Tag Archives: Content Writing

15 Content Writing Best Practices

15 content writing best practices

How do you make your content writing powerful and effective? Are there some best practices to follow?

It depends on how much you understand the importance of the written text on your website, whether you are writing it yourself or getting it written by a professional content writer.

Content writing for websites is of 2 types:

The main website content which is basically copywriting because you are selling products and services through writing.
Blog posts and articles that are used to improve your SEO and to inform and educate your customers and clients.

Both types of content have different objectives.

Although, ultimately, the end goal of every piece of content that you publish on your website (or your blog) is to get more customers and clients, the immediate goal differs from web page to web page and from blog post to blog post. This is where if you follow best practices.

On my website, I provide content writing and copywriting in different forms. This is why I have separate pages for different niches.

For example, if I want to tell web design companies that I can provide ongoing content writing and copywriting services to them, I expect them to come to my Content writing & copywriting services for web design agency.

When I want to attract people who are looking for a professional copywriter for email marketing campaigns, I would want them to come to my copywriter for email marketing webpage.

The main purpose remains the same, but I am attracting different individuals and businesses through different webpages because I know that on search engines, most of them won’t just search for “content writer” or “copywriter”. Someone running a web design agency is going to search for “content writer for my web design agency”, and so on.

The underlying content writing best practices remain the same whether you’re writing for the main website or for the blog section – having a clear objective of what you are trying to achieve and then writing keeping that in mind.

Initially I started writing this blog post as script for my video on the same topic. Then I decided to expand it into a full-fledged blog post. Here is the video of 15 content writing best practices.

Below I am explaining these best practices in detail. First, a list of these content writing best practices:

Understand the end result.
Keep the end result in mind when writing.
Write in the first person.
Write shorter sentences.
Use conversational style.
Use audience-specific language.
Keep the readers hooked.
Don’t beat around the bush.
Don’t neglect SEO.
Decide on a clearly defined title.
Write around the title.
Deliver true value.
Be sincere.
Write from the perspective of the reader.
Make your reader think.

Now, these points in detail.

Understand the end result

This is something I ask my client every time I’m about to write a web page, a blog post or an article. What does the write up achieve once the reader has read it.

This is very important.

Take for example this blog post. It has two purposes:

Laying down content writing best practices everyone can benefit from.
Establishing the fact that I follow these practices and hence, I deliver good writing, as a result.

Hence, every sentence I write, is written keeping that in mind.

Keep the end result in mind when writing

Once you know what you want to achieve through the current webpage, blog post or article, constantly keep that in mind when you’re writing so that you don’t digress.

When you are not focused it reflects through your writing and consequently, even your readers won’t be able to focus. Distracted and confused, they will leave your website.

Remember that even if you don’t have a purpose, the people who come to your website, especially when they come across your link on Google or elsewhere, they have a clear purpose.

Something, maybe your headline, prompts them to click the link and come to your webpage, blog post or article.

If you don’t immediately talk about what you have promised in the headline or in the intro, they will feel cheated and lose trust in what you are trying to say.

Hence, when you are writing, stick to what you have promised (the end result).

Write in the first person

Many clients insist that I use “we are doing this” and “we are doing that” and since they’re not hiring me as their strategist, I don’t argue much, but it is always better to write in the first person, especially when you’re writing blog posts and articles.

This is also because in blog posts and articles, the name of the author is often displayed at the top.

So, an individual using “we” seems strange.

Also, if your writing has a human voice (that speaks in terms of “I” and “you”) it is more effective and helps you achieve your end result in a better manner.

Write shorter sentences

Being a writer, I don’t mind longer, complicated sentences, but when you’re writing for businesses, it is better to sticking to shorter sentences.

In my case, the reason is logical rather than thinking that it is difficult for people to follow complex sentences, although, this is also the case if you don’t structure your sentences well and you yourself are not clear what you’re trying to say.

Shorter sentences are easier to read.

You can read them faster.

There is less chance of ambiguity.

The message matters more than your writing style, although, writing style does matter.

If people are using their mobile phone to read your webpage, blog post or article, it is easier to read shorter sentences.

