3 Reasons why Content is Still King

Back in the late nineties, the phrase 'Content is King' was repeated and repeated and repeated by site owners and marketers alike. The belief was that the more content you had, the greater the number of visitors you would attract. Of course, the content had to be well written, relevant and easy to find. Many sites built very successful businesses as a result.

And then something happened.

Big money from venture capitalists burst onto the scene. Suddenly nobody was talking about content. (Where's the big investment return on 'content'?) Instead the attention went to businesses that came up with some kind of unique 'technology solution'.

Then the dotcom bubble burst.

And here we are.

Is content still important? I think so. People don't talk about it as earnestly as they once did, but I think that original thinking was very sound.

Here are three reasons why you should be creating more content on your site:

1. Content increases conversion rates by keeping prospects on your site.

When prospective customers arrive at your site, they like to 'dig deep'. They look for all the information they can find before they feel confident enough to commit to that purchase. Whether you are selling banking, subscriptions, noodles or digitals cameras, people want to know what they are buying.

If you don't give them all the information they need, they'll find someone else who does. Perhaps they'll try epinions.com, consumerguide.com or mouthshut.com. Or maybe they'll just do a search on Google.

The point is, if they can't find the information they want on your site, they'll try somewhere else. And as soon as they leave your site, the chances of their returning is fairly slim.

And that's very bad news for your conversion rates.

2. Content differentiates you from your competitors

What differentiates your noodle site from every other noodle site? Most businesses have a number of direct competitors and all too often there is very little to truly differentiate your products or services from theirs. You may have some marginal distinctions, new offers or price deals. But at the end of the day, a noodle is a noodle.

So how do you differentiate your site? You do it with content. You make your site an absolute magnet for anyone who is serious about cooking pasta. You provide the best recipes, you deliver the best advice, you seek out the most interesting and useful facts about noodles.

When you do that, your products may not be that different from anyone else's, but your site is. It has become different because it becomes known for being the number one resource for cooking great pasta.

3. Content is great for search engines and inbound links

Here's something we already know. The search engines love content, especially when it is substantial, updated and relevant.

So do your homework and make sure your content pages have SEO-friendly titles, headlines and body text.

In addition to being attractive to search engines, great content also attracts inbound links. The better the information, the more the number of sites that will want to link to you.

In conclusion...

Creating great content for your site, and newsletters, is still a very smart thing to do. It's good for your customers, good for your conversion rates, perfect for search engines and does a great job of separating your site from your competition.

Nick Usborne is a copywriter, author, speaker and advocat of good writing. You can access all his archived newsletter articles on copywriting and writing for the web at his Excess Voice site. You'll find more articles and resources on how to make money as a freelance writer at his Freelance Writing Success site.

---

How to Write a Direct Mail Fundraising Letter (Four Tips for Fund Raising Success)

1. Address your reader as a friend, not as "Friend."When was the last time you received a letter from someone dear to you, addressing you as "Dear Friend?" Never, right? The days of... Read More

13 Steps to a Slippery Slope Online Sales Letter

Many of the solo professionals whom I coach are people who offer services. They're coaches, consultants, creatives. And many of them are also beginning to sell information products on their Web sites. They're... Read More

How To Become A Freelance Copywriter In New York

As a freelance copywriter in New York, your work is never done.What?Do you mean to say that it is hard to find regular freelance writing jobs, even here in New York City?For those... Read More

Five Keys To Leaner and Meaner Copywriting

Grab 'em and don't lose 'em. Every marketer knows that one. Human beings have very short attention spans, so you can't afford to waste your prospect's time - give them the good stuff... Read More

The Power of Saying You Can

If you have children, you will doubtless remember saying to them, "You can do it."It's what we say when our toddlers first struggle to their feet.It's what we say when they face their... Read More

Headline Writing Can Lead To Fortunes: Here Are The Basics Of Writing Headlines

Headlines attract attention. Headlines generate interest. The time spent writing headlines can pay you back many times over.Do you have a product or service to sell? How do you attract new customers, clients,... Read More

How To Get Started With A Career In Copywriting

Careers in copywriting are booming. Could it be that the new and ever growing market on the Internet has helped to fuel this demand? You can bet your sweet keyword that it has!... Read More

Killer Ad Copy

Not everyone is a writer. Good copy writing is a science and can be learned over time. Great copy writing is an art and should problably remain in the hands of those who... Read More

The Number One Copywriting Technique That Makes Your Prospects Read Every Word You Write

How does this sound?Today, I'm going to show you how to get a fifteen page sales letter read from beginning to end and keep your prospect magnetized to *every* paragraph along the way.... Read More

Why Is FREE The Most Powerful Marketing Word You Can Use?

