Web content consultant for hire
Where Google does surprise is that it has become quite clever at recognising the quality of words. This is based on computers rather than humans so it’s not perfect, but it is getting better. What it can see very easily is the originality of text. It knows if text has been “borrowed” from elsewhere, although it might not know who owns the copyright.
For Google rankings generally the websites that have the largest quantity of high-quality original written content will perform best. It’s not the whole answer. A reliable search engine optimisation (optimization) company will help to ensure that content is visible to the search engine “crawlers” and that the right text is found.
It’s in everybody’s interest that Google’s results are as reliable as possible, whether you’re the searcher or you want your site to be found. Sometimes it’s possible for a search engine optimisation (SEO) company to beat the system, but bringing the wrong sort of people to a website doesn’t really help anybody.
Part of Google’s process, however, is to look for the key words and phrases that people are searching for in a particular context. Including those key words and phrases in your website’s content will help to bring the right sort of traffic to your website. But, this is not always as simple as it sounds.
Constant repetition of specific words can create stilted content which, even if it works for Google’s crawlers, is uncomfortable for humans to read. And it’s people who’ll buy products and services from your website. A Google crawler, spider or robot has never bought anything in its virtual life.
So that’s where I come in. Most of my working life has been spent making complex issues accessible. Whether writing about technology, business, personal finance or local government, my aim has always been to simplify without treating the audience as idiots. I like to think I’ve been pretty successful.
Over the years I’ve honed my skills as a communicator working on newspapers, magazines and teaching. I also have experience of the web going right back to its beginnings in the early 1990s. I was one of the team that started the multi-award winning Scotsman website, I was managing director of the online content specialist penpusher.com and the editor of the website for retired professionals, The August Club.
I can help you by writing newsletters, press releases or web content. If you feel a blog would help to boost your company’s profile, but you’re a little concerned about having your writing skill held up to public scrutiny, I can “ghost” your entries for you. Contact me any time you need well-crafted words.
There are things I can’t do. I know my limitations. I can write the sort of press releases that will get used in the media, but it needs a public relations (PR) professional to deal with the media on the phone or face-to-face. Equally, I can produce high-quality written content for websites that will include all the appropriate keywords. But it needs a search engine optimisation (SEO) company to discover recommend those keywords.
I have, however, over the years worked with many PR agencies and SEO companies and can make recommendations on either according to what best suits your needs. A large, well-established, business has different requirements from a new start-up.
