Web Content Strategy 101

Your content is what gets you in search engines, speaks to visitors, and ultimately decides the success or failure of your site. Meanwhile, your content has to be updated at least once a month if you want to get return visitors and search engine traffic. You need to have a web content strategy for your site to succeed.

Web Content Strategy Components

There are four basic ways you can get content for your site.

  • Free-reprint content that you can publish on your site in exchange for putting a link to the authors' site under the article. The main benefit of this kind of content is that you can build up your site quickly.
  • Original content contributed freely by your visitors, such as message boards and guestbook-style comments. The main advantage of this content is that it costs nothing and gives you insight into your visitors. The disadvantages are low quality and the constant vigilance needed to police it for misbehavior.
  • Original written content that you allow other sites to republish in exchange for a link to your site. This content is usually informational articles, whitepapers, and sometimes, press releases. Exchanging content is an essential component of getting links to your site.
  • Original written content that's exclusive to your site. You should have some content that you hold back from republication, to avoid giving visitors or search engines the idea all your content can be had somewhere else. This can include FAQs, "about us" pages, case studies, testimonials, and other content that other sites would not want to reprint anyway.

    • What Kind of Content to Use

    So, which of the four kinds of content should you use on your site? Ideally, all four. That way you'll maximize the amount of quality content your site can have.

    Just be careful not to rely too heavily on free-reprint content. If most of what's on your site isn't original to you, you'll suffer in credibility, both with your visitors and the search engines.

    Here's a good starter content strategy:

  • One-quarter free-reprint content.
  • One-quarter content contributed by visitors.
  • One-quarter originally written content you let other sites reprint in exchange for a link to your site.
  • One-quarter originally written content you do not redistribute.

    • Scheduling Content Updates

    Search engines, especially Google, seem to give pride of place to sites that regularly update their content. Regular content updates also give visitors a reason to return.

    In short, if you have thirty web pages worth of content this month, it's better to post one page each day rather than put them up all at once. To make sure you do this, schedule an hour each day for updating your site's content.

    One way to get regular content updates for your site is to start a blog, a "web log" in which you write your thoughts and post news. The one disadvantage is that many web users are getting tired of blogs, which are often not well written and contain more opinion than information. Search engines, too, seem to be featuring blogs in their results less often.

    Identifying a Content Provider

    Ever wonder how Bill Gates keeps the MSN and Microsoft sites so content-rich? Doesn't he get RSI from writing a thousand or more pages a day?

    You guessed it: Bill Gates does not write the content for any of the Microsoft websites. Nor should you write all your own content. All successful website owners have someone else write a large part of their content. This person or company is called a "web content provider."

    Your web content provider has to be a person or company with proven experience writing content for the web, rather than just print content. Ask to see writing samples. You might even ask if you can commission just a single page to start with, for evaluation purposes.

    In short, your web content is too important to leave to chance. Make sure you have a strategy for getting the best content. Contact a content provider to develop a web content strategy today.

    About the author About the author: Joel Walsh, a professional content writer and founder of UpMarket Content, recommends you check out their site to learn more about what you can get from a web site content provider: http://upmarketcontent.com/website-content

    In The News:

    pen paper and inkwell


    cat break through


    How To Write More Powerful Online Text

    Although there are significant differences among the various types of... Read More

    Ever Wondered What Challenges Other People With Their Web Site?

    Have you ever wondered what challenges are faced by other... Read More

    Websites: You Get What You Pay For!

    So you finally decided to invest in a web presence... Read More

    Web Site Optimization: How To Speed Up Your Web Site By Minimizing Your GIF and PNG Image Bit-Depth

    Are bloated images slowing down your web site and causing... Read More

    The Birth of a Professional Web Site

    The Internet has opened a whole New World of opportunity... Read More

    Web accessibility for screen magnifier users

    The needs of screen magnifier users are overlooked when implementing... Read More

    How to Build a Database Driven Web Site

    If you ever want to create a state directory, article... Read More

    3 Reasons Why You Need URL Rewriting Module To Enchance Your Web

    URL rewriting are major needs for your sites that produce... Read More

    Web Analytics - Getting it Right

    Understanding and using web analytics.In recent years, website marketers were... Read More

    7 Golden Rules For Building Mini Sites

    First, an eye opener. Making your fortune through affiliate programs... Read More

    Beautiful Web Sites Seldom Make More Sales

    Designing an E-commerce Web site is not as simple as... Read More

    12 Tips To Great Websites

    Why do some sites succeed while the vast majority of... Read More

    Why Your Brick-and-Mortar Biz Needs A Website

    The internet has taken over our lives with a vengeance,... Read More

    A Network Of Web Sites Is Not Enough!

    The big thing these days is your ability to capture... Read More

    3 Essential Tools Every Website Designer and Marketer Needs

    Appealing to others is really important when you have a... Read More

    Entangled in the World Wide Web

    I am just a learner who likes to delve in... Read More

    Flash Deadly Sins (That Can Kill Your Web Business)

    Looks like every client wants a Flash site these days... Read More

    Web Coach Tip: What You Should Know About DIY Web Sites

    Recently, a friend asked "What's the deal with those DIY... Read More

    How To Start Your Own Website

    I'm one of those people that always wanted a website,... Read More

    Making the Most of Your Website: Start with the Basics

    One of my most salient memories from when I sold... Read More

    How Improving Your Sites Usability Can Increase Your Buyers by 40% and Boost Each Order By 10%!

    With all of the factors involved in designing and building... Read More

    From Search to Sale

    The Internet car buyer is an elusive animal. Trying to... Read More

    Get a Website!, Register Your Domain!: To Website or Not to Website?

    If you're fairly new to the Internet scene, you may... Read More

    10 Tips For Running A Profitable Web Site

    1. Address your targeted audience on your business site. Example:... Read More

    The Most Important Aspect of Writing Web Copy

    There is an ongoing debate about web copy. Some say... Read More

    Successful Web Development: 10 Key Elements

    There are many elements that are key to successful web... Read More

    Adding Word Rich Content to Your Website

    You have permission to publish this article electronically, in print,... Read More

    From Concept to Website

    You've decided to create a website to market your products... Read More

    The Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) & Web Accessibility

    There's been widespread speculation about the new legislation being introduced... Read More

    How to Make Your Own Free Website in 8.5 Minutes or Less

    Designing and creating your own website does not have to... Read More

    Make Your Web Site Stand Out

    When visitors add your web site to their Favorites or... Read More

    Art, Artists, and the Web:Part: 2--First Steps in Building an Artist?s Website

    What you should do and know if you are an... Read More

    Have You Got Your Ear To The Ground Or Your Head In The Sand?

    What happened on your website yesterday? What about last week... Read More