There’s more than one reason to write content for your business however, me blathering on about the joys of content writing (in my unique obnoxious way) isn’t enough to convince you to hire me to do it. But aside from the many (many) benefits, there’s one fundamental reason why content writing is such a big deal.
Here’s what we’re covering:
Reason to write content: the party line.
Content writing drives organic/search traffic to your website. Yep, that’s true. SEO content writers sell content writing services on that reason alone but it’s a blinkered view. Forget about organic traffic. Yeah, you read that right, here I am, an SEO content writer telling you to forget about search.
Why?
It’s not always a priority for businesses. Some don’t need organic traffic and I know that sounds like madness but if clients aren’t looking on Google, search is not an area to splurge a marketing budget. Search engine visibility is only a thing for you if it’s a thing for you.
Have I made content writing redundant for businesses like that? Not at all. Website content writing isn’t just for organic clicks. You’re still SEOing content if the focus shifts from search because knowing your stuff is hugely important for SEO.
“All this relevant factually accurate content is building authority and ultimately, trust. Google and their eagled-eyed quality content raters are assessing what kind of expertise your website offers. They do that, in part, by reviewing how much your content might impact a user’s life.”
>>E-E-A-T: the SEO principle to feed your website users<<
Organic traffic is one lick of the SEO ice cream so when your content strategy concentrates on getting seen on Google, it ignores something else content writing does and that’s informing folks who already know about your business.
“Imagine you’ve hired a writer to create an article for your blog. The purpose is to help warm leads become warmer. You want prospects to decide how serious they are about hiring you. These folks have questions and you want this article to have the answers.”
>>Make sales with content (why else bother with it?)<<
The ONE reason to write content.
The ONE reason to write content is so blindingly obvious that you’re about to become very embarrassed.
Here it is…
Content isn’t KING, it’s EVERYTHING.
(Jot that down in your New Wanketing Phrases notebook, that’s a blinder!) Or, alternatively, content isn’t king, it’s the kingdom. Specifically, content writing is your business. Imagine building brand awareness/selling services/nurturing existing clients/generating new leads——without words.
Take a moment to think about what that would look like…
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Need a bit longer?
Ok…
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Let me help you out, it looks like this:
See my point?
So the one reason to write content is because you can’t effectively do ANYTHING in your business without it. Each piece of content performs a different task because every web page does something different. This taps into the customer journey. That’s the buying process we all experience when we go shopping:
- Getting to know a business
- Considering them
- About to buy from them
Search traffic blog content isn’t appropriate for clients on the edge of a purchase decision because it’s often too broad and the intent behind the keywords is informational. By its very nature blog content informs so people wanting to learn are unlikely to buy.
This reminds me of the time I was working with a digital agency on a one-off project. The agency owner rated content writing (an excellent start) but wasn’t sure of the finer points. She didn’t know who her content was for, why she was writing it, and what she wanted it to do.
In instances like these, you have to get back to basics. I wanted to understand how clients found this agency because knowing that helps define the content type. The agency’s client pool was via referral so organic traffic wasn’t a priority. The brand awareness/’getting to know you’/search traffic content isn’t worth much to this client.
However, when I asked if her current client was her ideal customer, she said no. Her existing clients were cheapskates! The cost was the only thing they cared about. The current strategy of finding work only meant more of the same penny-pinching arsewipes.
Just by asking a few questions, I could assess how content would better serve this agency’s client base. Better still, I could devise a content strategy that could attract a new improved clientele. And if correctly researched, those folks might be looking on Google.
Sometimes you know you want a thing.
But you’re not entirely sure why. Once, I wanted a pea-green jumpsuit…
You’ve probably heard someone say how important content is but the reason to write content escapes you. Maybe now you get it. (I looked really bad in the jumpsuit. I sent it back.)
The sad pathetic truth.
Most businesses don’t hire content writers because that’s for the Coca-Colas of the world, not unknown freelancers and SMEs. Instead, these companies bungle their content writing because not only are words NOT a priority but they’re not even a consideration. Business owners incorrectly assume writing is a life skill most have mastered. Why hire someone to do a job they can do, or someone else in their team can do? And that’s why Liz in Accounts Payable gets lumbered with it. I’ve no beef with Liz, btw, she’s doing the best she can, it’s not her fault her boss has the marketing savvy of a crab stick.
Businesses save money where they think they can afford to save money. Meanwhile, Liz drops a blog about an award they paid for and gets on with her day job (that to-do list isn’t going to do itself, Liz). Until freelancers/SME owners realise they’re missing a marketing trick with content writing, they won’t invest. (And they’ll continue to pay hosting fees for truly terrible websites.)
The ONE reason people hire me is content writing.
No shit, writing is my job but what I mean is my content is the reason. It’s also the reason people don’t hire me and that’s the way it should be. Still think Liz should be doing it?
First published, 27th March 2024.
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