IT'S ALL ABOUT WINDOW DRESSING

You’ve written the most amazing copy ever to be written and you’ve crammed every last word onto your landing page so it looks like you’re the most knowledgeable company out there, you're the king. The expert.

But looks are everything and no matter how good your content is, if it’s not easy to find and easy to read, then it won’t get read.

Here are 10 ways to optimise your content for maximum readability:

1. Check copy against your keyword strategy

When I start writing, I do a quick keyword analysis around the topic and pop my chosen words and phrases on a "post-it note", so that they're easy to refer back to.  I do a check on the monthly searches for my chosen words and look for similar phrases to try to improve search volumes. 

Make sure you've peppered your text with those all-important keywords that help to get your content found in the first place! 

2. Get a call to action in....quick

Don't wait 'til the end of your article to drive reader action - get your call to action in near the top.

Which reminds me.....if you came to this page and think you might need help with keyword analysis, content marketing strategy or content planning, perhaps you'd be interested in our content marketing workshop? 

(Sorry, couldn't resist that!)

3. All hail white space…

As tempting as it is to fill your page with as many amazing sentences as you possibly can in long, dense blocks of texts, you’ll cramp their style!

Give the reader room to think.

Leave space between your messages.

What about some cheeky one liners too?

4. A mini headline with a massive impact…

Break up your text wherever possible with subheadings in order to lead your reader through the content comfortably. Make sure they capture the reader and intrigue them further. You want to keep them chasing for that carrot as long as possible as you lead them through your thoughts. The subheadings should tell the reader the gist of the article whilst still maintaining curiosity.

5. Maximise those deep captions…

“Deep captions” are 2-3 lines long and can be seen as an extension to the heading of your article. A good example is in emails where people often use email preview panes and they see only the subject line and the ‘deep caption’. So again, like your title, provoke intrigue and interest from this first moment to encourage them dive into your full article.

6. Linking will keep them thinking…

Encouraging the reader to other areas of your website through embedded links in your article will educate them further about your company and the solutions you have to offer. It’s a good way to springboard them from one informative piece to another and keep them on your website longer.

7. Bullets are your best friend…

• They stand out in a body of text
• They are well recognised as presenting information in business
• You can present multiple points
• They are easily scanned by readers

8. Don’t forget formatting…

You can further enhance your story logic by putting important facts and concepts in bold text so that your reader can scan through the article easily and gain the gist of your story just from these emboldened sections and your subheadings – just don’t overdo it!

9. Lovely lists and nifty numbering…

It’s in our nature to just love a good list! 3 ways you can… top 8 things…. 5 steps to….. We live for this type of thing and by breaking down complex subjects into bite sized lists you give the reader an easy path to follow.

Another great way to win your audience over is numbers and lots of them!

By combining numbers with pretty pictures of pie charts, graphs and infographics (my favourite), you will engage your readers further with your point of view and showcase your portfolio well.

10. Rate your relevancy…

Now you’ve beautified your content, read through it again but look only at the text you’ve highlighted (bullets, subheadings, emboldened passages) – does it still make sense and does it summarise your points? If it does then…

BINGO! Take all that on-board and you will have transformed your copy in a way that should help convert the casual scanner into a devoted reader and on to become an engaged lead – and, between you and me, that’s the secret to modern B2B marketing.

11. Get it checked

A fresh pair of eyes definitely helps… but a fresh pair of eyes wearing SEO specs and a marketing hat could work miracles for you! 

Call us now on 01789 262656 or email information@intellegentia.co.uk for more advice about creating content to improve conversion rates.

Need help deciding WHAT to write in the first place?

 Join us for a workshop to define your own content marketing strategy.  Find out more about our content marketing workshops.