I have OCD.
I have to-do lists for my to-do lists đŸ˜‰
Quite a few times it drives my husband crazy.
And sometimes that need for organization and structure pays off!
Like in website content creation, for example. Which I do with a website content template for both my own website and my clients’.
Website development and optimization are big processes with many micro-steps. Working with a content template makes the processes fast, efficient, and optimal. Click To TweetRead on to see what exactly is a website content template, what are the different elements, and how to use it best.
Bonus: Download the website content template pack to develop SEO-friendly content for your site!
What is website content?
Website content refers to all kinds of content used on a website. It mostly includes text and media, both visual (images and videos), and audio.
What is an SEO-friendly website content template?
A website content template is a template you use to structure and plan the content of your website pages.
An SEO-friendly website content template is one that is based on the core SEO principles. It includes the use and optimization of search engine optimization elements for all pages of the website.
If you have a website, you should always make it SEO-friendly to increase the chances of getting organic traffic. Click To Tweet
Why do you need an SEO-friendly website content template?
1. Simplifies your website development
When you work with a template for your small business website, you know exactly where you want to include each element of your brand story and business. For example, which page will include what information, which SEO elements, etc.
This makes the process of designing and optimizing your website much easier.
2. Provides a stable structure
A template helps you plan and structure your content, especially when you are including a lot of SEO elements.
It helps you assign keywords, optimize your on-page SEO, and write your blog content.
2. Helps you stay goal-focused
A template keeps you focused on the goals of your website.
A website content template helps you keep track of the content you need to create, which ones you have already developed, and where you stand with your website optimization process. Read my full post on a business website checklist and what makes a good website.
Download the website content template pack below to start creating SEO-friendly content for your website.
It includes:
- A website content template Excel sheet with 6 sheets to structure and optimize your content
- A blog post template in MS Word to help you write your SEO-friendly blog posts faster
- A PDF file with notes about the website content template and instructions on how to use it
Get a FREE Template to Create SEO Content for Your Website
What to do before working with a website content template
While it is tempting to jump straight into content creation for your website, before you start, or even start using a website content template to plan out your content, there are some fundamentals you need to put in place.
1. Develop a website strategy
The first step to developing your website content or design should be to develop a website strategy.
You need to determine the objectives of your website, the steps to achieve those objectives and the metrics that will help you track your progress.
2. Know your audience
As with any element of marketing, before you start actually developing and implementing your digital marketing steps, it is important to know exactly who is your audience, and what content is relevant to them.
This helps you create website content that not just conforms to search engines algorithms but is also genuinely valuable and helpful for your target audience.
That is what eventually leads to conversions.
3. Create a website structure
Develop a clear website structure that includes all the essential elements of a website. The key pages you should plan for are:
- Homepage
- About page
- Contact page
- Products/ services page
- Blog
4. Audit existing content, if any
If you are not creating your website content from scratch but already have some existing content, then before you start using the website content template to start with content optimization, audit your current content and check how you can further improve it.
Get a FREE Template to Create SEO Content for Your Website
How to use the website content template
First, download the website content template pack which includes an Excel sheet for the key sections, a blog post template, and a notes & instructions document.
Step 1. Choose your topics
The first step of developing your website content is choosing the content topics.
Your content topics should closely match your products/ services.
In other words, the topics you want your website to be found for.
So for example, if you are selling knitted winter clothes, your website topics could be knitted sweaters, knitted scarves, etc.
Step 2. Choose your keywords
One of the core steps of SEO is choosing the right keywords.
The 2nd sheet of your website content template should include your keyword research.
So you have to research all the relevant keywords for your topics and filter them down by volume and keyword difficulty.
Related:Â A 9-Point SEO Keyword Research Checklist for Your Website ContentÂ
If you are using a tool like the Semrush, preferably a volume of 100+ and a KD <30.
So if you have chosen knitted scarves as your topic, some keywords you can choose are ‘hand knitted football scarves’, ‘reversible knitting patterns for scarves’, etc.
Also, narrow it down to the country of focus.
Don’t forget to include these keywords in your SEO content brief for your content writers.
Step 3. Research your competition
If you need to create website content that ranks high in search engines, you have to account for the pages that are ranking currently for your keywords.
Then you can decide which page of your website should use which keyword as a focus keyword.
