Many websites are visually interesting, but lack enough content to help its visitors. Text (or content in the jargon of the web) is critical for two reasons:

• the search engines feed on informative text
• visitors need information to decide if they want what your organization has to offer.

Here are seven quick tips for how to create better copy that will suit your needs:

1) Understand your audience

Many websites reflect a classic communications mistake - the website's copy is written from the organization's perspective, not the audience's. You have to learn what is interesting to your visitors and tailor your own marketing and communications goals to fit with those interests. The more you know who is visiting your website, and what they're looking for, the better focus your copy can have.

2) Give your audience what it needs

Studies show that often people use the web to do basic research first, and then come back to decide if they'd like to buy your service or product. So make sure that you give them the information they need for both their initial research, and then the in-depth detail they will need to make a decision. Make sure you establish the difference between your organization and another that offers similar products or services. Show how you are different, and why you may be a better choice.

3) Make sure your pages are visible

Did you know that only seven percent of all web sites are visible to the search engines?* It's astonishing! Don't make such an elementary mistake. Ensure that you're website has lots of html files, chock full of interesting, keyword-rich content. A good rule of thumb is that each page should have at least 250-400 words. Then make sure you don't put up any barriers to the search engines.

4) Write with the right keywords

Keywords are the terms that people use to search for things using the search engines. If you have done your homework, and learned what it is your audience is interested in, you should have a good idea of what keywords you should be using. Most often, you will need to think in terms of choosing the right keyword phrases; you also need to look at how many other websites are targeting the same phrases as you. Optimize when you can! Find a phrase that is searched often, but that few other websites are targeting.

5) Be consistent with your keyword use

It's important to repeat your keyword phrases so that the incidence of them is somewhat higher than normal, but not to the point that it will appear you are trying to trick the search engines. If you've got a number of people writing on your content, consider using a controlled thesaurus - a selection of keyword phrases that they should use to describe specific things - and make sure everyone has a copy.

6) Use your keywords in the right places

Part of the reason so few websites are properly indexed by the search engines is because many website developers don't understand that it is where you put the keyword phrases that matters. You also should use links from one page to another using those keywords.

7) Make your pages easy to scan

When people read web pages they don't absorb every single word. They scan. They skip sections. Make it easy for your audience to scan through your writing to find the information for which they're looking. Here are the elements of making scannable pages:

• short paragraphs
• descriptive, plain-language headlines
• bullet lists for visibility.

This list just scratches the surface of how to write copy that works, but if you follow these simple guidelines, you will be well ahead of 93 percent of the rest of the websites out there.

If you'd like to get ahead of the other six percent, contact mef to learn how we can help.

* StatMarket.com (2004 study)