How To Write a Blog Post That Ranks on Google

Let's start this article off with a frank yet freeing truth:

There is no perfect formula for a blog post.

If you’re like us, that’s both encouraging and frustrating. After all, wouldn’t it be easier to follow a list of rules for great results every time?

Of course, it would!

But thankfully, we don’t live in a world of robots. We live in a world of creative thinkers, careful buyers and passionate opportunists. And Google knows that!

That’s why they carefully curate each search results page (SERP). They do their best to ensure the top-ranking pages provide the best search experience. AKA the content that the searchers are looking for.

So, while we can’t offer a simple a + b = c solution, we can help you write better content that has the potential to rank higher.

Grab your pencils (or open a Google Doc), and let’s get started!

Psst…looking for local SEO blog writing services? Get in touch with our team!

How Does Google Rank Content?

Google is an incredible tool. This search engine has access to information from all over the world - delivered straight to your SERP within milliseconds.

With around 7 million blog posts published daily, Google has its work cut out!

It needs to determine what each blog is about and rank them accordingly. This ensures the user’s search journey is successful and fast!

It's Google's job to,

a) Interpret what users are searching for,

b) Understand their search behaviour and

c) Analyze their reaction to search results.

Key Factors That Affect Search Results

While Google isn’t totally transparent about its algorithm, it gives great insight!

After all, Google wants good content found!

There is a sea of content to sort through daily. But making content publishers jump through a million hoops to get seen isn’t the solution. Giving these publishers the tools and knowledge they need to get that great content noticed is!

If you are what a user is searching for, Google will help them get to you! But it’s your job to create the right content and make it easy for Google to recommend you.

Here’s how that’s done!

“To give you the most useful information, Search algorithms look at many factors and signals, including the words of your query, relevance and usability of pages, expertise of sources, and your location and settings.”

- Google

Below are 5 key factors Google uses to determine which results to display for a given query.

Note: You’ll notice, everything points back to the query - what the user is looking for. Google ensures its results align as closely as possible with the user's goal. This ensures the search is quick and successful!

Meaning

First, Google must understand the intent, or meaning, behind a user’s query.

Often, this means deciphering gibberish from a hurried, one-handed user. We’ve all been guilty of that!

Once the user hits “Search”, it’s up to Google to make sense of it.

The system must then,

• Recognize/Correct spelling mistakes.
• Understand and connect words to the right content.
• Understand what type of information the user is looking for.
• Understand when the user wants up-to-date or local information (i.e. local coffee place).

Relevance

Once Google understands what the user is looking for, the next step is to analyze for relevancy.

This is the first step of analyzing your content!

During this process, Google looks for relevant keywords that match the query. This could be an exact keyword/phrase or a close match.

Quality

Once the content has achieved relevance, Google analyzes its quality.

Here, Google is looking for:

a) Expertise,

b) Authoritativeness, and

c) Trustworthiness.

One way Google determines quality content is if other prominent websites link to it. This typically tells Google that the content comes from a reliable source.

Related Article: The Power Behind Good Copywriting Services 

Usability

If the content passes the quality test, it moves on to the usability test. This is where things get a bit more technical.

Usability refers to how accessible the content is - a major factor in page experience!

Thankfully, relevance trumps usability in Google’s ranking strategy. But if you’re competing against several high-quality, relevant pages, it could ruin your chances of landing in the top 10!

Here are some examples of page experience aspects that Google looks for:

• Mobile-friendliness
• Site speed
• Contrasting colour scheme
• Site navigation
• Accessibility
• Browser consistency
• Clean code

• Context

Lastly, Google doesn’t just look at a user’s current search. It uses a variety of search factors to determine which results to show.

This includes:

• Search History,
• Search settings.
• Geographical location, etc.

Essentially, Google matches results to a user’s unique interests!

Simple Steps to SEO Your Next Blog Post

Now that you know how Google analyses and ranks your content, it’s time to polish yours up!

Below are 6 steps to optimize your next blog post and get it ranking:

Step 1. Keyword Research

The first step is thorough keyword research.

