How to Write Content for Your Website

Want to know how to write better - and more engaging - content for your website?

If you’re a small or medium-sized business with a copywriting query or two, get in touch.

Want to know the best way to:

* Write your website's 'About Us' page
* Put together a case study
* Sell your services
* Come up with blog post ideas
* Craft an e-newsletter...

...or anything else, for that matter?

Send me your queries (here via my website Copywriter in West Yorkshire - Lauren Holden or over on Instagram) - and in my new 'Copy Doc*' series, I'll answer them here on LinkedIn. You can be anonymous too, if you like - call it online’s answer to TV's Embarrassing Bodies (but for copywriting issues - and it won't be televised!)

My clinic is always open; there's no need to make an appointment. Just send me a message on here or post a question below - and I'll help you get your head around a host of copywriting challenges.

* For transparency's sake, I'm not a real doctor (neither is this a real clinic); just a Huddersfield copywriter trying to help.

Best (try to) get an appointment with your GP if your knee is giving you gyp again.

Should you repurpose your content?

When is it okay to use something more than once before it’s time for a refresh?

• Socks? Depends

• Undergarments? Absolutely not, mate. No, not even if you turn them inside-out

• Tea bag? YOU’RE JOKING, AREN’T YOU?! GET OUT OF HERE…AND DON’T DARKEN MY DOOR UNTIL YOU’VE HAD A STERN CHAT WITH YOURSELF.

Content? Give it a good shake, do the hokey cokey and turn it around…and use it again and again and again. Why? Surely the question is: ‘why ever not?!’

For many - us folks who write for a living included - it takes time to put together a nice piece of content - and guess what? People’s attention spans are shorter than ever. In fact, you may well be nodding off already. No, please. Stay with me.

So, take that article/blog post/web content and repurpose it. Shorten it, lengthen it, tweak it or do whatever the heck you want with it. It’s your content, after all.

When you repurpose your copy, your ‘About Us’ page could become an Instagram caption, a blog post could become a LinkedIn status, and a case study could become a Q&A. Or maybe even the subject matter for a podcast.

In the era of ‘working smarter, not harder’, this is your reminder to rework that content. It saves time, maybe even money (ask your professional copywriter to do it, too - although they probably will anyway) and, hey, you’ll be surprised how many people didn’t read it the first time round. If you’re amongst them - and you didn’t read all of this the first time around - I’ll say it again: it’s never okay to reuse a teabag.

Until next time…

Need a Huddersfield copywriter to work on a project or two? Get in touch!

Do copywriters need to know SEO?

Sometimes, when I’m talking to new - or even regular clients - I find myself unintentionally teaching them how to suck eggs. Of course, some of my clients are well-versed in all things SEO, yet there I am telling them the ins and outs like they know very little.

On other occasions, though, I’m bleating on about SEO like everyone knows what it is. It’s a very fine line - and it’s one I don’t always know how to tread. So, when I remember (my passion for the subject means I get carried away sometimes) I allow my clients to do the talking; I ask them how much they know about ranking well online, and I tell them what I know (if they need, or want, to know it).

So, what is SEO then? Or am I teaching you how to suck eggs too?

SEO - or Search Engine Optimisation, to give it its full title - is the process by which online businesses ensure their website is found by people who are looking for it (or the services and/or products it offers).

Let’s say you own an online bookstore. How on earth do you compete against all the other web-based bookstores out there? Online bookselling is, no doubt, a highly saturated market.

Go on; try it…type in ‘buy books online’, ‘books online’ or ‘book store’ into Google and see what comes up. You’ll likely get the big hitters - people like Amazon, Waterstones, or maybe even a popular independent online bookstore or two.

So, can the much smaller bookseller be spotted online? That’s where SEO - the art of injecting well-chosen key words (let’s call them ‘phrases’ instead - key words is jargon unless you know what on earth I’m going on about) into your content. You see, it isn’t just about putting your website live and hoping for the best. You need to take intentional steps to ensure it is noticed. Those who don’t have an online business might be totally unaware of the work that goes on behind the scenes to ensure a site gets spotted on Google. It’s a lot, but it’s all in a day’s work for an SEO specialist and/or copywriter.

Do copywriters need to know SEO, then?

Well, while it isn’t a necessity - after all, there are SEO experts for that - it’s certainly a bonus if the copywriter in charge of sprucing up your website’s content knows a bit about how to ensure you stand out online.

Do I know about SEO? I wouldn’t claim I know lots and lots, but I know enough. I know how to expertly weave key words into your content in a natural way. I know the kind of key words to include - and I know a fair bit about how Google (and its often-complex inner workings)…er…work.

Want to know more about why copywriters need to know about SEO - and why and how a copywriter like me can help your website get found online? Get in touch with me today and we’ll go from there.

You could also book one of my ‘Copy and Catch Up’ sessions. I won’t call it a copywriting ‘Power Hour’ because, well I hate that term. But, for £120 (an introductory offer for January and February), you can ask me anything at all you like - about your website content, SEO and everything and anything in between (well, as long as it’s about copywriting!) for a whole hour. Say hello via the link above and let’s chat.

