Whether your site is linked to a business or hobby, having a mix of great content and good links will ensure it stands out from the crowds of other sites swarming to get seen.  

Repeating, copying or rushing your content will have no benefit to your site whatsoever as you will be failing to provide a service.  Ensuring you have taken the time to create content which benefits your readership with important information and healthy links will undoubtedly pay off in the long run, and it is worth taking the time to get it right.  

Here are 5 things which really matter when it comes to creating great content!

Headlines

Your article is not the only piece out there discussing your subject, and as such, it will not be read simply because you published it, no matter how original, funny, appealing or informative it may be.  So how do you get your fantastic content read? You write an eye-catching headline which stops your dream visitor in their tracks and which becomes a metaphorical neon arrow pointing them to your content.

To do this, you must consider what problematic situation your visitor is dealing with and how your article aims to help them: identify this problem in 5 or 6 words, and you have your headline.  Remember it will not appeal to everyone but the headline is designed to catch the eye of the person you can help the most as they are your ideal reader or customer. Then add a subheading which is intended to tell them a little more about the solution to their problem, which piques their interest further still and encourages them to read on.

This matters because, in a world filled with advice, that eye-catching headline will help people discover your article offering them the support they need!

Offer a Clear Service, Answer or information

Do not write your blogs or articles based on word count; instead, aim to write an article which offers clear and to-the-point information.  If you want to convert readers into customers or regular visitors who utilise and share your content, then this is crucial.

Make your first paragraph a mini overview of what you will be discussing in the piece to entice your reader to delve further.  Then ensure that the rest of the piece is easy to scan through the use of headings and quotes so that the answers you are proposing can be found quickly and simply without having to dig through pages of words.  We live in a fast-paced world, and people want clear answers and knowledge right away with little to no effort!

Create a Next Step Action

Your content is unlikely to offer every possible answer, but it needs to be able to inspire readers to put your words into action.  No matter the topic, you are the expert in the field, and you can advise and guide them towards the next steps on their journey to knowing a little more, whether that is working with you in some way, or putting your ideas summarised in the article into action.  

As such, give them ways to utilise the information and apply it to their lives right away so that they leave your site feeling energised, inspired, ready for the challenge ahead, supported, filled with clarity of mind, or however you need them to think from reading your content.  

Be Accurate

As a content creator, you need to be focused on creating information which can be trusted by your readership.  Untrue or inaccurate articles can be extremely damaging to your reputation, impacting your chances of becoming a well-respected source in your niche area; whereas, offering well-researched content with authoritative and legitimate sources, and healthy links to these sources, is highly beneficial.  Articles with mistakes or unverifiable sources will, at best, allow you to be remembered as someone who writes poor content and at worst, is entirely forgotten by potential readers and customers going forward.

Finding and using good links from websites like Healthy Links & VM Interactive are also beneficial to your sites’ growth because it enables it to be seen and categorised more accurately by Google based on the other pages you have linked back to, which in turn will make it more accessible to people searching your topic.

Make it Eye Catching

People take in information in some different ways and therefore, it is wise to help your readership soak up your content by placing it across a variety of exciting and eye-catching formats.  Some learn better through reading, others require infographics which show quick snapshots of details and still others may find it easier to learn new information through listening to a video.

Another essential reason to use items such as attractive, relevant and original images is that readers will naturally remain on your page longer when they are visually captured.  Without this, they will skim the page, and their attention will be lost far more quickly meaning that they will not get the benefit of your words and you will not be developing your readership base.