For Google to deem your content relevant to a user’s search, it must match up with their query. This can be an exact match or a related match.

Keyword research gives you the data you need to know the terms and phrases users are searching for. You can then make an informed decision about which keywords you plan to target on your site.

We recommend choosing keywords that have a

• High monthly volume
• Low difficulty
• High priority
• High Relevance

Not sure where to get started with keyword research? Our team can help!

Step 2. Search Intent

Next up is search intent!

Before you start writing, think about your audience and their query.

What exactly are they asking you?

What type of information are they looking for?

What is the best way to present the information to them?

These questions provide you with the purpose of your article. It’s not a step you want to skip!

Step 3. Heading Optimization

Did you know that only 16% of people read every word on a page? 79% just scan the content!

What does this mean for you?

It means you need to strategize the organization and structure of your content.

One of the most effective ways to do this is by using headings and subheadings!

This makes it easier for your readers to skim your content for information and reach their goals.

Remember: Google’s mission is to end the user’s search journey quickly and successfully. If they can find what they’re looking for quickly, you’ve succeeded!

Step 4. Content Optimization

Content optimization comes in two parts - creative writing and search optimization.

First, we recommend writing for humans, not search engines. After all, you’re not trying to impress Google. You’re trying to impress your readers.

If you succeed, Google recognizes this and ranks you higher!

Related Article: 5 Content Writing Tips To Increase Traffic & Retain Customers

Second, focus on optimizing your content for both user experience and search. We call this search engine optimization, or SEO!

Factors Affecting SEO:

• Keyword optimisation
• Clarity
• Links
• Readability
• Consistency
• Structure, etc.

Step 5. Behind The Scenes Optimization

Lastly, we recommend optimising all behind-the-scenes aspects as well. Here, we’re referring to both front-end and back-end content that’s not necessarily part of your main content.

Essential SEO Elements:

• Meta description
• Alt text on images
• Internal linking
• URL
• Page Title

The user and Google both rely on these elements to better understand your page content. This makes them essential to a well-optimized article!

Related Article: SEO For Beginners

Start Blogging For Better Results Today

Blogging has become a powerful tool in the world of content marketing. Small and large businesses use it in their development and growth strategies. It’s proven quite successful in both areas!

If you haven’t started a blog, this is your sign.

Top Benefits of Blogging:

• Increase traffic,
• Drive conversions
• Up your website reach,
• Showcase your expertise,
• Build authority in your industry,
• Engage with your audience,
• Build trusting relationships,
• Strengthen brand recognition and
• Differentiate yourself from competitors.

Related Article: 7 Reasons to Start a Blog

Need help getting started? Get in touch with our marketing team! We offer keyword research, SEO blog writing services and copywriting services!

Call us at 613-969-0626 or contact us online!

Digital Marketing 101: What is it? Does Your Business Need it?

If you own a business in 2023, there’s no way around it. Digital marketing services are essential to effective brand establishment, recognition and growth.

Without it, you miss hundreds, if not thousands, of opportunities to get in front of your target audience.

While digital marketing has evolved over the last decade, one thing is for certain:

It’s not going anywhere!

Digital marketing is only becoming more and more prominent.

The methods consumers use may change and adapt as new platforms become available. But the root concept of digital marketing is stronger than ever.

Essentially, if you want to compete in today’s market, you must embrace its digital landscape.

But where do you begin?

In this article, we deep dive into all things digital marketing. We discuss everything - from its definition to how to best take advantage of its waiting opportunities.

Keep reading to get your business on the (virtual) map!

What is Digital Marketing?

As a business owner, you have probably heard the term digital marketing frequently. After all, it’s one of the most crucial aspects of owning a business.

We’re here to ensure you understand,

1. What it means,
2. The opportunities it presents and
3. How you can best access those opportunities.

Let’s get started!

In a nutshell, digital marketing is advertising delivered through digital channels.

The type of digital channel a marketer chooses depends on their client, product, budget, etc.

