Seemingly perfect but unfortunately failing sites can be found all over the net. They might have all the right SEO techniques in place, but their bounce rate has shoved them down the rankings. Search engine optimisation can only do so much if your content makes basic mistakes.

Many sites get bogged down in the idea of what content ’should’ be. You will see this most often in the company-focussed pages of a site and sometimes throughout a site if it has a corporate focus. For some reason, the content reads like the opening pages of an annual report. Cold and business-like, it is very unlikely to even get read, let alone engage users. This kind of content makes several mistakes:

• It has the single focus of the company, ignoring the desires of the user

• It’s only natural for a company to focus on itself, particularly in company information pages like the ‘About us’ page. However, you also have to consider exactly how interesting company information is to the average internet user. In most cases, users will be on your site for other reasons. Taking your users into account when writing up company information can ensure you connect with them in a way you’d otherwise miss.

• It uses marketing speech and industry terms, alienating the average user

• No-one likes to be talked over or talked down to. The use of industry terms can do both, unless the writer is particularly careful. They also run the risk of de-humanising the content, making it even more difficult for your site to connect with your users.

• It’s even more important to avoid marketing language in your content. While technical terms can put users off because they’re difficult to understand, obvious marketing language can make your users actively dislike you. Many internet users are very familiar with the tricks used in marketing language and don’t appreciate them.

• It has the wrong target audience in mind, because it focuses too specifically on a certain type, completely missing the average user

• It can speak to other large firms, but alienate some potential customers in a subtle way. A good example is, again, your ‘About us’ page. Many businesses write their ‘About us’ pages in a distant and professional tone. This is a good approach if you wish to advertise your business to other businesses. If you want your average user to relate to your business, however, you have to use a friendlier tone.

All of these common mistakes relate to the central point of failing to address the needs of the site’s users. Your site should have a specific target audience, but it will have its own average users and they can also be engaged with. To ignore their needs can result in high bounce rates. Unfortunately, ignoring user needs is all too frequent.

Every site has the potential to turn an uninterested user into a big fan of the business. All it takes is the right mindset when designing content. It can be a great help to consult SEO professionals for optimised content and you can talk to us at SEO Consult about SEO writing services.

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