Adding more content to your website
I have been working with a long-time design client the last few weeks to improve her search engine rankings. We have spent time researching her target keywords and phrases and reviewing her main competitors to see what they are doing differently that is helping them in the search engines. One of the things I pointed out to her was content – her competition is offering loads of it from articles to blogs.
Here are ideas I gave for increasing her website content:
Add articles to your website
I think many webmasters are afraid of articles, thinking they must be long drawn-out masterpieces. Totally not true. In my clients case (who designs candy wrappers), articles could be short tips like how to plan the perfect baby shower, etc.Are you absolutely sure you can’t write your own article? No problem. Articles do not need to be written by you to benefit your website. There are many free article databases, like Ezine Articles, where you can find articles to use on your website. You can also accept article submissions from authors and webmasters right from your own website – just create a page with what you are looking for. Article directories are a win-win situation as you receive free content and authors receive free exposure.
You could also outsource your website content to a freelance writer who will write articles for you but leave off author information. This is best if you are looking for unique content that does not link to an outside source.
Add a blog to your website
Blogging is an easy way to add content. And as I pointed out to my design client, many businesses are utilizing them (her top competitors are). Blogs are super-easy to set up and can be used to advertise special offers, reviews, tips, etc.
Add more pages
This is an easy task to accomplish but not always something that gets thought of. Perhaps it’s in an effort to save money (for those business owners paying someone else to create their pages) but many people try to cram too much information onto a single page. Why not split your current content pages up into shorter pages? Not only will your pages load faster, but you will create more pages. The more pages of content you have, the more information you can provide to your visitors and the more keywords you can target.
Utilize RSS and XML Feeds
I have to confess that I lag behind in this area. I am a feed dummy.RSS and XML feeds are not new developments, unless your name starts with a “G” and ends with “erae”, but they are good for adding content to your site. Look for websites with similar topics to your own that provide feeds and add them to a page on your website. Why? Feeds update regularly leading the search engine spiders to believe that your website content also updates regularly.
Content is important. You need it for the search engines and you need it for your visitors. It must be unique, informative and updated frequently.
Yes, I know you hard-core Internet marketers, these are totally basic concepts. However, as a web designer working with small and home business owners regularly, I can assure you they are often totally overlooked by MANY webmasters. Regardless of how long they have had a website.
So get busy, start adding more content to your website 
Gerae Lindsey
[tags]website content, blog content, increasing web content, outsourcing, article writing, rss feeds, xml feeds[/tags]
Related tutorials that might interest you:
Yes this is top advice. These types of regular content make all the difference in the long term with the search engines!