By Maggie McGinley

It’s no secret that the digital space is constantly evolving and along with it, SEO Factors and Google Rankings. As a Digital Marketer at a Digital Marketing Agency, I often find myself in conversations with my peers asking, what is most beneficial to Google? Which factors garner the best SEO results? Which digital strategies will effectively drive the businesses we market?

Although opinions vary, mine is steadfast. Maybe it’s the Journalism-College-Grad in me. Or, maybe it’s the unapologetic bookworm; but I’m a firm believer and a true fan of the adage, Content Is King.

That being said, any kind of content won’t do; won’t cut it. At ChoiceLocal, it’s our job to “localize” content (Our Motto? Local Marketing. Local Customers.); to make it interesting, to make it relevant. But, how can we express what’s local to our customers when it’s not always local to us, the marketers?

Ask Questions.

Business owners are often quick to discuss results, numbers and the like. As marketers, it’s our job to extract all the other good stuff. So, ask questions. Be inquisitive. Get to know your customers, their businesses, and the values they stand for. Prompting those conversations leads to wonderful nuggets of valuable information you can use to improve the content on your website. Not sure where to start? Here are some ideas:

Why did you start your business?
What’s your favorite thing about your business?
What’s the most rewarding aspect of your business? What’s the most difficult?
What makes you stand out to your community? What makes you different?
What’s new? What’s newsworthy?
What makes your business appealing?
What can you offer that another business can’t? Why should I choose you?

Tell A Story.

What’s just as important as asking the right questions? Listening to answers and crafting the right messages. In the digital marketing world, no two businesses, nor business owners, are the same. They have different climates, different landscapes, different personalities, and most importantly, different stories. Writing content allows you to be their voices, to speak on their behalves and to tell their stories. Whether that’s a story about their unique team of people or a story about the services they offer or the local community they live in. The stories are there, and they’ll undoubtedly set your website apart from someone else’s.

Make It Simple.

The most important aspect of writing content is making it simple. Ensure your sentences are easy to read and even easier to understand. Use bullet points when necessary. Don’t overcomplicate it with unnecessary jargon or industry terms that don’t make sense to your audience. Be smart about keyword placement. Yes, keywords are critical to SEO, but they aren’t always critical to the story. Use them where they make sense. If they don’t quite make sense, find a [sensical] way to craft and adjust your message until they do. It might take some editing, and some re-editing, but it will be worth it.

Proofread.

Lastly, an unofficial step, but one that users (and contributors) everywhere appreciate: proofread. If you’re like us at ChoiceLocal, you want your customers to come across as authority figures; as reputable, reliable businesses. That starts with something as simple as eliminating spelling errors and poor grammar. Make proofreading a habit – you won’t be sorry.

If you’re struggling to create content, or just looking for a new angle to explore, try implementing the above steps into your content-writing. Doing so might not solve all your problems, but it just might be a good place to start.

About the Author

Maggie McGinley is an Account Executive at ChoiceLocal. She loves to read and hang out with her two dachshunds, Myron and Freddy.