Web content development starts with understanding your topic and how this knowledge will benefit your readers. That means that before you put a pen to paper, you have some homework to do. You may think you have a topic that you believe is valuable, now it is time for a reality check. In a previous post I gave you a list of the top 50 Article Directories.  

1) Do the Research: Many of these directories have a search tool and will list the more popular articles on any given subject before those with lower traffic. Do a search on your subject and compare the grades or scores given each article. Often it is the reader doing the voting and this will give you some insight on your subject. Based upon you findings, understand why they might be popular and do some research on your subject. 

2) Have a Keyword Strategy: Most reader’s eyes gravitate to the buzz words that jump off the page within the first 75 words. At that point, a decision is made to either continue reading, take some action or to bail out before anymore time is wasted. Therefore, keyword research is critical to the research phase. Your web content’s Title, Headings and first 75 words should be keyword rich, descriptive and captivating.

Long tail keywords are the 3, 4 or 5 word phrases that might be entered into the search engine inquiry boxes by web visitors seeking very specific information. A website built on a foundation of numerous “long-tail” keywords very quickly develops a strong traffic base that attracts highly targeted visitors

3) Avoid Creating a Masterpiece: Stop researching and write the article. The blank page syndrome sets in as soon as you have decided your blog content or web page must be perfect. Readers are searching for a solution and if your visitor believes that your article content might have the answer to their need, website visitors will overlook grammatical errors or incomplete thoughts.

4) Maximize your Time: Set a schedule and stick to it. Effective use of the clock starts with creating a schedule. If I set out to write an article designed to generate strategic inbound links for a client’s webpage, my time clock may look something like this…

• 30 minutes for topic research 
• 30 minutes for article writing 
• 10 minutes for article editing

I then set the article aside for a day or two before returning to it and often in that time I am encouraged to add a few points before finalizing the article and submitting it for publication. 

5) Create a Writing Ceremony: Getting into the content writing zone can be different for everyone. Eliminating distractions by optimizing your writing environment can be handled with a quick checklist that looks something like this:

1. Turn off the phone
2. Turn on your special lamp
3. A cool beverage
4. Set a deadline

You may find that you write best to soft music in the background. Regardless of the routine, it must be unique to you and the routine is done every time you set out to develop new website content. 

6) Consider your webpage layout. Small business website designs should always coincide with the SEO content writer. Collaboration with your designer will help define the web page layout based upon the message you are trying to convey. The page palette may only be large enough to accommodate 250 words rather than 500 words for example. Therefore you need to say more with less. 

7) SEO Web Design leverages a full mix of Media. Optimized images, Video content, Podcasting and a creative use of flash and audio content all add value to the written words. By using a blend of rich media as a part over your overall web content development strategy, a small business website can stand out and gain prominence over the more powerful corporate player in your niche.