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5 Mistakes to Avoid When Creating Content

5 Mistakes to Avoid When Creating Content

Beatrice Stefanescu

April 21, 2022 (modified on February 12, 2024)

Blog

When writing content knowing what NOT to do can push you in the right direction. For example, many people will write about things that add no value to the content, and doing it long enough can push you off track. You have to keep the reader in mind so that when they are skimming through your content it creates engagement and leads to the end goal (conversions, share, email opt-in, etc.).

Advertise and Sell

Content marketing is not an “in your face“ sales pitch so be careful not to make your only objective the sale of a product. It`s important when writing content that you provide value and uniqueness so that the visitors learn something before after they have read the content. You`ll be surprised how many times I`ve left a website because I feel like the whole content is one `BIG` sales pitch. I don`t like hidden messages in content and I try hard to find blogs that provide value at NO cost. You have to remember there are enormous resources available online and top bloggers are giving away value for free. You need to stand out! So stop selling and start providing high-quality solutions for free.

You`d be surprised how often people appreciate the value and will start following your blog. Only at this point, once you`ve built a readership, you can start recommending products and services to them.

Not Being Clear or Detailed

There is a huge problem online with NOT being clear or upfront about your content. Many bloggers will use deception to entice readers into clicking on their URL and then provide something completely different than promised. Mark my words, you`ll lose loyal readership by doing this because you`ll get the initial click-through, but in the long run, you`ve lost an avid reader, someone who could have engaged with your content by sending thousands of new people through social media. The point I`m trying to make is that you should be clear and honest from the start, so when a user clicks through from the SERPs, it`s important you provide them with what they’re looking for.

Remember that people have clicked through because of what`s written in your title and description tag within the SERP`s so arriving on a website that offers completely different content is poor content marketing. The equation for creating content should be very simple: search=keyword=SERP`s=click-through=high quality relevant content

Here`s a trick that has worked great when creating content. It`s important that your content contains relevant keywords. This will help create an efficient reading environment.

First, add keywords within your content and make sure you make them bold, italic, or even underline them. When the visitor is skimming through the content they`ll see these targeted keywords stand out, further reiterating the relevancy of the content they’re reading. Next, include some LSI keywords to your content, which are not completely on target but are still relevant. Having the option of adding both targeted and LSI keywords will allow you to increase the keyword density within your content.

There are many tools available to you that will help you select LSI keywords while you create content within WordPress. SEOpressor is a plugin that runs side-by-side with your content creation process allowing you to easily select and add keywords where applicable. Additionally, using a reliable text summarizer can assist in condensing lengthy content into concise summaries, ensuring that your audience can grasp the main points efficiently. Moreover, employing such summarization tools not only saves time for your audience but also enhances accessibility, catering to individuals with limited time or those seeking quick insights.

Complex Content

Too Technical

When writing content it`s important to keep in mind that people are searching for information because they need help or need a solution. This means that they are not as experienced as you so the technical language that might make sense to you won`t do the same for the reader. When writing keep in mind some important questions that`ll help you lower the technical lingo within your content. For example, start by asking yourself why the reader has come to your website and what you are trying to achieve. Ask yourself how you can explain what you`re trying to without getting too complicated. This might mean including images, infographics, or even videos providing a walk-through on how to get from point A to point B. Most likely the visitor has arrived on your page because they typed in a question within the Google search bar so they have NO clue on the topic or niche. Provide a detailed solution as you would be explaining it to someone in grades 6-7 so that it`s easy to follow and comprehend.

Consistency

One of the biggest mistakes you can make when creating a blog and writing content is to be inconsistent. If you are going to be writing content make sure that it’s always relevant and does not flip flop from one topic to another. It`s going to be very difficult to build a following when your blog and its content have NO vision or targeted audience. Here`s a great example:

If the aim of your blog is to provide in-depth content related to “content marketing“ then having content related to automobiles, baking, traveling and entertainment will be very inconsistent with your readership. This means that your readers don`t know what to expect from your content in the future because you`re flip-flopping between topics. It`s important to establish your own voice, identity and readership. It`s important to know your audience and what they are looking for when they arrive on your website.

No Images and Infographics

I`ve always encouraged the use of images for several reasons however two strong points stick out the most. First, everyone has a different method that helps them comprehend the information available. Some people learn better with images, videos, and infographics. They find that it is much easier to follow and read the message in images and it can be more in-depth than the actual content. Next, using images will allow you to illustrate your strong points within the content summarizing everything you`ve just covered. When I write content I prefer to use a combination so that I`m not leaving anyone out, for example, I`ll write content for those that prefer to take notes while reading, etc. Next, I`ll include images for those that prefer to understand the content by viewing the illustration outlining the strong points of the content.

There are many free tools available online where you can create infographics if that`s the approach you`ll like to take. However, you can find images easily by doing a quick search online and narrowing down your preference. It`s important to look over the usage rights of the image or purchase a membership on royalty-free stock image websites like Fotolia.com and ShutterStock.com.

No Images and Infographics in Content

Final Thoughts

From my experience, I`ve noticed that avoiding these mistakes can positively influence your content creation. You`ll notice that as you implement some of these strategies you`re content will be more engaging with readers and you`ll see an increase in social shares. Next, keep in mind the objective should be to provide a solution to the reader so they are encouraged to read your content to find what they are looking for. If they have to jump to another website to find what they are looking for, it may knock down your engagement and you`ll lose a loyal reader to a competitor.

Start by writing down these factors and keep them on the desk next to you, so the next time you`re writing content, you`ll remember to consider them.