They say that the web is all about content. Content is, in a nutshell, the things on your site that make people want to come back for more - the meat and potatoes of web surfing. It can be stories, images, sounds, etc. It is NOT the website itself, or, in general, the design of the website. Those items are mere containers in which to put your content.
It is important that you understand the difference between content,
and good quality content. Volume is not what matters, quality is.
Quality means giving your audience what they want, in a professional manner. Do that, and they come back again and again. Fail in that, and you have a dead horse - it oughta be out working but instead it just LAYS there... STINKING.
Like a horse, people will put up with ugly if it works. Good content is your first priority online. A nice site design can enhance that objective, but all the pretty you can muster will fall flat if it can't deliver on its promise. People come to a site because they have a need - it may be information, instruction, tools, entertainment, a laugh, whatever. Content is the substance of what they want. The website is merely the means of delivering it. The paper boy need not be the most handsome on the block if the news he delivers is substantial.
Articles ~
Content Layering: Using
Site Architecture to Improve SEO
Many times, a site gets very
large and its ability to rank well in competitive markets decreases
in part because of the size of the site. More often than not it is a
combination of content and effective site structure which will
ultimately help your pages rank.
Does Your Copy Look
"Fake" to the Search Engines?
From the early days of search
engine optimization, keywords and content have always been vital to
achieving your goals. Starting back in the days when we used to
shove every slightly relevant keyword into our Meta tags, it has
been obvious that search engines love text. The more advanced the
engines have gotten over the years, the more complex and
sophisticated many writers have gotten with their search engine
copywriting.
Getting Looked Over
Without Getting Overlooked: Writing for Scanners and Skimmers
Whether you're writing e-mail
messages or Web site sales letters, you need to know how to hold the
attention of different types of readers. Even the readers that don't
actually "read."
On Page Factors
Affecting Your Position on Google Searches
This article will focus on
the factors that, we believe, affect your results on Google
searches. But remember, Google does not publish its algorithms and
is always changing and updating the way it views sites - so these
are the guidelines for you to follow, rather than a definitive
statement of the processes involved.
The Simple Truth About
Optimized Content
To rank well in any search
engine, the words you write should never be a second thought. They
must be your absolute first thought. Give careful attention to the
words on your web pages right from the very beginning of
Five Reasons Why Your Site Needs to Publish a
Newsfeed
It seems
like everyone is talking about RSS Feeds. They’ve been around for
years but the buzz is up about them as the technology continues to
go mainstream. So does your site need one?
Highlights ~
5 Surefire Ways to Send Visitors Away for Good
A somewhat humorous look at bad web design - New web designers ought to have a look at this one. It doesn't cover everything, but it hits the high points.
11 Steps to a "Sticky" Website Content - 11 Steps to a "Sticky" Website
Focusing on function over gimics - Give your visitors what they want in an efficient manner, and they'll come back.