During the development of a blog or website, many writers will consider the technical quality of the content to be more important than the actual type of content or the way in which the information is conveyed to the reader. With search algorithms constantly changing and little tweaks always having to be made, the task of creating compelling content can sometimes take a back seat to the micro-management that is necessary to keep a site competitive. What these writers are neglecting is the human element, one that makes or breaks the chances of any website. We will explore several aspects of the writing process that you must consider if you want to keep your readers and keep them engaged.

No Unique Content? No Reason to Visit

Especially when it comes to new websites and blogs that do not yet have a steady base of traffic, creating content that is different from the rest is crucial in keeping your project afloat. Filling your pages with rewritten copies of articles from other blogs and sites not only diminishes the potential of your site, but it can also put you in direct competition with these same sites. If a well-established blog has a post on a given subject and you also cover that topic, which site is more likely to be visited? You will never be able to outperform existing establishments if you only get ideas from yesterday’s news.

Prioritize the Presentation

Many writers make the horrible mistake of “fluffing” their articles with a plethora of rhetoric and unnecessary information prior to presenting the reader with the information that is most likely what brought them there. This is a big no-no, and can lead many readers to leave your page before finding the information they needed. This can exponentially affect the viewing of other articles on your site by these readers and will not result in the well-established traffic base that you seek. Always begin with the information that is most necessary for your communication to be successful, followed by additional helpful – but not critical – information and finally, feel free to fluff the article with further details.

Implement Subtle Keywords

We have all been to shoddy websites that are nothing more than a blatant attempt to take over keyword sections of Google and other search engines, attempting to make money off of advertisements. These sites often will have abrupt keyword insertions that do not flow with the rest of the article. Avoid doing this at all costs! Nobody wants to feel like you are trying to sell them something, rather, you simply are the messenger and should be attempting to provide relevant, factual information. Keyword density is also important, as it prevents the reader from reading the same line over and over. This will also appease search engines and help boost your ranking on all of them within those keyword selections. Pingler’s Keyword Density Checker extracts keywords from a website and tells you how often they appear; use this to keep your density for each keyword at a reasonable level (2-3% of article word count, generally).