Did you know that content marketing is considered one of the most important marketing strategies of the modern day? The increasing focus on content marketing is also driven by the post-pandemic boom in the world of ecommerce as people prefer to shop online now.
The global marketplace has seen countless shutdowns of brick-and-mortar businesses that were booming in the pre-COVID-19 era. A majority of these businesses shifted their operations online and started allocating a considerable portion of their marketing spends on search engine optimization and paid ads – both of which are based on content writing.
It is safe to state that content marketing has never been as relevant as it is today. Offline marketing strategies are decreasing due to the decreasing footprints in markets, sparing a massive chunk of investment for content marketing. A rule of thumb on investing in content is to allocate at least 30% of your marketing budget to content.
But how big of a role does content writing play in content marketing? Why is its need growing with time? What are the leading trends in content writing right now?
We have addressed each of these concerns, and many more, in detail in this article. So, let’s dive right into it.
The Role of Content Writing in Marketing
The tools in digital marketing are hollow without content. Whether you are running an ad or want to share product or industry information with your client, writing is an excellent medium. In fact, a third of participants in a survey of 300 people said that they were inclined to reading blogs that added to their knowledge and information.
When you are online, sitting behind a computer or a mobile screen, it is difficult for brands to interact with you directly. This is why online businesses opt for routine blogs and articles as a way of communicating with their customers.
Webpage copywriting also serves as a tool for Google to rank your website. Well-optimized content with high readability scores will engage readers, and enable crawlers to assess your web content. This assessment is based on a number of parameters including:
- Does it engage the reader?
- Does it offer enough content in detail?
- Are readers able to benefit from the blog?
- Does it include pictures or videos?
The quality of content writing is based upon several parameters including the ones mentioned above.
The Need for Specialized Content Writing is growing with Time
Although content marketing was already on a growing trajectory, the current pandemic certainly gave it a boost. Content writing and its surrounding industries are gaining traction as people are becoming inclined to undergoing more research before making a purchase.
Content writing covers everything from web copies to landing pages and beyond, all of which, in turn, lets you connect with your audience and reach out to a larger chunk of your target market. It is why since 2020, a staggering 70% of marketers are already investing in content marketing strategies.
Content Writing Trends for 2021
Writing is evolving with time. Today, a good piece is not just engaging, it is informative, optimized, and helpful for the reader. This section will share 6 unique content writing trends with you that you will witness throughout 2021.
1.Optimization of Keyword Research
Keywords are a critical aspect of SEO writing ; it has always been so. If you have written top-quality content that engages your readers, addresses the key point-of-pain of users, contains a solid call-to-action, but does not contain any keywords, then all your efforts have gone in vain.
Keywords help Google find your content and present it to anyone looking for it. Without them, your online audience will not be able to find you, let alone convert. But this has always been the case – keywords have always been a core aspect of content writing!
What has changed in 2021?Previously, marketers used to target either shorter phrases or opt for long-tail keywords. Due to the increasingly competitive online arena in 2021, it is recommended to include LSI keywords, specific phrases, and long-tail keywords simultaneously.
In addition to this, finding the right set of keywords doesn’t just have to be through a marketing tool. You need to research keywords manually as well in order to address the precise keywords used by your potential customers to search for a similar product.
Once you have finalized the list of keywords to be used, you will be able to create more optimized content for Google and your readers alike. Here’s a pro-tip: try to use keywords naturally within the content in order to elevate the overall reading experience. A good reading experience is likely to trigger action as opposed to content with badly placed keywords.
2. Optimization of The Title Tag
Good content writing will only help you go as far as a better rank on Google, but the job doesn’t end there. Newbie marketers often fail to identify the importance of a good and well-optimized title tag in content writing. Its main purpose is to trigger action, increase clicks, and bring traffic to your website.
What are title tags?
When you search for something on Google, you get results (duh!). Each result on the Search Engine Results Pages (SERP) contains a title tag, which has been created after careful review of the content, and basic human psychology, that would trigger the searcher to click on the page. If you are operating in a competitive industry, chances are that your competitors will be present on the Google SERPs.
How do you convince a user to click on your page, and not your competitor’s? That is where optimized title tags come into play.
When the content writing is complete, you create a short headline for the article you’ve written (a clickable headline) that sums up how your content will benefit the reader. Note: this text is not present I your writing- it is written separately to entice a user to click on your link. The stronger and crisper your title tag is, the higher will be the chances of getting a click.
How does this change in 2021?
An ideal title tag is 60-characters long. Previously, marketers finished their title tags well before this cap. However, in a more contemporary approach, consuming the entire 60-character limit will increase clicks on your SERP.
Here’s a pro tip: since there is no particular cap for this tag, you can benefit by squeezing a few more words in your title tag, which is only possible if you have used leaner characters in your tag. For example, the word “Ill” will take lesser space and allow for a better character limit than the word “Sick”. Naturally adjusting a keyword in your title tag can further increase your click through rate.