Shorter sentences, when used with clarity, are more impactful.

Use a conversational style

When I say “conversational style” I don’t mean you address your audience as if you are sitting in a beer bar and have already had 2-3 rounds.

Be mindful of their sensibilities.

Use a formal, polite language.

At the same time, write as if you’re talking to them.

Writing shorter sentences helps.

Use terms and phrases familiar to them from their day-to-day lives, if possible.

Use topical anecdotes so they can easily relate what you are saying to something they are totally familiar with.

As I have mentioned above, writeof in the first person because it is easier to use a conversational style in this manner.

Use audience-specific language

Many content writers and copywriters, when talking about best practices, advise you to avoid using jargons.

Jargons, if they are a part of the conversation, are good.

If you are simply using them to boast about your language and the grasp of the subject, then they are bad.

Suppose you want to tell someone to “think out of the box”. Now, if you really want someone to think “out of the box”, there is nothing wrong in using this expression.

Similarly, if you want to tell someone that you use “agile methodology” when you develop mobile apps, there is nothing wrong in mentioning this as long as the other party understands what being “agile” means in this context.

The problem is not with jargons, the problem is with using them needlessly.

What I’m trying to say is, use industry-specific, audience-specific language.

Sometimes when I’m writing for a niche industry, I either do my own research and if the client is accommodating, I ask him or her to send me a list of words and phrases he or she would like me to use when I’m writing.

Familiar words make people comfortable and make them pay more attention to your writing.

Keep the readers hooked

Now, this is a skill that only a trained copywriter or writer has.

When do you call a book a page turner? When you quickly want to turn to the next page and find out what happens.

This is called keeping people hooked to your writing.

I have been reading The Copywriter’s Handbook by Robert Bly and he has multiple times said that the purpose of every sentence you write should be to make the reader read the next sentence.

So, the sole purpose of your headline is to make the reader read the first sentence. The purpose of the first sentence is to make the reader read the second sentence. It goes on like this.

This is called keeping people hooked to your writing.

How do you achieve that?

By having something interesting, something useful to say.

If I feel that I’m going to benefit from what I’m reading, I will go on reading in anticipation and to know more about how I’m going to benefit.

Sometimes it involves holding your cards close to your chest, and this is fine.

You don’t have to reveal everything in the first paragraph.

In fact, Robert Bly says that – contrary to the advice given by copywriters on the web – you don’t have to use a headline that says exactly what the copy is going to deliver.

The purpose of the headline, as mentioned above, must be to make the reader read the first sentence.

But, in the age of the Internet, it makes sense to use a very direct headline.

This brings us to the next section in this list of content writing best practices…

Don’t beat around the bush

Although you should reveal everything that is to be revealed in the beginning itself, especially, when you need to inform and educate your readers before they can make a logical decision, you shouldn’t beat around the bush needlessly.

This bores people and puts them off, and also confuses them.

Remember that there is too much distraction in the age of the Internet.

Even a distraction of a second can send the person away.

Of course, if beating around the bush is part of your narrative towards building an exciting climax, then sure, go ahead.

But, if it seems you’re just wasting time to fill up space, avoid that.

Don’t neglect SEO

Since when we talk about content writing, we are mostly talking about writing for a business website, a blog and basically, something that is going to exist on the web and hence, needs to be found by the search engines, you shouldn’t neglect SEO when you’re writing.

SEO isn’t just important for your business – more traffic means more business – it is also important for people looking for useful information (I’m assuming that you always intend to publish useful information).

Take for example this blog post. I’m writing about content writing best practices.

I have both “content writing” and “best practices” in the title of the blog post.

I have used the phrases in a couple of headlines.

I have scattered them around the entire body text of the blog post.

Basically, I’m doing my best to optimize my text for these 2 phrases and their combinations so that people who want to read about content writing best practices, they’re able to find this blog post on Google and elsewhere, and benefit from it.

Writing SEO friendly content isn’t very difficult, provided you stick to the topic. In most of the cases, if you stick to the topic, your SEO is automatically taken care of.