These factors help narrow down where, when and how a business should show up online.

Common Digital Channels:

• Social media
• Search engines
• Websites
• Email
• SMS

Which online platform(s) do you think best fit your business?

We’ll dig deeper into these platforms later. But for now, think of some examples of digital marketing you have seen in these online spaces. Things like promotional video ads, banners, text messages, etc.

Chances are, you have seen hundreds of these promotions via your own personal channels.

This leads us to our next question…

Why is Digital Marketing Important?

Digital marketing is a big part of everyday life. Whether we like it or not, it's everywhere!

This is exactly why it’s so important.

Digital marketing allows you to connect and engage with prospective and existing customers. Not where you are. But where they are. And on an almost constant basis!

E-commerce has steadily grown in popularity for years, which is no surprise! Online shopping is incredibly convenient. After all, it’s literally at your fingertips.

This year alone, there are 80 million more digital buyers than in 2022. That puts the total number at 2.64 billion.

To put that number into perspective, we’re talking 33.3% of the world’s population.

Consider these statistics!

• 81% of consumers research a product/service online before purchasing in-store.
• The average Canadian spends over six hours/day on digital media.
• Digital advertising accounted for 64.8% of the total advertising spend in 2021.
• 87% of online Canadians start following a brand after visiting their website.

It’s easy to see that digital marketing is now an integral part of the Canadian economy. Not only is it taking over other forms of advertising, but it also focuses on today's most crucial aspect of marketing: personal connection!

Top Benefits of Digital Marketing:

• Global reach
• Local reach
• Cost efficiency
• Improved customer experience
• Measurable results
• Effective targeting
• Enhanced brand awareness
• Increased engagement

There’s also the convenience of different types of content on each platform. Online marketing opens up an array of content types that cater to your specific industry. Examples include blogs, podcasts and video content!

Now that you know what it is and its importance, it’s time to better understand how to use it.

Types of Digital Marketing and How to Use Them!

While many forms of digital marketing exist, most small businesses focus on those with the highest ROI potential. In most cases, that includes content, SEO and social media.

Content Marketing

Content is one of the most popular forms of digital marketing.

Digital content marketing is any form of content shared digitally. It’s usually informative, leading your audience to take a specific action - like asking a question or clicking a button!

At its core, its intent is to,

a) Attract visitors to view said content and

b) Encourage them to take the desired action (whatever that action might be).

Examples of Digital Content:

• Blogs
• Ebooks
• Infographics
• Visual Content
• Podcasts

Pro Tip: Create content with your specific target audience in mind. This helps position your brand as a trusted voice and relate directly to your people.

Discover how good copywriting can help boost your marketing efforts!

SEO

SEO (search engine optimization) typically goes hand in hand with content marketing. After all, how else do you get your content in front of the right people?

Optimizing content specifically for search can help it rank higher in search results. This puts your content in front of more people. And the best part is, those people are already searching for you!

While there are many forms of SEO, we recommend focusing on:

• Content Strategy
• Keyword Research and
• Technical Optimization.

These three elements help focus your content and ensure it’s searchable by the right people.

Social Media Marketing

If you’re looking for an easy way to connect and communicate with your audience, this is it!

The right platform allows you to effectively build awareness and generate leads!

Examples of Social Platforms:

• Instagram
• Facebook
• LinkedIn
• Twitter
• Snapchat
• Pinterest
• Threads
• TikTok
• BeReal

The best thing about social media marketing is that it builds on its own success. Your efforts can quickly magnify as engagement with your account adds up.

This is a great way to use organic (unpaid) content to boost your business. And while organic content goes a long way, these platforms also offer the opportunity for paid ads!

Not sure where to get started? A social media agency can help simplify and optimize your marketing!

Develop Your Own Digital Marketing Strategy

What does your digital marketing strategy look like?

Before you start marketing, we always recommend starting from square one. You have to know WHO you are targeting and WHY!

These two factors are the basis for any digital strategy and will hugely boost your ROI.

