Creating relevant, engaging, and authoritative content for your business website is a big undertaking. Not only will you need clear buyer personas and a winsome value proposition, you’ll also need comprehensive website content strategies to tie everything together.
What’s more, website content creation is never really finished. You may go live with a particular content strategy, but that doesn’t mean your work is done. On the contrary, it’s important to continually review and revise your written content, ensuring it continues to generate rankings and captivate audiences.
Why Revisit Your Website Content Strategies?
There are a number of reasons why your website content strategies should be fluid and evolving, never static or stagnant.
- For one thing, there’s the matter of search engine optimization (SEO). Simply put, Google’s algorithms feed on fresh content, and regularly updating your site is one of the only ways to keep those algorithms satiated.
- Another consideration is user engagement. By keeping your content dynamic and up to date, you can provide your users with reasons to keep coming back for more. In turn, this keeps website visitors actively engaged with your brand.
- Finally, fresh content keeps users on your page for longer, which reduces your website bounce rate. This is an important signal to the search algorithms that you’re offering something of value, which can further boost local search visibility.
These are just a few of the incentives for keeping your website content strategies refreshed. Now the question is how.
Tips for Updating Your Website Content Strategies
As you consider different tactics for reinvigorating your written web content, here are a few guidelines to keep in mind.
1) Start with an audit.
Before you do anything else, make sure you have a good sense of your current website assets. Spend some time combing through your website, preferably with a few members of your marketing, sales, or UX teams, to answer questions like:
- How many total pages of website content do you have?
- Do you have any pages that lack written content?
- When’s the last time your website content strategy was updated?
- Are there any products, audiences, or pain points you aren’t addressing with your content?
- Do you have a lot of repetitive or redundant content?
- Are you satisfied with the overall voice and tone of your content?
Note that some of these answers will be a bit subjective, but there is also plenty of hard data you can look at via Google Analytics, helping you identify which pieces of content perform and which do not.
2) Update out-of-date information.
It should be easy to spot any places on the website where your content is behind the times; for example, statistics that are more than three years old need to be updated. Also keep your eyes open for outdated pricing, hours of operation, etc. Simply updating old information can go a long way toward rehabilitating your website content.
3) Align content with your value proposition.
Ensure that you have a clear content funnel for every target demographic, and that you have content that speaks to each benefit or pain point your brand addresses. At the same time, prune any content that’s repetitive, as redundant content can dilute your standing in Google.
4) Shore up evergreen pages.
Look for web pages or blog posts that are evergreen, speaking to timeless aspects of your business or industry. Usually, these will be among the most popular sections of the site, so make sure you consult those analytics. Take the time to beef up these pages, not only updating information but adding new sections, listing FAQ, etc. In short, you want to make these pages the tentpoles of your website content strategy.
5) Create a plan for adding new content.
Make sure you have a consistent rhythm in place for adding new content to your site. Usually, this means creating a schedule or editorial calendar to generate new blog posts. Remember, fresh new content is essential for SEO purposes as well as for general user engagement. But blogs don’t write themselves; you’ll need a formal structure in place to keep up with your content needs.
6) Repurpose old content.
Also look for ways to breathe new life into old content. For example, key points from those evergreen pages can be cut down and condensed into infographics, which can in turn be excellent fodder for social media. This is one example of using tried-and-true content to keep your audience engaged.
7) Incorporate user-generated content.
Finally, remember that you don’t have to supply all the verbiage for your website content strategy. User-generated content, including reviews and testimonials, can strengthen your existing pages while also providing objective, third-party validation.
Make the Most of Your Website Content Strategy
With the right strategy, you can refresh your website content in a way that enhances your search engine visibility and also increases engagement with target consumers. We’d love to tell you more, and to brainstorm website content strategy with you. Reach out to Grammar Chic, Inc. by calling 803-831-7444.
A freelance writer and journalist since 2000, Josh Hurst became a member of the Grammar Chic team in 2011. Initially serving as Associate Writer and Editor, Josh became the company’s Content Marketing Strategist in 2013. Additionally, he regularly writes about music, film, television, and literature for FLOOD Magazine and Slant Magazine.