“The Philosophy of Optimized Content”

An examination and explanation of what makes for good Web copy

by James Sadler

Anyone with even a cursory knowledge of search engine optimization knows that content is important. In fact, of the utmost importance.

Unfortunately, many fail to understand its importance and see its only use as being to allow them to liberally sprinkle keywords throughout the page. Many content providers write either for the search engine spiders or for the prospect who has found his way to the Website, but not for both audiences.

In short, they fail to see the underlying importance of the philosophy of optimized content.

This philosophy is best summed up as “Optimized content should be written with two audiences in mind, providing relevant, beneficial information which elicits a desired action on the part of each of those audiences.”

The two audiences and the desired action

The two audiences are the search engine spiders and the prospect. The action desired on the part of the spiders is for to have them scan and index the Web pages, hopefully resulting in higher rankings on the Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs).

One or more of three actions are desired on the part of the prospect: sign up, request more information or purchase a product or service.

Writing for these two separate and distinct audiences are not mutually exclusive tasks. In reality, both audiences want the same thing. Both the spiders and the prospect are seeking relevant information of benefit to the visitor.

The spiders seek relevant information in the form of information containing keywords. They then seek to verify this relevance by the number of external links to the site.

While the actual links and factors related to them may be given more weight in rankings, the relationship of content-to-links is not that of the old adage, “which came first…?” There will be no links if there is no content. People link to a site because they find its content valuable. So the content always precedes the links.

What it comes down to is, if the content is not relevant, it will not generate links to the site. Lack of relevancy means neither spiders or prospects will consider it of value.

People seek relevant information primarily in the form of benefits. They are seeking information that will tell them “What’s-in-it-for-me?” If the information provided properly conveys the benefits, they will take one or more of the desired actions sought.

The necessity of value in content

As a result, content relevant to spiders and prospects alike is necessarily intertwined. Think of it like this—

If you could stand a quarter on its edge and slice it down the middle, separating front from back, you are left with two halves that have no value. No bank is going to accept either as legal tender.

Similarly, if you have content packed with keywords but the context is relatively meaningless, or if you have content lacking any references to the keywords potential visitors are searching for, your site has no real value. Spiders will give the site little relevance and prospects will never find it.

Where most sites err is in placing too much emphasis on keywords and not enough on providing the human visitor with the information they seek.

Nowhere is this more true than in what happens when a visitor first arrives at a Website. Once they arrive, you have as little as three seconds to convince them to stay.

Three seconds amounts to the amount of time covered by two heartbeats in a healthy person. We’re talking a very short window of opportunity.

How do you convince them to stay?

But providing an initial element that both the spiders and humans love—a headline.

Headlines—loved by spiders and people

For spiders, a headline signals there is relevant information here. But to guarantee this result, the headline should generally contain a keyword or keywords.

Similarly, perhaps more importantly, a well-written headline tells a prospect why they should stay and read on.

People do not come to your Website as blank slates. They bring preconceived notions and ideas about the keyword or keywords that have led them to your site. While these preconceptions may consist of false assumptions or generalizations, they nonetheless want to know more. They want to know the benefit of visiting your site.

It is important that you acknowledge that they will find information on a keyword or keyword phrase if they will read your Web page. The headline will accomplish this task best, and will do so within the meager three seconds you have. If that headline contains at least one keyword and benefit, as it should, they will stay.

At least long enough to read the first sentence. From there, it is your duty to convince them to keep reading. Again, this is best accomplished by explaining the benefits provided by your site and your product or service.

So, by providing a headline that contains the keyword, you have taken the first step toward satisfying both of your audiences.

But, here is where the need to write for two audiences becomes even more entwined and inseparable. And the philosophy of optimized content requires that you always keep both audiences in mind. In so doing, you will create content relevant to both audiences.

Making an emotional connection with spiders and people

Each subsequent sentence and paragraph should compel the human visitor to read on. This is best accomplished by writing in a casual or conversational voice and establishing an emotional connection with the human reader.

The same is true for the spider. The information should be presented in such a way that the spider will continue to read (and index).

Engaging the human visitor emotionally is a four step process:

•           Focus on a significant need of the visitor that you can satisfy

•           Compel the visitor to read on by reinforcing the need while developing an affinity with           them as they read, ideally speaking to them person-to-person, as in a conversation

•           Claim to meet the visitor’s need and support the claim with evidence, e.g., testimonials,       studies, statistics, etc.

•           Make a call-to-action, i.e., ask the visitor to take the desired action

Working within the parameters of these four steps, you will engage the visitor on an emotional level.

But what about establishing an emotional connection with a spider? Particularly, a “logarithmic” spider?

While these spiders lack emotions in the human sense, in a way, they do have emotions. Good content has long been considered premium spider food. If you follow the above four steps, while adding certain structural necessities, the spiders will literally become “excited” about your content and “eat it all up,” through indexing.

The structural necessities? Again, the needs of humans and spiders are interconnected. People tend to skim for their information, stopping on points they find pertinent. Make it easier for them to do this by always having a headline. Additionally, make liberal use of subheads, underlining, bold text and bullet points.

Doing so helps the human visitor to quickly scan and gather information. And once they find information of benefit to them, they will generally read all of it.

Likewise, the spiders see headlines, subheads, underlining, bold text and bullet points as signs of relevant information. This figuratively excites them and gets them to take notice, just as a human does.

Using the Philosophy

Proper use of the philosophy requires practice, even testing. You may find yourself rewriting your Web pages as you track or test the reactions of both the spiders and prospects to your site.

You should never fear rewriting content. Indeed, spiders and prospects alike enjoy discovering new content. Spiders will routinely return to your Website and be delighted to find new content which they will index and take into account in your rankings.

The prospect will also be enticed by finding new content, hoping to find something new of benefit to them within those words.

But in writing content, whether for the first time or in an effort to improve Website results, remember you are writing for two audiences, who seek the same thing—information.

            When your content is in sync with the needs of the search engine spiders and your prospects, you will obtain the desired results—good rankings and prospects who become clients.