Are you boring your readers to death with your long copy - or forcing them to skim through hoping for some priceless nugget they can really use?
As a staunch advocate of long(ish) copy, I'm really surprising myself here, but I'm getting a little tired of some of my favourite blogs just because they are way too long.
Most I will automatically delete if they're over about 300 words, but there are a few where I will bite the bullet and skim through because I just know there's going to be some idea or suggestion I really want to read. Wow, I would be so grateful if they would just distill it down to a few bullet points and save us all some time!
So, here are my thoughts for this week:
#1 Distill your topic down to a maximum of about three points.
#2 Use sub-heads or bullets to help your readers find your main points.
#3 Make sure your three points contain something actionable.
#4 Just kidding!
If your post really needed to be long, summarize at the end so that your readers can preview.
Was that quick enough for your?
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Using Links for Search Engine Optimization
You probably know that inbound links will help build your website's visibility to the search engines, but if you're using links as an SEO tactic, you need to be aware of the following:
1) Only use links that are high quality and from a site that is relevant to yours. If you have a hair salon, a link from the local auto mechanics will not benefit you. Look for links from related businesses, and particularly from people who are endorsing you.
2) Stay away from link farms. They send those emails asking you to pay for inbound links, or even to provide links out in exchange. The links are mostly poor quality, and as the search engines hate link farms, it can actually prove detrimental to your ranking.
3) Links within your own site from one page to another can also help the visibility of the page being linked to.
4) Avoid using 'click here' or 'learn more' as your anchor text in the link (i.e. the text that you click on). Use anchor text that contains your keywords, or has some descriptive value. Something like check out Wendy Zak's website for more information on search engine copywriting.
Finally, remember that the best way to build your own inbound links is to write online articles, blog, make use of social media and get recommended.
Happy linking!
1) Only use links that are high quality and from a site that is relevant to yours. If you have a hair salon, a link from the local auto mechanics will not benefit you. Look for links from related businesses, and particularly from people who are endorsing you.
2) Stay away from link farms. They send those emails asking you to pay for inbound links, or even to provide links out in exchange. The links are mostly poor quality, and as the search engines hate link farms, it can actually prove detrimental to your ranking.
3) Links within your own site from one page to another can also help the visibility of the page being linked to.
4) Avoid using 'click here' or 'learn more' as your anchor text in the link (i.e. the text that you click on). Use anchor text that contains your keywords, or has some descriptive value. Something like check out Wendy Zak's website for more information on search engine copywriting.
Finally, remember that the best way to build your own inbound links is to write online articles, blog, make use of social media and get recommended.
Happy linking!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)