Decide on a clearly defined title

The title is different from the main headline, although, sometimes, your title and the main headline may be same.

Your title appears in the title bar of the browser window.

It is also used by almost all the search engines to showcase your listing in the SERPs, and the search engines consider them so important that your title appears as the hyperlink.

When you post links on social networking websites like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, your title is picked automatically.

Since wherever your link appears, it will appear in the form of your title, it needs to be clear cut and unambiguous.

Your title must mention exactly what you are promising to deliver, or something so compelling that people are forced to click the link.

A clearly defined title also gives you a head start. If you keep the title in your mind, you know what you want to write and what you want to avoid.

Write around the title

This is just the extension of the last para of the above section. Once you have decided on the title, write every word around that title.

Coming back to this blog post, it is about content writing best practices.

It is not about the importance of the best practices to follow when you are writing content.

This is also not about how the practices that follow are going to help my client (though, if I follow these practices, then I assume that I’m going to write well for my clients too).

It is about listing the best content writing practices. This is what I’m trying to achieve.

My title has given me a clear direction.

Deliver true value

Never write something useless just to get search engine traffic or clicks from social networking websites.

Visitors that don’t want to come to your website and still end up on your website, are of no use to you.

They will feel cheated and will remember not to come back to your website.

The best part is, even Google these days can make out if you are trying to cheat your way into higher search engine rankings.

Your content is considered valuable if people, upon finding your links on Google, come to your website, and spend some time, explore your website and then, preferably, don’t carry on with the same search that helped them find your link.

When they spend time on your website Google assumes that it has valuable content.

If they immediately leave your website Google assumes that your content is not useful and if, by any chance, your links have been ranking well, the algorithm lowers your rankings.

Hence, no matter what you write, make sure that it is useful and delivers true value.

Be sincere

Your sincerity comes through your writing. As mentioned above, if you’re just beating around the bush, if you’re just using fluff to exaggerate your claims, your readers are going to feel it straight on.

If you want to teach, actually teach.

If you want to educate, actually educate.

If you want to inform, actually inform.

If you want to make a good offer, actually make that offer.

You write better when you write sincerely. Because you mean it.

Write from the perspective of the reader

When you’re writing, constantly think, would you go on reading what you are writing if you were the reader?

What would be your expectation?

What state of mind would you be when you read what you are writing?

Would you feel well served?

Would you feel that the information you are looking for, you are able to find?

Would you feel that the content justifies the title?

Would you be better off compared to when you hadn’t read what you’re writing right now?

The more you think from the perspective of your reader, the better you will write.

Make your reader think

We all love challenges.

We all love figuring things out.

It gives us a high if someone poses a challenge and we are up to it.

How can you make your readers think?

You can challenge their established beliefs.

You can present to them contrary viewpoint.

Present them with a situation and then ask them what they would do in a similar situation?

Offer them something that will shake them out of their inertia.

Conclusion

These content writing best practices aren’t written in stone.

As an experienced content writer, you may have your own set of best practices, and this is fine. In fact, in the comments section, feel welcome to add to this list.

Why I don’t take up low paying content writing and copywriting assignments

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Why I don’t take up low-paying writing assignments

…even if I’m not currently working on some paid assignments.

Continuing the string of thought from a previous blog post, If you don’t want to pay even a decent amount for writing services, you don’t need a writer, does it make sense when I don’t take up low paying assignments even when currently I’m not working on a project? Am I wasting my time? Isn’t some money better than no money?

This logic was presented to me yesterday by a client. He asked me if I was busy with an assignment. I was not.

“So,” he asked, “why don’t you accept my assignment? At least I will be paying you something.”

There are multiple reasons why I don’t accept low paying assignments. But one of the biggest reasons is, I would rather spend my time promoting my own services rather than writing content for individuals who don’t appreciate the value of a good writer.

Although, when I am sending an estimate to my clients, I mention them how much I’m going to charge per word or per page, in reality, I am charging for my time. Over the years I have come to realize how much I need to make per hour when I’m working, so, I have converted my hourly need into a per word or a per page figure for the benefit of those clients who feel a bit uncomfortable with the concept of paying by the hour.

