and you need to maintain a constant buzz on social media and social networking websites.

Of course you should be able to write quite well and create compelling content that converts, but that’s a given. Listed below are a few things you can do in order to become

An outstanding content writer

Practice your art, constantly: Like any other art or skill, content writing needs brushing up every day. It is an invisible muscle that begins to grow weak if you don’t use it all the time, and use it in the right manner. Write as much as you can. You should write even if you don’t have work right now. I have seen many aspiring content writers and bloggers shying away from writing unless they have got paying assignments. This atrophies their ability. Write just for the sake of writing and you will sooner or later – provided you promote your services in the right manner – will get paying assignments. But unless you write well, you’re not going to get paying assignments. So practice, practice and practice.
Stretch your content writing abilities: You shouldn’t just write about things you are comfortable with. Write on totally alien topics because this is how you have to write when you begin to create content professionally. You are not just going to get what you like. Many times you will get assignments you have never even heard of. You will have to learn many things, and learn them in such a manner that you can write about them clearly. So you might as well start writing on “difficult” topics right now rather than getting into a fix later on.
Read constantly: There are very few professional writers who don’t read regularly. Reading isn’t always about entertainment and passing time, it gets you into that mode that creates conducive environment for writing. Reading begets writing. It triggers your muse. You get to learn many new expressions and you also get to learn how various writers express various emotions and expressions in their own ways. You should also read contemporary literature, articles and essays so that your language is not antiquated.
Expand your intellectual horizon: Writing doesn’t just mean you can write error-free sentences. Good readers can read between the lines and they can easily make out what’s your intellectual level. Always try to broaden your perspective. A big reason why I constantly get new content writing assignments (I have been providing professional content since 2004) is because I haven’t limited myself to providing just content. When my clients hire me, they get a complete package and in most of the cases, especially when it comes to doing business online, they rarely have to brief me or provide me extra information. When you know stuff, you can write with conviction. It also saves you lots of time and speeds up your writing.
Create an active presence for yourself: Unless people know of your existence how are they going to give you work? And since most of the people these days come in contact with other people via social networking websites, you have to be present there, and not just as an inactive account, but a vibrant and active profile. You don’t have to be present on every platform. For example, you can just choose Facebook and Twitter and be regularly visible there. It also reassures your prospective clients that you’re not someone lurking around quietly without any testimonial and reference. When they know that you can be easily found, it’s easier for them to trust you as a reliable content writer.
Provide a turnkey content writing solution: Your client shouldn’t have to work with different vendors in order to meet his or her content writing and content marketing requirements. Provide exceptionally well-written content, and if your client also has to market the content and disseminate it, you should be able to help him or her out. Even when your client needs to formulate a long-term content strategy he or she shouldn’t have to seek another content provider? Have enough experience and knowledge to provide strategy and consulting whenever required.

So these are a few work habits and professional traits that can help you become an outstanding content writer. You don’t always have to wear different hats at the same time, it’s all about knowing what you do. This is where you can get an edge. You will notice that most of the content writers simply create a website, somehow manage to create a search engine presence, and after that provide totally uninspiring content writing services. You can survive that way, but you cannot thrive. In order to thrive in the content writing business, provide a package, instead of a service. Provide a solution, instead of a product.

Why I charge the way I do for my content writing services

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Content writing services come at different rates. Not that my rates are higher compared to experienced and professional content writers, but sometimes some clients do ask why they should pay me my rates when they can get similar content at much less? This is a valid question to be frank because even I would pay less were I in their position and so initially it would be difficult for me to justify my rates for my content writing services.

But then there is a reason I get paid what I charge and most of my clients see the value in them and hence pay for my content writing services. This is not one of those “why hire me” blog posts, I’m just going to help you come up with some questions when you’re thinking of partnering with a person who is ready to work for a lot less than what I charge. Here are the questions:

Does your content writer have a website?

No, this is not a rhetorical question, it actually makes a big difference. I’m not asking this because I have a website to promote my content writing services. Of course you may find good writers on one of those freelancers websites or the rapidly coming up “virtual assistants” websites, but when they promote their services from such places, they don’t have a stake. Take for instance my website, I started it in 2004, and ever since then it must have gone through at least 20 changes in terms of design and 100s of ongoing changes in terms of content.

It means I take my business and my online presence pretty seriously and invest lots of time trying to maintain a credible presence. Again, how does it matter how much credibility I enjoy if you can easily get cheaper content from a person who has no visible and verifiable credibility?

If you’re okay with a person who can vanish any day while you are in the midst of a hectic strategy transformation then by all means, go with that person. If you are fine with a person who has no stake and who can afford to be erratic with his or her services, then of course, you should opt for that person.

But if you’re really serious about promoting your business through effective content writing then you must collaborate with a person you can totally rely upon. A person who has a well-established business website. A person who provides services like a business, and not like someone who doesn’t even want to invest in a measly website in order to promote his or her services. When you run your own business from your own website, it shows you have confidence and you know that you can deliver.

Does your content writer have a presence on the Internet?

