What Writers Can Do to Make Online Content Findable

In print, writers use headlines and subheads to help readers quickly decipher what a page is about. Online, hierarchical XHTML tags serve the same purpose, only with an added twist. They let search engines know what a web page is about. As a content writer you can help your website content get found, by ensuring it is coded with the right hierarchical XHTML tags: <title> <h1> <h2> starting with the most important <title> tag and working down.

<Title> Tags Are Most Important to Search Engines

Title tags are the most important element on the web page for search engines. Search engine robots pull the contents of your <title> tag from your page and identify it as the most important information in the search result. Since many potential visitors won’t know your company name, it is important to include a keyword FIRST, in the title tag, not your business or blog name.

Use <h1> Tags for Headlines and Blog Post Titles

The <h1> tag is another important tag that helps tell the search engine what the page is about. For the greatest effect, a content writers should include specific information about your web page in <h1> tags. Consider putting a tagline in an <h1> tag on your home page, but lower down in the hierarchy on interior pages. Use an h1 tag for blog post titles.

Use <h2>Tags for Subheads

Content writers break up blocks of text with subheads to make the reading easier and more inviting. Placing subheads in an <h2> tag provides an opportunity for the search engines to learn more about what is on your page. When possible incorporate keywords.

In WordPress, sidebar headlines are typically given an <h2> tag, but depending on their relevance to search, you may want to move them down the hierarchy.

To maximize your website for search engines, write each web page with a clear focus and use the hierarchy of tags to guide the search engines to your content. To see how your page is currently coded view your source code (right click on the web page and click “view source”) and evaluate how you might better optimize your blog or website.

In this example below, Itasca Construction uses the “Commercial Builder|Chicago, Illinois”, as the <title> tag for the company’s home page instead of the company name. If you are providing copy to a webmaster, clearly label the text you want for the <title>, <h1> and <h2> headings.

The title tag is “Commercial Builders|Chicago, Illinois”

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Create More Readable Copy through Testing

Is your compelling online content lost in long sentences and confusing text? One way to test the readability of content is to read it aloud. It’s easy to spot long, run-on sentences when you find yourself gasping for air. But that’s not all you can do. Consider conducting a quantitative test of readability as a more definitive guide. I recently discovered a readability scoring system built right into Microsoft Word called the Flesh Read Ease Score.

Developed by author and writing consultant Rudolf Flesch (1911-1986), the score objectively calculates readability using a formula that takes into account the average number of words in a sentence and the number of syllables in the passage. Scores range from 0 to 100. You don’t need to know the formula, just how to interpret the scores. A score of zero would be most difficult and a score of 100 easiest. Scores in the 60 to 70 range are considered readable by the average reader.

To put the scores into context, Readers Digest has a Flesch Reading score of 65, while the Harvard Business Review has a score in the low 30s.

Another measure called the Flesch-Kincaid formula, also available in Microsoft Word, translates the readability score to a grade level. A score of 65 correlates with the 8th to 9th grade level and a score of 55 indicates a 10th to 12th grade level. Scores between 0 and 30 represent college graduate level readability.

Scores are obtained automatically when you run a Word document through a spelling and grammar check. However, you have to adjust the readability options in Word to have the test results appear.

How to Set the Readability Options in Microsoft Office Word 2007

Click the Microsoft Office Button , and then click Word Options.
Click Proofing.
Make sure Check grammar with spelling is selected.
Under When correcting grammar in Word, select the Show readability statistics check box.

While your B2B audience may be highly educated, your website is probably not the place to impress them with five syllable words and long cumbersome sentences. If your score is coming up too high, break up longer sentences and replace words that may be causing confusion. Potential buyers want to find information fast, and you can help them with clear, concise and readable text.

How does your website content score on the Flesch Reading Ease Test? Here’s how my text scored on this blog post.

Flesch Reading Ease 56.8
Flesch-Kinkaid Grade Level 9.1

With Listening, Comes Clarity

Before you write a word of content for your B2B website, listen to your customers.