Without knowing who you want to target and why, you can’t decipher HOW best to connect with them.

Let’s start developing your strategy with effective digital marketing services today! Our marketing team at OSM ensures your plan fits your business goals and budget.

All our marketing packages are customizable. So you can choose a plan that caters directly to your needs!

Discover 7 Benefits of Hiring a Local Digital Marketing Agency!

Get In Touch

Let’s talk all things digital marketing!

Call our marketing team at (613) 969-0626 or contact us online!

How To Create Integrated Campaigns That Boost Your Web Marketing Success!

As a small business owner, integrated campaigns can seem daunting and out of reach. 

After all, they involve a series of media platforms, web marketing tactics, social media efforts etc.

If multiple third-party companies run your marketing department, it can be especially challenging to organize a consistent message across your channels.

However, though the concept may seem intimidating, it’s 100% doable - even for a small business!

Launching and running a successful integrated campaign is simple as long as you have the right tools, resources, and know-how.

We break down the necessary factors of a small business integrated campaign below. Keep reading to learn how to put together your own multichannel campaign!

How Can An Integrated Campaign Boost Your Web Marketing Success?

Before we get into the 5 steps of creating a successful campaign, let’s first learn what integrated campaigns are and why they are beneficial.

What Is An Integrated Campaign?

In short, integrated campaigns present a consistent message across all your marketing communication channels.

Companies use them to reach a larger audience, increase brand awareness, build excitement etc. 

Typically, integrated campaigns use the same principles as branding, including similar visual aesthetics, wording, tone etc. This ensures a unified look across all platforms - increasing brand recognition and improving communication efforts.

Are Integrated Campaigns Beneficial?

As a small business, we understand that your time, money and resources are especially valuable and limited. And we don’t take that knowledge lightly.

In fact, that knowledge is what fuels our desire to provide these free marketing tips and tricks!

So, how can an integrated campaign boost your web marketing success? Is it really worth it?

Let’s go over some of the benefits below!

Benefits of Launching An Integrated Campaign As a Small Business:

• Boosts Revenue
• Expands Reach
• Streamlined Management
• Creates Brand Continuity
• Increases Brand Recognition
• Optimizes Your Marketing Budget
• Builds Excitement
• Improves Brand Communication
• Multiple Connection Opportunities
• Cost Savings
• Keeps Your Brand Top of Mind
• Builds Trust

Create Your Own Multichannel Campaign As a Small Business

Now that you know what integrated campaigns are and how they benefit small businesses, let’s learn how to create one!

Step 1: Get Everyone On The Same Page

The first and most important step is to get everyone on the same page.

As a small business owner, you likely have multiple companies/freelancers making up your team. You have a company for your email campaigns, another for your social media coordination, another for your web hosting etc.

While this can be a great way to delegate your business responsibilities, it does make campaign creation slightly harder. And it's why you must always ensure each team member is aware of the campaign scope, given the proper materials/instructions and follows through with the plan correctly.

This is how you ensure your message is consistent, clear and accurate. And that all marketing schedules properly align with your plan.

Otherwise, your social media team might understand things differently from your web marketing team, and so on. Leaving your audience with a muddled message.

So, gather your team for a quick huddle and make sure everyone is aware, involved and prepared.

Step 2: Identify Your Ideal Audience

The second step in creating your campaign is to think about your audience.

A lot of companies choose to focus on their brand messaging before selecting their target audience. But at OSM, we believe the customer always comes first.

So identifying WHO your customer is, WHAT they’re looking for, and HOW you can meet their needs has to be your top priority.

Note: It is possible to have more than one ideal target audience to focus on. That’s the benefit of a multichannel campaign! You can target a variety of people at once with the same message.

Step 3: Create Your Message

Once you’ve nailed down your target audience, it’s time to craft your message.

This message can be in the form of written content, graphics, video creation or even photography.

Campaign messaging typically surrounds a special, promotion, discount or feature. However, you can create a campaign for pretty much anything!

