Get Back-to-the-Basics when writing web content.

In your search for a web design company, you’ve probably heard that SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is important for ranking on Google and other search engines. In fact, SEO has been a buzzword (or “buzz-acronym”) in the digital marketing industry for years. While the term SEO will likely stick around, the way sites are optimized for search engines has changed significantly. You might even say SEO has come full circle—we’re back to the basics.

What’s old school about modern SEO?

SEO generally means focusing content from a keyword perspective. You do some research, find out what people are likely to search when they’re looking for a particular product or service, and build your content around those phrases. The problem with this approach is that you can quickly wind up with awkward, hard-to-read content that doesn’t sound natural at all. Who wants to read something that feels like it’s been written for a machine rather than a person?

And Google doesn’t like to be made a fool. More and more frequently, Google has changed its search algorithms and penalized sites that are stuffed with keywords.

So it’s time to get back to the basics. Rather than focusing on keywords, it’s best to write clear, user-friendly content that will connect with your target audience. Don’t worry—you’ll naturally use the same words in your content that your customers do when they’re searching for auto repair or service in your area. You’re your best keyword generator.

It’s also important to regularly update your content, which can easily be done by staying on top of news and developments in the auto repair industry. Search engines look for content that is current, so even if you start out with excellent content on your site, you do need to add new items, such as reviews and blog posts, to keep your site fresh and effective.

On the web, as in life, the customer comes first.

Creative, interesting, and regularly updated content gets Google’s attention. Moreover, it gets your potential customer’s attention. So let’s get old school with content, and write in a way that’s uncontrived, friendly, and helpful to your customer.