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By Darrell Cuthbert
Google, Bing, Yahoo and other commonly-used search engines, cache, index and rank URLs*/web pages individually. Although each website has an overall score, the individual score of a page has a big influence on where it will appear in the rankings. As a result, some pages on a website may appear high in the rankings and others much lower down (or even not be ranked at all). *(Universal Resource Locator – often also called the “website address”, e.g. http://www.yourcompanyname.co.za). Many businesses, especially SMEs, have websites that consist of relatively few pages, for example:
This gives search engines only four URLs to find, cache, index and rank. Having more URLs would give the search engines more to work with, but creating large amounts of static pages can be very time consuming and can clutter up the site navigation menu, making the site hard to use and possibly slowing down page load times. So, what is the solution? One of the simplest and most effective ways to add content-rich pages to a company website is via a built-in blog, or even multiple blogs. In many cases, these are simply labelled “blog”, but alternative names can also be used (and often are), e.g.:
Just because it’s not called a blog, doesn’t necessarily mean it isn’t. So, let’s assume a blog is added to the site – this automatically adds one more indexable URL, i.e. www.yourcompanyname.co.za/blog (or /news /articles, etc.). Now we are up to five URLs. Don’t stop there though. It’s time to add content to the blog. Original, useful, relevant information is best for blog posts. I won’t go into what makes a good blog post or the benefits it can bring to your business here, that is covered elsewhere on this blog. For now we will stick to the impact of creating extra URLs. If you blog weekly (the frequency I usually recommend to clients), after one year you will have 52 posts, all with great content for site visitors to read, enjoy and be informed by, and 52 new URLs for Google, and other search engines, to discover, analyse and add to their listings. Assuming the quality of the information and writing is good enough, the bulk of these posts should rank well for their chosen target keywords, and hopefully for secondary keywords as well. Now we have the original static page URLs, the blog header page, and a year’s worth of well-written blog posts; 4+1+52=57 57 Indexable URLs, all backed up by great content, properly placed and used keywords, and tight, well-written meta information. Which do you think will help your company website more online exposure, 4 pages of indexed, ranked content, or 57? Added Benefits Not only does adding 52 blog posts in a year give your business website a better chance of ranking well, it also gives you 52 pieces of content to share on social media sites and to bookmark. This allows you to create a multitude of backlinks that point back at your company site – essentially forming a net to “catch” site visitors, and turn them into prospects and customers. How that works, though, is a subject for another article on this blog – keep your eyes open for it. Are you struggling with keeping your company blog updated, or maybe you want to start a business blog, but have no idea where to get quality content to post?
A large portion of the work I do consists of ghost writing blog posts for businesses of all sizes, and in diverse industries. Contact me now to discuss your blog content requirements.
By Darrell Cuthbert
Grammar mistakes, along with syntax, diction and spelling errors, have probably been around as long as there has been written language. It seems, though, that the rise of the internet has made the problem worse.
Maybe this is because less care is taken with writing destined to be displayed on a website page or used as a social media post than if the intention was to print it. Or possibly it is simply a case of people writing for the web that would not have generally been published in the past. Either way, making basic language usage mistakes in your online content immediately brands you as an amateur writer and makes readers (potential customers) wonder about your lack of attention to detail in other areas. If you write for the web, or any other medium, do your best to make sure that every piece of content you produce is well-written and as free of errors as possible. This great infographic from Copyblogger explains 15 of the most common grammar mistakes people make when writing for the web. Have you spotted any of these grammar mistakes lately, or maybe even made some of them yourself?
