Trying to create content when you do not necessarily consider yourself to be a writer can be extremely stressful.
One of your goals as you create content for your automotive SEO content campaign is to create content that is as readable as possible.
It is important not only to get your keywords on the page, but also to get your point across in a manner that is as clear and as pleasant to read as possible.
If you’re new to content writing, you’ve just never considered yourself a great writer, or you simply want to make sure that your content meets the criteria for readability, here are nine tips to ensure your automotive SEO content is as readable as possible:
1. Remember who your audience is.
Who your audience is will deeply affect whether or not your content is readable.
Who is your brand’s target consumer?
Are they busy, young professionals?
Are they seniors?
Established families?
Free spirits?
You probably already have a very good idea of who your vehicles are intended for.
Now you need to think about what type of content will appeal to those people.
For example, for the busy professionals, the content should be short and easy to scan (that means a lot of white space).
For the family man, it should emphasize safety features and technology.
2. Define your paragraphs.
Do you know when you need to move on to a new paragraph?
This is something that is just as much about learning the rule as it is about simply feeling when it is time to start a new paragraph.
The general rule is that you should start a new paragraph any time you start a new thought.
Keep in mind that the shorter your paragraphs are, the more likely they are to be read.
A huge chunk of text is not going to be an inviting read for the average internet user.
3. Limit your use of jargon.
You might know exactly what that very technical word means, but try to remember that the majority of your audience is going to have absolutely no idea what industry-specific terms are.
This isn’t because they are stupid—it is because they have not lived and worked in the industry like you have.
Limit your use of jargon as much as possible.
If you do need to use a jargon term, use one that you can quickly and clearly explain without talking down to the reader.
4. Use transitional words.
These words might have been frowned upon, depending on who your college English professor was (mine certainly hated them), but they can be a good way to re-engage with readers as they skim through your content.
Words like, “because,” “besides,” “thus,” etc. are all indicators that you are going to be moving on to the next point or underscoring your point.
They are visual triggers that tell your readers that it is time to pay attention again.
5. Add in white space.
What is white space?
It’s the space in between paragraphs and on the side of the page.
It is visual relief from the text.
You, like most readers, are more likely to read something if the text is broken up by white space.
This is because it is less of a strain on the eyes, it is easier to keep your place, and because the paragraphs are separated, you can easily scan the content and find the information that you need, even if you do not necessarily want to deeply read every single word on the page.
6. Write a better headline.
If you want people to actually read your content, you should give it a better title.
This is especially true of blog posts, but is just as true of your webpages.
A title like “The Best Dealership This Side of the Mississippi” is going to be much more enticing than “Pennsylvania Car Dealership.”
The headline is the first thing that your readers are going to see, so you should want them to be as engaged as possible, as quickly as possible.
7. Tell your reader why they should care.
I remember getting a paper back from a professor once.
At the end of the paper, next to my score, he’d written, “This is good and fine, but so what?”
When I talked to him about what that comment meant, he told me that it was fine to lay out the facts like I had, but I hadn’t taken the time to tell him about why he should care about those facts.
Use this same concept with your automotive SEO content. Tell your readers why they should care about what you have to say.
8. Grab a grammar guide.
You don’t even have to buy a physical one—there are lots of online grammar guides that will make it very easy for you to write better content that actually flows and reads smoothly.
If you’re not sure about a rule, look it up.
You don’t have to flounder.
9. Read good writing and try to mimic it.
This doesn’t mean that you flatly copy their content, it means that you read the content that you admire and then try to mimic that same style as you write.
Is their style conversational and breezy?
Is it professional and factual?
Whatever the style, if you like it, if you respond to it, your audience probably will, too.
Reading good writing that you find easy to ready is one of the best ways to make your own writing more readable.