Again, it might not matter to you but to many businesses it does. For reliable services you need reliable people. People who have created some presence. When it comes to having a presence on the Internet

I publish multiple blogs and especially my content writing blog
I have a vibrant presence on Twitter and Facebook (it might matter, and it might not matter, differs from person to person)
Search for “amrit hallan” on Google.com or any other major search engine and you will find zillions of pages referring to my work and content that I have written for various websites

Why does it matter to have a presence when all you have to do is write content? If you have a serious content writing requirement, then you need a serious and reliable content writer. You need a content writer that can be traced and tracked all the time and not just at a particular place but at multiple places. When you have an online presence that is reflected through various websites it means you are exposing yourself to scrutiny.

So why do you think most of the low-charging content writers don’t have a decent online presence to boast of?

Simply because, it takes effort. It’s not a joke to submit 100s of articles to various websites and blogs without getting paid. It is not easy to publish quality blog posts just to maintain a presence. You need focus, you need to work hard, you need to value your work, and you need to see the value of your effort. The low-charging content writers cannot simply afford to put in so much time and effort. They don’t develop their skills because most of the time they are making up for the low amount they are charging. You are constantly getting low-quality content and you don’t even realize it, because somehow they convince you that all that matters is good search engine rankings. They either don’t know or they don’t convey to you that more than the search engine traffic what you need is a higher conversion rate and this can only be achieved by high-quality content.

So how come they are able to charge so less?

By drudgery, literally. They work really hard, in fact so hard that it is very difficult for them to produce quality content. Since they are charging so little, they have to make up some way, especially when the cost of living is not exactly as low as it used to be a few years ago. They don’t have time to improve themselves and they don’t have time to be innovative and creative. If you have enough time and patience just go through 4-5 of their articles and you will notice a stark similarity with just a few words changed here and there. They have mastered 20 odd expressions and they keep repeating them throughout the copy.

Why you’re not overpaying when working with me?

You get quality content, of course. Since I have already charged you whatever I feel comfortable with, I have the luxury to spend ample amount of time on your work and let my creativity flow. I’m not measly about how many words I should use and how much time I have got. I bring with myself years of experience. I don’t have to worry about how to complete your work quickly so that I can move on to the next document (although this doesn’t mean I needlessly spend time on individual documents). Besides, since I am a business person myself, I prepare your content – whether I do it myself or through various writers – keeping your business needs in mind. My extensive experience affords me with sufficient insight into how your audience is going to react to the content I’m providing you.

I don’t give you content just to please you and get money from you, I give you content that can take your business forward. Sometimes you won’t agree with me; I will try my best to explain to you why my approach is good for your business.

How regular blogging helps your customers and clients

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Regular business blogging isn’t just about improving your SEO and it also isn’t always about strengthening your brand identity, it also helps your customers and clients take better decisions. When you keep your customers informed of all the new developments taking place in your business (strategic alliances, product launches, new services, change in existing services and product features, etc.) they feel a part of your business process and consequently, are more eager to do business with you whenever they need to.

Blogging to help your customers and clients

The greatest hurdle on the Internet is the lack of information. Before you have bought, almost nothing is tangible, unlike in the real world where you can actually extend your hand and types the object you are planning to purchase. At the most on your website they can get a three-dimensional view of your product and use some sort of simulation. So how do you convince them? By providing as much information as possible.

You need to keep in mind that when you are providing information to them it doesn’t mean you’re trying to manipulate them. The information in every blog post needs to be very objective and, you’re right, informative. The primary objective of your blog posts is not making sales (although the end result is always this); the primary objective is to keep them informed and interested in your regular communication. Primary objective is to engage them on an ongoing basis and to encourage them to share their concerns with you, whether they want to do it through the commenting section of your blog, or through your social media profile (Twitter or Facebook).

You can also help your customers and clients by amply sharing your wisdom and experience. It doesn’t have to be always business-related. You can share with them how you make business decisions and what factors impact your decision making whether you’re deciding alone or with your management.

You can also help your customers and clients by sharing your social as well as political viewpoints through your business blog, although this is not always recommended. The primary focus of your blog obviously has to be your business or related to the product or services you are offering, but the world doesn’t just consist of the products and services you offer. Our businesses don’t fund shall in isolation: regional politics, economics, social conditions, weather, and many other factors affect the way we do business. So it’s not inappropriate to share your non-business thoughts with your customers and clients. Although you need to share your thoughts of such nature as a person and not as “we believe in this”, or “we would do that”.

Provide valuable content to your customers and clients on a regular basis

What is valuable content? Something they can use to solve their pressing problems. Of course you cannot solve everybody’s problems, but there must be some individuals whose problems you can solve through regular blogging. So whenever you are about to publish a blog post think it carefully, is it providing some solution? If it is simply blowing your company’s horn, immediately delete it, nobody is interested in knowing how great your company is doing unless it is of some use to those people. But then again, it doesn’t harm if you write about your benchmarks and achievements on your blog once you have established an amiable relationship with your readers.