By Darrell Cuthbert Schools have re-opened, most people are back from leave, and the holiday season in South Africa is well and truly over. Once the excitement and busyness of Christmas and New Year celebrations have come to an end, many people start thinking about their plans and goals for the year ahead. This is especially true of business owners and operators. No matter what the detailed plans and goals are for the individual company, it is a fairly safe bet that an increase in business, and therefore profits, will feature prominently. The key to increasing business revenue is customers. This could mean:
In the current business environment it is essential that every business informs and engages with its current and potential customers (leads). Many people out there are tired of simply being bombarded with marketing messages and sales pitches. We live in an information age and most business people, and an ever-growing number of consumers and end-users, have access to enough technology for them to do their own research into a product and find information – good or bad. It is important that every business ensures that information is freely available for customers. If your business is nowhere to be found online and your competitor’s is, you could be losing potential sales all the time, even though your product or service is actually superior to that of the competition. A well-planned and executed Content Marketing Strategy is vital for every company, irrespective of size or industry, if it wants to attract more business. There are two basic elements to the typical business content marketing strategy:
- Shared photos/videos showcasing a particular product or service you offer. - Standalone posts intended to stimulate discussion or engagement between your business and customers, or customer to customer interaction. Note: When representing your business on Social Media, it is important to get the balance between friendly engagement, information-sharing, and marketing activity right. Typically, social media users have a low tolerance for companies that only use social media channels as a way to bombard people with sales pitches. Some Ways to Distribute Content
© D Cuthbert 2015  Does your business have Copywriting and Web Content needs that you would like to outsource? Contact Me now to discuss your requirements and how I can help you. I am based in Durban, South Africa but write for clients in many countries. By Darrell Cuthbert This nicely put together infographic from the team at curata briefly describes the process, and some of the milestones along the way, that modern marketing has followed in its evolution from the internet bubble of the late 90’s and the subsequent dotcom crash to the current obsession with content marketing. I was especially interested in two things: 1. The statement that 71% of marketers are increasing content marketing spending. I have also seen similar claims recently from other sources. Although the exact percentage differs according to who conducted the research, how and where, the overall message remains the same – the marketing community is placing more and more emphasis on content marketing. Savvy business people need to realise the importance of this trend and find innovative ways to share valuable content with their customer base. This can be a challenge, especially for smaller South African companies that don’t have a marketing agency or in-house marketing team 2. The section titled Content Overload that states “content marketing trend increases, resulting in too much content.” Let me say upfront that I love the concept content marketing because it seeks to gain customer trust with useful information rather than simply advertising and delivering a sales pitch at every opportunity. I both agree and disagree with the statement in the infographic though. I don’t believe there is too much content out there, that would be like saying customers are too well informed. Instead I would say that there is too much low-quality content out there. However, the increasing popularity of the term Content Marketing has unfortunately led many well-intentioned but misinformed small and medium sized business owners in South Africa to believe that content marketing simply consists of:
Creating high quality, relevant, engaging and original content targeted at your business’s customers and potential customers requires a passion for words and writing expertise coupled with knowledge of SEO (search engine optimisation) and marketing principles and a thorough understanding of South Africa business practice. This is a task best performed by a specialist web content writer with both copywriting and business experience. If your business does not have or require a full-time content writer then outsourcing is the ideal solution.  Infographic source: http://www.curata.com/blog/content-marketing-history-infographic/ WordTiffie Copywriting and Web Content is a commercial writing business focused on providing high-quality written material to small and medium sized businesses. WordTiffie is based in Durban, South Africa, and is owned and operated by Darrell Cuthbert – South African writer, blogger and online marketer. Get in Touch now to discuss your content and copywriting requirements  By Darrell Cuthbert  http://freevectordownloadz.com/ A few days ago I needed to go The Pavillion (a local mall) to do some shopping. While I was there I noticed that the payment counters at a sports clothing and equipment shop (Mr Price Sport) had been changed since I was last there, or maybe they were like that all along and I didn't remember. The counters include a shelf in front of and below the main surface – ideal for placing packets containing other purchases and, I assume, handbags. I had three other packets in my hands and I was reminded of all the times I had struggled with shopping bags while trying to deal with my wallet, cash, card, change and receipts. The counter design may seem like a small thing but I walked away feeling more relaxed and organised than from all the other shops I visited that day. I would not choose to shop at this particular store based on the counter design only, I go there because I think the quality of the merchandise is generally good and the prices reasonable, but it is a nice added touch. What does any of this have to do with Content Marketing? Sometimes the little things count and become a differentiating factor. As an already loyal customer the convenience factor helped remind me that I had made the right choice of where to shop. There are other stores selling sporting goods and clothing in the area but I don’t like their layout and the way they make me feel when I walk in. Likewise with content marketing. Your business may offer products or services to the