As your creating this message, keep in mind these 3 key factors:

• Your target audience.
• Your campaign goal(s).
• Message adaptability.

Target Audience

We already mentioned the importance of your target audience. But as you create your message, always remember to circle back and ensure your content serves their interests first.

Campaign Goal(s)

Your campaign will lack direction and purpose if it doesn't have a set goal or objective. So before you start creating your messaging, decide on your campaign goals and KPIs (key performance indicators).

A few common campaign goals include:

• Traffic growth
• Sales increase
• Brand awareness etc.

Message Adaptability

The third factor to keep in mind is how adaptable your message is.

Since an integrated campaign involves multiple channels, your messaging has to be able to adjust to each one accordingly.

For example, if you record a video podcast, what are some ways you can repurpose that content for other channels?

1. You can separate that longer video into smaller portions for posting on social media.
2. You can transcribe the podcast into a blog article as web marketing content.
3. You can even use the audio from your video to create Instagram Reel content.

Planning your content creation with this in mind will ensure you have the opportunity to share your campaign across multiple platforms.

Step 4: Strategize When and Where You Will Launch Your Campaign

Now that you have your message, it’s time to strategize where and when you will launch it. Since you’ve purposely crafted your message to be adaptable for most channels, you have lots of options to work with!

As you strategize, don't forget to circle back to step 2 and ensure you choose the best channels for your specific audience.

For example:

Is your audience browsing the internet? Or scrolling their Facebook feed?

In this case, which is more effective - Google Ads or Facebook Ads?

Understanding which is more effective and realistic, considering your messaging, can help you strategize a successful campaign placement.

Common Advertising Channels For Small Businesses:

• Web Marketing (i.e. website content, SEO, Google ads)
• Social Media
• Email Marketing
• Sales Promotions
• Events
• Packaging etc.

Once you’ve narrowed down which channels best suit your audience and messaging, the next step is to find the perfect time(s) to launch!

For this, you’ll need some insight into when your ideal audience is most active on your channels. From there, you can better estimate the best posting time for your content!

Step 5: Launch, Monitor and Measure Your Campaign

Ready to launch?

Once your campaign goes live, have your team monitor it daily. We recommend having your team on standby, ready to respond to incoming messages, inquiries, or hiccups as they come up.

Finally, the final step in your campaign journey is to measure its success. In this step, you’ll analyze your campaign results with the goals you created at the start of the process.

Did your campaign meet your goals? Why or why not?

One of the best things about a campaign is that you can use the knowledge you gained from previous results to better guide future campaigns!

Create Your Next Integrated Campaign With Our OSM Marketing Team!

Are you ready to give integrated campaigns a shot? Our web marketing team at OSM is here to put your message into action!

Our digital marketing services offer:

• Content Writing
• SEO
• Google Ads
• Facebook Ads
• Website Content
• Social Media Coordination
• And More!

Get in touch with our team at (613) 969-0626. Or connect online!

And don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter to not miss our next blog post!

7 Reasons Why Starting a Blog Is Essential to Growing Your Online Presence

Writing unique, valuable and optimized website content has never been more of a priority for businesses than it is today. 

The ever-growing popularity of the internet and the widely acclaimed use of web browsers like Google to find local and relevant answers, products and services is incredible. 

What better way to penetrate this modern, digital landscape and gain traction in our online world than by becoming a part of it?

By sharing your answers to popular questions...

By digging deeper into your niche...

By offering unique value to an already information-hungry audience...

That is the power of blogging!
 

Where Did The Concept of Blogging Originate?

Blogging has evolved drastically over the years. Especially since the alleged first-ever blog platform launched in 1994! 

Justin Hall created this platform, called Links.net, to share his writings. He would write short articles about his life and then publish them on this online platform for others to learn more about him. 

Over the next three or so years, this way of sharing information online became known as an online diary or personal page. And, although most of these posts were code-heavy technical articles, they soon evolved into a journalistic approach.

At this time, the word blog wasn’t even a thing! 

