Search Engine Optimization

Checklist for Web Content

Written by Charles Mburugu for Gaebler Ventures

Many internet users are looking for information on specific topics. Using their favorite search engine, they will type in a phrase or word that best describes what they are searching for. If they find the content they require on your site, they may take time to read it. If you have a site with helpful information for your readers, you have a good chance of people finding and revisiting your site. How can you assess the effectiveness of your web content?

The following is a checklist you can use to assess the effectiveness of your web content.

Does your web content spread the word?

One of your main aims as an internet marketer is to draw traffic to your site. With every visitor to your website, you not only give them a chance to read your content, but also to relay the information to others. Word-of-mouth advertising, also referred to as viral marketing, can play a major role in your business growth. If people find your web content informative and helpful, they are likely to share it with others. It may be with their family and friends, on their forums and blogs, or through the various social marketing channels. They may even post on their websites some of your reprint articles. All these are ways which can draw traffic to your site, and potentially bring you more clients. Having good content which is continually updated places you ahead of your competition.

Does your web content show your expertise?

One of your main goals an internet entrepreneur is to establish expertise and professionalism in your niche. Visitors to your site will be happy to find quality content and will keep coming back for more. Demonstrating your expertise will form relationship of trust with your visitors, which will lead to them purchasing your services or products instead of going elsewhere when in need. By showing your knowledge, other experts in the industry will respect your content, resulting in opportunities for publicity and advertising. As a result of your professionalism, others will approach you for interviews, articles and quotes. You will earn the reputation as a person who conducts business in a professional way, and also as someone who can teach authoritatively.

Do you know your reader's needs?

Readers search for content which is easily accessible and of very high quality. Anything informative, educational or entertaining will grab their interest. All these depend on your audience or business, as these terms are defined in different ways in different contexts. If you are not sure what your audience is looking for or want to read about, then you need to find out. Research how your readers look for information or what they respond to. Are they using any specific keywords? What are they asking? In order to know what your visitors need, you can conduct a poll on your site's visitors. Ask them questions, and most likely they will give you answers.

Are you fully utilizing your content?

Many people are still not familiar with the idea of repurposing content. Though content needs to be original and fresh, you can think outside the box to solve your content needs. Content repurposing basically means taking existing information or content, changing it to a different format, and reusing it for a different purpose. For example, you could take forum posts and change them into blog posts or articles. Repurposing makes it easy to create new tools and products which can help increase traffic volume and increase subscribers. This increase offers the opportunity for more revenue, without having to create fresh information from scratch.

Charles Mburugu writes for us from his home in Nairobi. He has a graduate degree in Business Management from Kenya Institute of Management. He is interested in writing about branding, CSR and intellectual property.

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