Using an SEO tool or Google, note down all the pages that rank currently in the top 3-5 positions for the keywords.
These are the ones you need to beat.
Write down the page titles, and the type of page for all the top-ranking URLs.
So if you choose the keyword ‘reversible knitting patterns for scarves’, for example, you see it is both an informational and commercial keyword.
Because the top positions are either blog posts or product pages.
Step 4. Do your keyword mapping
The next step of your website content template includes the assigning of keywords to different pages of your website.
You have to decide out of your chosen keywords from step 2, which ones should be used for which pages as focus keywords.Your focus keyword is the primary keyword you choose for a website page. Add related keywords in the page content to add more SEO cues. Click To Tweet
If you see a keyword has mostly product pages, for example, you may decide to use it for your product pages too.
Or similarly for informational content like blog posts.
So you may use a keyword like ‘hand-knitted football scarves’ for your product page, but ‘reversible knitting patterns for scarves’ for your blog post.
You have to decide which keywords from your keyword research will be your focus keywords and which ones will be related keywords for that page.
Step 5. Develop your content
Now that you have chosen your focus keywords and related keywords, it’s time to get writing!
Develop all your website pages now as per the website content template. Or use the SEO-friendly keywords you just chose, in your existing pages.
The website content template pack also includes a template to write your blog posts.
You simply need to replace the sample copy with your own content, add images, subheadings, etc., and you’re good to go!
Start with a content outline to structure your post and then fill up all the sections.
Step 6. Work on your on-page SEO
After content creation, it’s time for optimization!
Work on all your on-page SEO elements. 3 core elements include:
1. Title tags
Include your focus keyword in your page title.
The ideal length of your title should be between 40 – 55 characters, including spaces.
In the website content template, Column D of the sheet On-Page SEO calculates the number of characters in your title accordingly, which you enter in Column C.
2. Meta description
Your meta description is the description of your page that shows on Google when you show up in the SERPs for a particular keyword.
The character count of your meta description should ideally be between 140 and 155 characters.
https://weignitegrowth.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/meta-tags-title-tag-and-meta-description-scaled.jpg
In the website content template, Column F calculates the number of characters in your title accordingly, which you enter in Column E.
3. Permalink
Your permalink is the URL of your page. It should also include your focus keyword.
Keep the permalink as short as possible.
You can plan your permalinks in Column G of your website content template.
Step 7. Add links
An essential element of SEO is link management.
You need to include both internal links (links between your website pages) and external links (links to external websites) to optimize your website.
Add all your links in the sheet called Links in the website content template.
What to do after creating your website content
Once you have developed most of your content using the website content template, it’s time to start adding the extras to your site.
1. Add media
Add images, videos, and audio as applicable to your pages and blog posts.
Remember to add alt texts and descriptions to all your media files.
Note: If most of your website content includes audio-visual media, also add the transcripts or synopsis of them in words on your website, to make them more SEO-friendly.
2. Add Calls-to-action
Your website should not be a static platform. You need to guide your visitors through their journey on your website and also gently nudge them to convert.
So use call-to-action buttons on every page and the relevant sections for them to check out more content, download a lead magnet or even make a purchase.
3. Promote your content
Once you have created and optimized your content using the website content template, remember to distribute your content enough through channels relevant to you.
They could include email marketing, social media campaigns, ads, or even distribution through a peer network.
Hope this website content template helps you to create solid SO-friendly content. Do you use a website content template for your website? Does it look like mine, or do you include different elements? Would love to hear your comments!
Here’s the form one last time, to download the website content template pack.
Get a FREE Template to Create SEO Content for Your Website
Hi Poulomi,
Your SEO content writing template is a valuable resource. Indeed, I just schedule it for tweeting later. The post is vital especially now that every blog or website is competing for readers’ attention and search engine results on the first page. A template gives a structure and partner to create content that generates ROIs. It helps you focus on making your content better for the optimal outcome. In other words, your template act as a guide or blueprint you can rely on for excellent SEO writing best practices.
Hi Moss,
Thanks a lot for your comment! Yes, I have seen from experience both for my own site and for my clients that working with a template can make creating content and working on your website so much more efficient. Makes your website more optimized for search engines as well! Thanks a lot for tweeting it.