It wasn’t until around 1997, when Jorn Barger described these sites as Weblogs, that the term came into play.

Then, just two years later, Peter Merholz introduced the simplified term we know today - blogs!

From then on, the world of blogging has gone through many phases. From early code-heavy blogs to inspiring mommy blogs to the search-engine-optimized articles that businesses share on their sites today. 

Now, you can learn how to knit a scarf, build a shed, fix your air conditioner, bake sourdough or choose the right insurance plan. All from a blog article!

With a wide selection of tools, blogs have evolved from simple renditions of personal thought to in-depth articles designed for web traction, lead generation and brand credibility.

With good content and the right tools, you can increase traffic to your website, build your brand personality and position yourself as an expert in your specific industry. 

Who knew words could do so much? 
 

Boost Your Digital Presence With Blogging!

Now that you know how blogging has progressed, you can learn how to use it as a resource in growing your online presence!

When used correctly, your blog has the potential to:

1. Position Yourself As An Expert In Your Industry.

Whether you are an electrician or a seamstress, you want to be considered an expert in your trade. You want people to trust you, rely on your expertise and continue coming to you for leading industry information. 

With a blog, you can achieve all of these things! 

You can increase your credibility and inspire trust in your audience simply by: 

1. Knowing your stuff (aka. researching and gaining hands-on experience),
2. Sharing your knowledge in an easy-to-read fashion, and
3. Being the best answer at the best time!

Picture this:

You are an HVAC company that sells heating and cooling products. With recent inflations, your audience is looking for the most cost-efficient air conditioning solution for this coming summer. 

Because you understand your audience and have been researching their questions, you know their concerns and are ready to offer them a solution!

Your tactic? 

To write optimized blog content on the most energy-efficient and budget-friendly cooling options.

Not only can this content position you as an HVAC expert, but you will be advertising your products at the same time - without seeming pushy or having to give a sales pitch! 

You are simply offering an easily-accessed answer to the question your audience is already asking.

2. Increase Your Social Exposure. 

Your blog content is usable for more than just added content on your website.

Try reusing, repurposing and recycling your content on your social media platforms too! You can use these other media platforms to spark interest and gain momentum for your blog article. 

Here’s an idea:

Post a sneak peek in your newsletter or even a link to the article on Facebook or LinkedIn. These shares can help increase traffic to your site and increase the social exposure of your blog too.

3. Generate Potential Leads.

Would you prefer to take a shot in the dark or take careful aim at a reasonable target with the right tools in your hands?

Blogging is that tool, and Google is your clear target. As long as you learn to aim right, reaching your audience is easy!

By inputting valuable SEO (search engine optimization) strategy in your blog - up-to-date keyword research, quality headlines, proper readability, credible links etc. - you can design your content to be seen by the right people at the right time. 

You can attract people to your website via your blog content!

Then, once you have brought your target audience to your website, you can begin converting that website traffic into potential leads. 

4. Show Up Where Your Audience is Already Searching.

One of the best things about blogging is that you do not have to look for your customers. Google is one of the only media platforms where your consumers search for you! 

For the answers to their questions. For the most up-to-date industry information. For the best of the best!

And all you have to do is show up with valuable content that satisfies their search!

5. Direct Your Target Audience To Your Website.

Did you know that there are roughly 4.95 billion internet users worldwide? And that the average user spends almost 7 hours on the internet EACH DAY?

People are consuming more digital content than ever before! 

But if you are not producing content for these users to engage with, your site will miss out on this valuable web traffic.

Like we said before, people are already searching. It is up to you to show up, drive them to your site and give them the answers they want.

But quick! 

Research has shown that even goldfish have a longer attention span than humans nowadays. You have approximately 8 seconds to grab their attention and tell them that they are in the right place. 

That means you need to write valuable content that is both readable and skimmable!

6. Revamp Your Search Engine Optimization.

SEO organically improves your credibility and searchability on Google! 

Have you seen the positive results of search engine optimization (SEO) before? If so, then you know what we are talking about here. 