Until next time…

Who gives a flip about an Oxford comma?! Hint: I Do

Who remembers Vampire Weekend’s catchy third single, which featured the line: ‘Who gives a f*ck about an Oxford comma?’.

I do. It punctuated (sorry) my post-uni social life. Back in 2008, it had been three years since I’d completed my degree (in English Literature and Media, if you’re asking) and two years since I started my first proper role: as editorial assistant at my local newspaper.

My free time was spent attending gigs on behalf of the paper (and later, for some music magazines, including NME), interviewing bands and reviewing concerts and music festivals. It was pretty much the dream for someone in their early twenties.

Vampire Weekend had just reared their quirky, perfectly coiffed heads and their cheery tunes were doing the rounds in pubs, clubs (and on the Shuffle setting of my MP3 player).

Where am I going with this?!

Well, despite working on a newspaper back in 2008, previously doing well at GCSE, A-level, and English at uni, my grammatical knowledge was, at times, a bit ropey. Did I ever use an Oxford comma? Did I flip. For that, you could say I was an absolute colon.

Why didn’t I bother with the most divisive of punctuation marks? Like many folks, I probably didn’t realise how valuable that little comma is. It also wasn’t the ‘house style’ of the newspaper I worked at.

What is an Oxford comma then? It’s the comma used after the penultimate item in a list containing three or more items. Why should you give a f**k about it? Don’t use one and your message could well be interpreted wrong.

Grammarly offers, let’s face it, an absolutely cracking example (below) of when an Oxford comma makes perfect sense. Still, though, there are some naysayers where the humble punctuation mark is concerned.

Do you give a flip about an Oxford comma? Would you rewrite your sentence entirely, to avoid using what it often considered an ‘old-fashioned’ addition to a sentence? Or are you a traditionalist through and through? Let this friendly Huddersfield copywriter - and other folks - know by commenting on this blog.

Until next time…

How do you write a business website?

If you’ve recently set up a business, you either:

A) have a website already

B) agree that getting one set up is top of your priority list.

To keep costs down, you may be using a platform like WordPress or Squarespace, which allow you to set up a template and add or remove sections and pages as and when you see fit. But how do you go about writing your site - surely that’s a task for a professional copywriter, isn’t it?

Perhaps. Perhaps not.

While writing may not be your forte, no one knows your business quite like you do. So, you may feel you’re the best person for the mammoth task of writing your website.

If you’re on a budget and want to craft your own content, here are some pointers…

Do Your Research

You want to populate your website with the information your customers want and need - and that may involve doing some research into who they are and what they’re looking for. You don’t want to make your website a vehicle for sales, as such, but keep it a nice, light place for people to dip in and out of content that they will enjoy.

Make the most of a blog and post regular, useful content - and share your company’s backstory to let customers know a little more about how you got into business. Make sure things are relatable, if you can - and easy to read. Your customers want to know there’s a human behind your brand.

Don’t litter your content with too many keywords, either; remember, content should be written for people, first and foremost, and not the Google algorithm.

Sure, the right keywords may mean more people land on your site. If when they get there, though, they don’t stick around, filling your site with relevant keywords and phrases will have proved counterproductive.

Be a Stickler for Grammar and Spelling

By having a go at writing your own website content, you’re allowing your personality to shine through in your marketing messages - which is rarely a bad thing. If you do choose to forgo help from a copywriter, though, just make sure you check, check and check again when it comes to proofreading your content.

Spelling and grammar errors won’t look good, so be meticulous when proofreading your site and you’ll be glad you were.

Get a Second (or third!) Pair of Eyes on Your Site

Written your site? Ask a friend or some family members to take a look over it. They may spot things you’ve missed - or have some suggestions you haven’t thought about yet. They will also be looking at your site as a potential customer might - and if they don’t find it easy to navigate (or read!), neither will your target market.

Take comments on board - but if you really believe in what you’ve written, too, try not to get too bogged down if criticism comes from just one person.

Don’t Be Afraid to Tweak It

If your site content doesn’t seem to be working for you, wait a little while but then don’t be afraid to tweak it. When you do, though, always back up your content - just in case you lose what’s already there.

Plus, if you change the order of key pages or swap their URLs, ask your web developer to ensure the old pages ‘point’ to the new ones, technically speaking. That way, any benefits you have built up on your site in terms of search engine optimisation won’t go to pot.

Get an Expert to Do It

If all else fails and you’re tearing your hair out trying to write your own website content, get a copywriter to do it for you. As well as a full website copywriting service (whereby I write your website from scratch), I also offer a more affordable ‘Content Audit’ option.

The latter sees me provide you with a document which offers some hints, tips and suggestions - as well as some minor edits - to help you refine your website content yourself. Giving you an element of control and relieving you of a bigger website copywriting bill, a content audit is great value for small to medium-sized businesses. Just get in touch with me - a Huddersfield copywriter who can help you stand out online - if you’d like to learn more.

Until next time…