Colledges - Blog Writing Guidelines

Content Writing Guidelines

Content Guidelines

Don’t spam keywords

Google does not like when a website is obviously trying to target a specific keyword by using a keyword more than is acceptable within a piece of copy. This is known as keyword stuffing, and it can have an adverse affect on your rankings. The content should not intentionally repeat keywords and synonyms should be used when possible to help prevent this and to aid interlinking. We suggest that when writing any content that is going onto your website to write naturally, without the keywords in mind. It is our job to then come in and optimise your writing to make sure there is the right amount of any one keyword, and add linking to direct authority where we want it to go.

Avoid Analogies

The content does not need to be written in a boring way, in fact it is better to make it engaging. Interesting content will always be better for the user and the search engines, however, we want to write the information effectively and avoid abstract concepts if possible. Analogies or metaphors should be avoided if possible.

Don’t write from a brand perspective

Using informative language in these articles is key. Don’t use language like ‘we think’ or ‘our company believes’ but instead use ‘you should’ or ‘it is’. You want to position yourself as an authority on the subject you are talking about so that Google uses your articles for featured snippets to answer specific queries. With this in mind, having a sentence that directly and concisely answers the question is ideal.

Content should be as short as possible and long as necessary.

The content should not try to reach a word count, it should just address the question with all necessary information while being as concise as possible.

Use a “source” as an authority before giving a statement.

Google respects links coming in, but it also looks at the links going out. When you are stating something as a fact, if you can source a website with a lot of authority like a .gov site Google will see that as a good indicator that the content on this page understands the topic. Following this, make sure that you are using factual information. If Google does not think that your information is factual, you will not rank.

Never give your opinion

Content should not contain opinions, do not use phrases such as ‘I think’ or ‘we think’. The authoritative content you are writing needs to be rooted in fact and preferably not controversial or based on opinion.

Content for the core topic/pillar page should be evergreen

Content should be written in a way so that it stays evergreen. Evergreen content is content that does not lose relevance over time, so it is always relevant. When writing content for your pillar page, avoid using phrases like ‘last month’ or ‘this week’. New content that is relevant to the topic is fine, but more evergreen language should be used, for example ‘recent studies show’ or ‘new strategies include’

Become an Authority

You’re aiming to become an authority within your sphere to build domain authority, which will increase overall site ranking. Becoming an authority by creating relevant, evergreen content that other sites can reference shows that your content is accurate and valuable to people searching for queries relating to it.

Content Structure

Formatting, and the way in which the content is presented on the page is just as valuable as the content itself. There are a few ways to optimise page structure, which we have detailed below.

Heading Structure (H1 & H2)

The site should have a clear heading structure for each new subtopic/section of the page. Each page should be structured with one clear H1 heading being the page title.

H2s should be the heading for each question or topic on the page. Use headings and subheadings to organise and categorise information. Most people skim over a page, so you want to make your most important information stand out and easy to find.

Grammar

Writing using the correct grammar and spelling for the region you are working within is important to both UX and SEO. Your sentences and the language you use should be simple and easy to follow and understand.