Keep it Simple: How Concise Content Can Enhance Your Web Presence and Boost Your SEO

Have you ever visited a website and felt overwhelmed by the amount of text on the page? It’s a common experience. We feel your pain! While first impressions are frequently based on site design and navigation, the quality and quantity of the content are equally essential to ensure a good user experience. Well-written, informative text that matches the tone of your brand messaging is critical for connecting with your audience and for search engine optimization. If you’re wondering how to kickstart your web copy, take a moment to reflect on your online habits. Ask yourself:

• What attracts you to a site?
• What keeps you there?
• What inspires you to take action?

We bet you didn’t conjure up images of long, dense text. You’re not alone if you scan headlines, gravitate toward visual content, and skip the wordy middle parts. To engage your prospects, keep the following in mind:

Mobile First

People consume more content on their mobile devices than ever. As of December 2023, 56.1% of all web traffic came through mobile phones according to Oberlo. For many, target audiences are digital natives, so this trend will only continue to grow. What does this mean for web copy?

• Keep it simple! Ensure your text is concise and digestible across all devices.
• Write short titles to make them mobile friendly.
• Display important information right away. You may want to write a summary highlighting key takeaways before getting into the rest of your content.
• If there’s no clear benefit to a chunk of copy and it doesn’t inform or tug at the heartstrings, scrap it. 

Shiny Object Syndrome (SOS)

It’s common for people to get distracted while browsing the internet, which can pose challenges for engaging prospects on a website. To ensure that your visitors stay on your website, everything on the page should serve a purpose, from brand messaging to calls to action. One way to achieve this is by using bullet points to summarize the page but ensure that they are easy to read and process.

Steve Jobs famously said, “It takes a lot of work to make something simple.” If someone is inundated with information, they will likely navigate away from the page. Or worse, your site. Never underestimate the importance of white space.

Show and Tell

You’ve heard it a million times. Storytelling is the key to connecting with your audience. Empathetic stories resonate with people, encouraging them to interact and engage with your brand meaningfully. To break up the text in stories on your website, enhance them a visual aids. Consider the following:

• Videos
• Photos
• Audio clips from podcasts
• Pull quotes
• Sidebars with story highlights

Always be Updating

We all know how frequently Google’s algorithm shifts and changes. It’s essential to regularly check your copy to ensure it’s grammatically correct and up to date. Remember, quality matters more than quantity. Being adaptable to the ever-changing algorithm will help keep you and your content competitive. 

The Magic Number 

So, does Google have some magic word count for search engine optimization? Not specifically. Generally, more content is better from Google’s perspective. However, Google cares much more about the quality of the content on your site and how it relates to the search queries folks are typing into their search bar. Using keywords, relaying expert information, and sound technical SEO is more important than any magic word count in the eyes of Google.  

Analytics and Beyond.

Analytics can be an important tool for finding the sweet spot for your page’s content length. Check-in with our team about your website’s metrics for time spent on a page, engagement rate, and similar data that can help assess whether your content is up to snuff. 

If you want to better understand how concise web content can lead to conversion, contact Graphic Details. Our analytics and user experience assessments go well beyond Google Analytics. We’re talking about using heatmaps and user behavior data to guide content creation so visitors can get the most out of your site!