Fresh website content is key to user experience and boosting traffic

Realizing that your website isn’t a set-and-forget part of your business can be a hard lesson. Keeping your website fresh with new content is the ideal way to prevent stagnation. There are several benefits to regularly adding fresh content.

SEO benefits

When a potential customer uses a search engine to find products and services, you want your website to rank at the top of that search list. The best way to accomplish this is through search engine optimization. There are several ways to improve SEO, but one of the simplest and cheapest is to regularly add new content to your website. Search engines scan your website for updated material and will generally rank your page better when it features new information.

Additionally, adding effective keywords to your fresh content not only improves your odds for better search ranking but also helps you expand your reach to other keywords.

Increasing traffic

Along with the traffic boost that comes from SEO, regularly adding content to your website can be another touchpoint for customers or clients who already engage with your brand. Think of it as training. By regularly adding new content to your website, you’ll train warm leads to stop by for new information or updates.

A better user experience

Providing your site’s visitors with a wealth of expert information on your product or service adds value to their experience — and your website. Conversely, a stagnant site can give visitors a negative impression of your brand.

Be a good housekeeper of your website. Do you list your employees? Is your list up to date? Clear away dated catalogs and old product descriptions. Outdated information can be another source of negative impressions of your brand.

Content is king

If you’re convinced that a regular schedule of fresh content is key to keeping your website relevant, the logical question is where to find it. Newsletters, catalogs, product descriptions, case studies, news releases, videos, podcasts and blogs are excellent content sources for a website.

If your company isn’t generating that kind of content, it’s time to consider blogging as a first step. Create a section on your site for blogs and set a goal of producing a new blog each month. Your company is an expert, an innovator and a thought leader in your field. It’s time to show off that expertise and knowledge to your potential customers.

When you write, vlog or podcast about the latest trends and news in your industry, your brand is better perceived as current and knowledgeable, both by humans and search engines. It’s a great way to increase brand loyalty.

You know the unique challenges and opportunities that arise in your industry. Prove in writing, on video or audio that you are the authority.

Content checklist:

It’s important to ensure the content you add to your site works hand in hand with your marketing goals. Your content should be:

• High quality and relevant: Provide valuable information related to the products or services you offer that resonates with the customers you want to reach.
• Informative and engaging: Create content that answers questions, informs and educates.
• Optimized for search engines: Write clear, concise headlines and optimize the keywords you choose for your content.
• Optimized for mobile: Ensure the content you present displays correctly on mobile devices.
• Direct and actionable: Guide the reader to a clear call to action, such as making a purchase, contacting your business or directing them to a particular page of your website.