
Before you write anything you need to know who you're writing for. It seems easy but if you don't know who you're talking to you're basically shooting in the dark. You need to know what's popular what people want and what they need in the Houston market in order to know your audience.
Look at the list of your current customers. Who are these people? What are their ages how do they shop and what problems do they have? You can use Google Analytics and other tools to find out who is visiting your site. It's not about writing a script for customer service it's about figuring out how people act and changing the content to fit that.
Make sure your content shows how interesting and diverse Houston is. There are a lot of different cultures foods and stories in this city. Talk about what makes Houston a great place to live. The growing tech scene might attract some people while the famous food scene might attract foodies. Use words and examples that are relevant to these interests.
So you know who you're talking to. The next step is to talk to them in a way that makes sense to search engines. This is where you need to look up keywords. It might seem scary but it's like learning a new way to talk in a language you already know.
Think of some terms that people might use to find your company. If you own a small coffee shop in Houston don't just call it that. Try searching for "best espresso in Houston" or "craft coffee near me." Tools like Google's Keyword Planner or SEMrush can help you find out more about these phrases based on data.
But here's the deal don't put too many keywords in your content. People used to cheat by stuffing their text with as many keywords as they could. Not anymore. Articles that read naturally are more likely to show up in search results than those that are full of keywords. So put them where they belong and make sure they are easy to read.
Let's be honest the title is what gets people to read. People probably won't click on your headline if it doesn't grab their attention no matter how good the content is. It's all about striking the right balance between saying enough to get people interested and not saying enough to make them want to know more.
One way to get information that is easy to understand is to use numbers or lists such as "5 Ways to Master Coffee Brewing." Copyblogger says that numbered headlines can sometimes work better because they make hard ideas easier to understand.
Another way to do this is to ask questions. People are interested when they read a headline like "Are You Ready for the Future of Coffee?" because it makes them think. It makes the reader who isn't paying attention want to know what the answer is.
What makes stories work? Because they are simple to understand. People are naturally interested in stories. Adding stories to your business content helps you connect with people in ways that go beyond just numbers and facts.
Let's talk about your coffee shop once more. You have beans from far away but how did you get them? How does coffee get from the farm to your cup? When you use words to paint a picture like the fields of Colombia or the smell of your freshly ground coffee beans you get people interested.
Some stories are about the experiences of your customers or even your own journey as a business owner. Not all of them are about big adventures. You may have worked in a business before and found peace in being a barista which is why you decided to open your own shop. These kinds of stories make your brand more relatable and real.
You have shared your content. How do you know if it's working then? You need to know how well your content did in order to understand how it affects people and make future pieces better.
Google Analytics makes it easy to keep track of these numbers. Look at the number of page views how long people stay on the page and the bounce rate. If a lot of people are looking at your content but not many are interacting with it it could mean that your headline is good but the content isn't keeping readers' attention Google Analytics.
You might want to try A/B testing to see which versions of your content work best. You might need to change the subject the way it is set up or even the tone. Trying out different versions will help you find out what works best for your audience.
Also watch the rates of conversion. If you want more people to buy your product or sign up for your newsletter keep track of how many people do so. Why is a post getting a lot of visitors but not making any sales?
Pay attention. Answer comments and use them as feedback. This kind of interaction with your audience not only helps build a community but it also lets you see how people are responding to your content right away.
It's not a one way street to make content that ranks and converts. It's a conversation that goes on with your readers Google and your business goals. You don't just reach your audience you connect with them by knowing who they are using the right keywords writing interesting headlines telling real stories and using data to improve your strategy.