Low-paying content writing and copywriting assignments doesn’t mean less work

You will be surprised to know that the clients who didn’t want to pay what I asked were more demanding and were more callous about my time compared to those clients who readily paid my rates.

It’s quite logical, actually.

When you don’t want to pay a justifiable amount for a service that is very crucial to the growth of your business, you don’t value the service and to be frank, you don’t even value your own business. You don’t hope to do well.

Since you don’t appreciate the time being put (because you’re not spending much money and hence, you don’t have much stake) you don’t mind wasting time of your writer. You come up with weird suggestions. You want a long copy, and then suddenly you want a short copy. Then you don’t like the tone. You want some sentences changed and then you realize that the previous sentences were better. This goes on and on until the writer is totally frustrated and gives up. Then you don’t pay because you say that the writer didn’t deliver what you had asked for.

It’s a no-win situation for both the parties. The write-up is important for your website (assuming you take your business seriously) but you don’t get it. The writer has put in lots of effort, the effort he or she could have spent working on a rewarding assignment, and now, his or her effort is totally wasted.

Low periods are a good time to promote your business

As an entrepreneur I need to promote myself continuously. Even if there is a lag of 2 weeks, the queries begin to dwindle. I need to publish content on my blog and website regularly otherwise I begin to lose my search engine rankings because content writing is a high-competition field.

By the grace of God or the positive powers of the universe, I’m not having to scrape the bottom of the barrel. Over the years I have been able to create a presence for myself through which, clients want to hire me for high-quality writing. By the time they come to my website, they are already impressed by my search engine rankings and the content they have found at various places, written by me. So, when they come to my website, they are already looking for me.

I’m not saying this comes easily. I have to strive all the time. I don’t mind that.

Consequently, when I take up low-paying assignment, rather than making money, I’m losing it. This is because the time that I spend promoting my business by publishing content on my own website is more valuable than the money that I make from low paying assignments.

If you don’t want to pay even a decent amount for writing services, you don’t need a writer

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Nothing wrong in paying for quality content writing and copywriting

Although for many years I have been turning down low-paying content writing and copywriting assignments, on an average I get 2-3 queries every day from clients who think paying for good writing the amount it deserves, is waste of money, especially when cheap writers are available.

My standard response is, “Good for you! If you want such writers, your business needs those writers, and you should stop looking around.”

I think, in most of the cases, somehow, they get the idea that my writing services are very cheap (I really, really don’t know how I give this impression on my website), even cheaper than what they are paying now, or pretend to be paying now.

Because, otherwise, if they are paying dirt cheap and if such writing is working for them, why are they looking for another content writer unless they want to pay even less?

Fortunately, most of the clients who contact me understand that their business needs quality writing and they are going to have to pay for quality writing.

My content writing and copywriting services are not very expensive, but they are also not cheap.

I don’t undersell myself.

I run a business.

I need to maintain the cash flow.

Over the years, I have gotten an idea of how much my clients are ready to pay for the quality of writing I provide.

I charge slightly less than that.

Why you shouldn’t refrain from spending money on quality content writing?

Your written content is the main point of contact when people come to your website or access your blog or receive your email message.

When people read your content, you are talking to them.

You are trying to sell them.

If your writing is not convincing, you don’t convince your customers and clients.

Every headline counts. Every sentence counts. So does every paragraph and every bullet point.

If your writing is less than professional, your customers and clients think, well, if this person cannot write properly, how can I expect him or her to deliver his or her services professionally?

You may say, “Oh well, I am a mobile app developer, so, it doesn’t matter how the content is written on my website. The client is going to hire me for my programming prowess, not my writing abilities.”

I agree with you. In your case, the client or the customer is not looking for a writer.

Assuming you are a programmer, do you think a coder or a programmer will be exploring your website to hire you?

No, he or she will be a manager, a business owner, a digital marketer, or someone who is responsible for taking serious decisions, decisions that involve spending lots of money.

Even if he or she is a coder, he or she is also responsible for hiring people.