Here are a few ways to improve the SEO of your blog: 

• Focus on the consumer, not your product. 
• Write short sentences and paragraphs that are readable by your audience and Google.
• Use keyword research to your advantage.
• Write optimized meta descriptions. 
• Write headlines that foster intrigue.

7. Inspire a Sense of Camaraderie Online.

Consumers are looking for brands they can trust. They're looking for brands run by real people with real thoughts, real experiences and real information. 

They want to be heard, seen and answered by someone who relates to them.

So start listening to your audience!

Start being the answer to their questions. Start building relationships, involving your clients and caring for what matters to them. 

Because in the marketing world, it's about more than just advertising your product. 

It's about creating a community, becoming a trusted source and inviting your audience to follow along with the story of your business!

Write On! Start Sharing Your Unique Value. 

At OSM, sharing stories has always been a habit of ours. How we got here, where we are going, what our dreams are and how we do what we do. 

But we constantly flip the mic around too. Why? Because we want to hear from YOU. 

We want to understand what makes you tick. What gets you excited. What ignites a passion in your soul. 

We love the WHY of your business. The HOW. The WHAT-IN-THE-WORLD! 

Because digging deeper, sharing unique value and showing up? 

That’s when sharing a story becomes more than an old fashioned code-heavy page of gibberish that most people will click away from. 

Instead, it becomes a reliable source of helpful, relevant information that your niche audience is not only interested in, but engaged with.

If you haven’t already, we encourage you to try starting blogging for your business!

TIP:

Use your social media to ask your audience their industry-related questions. Then use those questions to help construct blog themes! 

Pssst… don’t forget to tell your social media followers that you answered their questions over on your blog! 

Book Our Content Writing Services at OSM in Quinte! We Write For You! 

Now, if you’ve been reading this and thinking, “well sure, but I don’t know the first thing about writing!” - don’t worry!

Remember in our last blog article when we gave you 5 Signs That It’s Time to Hire a Marketing Agency? 

We explained how a marketing agency can help: 

• Free up your time, 
• Give you the expertise you need to move your business forward, and
• Secure lucrative sale opportunities.

Outsourcing your blog writing can help you achieve these goals while growing your online presence!

Contact our team at OSM to learn more about our content writing services. You can reach us at 613-969-0626 or learn about our Digital Marketing Services HERE!

5 Content Writing Tips To Increase Your Traffic, Retain Customers and Reach New Clients Online

If you’re an entrepreneur running your own marketing strategy, from the early planning stages to full on execution, then you’ve probably done your fair share of content writing. 

Maybe without even knowing it! 

What Is Content Writing Used For?

• Social Media Posts 
• Blog Posts 
• Articles 
• Newsletters 
• Website Pages
• Landing Pages 
• Paid Ads 
• SEO
• Documentation 
• Email Templates

Hands up if you've written at least one thing off of this list!

See? Whether you knew it or not, you’ve probably been content writing all along. 

And now that you know all of the different faucets that you can write within, you can now begin learning HOW to write the best content for each.

Knowing what to write about is one thing, but knowing how to write is another, more challenging concept. It involves knowing yourself, your audience, your industry, your purpose and your platform. It requires a deep understanding of the topic you are writing about and an even deeper understanding of who is trying to learn this topic (ie. your target audience). 

But why is content writing so important to begin with?

Why Is Content Writing Important? 

Being able to write high quality content is a valuable tool. One that is used for a multitude of purposes - brand awareness, search engine optimization (SEO), engagement, education, entertainment and online digital marketing. 

In reality, content writing is one of the most effective strategies in getting your brand out into the digital sphere. It has the power to influence, connect, inspire, motivate, evoke and trigger a multitude of emotions. All driving the audience’s desire to learn, laugh, relate, join, purchase, follow etc.  

Can Content Writing Improve My SEO?

High quality, properly structured content writing can do wonders for your website! If you’re looking for a way to organically reach your audience, encourage connection and drive sales, content writing is quickly going to become your favourite tactic.

How does it work?