3. Optimization of Meta Descriptions
This section is linked to the previous one in terms that meta descriptions are also part of the SERPs. They come underneath the title tag as a brief description of what the user will find in the link. Meta descriptions are meant to address the need of a user in a few words, in addition to how reading your piece of content writing will benefit him or her.
Meta descriptions are part of the content editing and writing, however, just like the title tags, they are written separately from the original content.
Why are they such a critical aspect of content writing in 2021?
Optimizing meta descriptions will not directly impact your rankings. However, since online users use keywords to search for content, they are likely to find your link in the SERP if you add a keyword into the meta description.
Meta descriptions have become increasingly important in 2021 due to the number of alternatives users have today. A compelling meta description can be the difference between your click through rate and that of your competitor. In other words, a meta description can improve your page’s CTR by a significant margin.
Want to write a captivating description for your SERP? Here are a few pointers that will help you out:
- Keep the text between 155 and 160 characters.M
- Add the primary keywords in the description.
- Understand what the user is looking for, and address it!
- Be different! A unique description will catch a user’s eye quickly
- Be clear about how your page will benefit the user
4. Optimization of Header Tags
Header tags are part of your content writing services. These are HTML tags you use by adding headers (H1, H2, H3, etc.) into your content to give it direction and make it swimmable. Header tags add value to the content by making them readable, while providing your content a critical advantage on the side – it helps Google crawlers access your content easily. It is among the main reasons why using primary keywords is encouraged in H1 headers.
Readability of content is becoming increasingly important to avoid the page’s bounce rates from increasing. These headers also increase your content’s readability score, allowing readers to move directly to the sections that address their needs. Although all headers are important, H1 is considered the most critical in terms of SEO.
Why is it gaining more traction in 2021?
The importance of header tags has always been there. The increasing competition in the post-pandemic world has led users to enjoy the liberty to choose from a multitude of websites. A well-optimized H1 can help visitors get a glimpse of what your content is about, and why it offers the best solution to their problem.
This competitive online marketplace has driven marketers to make the most of each aspect of SEO, including the H1 headers.
5. Image/Internal Link Optimization
A continuously increasing number of searches on Google are specific to images. Marketers have now started internal linking images in their content in pursuit of optimizing their content for Google. There are two aspects of this: internal linking, and images – we will address both briefly in this section.
First, let’s talk about internal linking. This refers to a link to a link to a page that you insert in your content. This helps you drive traffic from your highest visited page to those that don’t get much traffic, thereby allowing you to distribute traffic throughout your website. It also helps you build link equity, which translates into greater authority in the eyes of Google, enabling your page to rank higher in SERPs.
A core part of content writing is to strategically place internal links in the content that not only build your content’s authority but also benefit the user in one way or another. For example, a user reading about a printer on your website can follow an internal link to a range of printers you are offering at discounted rates.
Why is this trend increasing in 2021?
A winning link-building strategy entails authority and conversion optimization. In other words, if one of your pages has higher authority, you need to make the most of it and pass that authority to other links on your website. Once the awareness is created, you need to channel it for seamless conversion (strategically driving your audience towards taking action).
With each passing year, bounce rates on websites are increasing. A user may visit your page for information about one thing, and then visit another website to access information about a related product. Your job is to ensure that your audience spends the most amount of time browsing through your website.
The more time they spend on your website, the higher your chances of conversion will become.
6. Optimization of the Content Body
In content writing, the body plays a key role in keeping the audience engaged. The last thing you want is for your audience to visit your website and not find your content compelling enough.
So, let’s assume you did an excellent job with the title tags, description, and headers, but the body of your content is not benefiting the user in any way. That user will leave the website in an instant. As your website’s bounce rate increases, it will begin to plummet in the SERPs, eventually denting your domain’s authority.
Your primary concern with your content should be to engage readers and provide them relevant information (for which you have optimized your content.) How would you feel if you search for the best vacuum cleaners, find a compelling link, visit it, and find out that the content body talks more about the importance of vacuum cleaners instead of the best vacuums to buy?
Optimization of the content body in 2021
You can no longer optimize your content by stuffing keywords in it. Google has become smart enough to identify how good the readability of your content is, which is why adding keywords smartly and strategically is critical to maintaining your link’s authority amidst the competition.
As we move towards the end of 2021, you will find content developers to provide high-quality content writing to attain an edge in the increasingly competitive online marketplace.
In A Nutshell
Content writing is evolving swiftly. While most of the trends addressed in this article were followed before, you will see the trend increasingly this year as most SMBs and larger enterprises are now recovering from the impact of COVID-19, and are ready to take on the online marketplace.
Marketers who excel in the content writing and business writing space will be the ones winning the online war. The rest will suffer from Google’s increasingly strict algorithms and eventually find themselves deep down in the SERPs.
Do you need help with content? Let our expert content writers produce compelling and well-optimized copies for you! Request a sample here, or dial (786) 672 1123 to get in touch with us today.