Measuring Opportunity Through
Content EvaluationHow Positive Changes to
Website Content Can Increase ROI
MICHELLE LOWERY@MichelleDLowery
Before you buy a website,
you must evaluate the
existing content.
Two Main Factors
Quality
Optimization
Quality Includes:
Spelling and Grammar
Style
Length
Reading Level
Spelling and Grammar
Poor spelling and grammar can negatively affect authority and trust
If the content is poor, what does that say about the
product or service offered on the site?
Style
Is the content too casual? Too formal?
Does it use good vocabulary?
Length
Is the content:
long enough to be positivelyevaluated by search engines?
short enough to hold readers’ attention?
Reading LevelCan the content be easily understood by the audience?
The average American reads at the 7th grade level. Source: U.S. Department of Health and Social Services
However, it shouldn’t be too simplistic, either.
Optimization Includes:
Good Use of Keywords
Meta Tags
Titles
Good Linking
Good Use of Keywords
While keywords should be includedin page copy, the content should not be “stuffed.”
Longtail keyword phrases are important in light of the Google Hummingbird update.
Meta Tags
The two most important meta tags on anypage are the title tag and the meta description.
Are keywords included in the tags?
Are the tags well structured?
Do the tags adhere to best practices?
Meta Description
The meta description isyour first opportunity to convert.
Meta Description
The better the description, the morelikely the searcher is to click through to the site.
A compelling and eye-catching meta descriptionhas a clear effect on organic click-through rates.
Meta DescriptionMeta descriptions that cater to
longtail queries also raise click-through rates.
Source: Google CTR Study by Catalyst Search Marketinghttp://www.catalystsearchmarketing.com/pubs/google-ctr-study/
Titles
In addition to the title tag, actualarticle or blog post titles are also important.
Do they include keywords?
Are keywords well placed?
Are the titles an appropriate length?
Linking
Does the content contain strong internal links?
Does the content containappropriate outbound links?
Are outbound links appropriately structured?
Evaluating E-Commerce Content
Four Main Factors
Quality
Sourcing
Supplementary Content
Calls to Action
E-Commerce Content Quality
All the quality aspects previously
covered apply to e-commerce content,
with some additional considerations.
E-Commerce Content Quality
Are the most important productaspects covered? (size, color, weight, etc.)
Are product descriptions consistent?
Are descriptions long enough to inform,but short enough to hold customer interest?
E-Commerce Content SourcingDo the product descriptionscome from a vendor feed?
•Potential duplicate content issues
•Potential quality issues
•An auto-generated feel rather thanunique, attention-grabbing descriptions
Supplementary ContentIs there a blog?
If not, could adding one help boost sales?
Are there any resources?•How-to articles
•Instructions for use or assembly
Other content related to products
Calls to ActionAre they placed prominently and
in appropriate locations on the pages?
Are they worded well?
Are they usedappropriately throughout the site?
Making the Decision to Buy
Content issues need not prohibit purchase.
Despite any content issues,revenue and/or traffic may still be good.
Content can always be improved or changed.
Making the Decision to Buy• If revenue is good in current condition,
imagine what revenue could be likewith improved and/or added content.
• If traffic is good in current condition,imagine what traffic could be like withcontent optimization.
• One e-commerce site saw a 400% increasein traffic by optimizing their keywordsto be more in line with search terms.Source: Marketing Sherpa studyhttp://www.marketingsherpa.com/article/case-study/traffic-increase-generic-seo-keyword-effort
How to Address Content Issues• Determine what content needs to be
improved or replaced• Develop a priority list• Priorities will depend on factors such as
site type and purchase date• For e-commerce, product descriptions may need
updating before upcoming gift-based holidays
How to Address Content Issues
• Determine what content you want to add• Develop a priority list
• Create a schedule for content creationand/or editing
How to Address Content Issues
• In-House• Do you have the resources
• Writers, editors, content manager, content strategist• Do you have enough resources to accomplish
content evaluation and restructuring in a timely manner?
How to Address Content Issues• Outsourcing
• If you don’t have the resources in-house, youcan seek help from outside professionals for:• Content audit• Content strategy• Content creation• Editing• Consulting• Schedule/editorial calendar creation• Blog management• Overall content management
Connect With Us
http://passionfruitcreativegroup.com/blog/ @PassionFruitCG facebook.com/PassionFruitCreativeGroup gplus.to/PassionFruitCreativeGroup linkedin.com/company/passion-fruit-creative-group
