Content in media is important. As is content on websites and all forms of advertising – including social media. We are often asked the following questions;
- Why is content necessary on my website, and
- Does it matter what that content is?
Why is Content Necessary?
The answer to the first question is very simple. For the search engines to find and rank your website, there must be something in it!
Unfortunately, we are seeing more clients relying on splashy and photo-heavy websites. In many case, over 2/3 of their website is simply photos, graphics and vectors! Is it pretty? Yes! Does it rank in the top 10 or 20 for keywords? No!
What a website needs is content – and good content. Does it matter what that content is? Yes! For example, if our client has an italian restaurant, would we put content on it showing how to plant Geraniums? Or the proper care and feeding of guinea pigs? Of course not.
Does it Matter What the Content Is?
The content on a website needs to not only be relevant to what the site is; an italian food restaurant, but easily readable and engaging. Possible topics to include on an italian food website might include the restaurant menus, its history, its location and maybe information about the chef. In other words, the website is an online advertisement for the restaurant.
Should the website include photos? Absolutely! However, the website should not include over 50% of “shelf space” (the space you see on a website minus the menu bars and top/bottom title bars) in photos or graphics. Generally, the search engines, and the little robots they send to scour your website, want to see content. And good relevant content at that.
Content Should be Neat and Orderly
If content is included on your website (which it should be), it should also be organized, neatly arranged and easy to follow. Long sentences, rambling paragraphs and dangling participles just won’t do. Robots, being what they are, want to see clean and concise language written well.
As it was when we started school, good content should include an introductory paragraph, the body and a concluding statement or paragraph.
Good content is needed on websites. Not only that, the content needs to be relevant to the website topic and purpose and well written. If you have any questions or concerns about your website content, let us hear from you! Our rabbits are always on call. 🙂