Carve 30 minutes out of your schedule, leave your preconceived notions about your business at the door and call a customer. Instead of worrying about selling something, focus on listening. Listen to their questions and answer them. Hear their problems and ask yourself if you have a solution. Ask about the process they went through before they purchased. Ask how they felt afterward. Ask what motivates them to buy. Ask what you could do better. Ask them to describe your products and services. Ask what makes your business stand out from competitors.

Take notes.

When we do this for our clients, what we need to say and how we need to say it becomes much clearer. Unlike people close to the business, customers won’t tell you everything about your product, but they will tell you what’s important. And that’s what is most helpful to a writer.

You have seconds to communicate your message and you must be clear. You cannot try to communicate too much or people will shut down. Visitors won’t bother to call and ask a question. They will move on to another website.

Don’t let language be a barrier. Use their language not yours. Worry less about industry experts writing content, and worry more about providing clear and understandable content.

What would you like to see on Content for Biz? I am listening.

Fun Friday – Let the Games Begin

It’s Friday, and Opening Day in Chicago. Let the games and fun begin. Speaking of baseball, Paid Content recently published a list of top online earners and among them was Major League Baseball (Ranked No. 24).

Games are huge sellers online. Major League Baseball Advanced Media charges between $99.99 and $119.99 a year to watch live games online. According to Paid Content, more than 250 million live streams were served during the 2010 season alone. They also sell draft kits for $19.95, providing fans with a statistical tool to help them prepare and conduct fantasy drafts.

Why must all the fun be reserved for B-to-C? Why not a construction demolition game? A load and carry game? A food-focused game for restaurateurs? Can it be any crazier than the Angry Birds, the No. 1 App for smart phones?

For two industries that are having a hard time attracting young people to the profession, a game might be just what the doctor ordered to engage customers and prospects online.

How to Find Credible Sources for Articles, Blog Posts and Whitepapers

One way to keep your B-to-B content fresh is to inject the information and opinions from experts related to your product, service or industry. Writers call these their “sources,” and developing these relationships can inject new life into your website, blog, e-newsletter and articles.

Look for sources who are regular users of the product or service.

If you are a manufacturer, an expert doesn’t always have to be a CEO, engineer or marketing executive. A source can also be a customer or dealer who has experience with the product in the field. If your company is in the business of renting machinery, the opinions of a machine operator or a construction project manager would be very valuable to a potential customer. Each source will have a different perspective on the experience of renting a machine. Varied experiences will add credibility to your message. Customers love reviews from regular people. Salespeople can help identify potential candidates.

Look for sources in a business related to yours.

Your topics don’t always have to revolve directly around your business. A moving company might ask a professional organizer for moving tips that could form the basis of a blog post, checklist or whitepaper. A commercial real estate advisor might ask a lawyer to provide information about lease transactions.

You can find sources for a wide variety of topics using a free service like HARO (Help a Reporter Out) to identify experts in particular fields willing to answer questions for an article. PR Newswire has a similar service for journalists. You can also identify like-minded bloggers using tools like Technorati or Twitter. Consider asking an expert to write a guest post on your blog.

Look for sources through industry associations and publications.

Industry associations and b-to-b publications are typically tremendous sources of information. If you see an article you like, ask the editor for permission to republish it in your e-newsletter, on your website or in a blog post. (There may be a fee.) Search the news sections of an association website for press releases highlighting industry research and to identify potential interview sources.

Look for sources among your strategic partners.

Your strategic business partners may provide content that your customers find interesting. In fact, they may already be creating that information for their own customers. Explore content sharing ideas with other businesses and industry trade groups. For example, a website developer might provide information on the latest updates to Google for any number of firms with small business clients. I know I often share my marketing articles, blog posts and presentations with a local printer.

Finding credible and intelligent sources for your online content can go a long way toward building your company’s online reputation. If you have a large audience, sources may be happy to provide information for its publicity value. If not, you may have to work harder to get what you need. Start by building relationships with industry movers and shakers. One way to do this is to comment on their blogs, “like” them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter. And of course, make every effort to meet in person. However, be realistic in your expectations and let them know how their business might benefit from the relationship.