As the famous cowboy Will Rogers once said, "Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there".So what does that have to do with "FREE"? Quite... Read More

Copywriting FAQs

One of the biggest challenges a copywriter faces is to make future clients feel confident in his or her ability. You know you can deliver, but your clients don't know that... yet! In... Read More

10 Tips for Aspiring Freelance Copywriters

Every week I receive a couple of emails from people seeking advice on how to get into freelance copywriting. While there's no simple answer, and no answer which applies to everyone, there are... Read More

Copywriting Secrets Of Indias Mystics

Hi everyone,Been ruminating on this one for a little while now but it's probably one of the most profound discoveries of my life. It all began with a little book about music and... Read More

Buy My Book for $27 and Ill Give You Bonuses Worth a Gazillion Dollars!

Subhead..How to bundle for valuable results without devaluing your productI almost clicked. Really, I did.The ad copy was compelling, the content focused. This was exactly what I was looking for. Yes, I was... Read More

The Five Rules Of Influential Web Writing

Building a professional reputation requires a campaign founded on your words: the positions you endorse, the motions you advocate, the accuracy of your vision. Writing for the Web can either establish your expert... Read More

7 Big Ticket Copywriting Secrets I Learned from Ted Nicholas

I recently sponsored and attended Joel Christopher and Ted Nicholas's Double Birthday Bash and Interactive Marketing Summit in beautiful San Antonio, Texas. There was a fantastic lineup of speakers including... Read More

Crank Out More Articles More Often With An Article Swipe File

If you write copy you need a swipe file. A good swipe file can save you lot's of work and enable you to crank out more articles more oftenEvery good copywriter has a... Read More

How Writing Radio Can Help You Become a Better Writer

Knowing how to write, and write well, is a skill that will come in handy in all sorts of situations. And if you combine good writing skills with the persuasive selling tactics found... Read More

How to Write for a Paper or Magazine

l. Introduce yourself to the editor of your local newspaper. (Or, if you do business within a certain neighborhood, talk to the editor of the neighborhood paper or shopper.)Tell him/her about your profession.... Read More

A Quick Free n Easy Content Writing Course

I do not pretend that a one-stop shop solution to content writing exists, but my experience has taught me, that working toward a 100% effective writing formula isn't a complete waste of time.At... Read More

How To Find Freelance Jobs - Writing About Food

Did you know that jobs writing about food are available? These opportunities are available in a variety of areas. Employment in these fields is an exciting concept. For many, getting their foot in... Read More

The Secret to Drilling Down Deep in Your Target Market

Here's another drill ripped out of the Field Guide for my Red Hot Copywriting Bootcamp. There are 20 drills total which take 15 minutes per day (my "recruits" get weekends off). Each drill... Read More

5 Critical Mistakes Most Freelance Copywriters Make

Think you have what it takes to be a freelance copywriter? I wasn't so sure I knew when I first started in 1999. All I knew was I desperately wanted to work from... Read More

Freelancers Can Jump-Start Your Publicity Initiative

If you find that your progress is blocked by a lack of time or experience, consider hiring a freelancer to jumpstart your project.Writer's block got you down? Don't let it. Every town has... Read More

Hook Your Direct Mail Sales Letter Readers With Good Transition Sentences

Anglers in Maine catch trout using dry flies with barbless hooks. Unless they keep tension on the line all the way to the net, they lose the trout. Your sales letters must do... Read More

Want a Sticky Site That Sells? Forget Content!

An interesting debate is currently raging among copywriters, web designers and content developers about the differences, if any, between writing copy for the web versus writing content.According to prolific copywriter Nick Usborne of... Read More

11 Ways to Get an Editors Attention

I worked as a business magazine editor for about 20 years. During that time, thousands of news stories and press releases crossed my desk.How does an editor decide what stories to run, and... Read More

Top 3 Rules for Writing Effective Copy

One thing all successful Internet marketers have in common is that they're good copywriters. If you want to have a profitable online business, you need to know how to write a copy that... Read More

Revealed: The $12,500 Copywriting Formula

Have you heard of Brian Keith Voiles? Probably not, but if you have eyes you've seen his ad campaigns and you probably even bought products that he created ad campaigns for. Would you... Read More