Google will crawl your website content, including the links within your content, in order to categorize and rank it on the search engine results page (SERP). 

In order to help Google crawl your content, you want to ensure that the layout is clean, the message is clear, the headlines are clickable and the style is reader-friendly. You also want to keep in mind what’s happening behind-the-scenes - your meta descriptions, page titles, URLs, link titles etc. If you’re looking for a more in-depth SEO how-to, we recently wrote an article on our top 5 SEO Tips For Beginners HERE!

But before you begin optimizing your content for the web, you need to understand how to build out strong, compelling material. 

Here’s how our team does it!

5 Content Writing Tips For Beginners

Before your fingers hit the keyboard in a flurry, there are 5 important factors that you need to consider. These 5 factors are going to help drive your content forward to the right people in order to meet your goals. All while staying in line with your brand identity.  

Tip #1 - Know Who You Are 

When our creative team writes for another brand, we first have to deep dive into their brand identity - their personality, values, characteristics and voice. These are essentially the personifying elements of the brand that make up its unique tone.

Once we have a thorough understanding of who the brand is, we can then ensure that all of the content associated with that brand is cohesive. 

ASK YOURSELF: Does it sound like the same person has written every piece of your content, or does it appear as though a large group of people with different beliefs, personalities and vocabularies came together with their separate ideas? 

If your content is not cohesive, it’s time to sit down and figure out your brand identity!

Tip #2 - Know Who You Are Talking To 

Now that you know who you are, the next step is to figure out who you are talking to - your target audience!

These are the people that relate to you, learn from you, are inspired by you and even purchase from you. The goal? To write quality content that is tailored specifically to these people and entice them to read it. 

When content writing, you should also keep in mind the particular demographics and behaviours that are unique to your specific target audience. This can include age, geographic location, lifestyle, stage of life or even hobbies. 

These are the tools you’re going to use to write content that is relatable, educational and inspiring. 

Tip #3 - Know What You are Writing About

You know yourself, you know your target audience, and now it’s time to get to know your topic.

One of the ways writers SEO their content is to ensure that they are seen as experts within their specific industry. Google looks up to you and will rank you higher on the SERP if you present yourself as a leading industry expert.  

Before we write anything for a client, we always do the research first in order to become this “expert”.

We also have to know the product inside and out and be able to explain it clearly to our readers. 

ASK YOURSELF: Does your content make sense? If your content does not make sense to you, it will not make sense to your reader. Which could cause them to click away from your site and look for their answers elsewhere.   

We always recommend that you do your research well, use reliable resources and ensure that your content is true.

Tip #4 Know Why You are Writing About It

Do you know why you’re writing about your chosen topic? Is it to influence behaviour, prompt a purchase, satisfy a need, answer a question or bring entertainment? 

Whichever goal you have in mind, your writing needs to be custom-made to fit that purpose. 

After all, this purpose is what is going to drive your content forward and motivate the reader to read your material. 

Each sentence should be leading them forward in anticipation of the fulfilled purpose that lies at the end of the content - even if that fulfillment is simply for someone to get to know your brand on a deeper level. 

Tip #5 Know Where You Are Talking

Now that you know the who, what and why of your writing project, your next step is to tailor your content towards its identified platform. 

The style and layout of writing you choose for a blog article is going to look drastically different from that of an Instagram post or newsletter. Why? Because each of these platforms are designed to be operated by the user in a specific way. 

Your job, as the writer, is to understand how the reader operates within that platform and tailor your content to fit creatively within it. 

Remember that within each platform, you must be intentional. Your audience has a limited attention span that is easily lost and your goal is to not only fit your content within that given time frame, but also make it easy to read and purposeful. 

Who knew there was so much to consider, even for a simple Instagram post!

Content Writing Services In Belleville, Ontario

Content writing is such an incredible art to master, but it can also be quite a daunting and time consuming task to undertake. 

Are you looking for a local content writer to help build your brand, boost your online presence and increase traffic to your site? 

Get in touch with our creative team at OSM today!