buying public that are in many ways similar to those of competitors. One way to differentiate your offering is by the way you tell the story of your brand or company. This includes generating content and sharing it with your target audience. But don’t forget – the little things matter. A piece of content that is well written, relevant, engaging, original and written in the appropriate tone for the audience will connect with your customer base and make them feel comfortable about doing business with you. The Flip-Side On the contrary, a poorly-written piece of copy containing spelling and grammar errors that is written in the incorrect tone and style and fails to make an emotional connection will be more likely to irritate potential customers and subconsciously lead to a lack of trust. Another quick illustration from my mall visit – inside the men’s bathrooms there are aluminium frames on the walls that contain small advertising posters for a variety of businesses. As I am always interested in how businesses use written content in their advertising I read all of them. One in particular stood out – but not in a good way. The very first word in the copy contained an obvious grammatical error. I didn’t read any further. No doubt the company concerned had spent a fair amount of money on having this advertisement designed, printed and displayed in one of the largest malls in Durban. To have all of that effort and expense tarnished by an incorrectly placed apostrophe is both unfortunate and entirely preventable. Once again this shows how the little things matter. Put Your Money Where it Matters If you are a business owner please pay special attention to the quality of the content you are using for marketing purposes. Spending a lot of money on design, printing and placement is foolish if the content can’t deliver what the design promises. Invest some money into good quality copy and the impact of the message will be greatly increased. © D Cuthbert 2014 WordTiffie Copywriting and Web Content is a commercial writing business focused on providing high-quality written material to small and medium sized businesses. WordTiffie is based in Durban, South Africa, and is owned and operated by Darrell Cuthbert – South African writer, blogger and online marketer. Go to Home Page Get in Touch   Content Marketing – mention this term in most countries and business environments and you will generally get mixed reactions; ranging from rabid enthusiasm (content marketers and writers) to rolled eyeballs and dismissive gestures (traditional marketers), to looks of confusion (business owners that don’t really understand what it is), and varying combinations of all three. Whether you love it, hate it, or don’t understand it – the reality is content marketing is here to stay. Many large and well-known international brands have embraced it and allocated substantial resources and budgets to doing it right. Utilisation of content marketing is not restricted to international brands though. South African companies are slowly but steadily also venturing into this space. Are the Ponytails Doomed to Extinction? It is unlikely that content marketing will ever completely replace creative advertising. However more and more brands and companies are moving away from their total reliance on traditional marketing methods and investing varying amounts of effort, time and money into participating in and mastering content marketing. The marketing and advertising landscape is rapidly changing, driven largely by the widespread adoption of the internet, the popularity of social media channels and the ease which with content can be viewed, commented on and shared by users (customers). Smart marketers will find a way to blend traditional and content marketing techniques into a single, highly-effective promotional strategy. Size Doesn't Matter In order to stay relevant and connect with a younger generation of tech-savvy customers and potential customers all South African businesses, large and small, need to have a content marketing program in place. One of the advantages of content marketing is that it is accessible to businesses of all sizes and types, from large multinationals with a South African branch office or subsidiary, to small and medium sized enterprises. Sharing fresh, relevant, original content is an excellent way for any business in South Africa to increase their engagement with and boost the loyalty of existing customers as well as increase the company’s exposure and profile. This results in more leads, customers and sales. © D Cuthbert 2014 Not sure how to get started with content marketing or need material researched and written for your existing program – Contact me WordTiffie Copywriting and Web Content is a commercial writing business focused on providing high-quality written material to small and medium sized businesses. WordTiffie is based in Durban, South Africa, and is owned and operated by Darrell Cuthbert – South African writer, blogger and online marketer. Go to Home Page Get in Touch  Most big businesses in South Africa have a company website and practice content marketing in one form or another. In addition more and more local small and medium sized businesses are setting up websites and participating in the online world. However, not all owners of SMEs in South Africa realise the power of a properly planned and executed content marketing program and the impact it can have on their business. All business owners want more traffic to their website as this is a powerful way to attract potential customers and increase the business’s engagement with existing customers. Creating and sharing well-written, interesting, relevant content that informs and educates customers is the most efficient and sustainable way to increase a business’s search engine rankings and draw traffic to a company website. The infographic below (courtesy of Quicksprout) cites some interesting statistics, including:
If your business does not already have a company blog it is important to set one up as soon as possible and fill it with useful content – ideally by posting informative articles and other material on a weekly basis. Content marketing works for companies of all sizes and in all industries but is especially powerful as a growth tool for South African small and medium sized businesses. By Darrell Cuthbert  WordTiffie Copywriting and Web Content is a commercial writing business focused on providing high-quality written material to small and medium sized businesses. WordTiffie is based in Durban, South Africa, and is owned and operated by Darrell Cuthbert – South African writer, blogger and online marketer. Get in Touch now to discuss your content and copywriting requirements |
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