In developing a website I find that the more information I
can write on a page that is related to the individual or a business the better
that information will be utilized by the search engines. What do I want to
share about a business or individual and what will be relevant to the goal of optimizing
the website as it is launched are questions that every developer should be
asking them self. The development of a website takes a lot of work and can be a
lot of fun to build, but for me the most important element of any website is
the writing that provides the content for visitors to read. With the goal of
having the search engines return my site to the top tier of the Search Engine
Results Page (SERP) I think about the information that I am writing and how it
will be linked by the keywords in a
logical way throughout the site.
A review of what the business offers is more important than
the look of the website or the different visual effects that are used to draw
in unique visitors. Of course the more professional the design of a site is the
more appealing it is to an audience, but it is important to remember that a
website is a vehicle for sharing information or closing a sale. For this reason
I sit down and map out what I want to say before I move into any production
work for a website that I am working on. (I should mention here that having a
map of the site helps me to create the content for each page ahead of time and
reduces the need to add or edit text as the site is coming together.) The
content writer should address the questions of who, what , when , where, why
and how (a.k.a. the "reporter's rules") before putting pen to paper
or fingers to a keyboard. This approach to developing content answers the all important
questions that a reader wants answered. When writing content ask yourself is
meaningful and relevant. If it is include it, if it is not leave it out.
Before I create any graphics I make sure that the story of
the website (the content) makes sense. Because I can get lost in the creation
of the design I make it a point to have each page fleshed out in writing so
that I can tell my story with the right words before I add pictures to the
text. I also understand that the traffic I receive (or will receive) comes from
the search engines that are redirecting the online audience to the published
site. Keeping this in mind I write out each page and include the description
that I want to add to the Meta tags in the coding before I start to build the
individual pages. If I need to tweak the content or add a line that makes more
sense to the reader I can do so as I am putting each of the visual elements
onto the page. But without a clear direction on what I want to say before I
begin to develop the site I can get lost in the codes and images that make up
the website.
By keeping a focus on what I want to relate to the audience
and following the "reporter's rules" as I write I can come up with
the phrasing that makes sense and has a logical flow from one page to the next.
By understanding that the most effective and compelling words will also be read
by the search engine robots and indexed for optimization purposes I make sure
that what I say makes sense and is relevant to the ongoing marketing media strategy that I am developing to go along with the
website. With some well written content the work of optimization supports the
website and establishes the relevancy of the keywords that are included
sparingly on each page of the site.
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