People on such posts are very particular about messaging, presentation and above all, professionalism.

It can easily put them off if the writing on your website is not good.

Only when they are impressed with your writing, they will consider reading about your coding prowess.

This is one thing.

Another thing is, visiting websites and reading content on websites is a highly individual activity.

Your text should be conversational and interesting.

It should be able to hold the attention of the reader.

Your writing should be able to sell your idea strongly.

The passion must drip through your words.

And, if you have such writing on your website, it will constantly generate business for you.

Otherwise… do I need to say more?

Therefore, when you are investing in a good writer, in quality content writing or quality copywriting, you are investing in your business.

Writing is the oxygen your website needs to survive.

If the quality of the oxygen is not good, your website is going to suffocate.

If you think such writing is not worth paying for, for your case, it is really not worth paying for.

After all, it’s you who are responsible for the good health or the bad health of your business.

Targeted content writing for better conversion rate

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The image shows a bull's-eye to signify targeted content writing

Targeted content writing can improve conversion rate

You publish content to improve your conversion rate.

Conversion rate isn’t always about more people buying. It is about more people doing what you want them to do.

Suppose you write a blog post explaining people why they should download your e-book. This is your conversion rate – people downloading your e-book.

Although, you may want people to download your e-book so that they do business with you, the conversion rate of that particular link is the number of people downloading the e-book divided by the number of people accessing the link, multiplied by 100.

Targeted content writing plays an important role in this. The purpose of targeted content writing is to get the right people to your link and then delivering the right message.

Through targeted content writing, you need to tackle your conversion rate from two angles:

Get traffic from search engines and social media/social networking websites.
Convincingly deliver the message so that people take the action they’re supposed to take after reading your blog post or webpage.

How to do targeted content writing to improve your conversion rate

In simple terms:

Clearly define what you want to achieve.
Make a list of keywords and search terms that will help the right people to find your link on Google and other search engines.
Write content based on these keywords but keep the message at the center.

Clearly defining what you want to achieve

Focusing on a single topic and a single objective is very important. Often, clients send me a topic and then they send me a long list of keywords to cover. It doesn’t work that way.

Sometimes they send me a list that has got nothing to do with the main topic title of the blog post or the web page they want me to write.

They simply want to generate search engine traffic without having a clear idea what the visitors are supposed to do once they find the link and come to the blog post or the web page.

Frankly, if you focus on your main topic (which generally has your main keyword or search term) you don’t need a separate list of keywords. Sure, you can use synonyms and alternative words for better SEO, but you shouldn’t move far away from your core topic.

I’m writing this blog post to explain to you how to do targeted content writing to improve your conversion rate. I don’t intend to teach you how to improve your SEO. I’m not even talking about copywriting.

To clearly define the purpose, know searcher’s intent and write accordingly.

For this blog post, I know that the searchers should be looking for a way to use content writing to improve their conversion rate. When they look for information on how they can use content writing to improve their conversion rate, I tell them that they should focus on targeted content writing instead of generic content writing.

Make a list of keywords that correspond with the information you are planning to provide

Keywords and search terms shouldn’t drive your writing effort. Nonetheless, they keep you focused and if you optimize your content writing for appropriate keywords and search terms, it helps the right people find your content on Google and elsewhere.

I say it again, don’t worry too much about using keywords everywhere. They should appear naturally. The more you focus on the topic, the better you optimize for the targeted keywords.

To write targeted content, as an experienced content writer, I can incorporate even unrelated keywords. Right now, I’m doing this for one of my clients. There is no connection with the topics they send me and the list of keywords they want me to focus on. Any other content writer would have either given up or made a mess of the entire thing. The client knows that I’m doing a great job.

Ideally, to write targeted content, make sure that the main search term appears in the title of the blog post or the web page you are writing. Various studies have shown that when people see the keyword or the search term they have just used, in the search listings, they click the link with greater frequency than those in search engine listings that don’t carry the keywords they have just used.

Remember that the most important is your message

Don’t bother about the keywords if you cannot incorporate them. There is always another blog post or webpage where you will be able to use those keywords. Most important is the information that you are providing. The value that you are delivering. Simply focus on that.

Your conversion rate depends on many factors. It also depends on the urgency the visitor has or does not have. But your targeted content writing plays a pivotal part. For that, you must know what you intend to achieve through your writing. Or your content writer.

Exactly when does your content begin to generate more business for you

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The image shows pillars of coins in the form of ROI

When do content writing and content marketing begin to pay off?

Here I will write in the context of content writing. When do you start experiencing the positive results of writing and publishing content on your website or blog on regular basis?

When you are writing content on your own (you are investing time) you are not spending money, but if you have hired a content writer then it is a recurring expense especially when you want to go on publishing content for a few months.

The nature of content marketing, in terms of improving your search engine rankings and generating more business for you, is such that it takes some time before you begin to experience your return on investment.

It’s like doing farming. When you are just about to start farming, if you don’t have land, you buy land, which is an expense. Then you prepare the land for sowing, which involves effort and money. Then you buy seeds. You sow the seeds and take measures that they grow into a healthy harvest. Then you reap the benefits.

When you repeat the sowing and harvesting, your investment and hard work begins to pay. But until then, you must be patient and courageous.

The same happens with content writing and content marketing.

I was inspired to write this post when I came across this graphic. The graphic was prepared by the SEO website Moz.

Graph explaining exactly when content writing and content marketing begin to benefit your business

It shows that when you start investing in content, initially there is euphoria as you see some results. Then, as the search engines begin to figure your content and your competitors, knowingly or unknowingly, begin to catch up, although your costs go on mounting, the results dip.

The graphic shows an area called “The gap of disappointment” and most of the people abandon their content writing and content publishing efforts during this phase when they begin to think that although they have spent a lot of money, the ROI isn’t there. Just when their cost is going to come down and the content writing and content marketing is about to show results, they quit.

The graph shows that it takes around 5 months for things to really kick off. Then, by 7th month, the ROI begins to rise and cost and effort begin to come down and eventually, cost and effort plateau, but ROI keeps rising for a long time before creating a big gap between effort/cost and ROI.

Why content writing and content marketing take a while before beginning to grow your business, compared to conventional advertising?

It takes time to create a presence for yourself even when you use conventional advertising it’s just that, the mental conditioning is such that you don’t realize it.

First, we must make it clear why you want to use content marketing and not conventional advertising. I mean, if conventional advertising is better, why not use it instead of content marketing?

Conventional advertising is instant gratification. You pay for exposure, you get the exposure, and people buy from you. It’s an ongoing process. Unless you are a famous brand, there is always going to be a big gap between advertising expense and ROI, in the negative sense.

Take for example advertising on Google. You pay for every click. Stop paying for clicks and you stop getting traffic, it is as simple as that.

Similarly, you stop advertising, and people can’t see you. You haven’t become a part of their lives. You haven’t kept in touch with them. You haven’t helped them in any other manner. You have simply advertised your product or service hoping that they will come to your website and buy from you.

The combination of content writing and content marketing on the other hand isn’t instant gratification. It is a long-term investment in building and establishing lasting relationships.

Once you have published enough good quality, targeted content, you don’t need to pay for every click Google sends your way. When you have organically improved your search engine rankings, whether you get 10 clicks or 10,000 clicks, or even 10 million clicks, you don’t have to pay.

Content in the context of content marketing doesn’t mean publishing any sort of content just to get visibility. Your content needs to be meaningful, useful and informative. It must solve a purpose. Your prospective customers or clients must feel good when they come across your content on search engines and on social media and social networking websites.

Content marketing means building your brand presence through an emotional connection. People begin to know you. They begin to recognize you for the quality of your content. You don’t need to advertise. They themselves seek you out.

Yes, initially there is a cost. But once you have published enough content return on investment is so huge that compared to that, the money and effort that you spend on writing and publishing content is negligible.

As you can see in the above graph, it takes time. Depending on how much competition you have it can easily take between 3-6 months to get good results and if you can sustain yourself till then, often, there is no looking back.