Day 5: Web Content With Value
20 April 2010
As our team of writers struggles to deliver new copy for our 10-Day Makeover, it seemed important to remember some of the characteristics of good web content.
What is good web content?
There are thousands of articles on good copywriting and good web writing. We do not dismiss any of them, but there are some things that make more financial impact than others. Good web content comes from two goals (in this order):
1. Write what Google values.
2. Write what people value.
This seems like a no brainer, but many writers miss the boat because of conflicting goals. Here are a few opposing goals that can pull you off the mark: writing for the boss or yourself, writing too little or too late, getting the two goals out of order, or failing to provide anything of value.
Why is Google first? - Because it is more important to be popular than to be pretty. Google has the power to make you popular. The best website in the world has little financial value if no one visits it.
Much could be written about what Google values. We will save the SEO discussion for later, but let's not forget that Google values what people value. The remainder of this post will focus on what people value.
What content do people value?
All day long, people visit your website with one goal: they want to make a value trade. They want value in many forms and they are willing to trade their time, their contact information, and sometimes their money to get it.
Here is our list of content with value:
Reference Information
- Something actionable - something I can use now
- Something I can trust (credible source, professional, popular)
- Covers enough information to bring me back later
- Content that is organized, indexed, easy to navigate
- Something that is being maintained, updated, and improved
- Something that I need to reference, but don't want to keep track of myself
Tools
- Makes my work easier or faster - a shortcut
- Makes money or time (earned or saved)
- Something I want to use over and over again
- Something that is easy and fun to use - no hassles
- Something unique, that I cannot easily find elsewhere
Relationship Improvers
- News or information about a person I want to work with or know
- Something that allows me to continue or progress the relationship
- Something that increases the value I place on this relationship
- Something that satisfies my desire to interact or be valued
- Expands my network, makes new connections
- Something that is easy or fun to pass on
If you know of other things that are valuable to website visitors, please comment below.
See also: