We know what you’re thinking – nice try guys, you’ve already got me on the hook for development and hosting, and now you want to reel me in for content as well; stop milking me, will you?! Listen, we get you. We understand that setting up a website from scratch, or even just updating an existing site, is not a ‘hell yeah, let’s do it’ expense, like say, booking tickets to the Bahamas or buying a Nutribullet after you’ve been pounding the ham sandwiches over the holidays.

However, we are solidly sticking to our guns on this one. Professionally prepared content, both written and visual, is a really, really good idea for your website. Here is why:

IT BOOSTS YOUR RANKINGS WITHOUT ANY AD-PLACEMENT TOMFOOLERY

Google, despite what you may be thinking if your current site is chilling around page three on the SERPs for your target keyword, is not out to get you. It is all about giving users what they need and how they need it. Otherwise they’ll go the way of Yahoo and that’s just sad. Those Google bots are programmed to bring each user the most relevant content according to what they put in the search bar, and it’s your job to present your business in the right way, so it enjoys some time in the spotlight when consumers search for a product or service like yours.

That’s where professionally prepared content comes in. SEO copywriters know how to weave target keywords into your web content without sounding like someone with advertising Tourette’s. It’s a skill that gets honed over time and has to be worked like a muscle. Let’s just say, they’re a breed on their own. Which brings us to our next point.

DIGITAL COPYWRITERS KEEP UP WITH THEIR CRAFT

The Google algorithm (aka the complicated math robot that decides which websites rank for which terms) is an ever-changing thing with lots and lots of different variables. Oh, and they keep changing it! Every time they do so, there is a slight shift in the type of content that ranks. For instance, Google recently started looking at ‘readability’. It scans the content on your site to look for things like sentence length and structure complexity and if it comes in at around 7-8 (most sites sit at around 10 -11), you automatically rank higher in the SERPs. That’s because they realise that most internet users don’t want to be reading Tolstoy on your website. They want to know when, where, what, whom and how.

Digital copywriters got on this about six months ago, reworking existing content to reach this golden ratio. It’s quite the mission, really, and also something that takes some time to figure out. In fact, we’re still not quite sure how our one does it. It’s a little like alchemy, but before you know it that readability it shipshape and the sites start ranking. We suspect their might be some sort of voodoo involved. We’re keeping an eye on it and will keep you posted.

NO-ONE AT YOUR OFFICE HAS THE TIME

If you’re anything like most business owners, you try to capitalise on the resources you already have. Good job, that’s how you get ahead. However, when it comes to website content, handing off the task to an employee you have on the payroll for something else (say, admin or HR) is a) going to make them miserable and b) cause you to wait a very long time for that content. This is because they don’t know where to start, and they have other things to do. As previously mentioned, the creation of web content is a legitimate career now. It’s not really something you can wing, so it’s best to get the professionals involved.

GOOD WRITERS MAKE YOU SOUND COOL

But wait, we hear you thinking, how will they know what they’re talking about? My industry is super complex and the way we work is so different. How will your writer know what they’re talking about? Behold, the wonder of the Skype call! We’ll organise a face-to-face with our writer, who will guide the conversation to find the information they need to get your content written. Yes, there is a cost involved for these meetings, but it will save you having to sit down at your computer and typing out stuff. If you’re like most busy business owners, you know this is a great deal.

WHILE WE’RE ON THE SUBJECT, LET’S TALK PICTURES

Smart phones are wonderful devices. We can’t even remember how we used to get anything done without them. However, just because your phone has a camera and a few sexy filter options, you have not transformed into a professional photographer. Please, for the love of Pete, do not try to populate your website with grainy, blurry, amateur photos. Let’s get a professional photographer with some great gear and a seasoned eye out to your business and take some really nice photos that presents your business in the best light possible. These images become your intellectual property, which means you can use it later for other marketing purposes (e.g. flyers, signage). Take the plunge, you’ll never look back.

These are just a few of the reasons why professional web content is something we are going to keep pestering you about. In short, we need fabric to make your dress, and we’re not in the business of the Emperor’s clothes. Your site can be as sleek, stunning and responsive as Scarlet Johansson spawn with a war-time correspondent, but if it’s not saying the right thing in the right way, Google won’t give a hoot. Let’s feed the beast what it wants and get you that rankings. You’ll see why we kept heckling you when those first lead start rolling in hours after we launch the website (true story, we’ll tell you all about it when we meet).