Writing content isn’t easy. It takes time and dedication. In order to boost your SEO rankings, and/or gain traffic, you have to write great content for your blog or site. So, I’m going to say this now, don’t waste your time reading this article if you are choosing to write poor content that will ultimately get you nowhere. Your writing should be original so that the search engines can help your website gain more exposure. Before we get started we will go over some Do’s and Don'ts of creating good quality content for your website.

DO NOT publish your content and never look at it again

Your traffic and conversation rates surely diminish if you do this. You have to stick to the plan and continue in order to make it work.

DO create a content strategy

Create a content strategy that you think that you will be able to follow. If you are a blogger, it can be writing and posting two blogs a week, or if you can every other day.

DO NOT create dull content that anyone else could have made

Your content has to be, well-written, unique, relevant and exciting. Boring content isn’t going to bring anyone to your site. If you don’t have time to put in effort into your work, either lower the amount of content you create a week so you can put more effort into it or hire someone to do it for you. Don’t write an article for the sake of writing it, or without proper research.

DO make your point clear

Create quality content with a purpose. Be upfront with what you’re writing and get to the point.

DO NOT create content with mistakes

Writers make mistakes, that’s understandable. This just means that you have to reread what you have written and correct anything that may be a mistake you have made. Personally, I would invest in Grammarly. Spelling and grammar can hurt the quality of your content.

DO stay on topic

This is important because your visitor came to your site for one reason, and one reason only, and that is for whatever they are searching for. So, if you are writing about, let’s say birds, no one wants to read about how you went shopping for clothes. Pick only one idea to talk about and stick to it.

DO NOT ramble without a point, or being overly verbose

No one wants to get information in a roundabout way. Also, your article doesn’t have to be 3 pages long. All that matters is that you get your point across and you do it clearly. It’s likely that people will read the whole article if it is informative and a short length.

DO experiment with different types of content

Many creators do not step out of their comfort zone. If you write blogs, why not switch it up and create some videos. Not everyone learns the same. Some learn from visuals while some from reading. If you cannot come up with ideas, try repurposing your existing content for a different format. Turn the information in your blog, into a video.

DO NOT duplicate content

You shouldn’t copy and paste other people’s content on your page. It’s okay if you like what someone has done and ask them if you can use it. Any other time, it is wrong. Cite where the information came from and put it in your own words.

DO research

Reaching keywords, topics, trending content, and your competition can give you an idea of what to expect when you get into your respective industry.

DO NOT go after only keywords that have a high volume

While keywords with higher search volume might help you get visitors, it’s also harder for them to be ranked. Use keywords with lower volume for those people who don’t always search simply in the search engines.

Now that we have gone over the basic Do’s and Don'ts of creating great content for your website we can get into some tips that can help anyone have create content on their site. below we will cover many different topics from creating original content, to making updates on your site and how often your content should change. Writing is a challenge, but these tips should relive some of the stress that comes with creating content.

Create Original Content

Copying content from another creator will be penalized by Google. Your ideas should be original because as said before, it helps Google and your visitors. Many will be tempted to tell you that you should not create content based on things that are “played out”. But sometimes it isn’t a bad idea to do so. Everyone learns in different ways, and if you can take one piece of content and switch it up for another media, that can expand the number of people coming to your website or blog.

Focus On Strong Headlines

Your headline is just as important as the information you are writing about. The headline is the first thing your visitor is going to see. 80% of people read your headlines, while only 20% of those people click and read the rest of your content. Take your time writing your headlines. Create a few and try to pick which one is best. Ask colleagues which one they would want to read.

Provide Answers

This is obvious, but people end up on your site because they want answers and Google is great a this. If you have an inquiry about something, put it in google, and you get links, pictures, videos, etc. They want answers to their questions, and if you cannot provide it in an easy way, they will more likely leave your website before reading all of the information. Therefore, get to the point.

Be Factual

Your information should only include facts because some people believe everything they read online. It isn’t okay to deceive your readers with information that isn’t factually correct only because it supports your writing. Do your research, it isn’t that hard.

Also, this shouldn’t have to be said because we should all know it’s not okay to steal someone’s information or ideas, BUT I’ll say it again anyway. You shouldn’t steal someone else’s information or ideas!! Always give them credit by linking them to the information in your content, or even have a work cited at the bottom of your page. Do whatever you choose to do, as long as you give them credit. They worked hard to create their content as well.

Add Images and Videos

Like I said before, everyone learns differently. Your job is to help them out so that they can take in your information as easily as possible. Add videos, images, diagrams to your content to further illustrate your point. No one only wants to look at words, unless they are reading a book. Either way, only add images when they help or add value to your writing.

Make Continual Updates to Your Website or Blog

By now, you should know that you cannot create something and then leave it behind especially if you have goals in mind. It’s like creating a business and then expecting it to go places by itself. That’s not realistic. It takes time, dedication, and most importantly work. As soon as you create something, it’s a commitment. If you do not have time to create good content, hire someone else to do it or have fewer expectations. Create a plan that you know you can achieve. If you are creating blogs, that can mean sitting down and busting a few of them out one or two days a week, then scheduling them for certain days so you don’t have to worry about them later.

Conclusion

Again, writing isn’t easy. But as you continue it does get easier and your writing gets better. It’s also easier to write about something you are passionate about. Keep that in mind when it comes to your goals.