You’re busy in what seems like every minute of the day running the business you’ve built, and it never seems like there’s enough time left to really focus on modern-day marketing demands. Your web developer is worth their weight in gold when it comes to managing your SEO strategy, but there comes that time, all too quickly, when they need something from you to keep that hungry SEO beast fed: content.
Who’s got time for writing content on top of all the other priorities, especially when authoring was never high on your to-do list of life goals?
Content doesn’t have to be an onerous task, and you’ve probably got a trove of subjects to make content about without even realising. Before you drive yourself to distraction, read on to see how these five ideas can save you time next time your web developer comes knocking:
Write in batches
The stop-start nature of changing mental gears to talk about what you do instead of doing it can chew up valuable time, so you want to make sure the time you spend talking, or writing about it, is done as efficiently as possible. If you’re writing one article at a time when your web developer chases you for new content, you’re probably doing yourself a disservice. Research has shown there is time and stress involved by continually changing tasks, and there is significant value in what’s been termed as time batching, both from a productivity and mental wellness point of view. Writing a series of articles in one sitting will improve your mental flow as you use the same mental energy to complete more of the same type of task in one hit, instead of tackling articles one onerous task at a time.
Plan ahead on the go
Smart phones and the apps we can download make life a lot easier, and sometimes it’s the simplest ones that give us the best bang for buck. Inspiration can hit any time, and most of us have our phone at the ready, so make use of that notes app to make dot points as you go. Regardless of whether you have an Android phone an Apple phone or even if you’re old-school like me and keep notes on your desktop computer, it’s easy to access the app and quickly make your notes on the go. Make separate notes for each subject or group them as headings on the same page. Either way, you can then add dot points under each main heading to flesh out the idea which means next time you sit down to write that killer content, your thoughts are already gathered.
Make your content evergreen
It’s a familiar term in horticultural circles, but the term evergreen is also a term content creators use to describe content that never goes out of date. Think of the difference between an article that discusses general maritime risks compared to an article about the grounding of the Pasha Bulker on a Newcastle beach in 2007. The second article, although interesting to read from an historical point of view, aged very quickly, whereas the first article is something that stays relevant, year after year. This is the beauty of evergreen content: it can be used again and again over time.
Recycle your content
No, I don’t mean screw it up and throw it into the recyclables bin, although that is the right thing to do with any paper notes you no longer need. Content recycling is the best way to get the most out of the hard work you’ve put into writing your article. There are all sorts of ways people love to consume content. Some people prefer the written word, others like graphics or videos. Whatever your audience’s preferences, you can serve your content in a variety of ways which means, for very little effort, you can extend your reach with the same subject and give your SEO a little boost along the way.
Write for humans, not for search engines
It’s easy to get into a flap about whether the words you’re smithing will get ranked in search engines, or whether they’ll just be another pile of letters in the white noise of word salad floating about the internet. If this worries you, ask yourself why someone would want to read your article. What problem are you solving for them? What questions are you answering? SEO writing doesn’t have to be complex, but there are some simple steps you can follow to get the most out of what you write. The main thing to remember is that if you write content humans are looking for in a way that makes it easy for search engines to index, you’re on a winning strategy.
There are lots of ways you can create relatable content your audience will love and keep them coming back for more. By exploring the five tips above, the next interaction you have with your web developer might just bring a smile instead of that feeling of impending doom.
