Creating digital content sounds as easy as singing your ABC’s. But with ever-changing algorithms and endless competition, writing meaningful content and engaging your target demographic can be a struggle.
To achieve this goal, here are seven things you need to make your output is worth reading.
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Contents
List of Keywords
While keyword tools are helpful, it doesn’t rid you of the task of coming up with a list of possible keywords to use.
Think of relevant topics that you and others might be interested in. If you’re under a specific category, search up the latest trends and news on anything related to it.
Here are some questions that might help decide which keyword to use:
1. Is this keyword relevant to my target demographic?
2. Will this keyword attract new subscribers?
3. How will this keyword fit into future content?
4. Can I bring up this keyword organically?
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A Clear Goal
Before even beginning to write, ask yourself: “What do I want the reader to take out of this?”
The angle you decide to pursue will significantly change your tone. If you are telling a story, your vocabulary will lean towards colorful language, whereas if you decide to inform or educate readers, you’ll probably aim for more technical terms to establish trust and credibility on the topic.
Having a clear goal makes outlining the work easier. Like a train set to follow its tracks, you’re laying down the foundation.
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Engaging Writing Style
Once you’ve decided on your angle, you can focus on engaging your reader through your writing.
An easy way to write creatively is to put your reader first. Write about things you think your reader would find interesting. Conversely, you should try writing about things you are interested in because ideas flow more naturally.
To capture their attention, your introduction should hook them in immediately. The average attention span of a person today is eight seconds. So you have eight seconds or around two sentences to get your reader to “below the fold.”
Proper Punctuation and Sentence Structure
Nothing turns people off more than inappropriate punctuations and poor sentence structure.
For punctuation, maintain formality and avoid using too many exclamation points. While that’s perfectly acceptable to use with your friends, your readers deserve professional output from your brand.
Short sentences in quick succession read wrong and come off as monotonous. Diversify your sentence structure through the use of prepositions and conjunctions.
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Readability
Readability is the ease with which your reader can understand what you wrote. The vocabulary and syntax should be as simple or as complex as the topic you’ve chosen.
Presentation is also a determining factor in content creation. Typographic aspects like font size, line height, and line length are crucial especially with the rise of mobile users.
In essence, you want your reader to understand what you wrote about without overwhelming them visually.
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Keyword Optimization
Using your keywords in strategic places throughout the headline and body of the text can help with boosting organic traffic. Mentioning the keyword in the title or headline of your article lets readers know what the focus is.
The introduction of the body is crucial for search engines and users alike. Most users never scroll below the fold so be sure to mention the keyword in the first 200 words of the article. Consider putting the keyword in bold to make it stand out.
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Respect for your Reader’s Time
Being reader-centric, writers must always be considerate of their time. If you churn out content with over 3,000 when you could’ve adequately explained it in 1,000 words, you’re wasting the precious time of your reader.
Accurate and concise information will win the trust of your reader, establishing genuine interaction. Resourceful writers will use every available tool in their arsenal like wordcounttool.com to produce quality content that will not only ensure high rankings but sincere interaction with their readers.
At the end of the day, effective content is meaningful, and meaningful content offers a unique experience for your readers.