Who Are You Talking to Anyway?

Speak to your audiences’ needs so you get their attention.

We can all learn from successful advertising slogans.

• You deserve a break today.

• Just do it.

• Only pay for what you need.

• This Bud’s for you.

Content that speaks to our wants and needs gets us. But organizations often miss this opportunity to make these connections when they develop websites.

I recently read a LinkedIn post where higher ed communication pros were commenting on what contributed to higher engagement on their web pages.

It wasn’t page load speeds or highly visible videos that increased engagement and conversion rates. It’s the messaging. And that messaging needed to be at the 8th or 9th grade reading level.

Of course.

The average reading level nationwide is 7th to 8th grade. That’s the average. That means plenty of adults are reading below this level.

For every audience, it’s just good sense to write to no more than an 8th grade level.

People prefer simple language

No matter how educated, number of degrees, profession, and areas of interest, people prefer plain, simple, action-oriented language.

We don’t have the time or attention spans to puzzle through obtuse, jargon-ladened, passive voice filled, walls of words to figure out if we care.

We make decisions very quickly, in less than 10 seconds and maybe only 5, if we’re going to stay on the web page and keep reading—or engaging.

Think about your own scrolling and content consumption. We scan, skip, and peruse.

We click.

Or close.

Plain talk is how we communicate every day. So then, why, when we are in the content creator driver’s seat, do we go through some weird warping process where write in technical, academic or industry jargon? Do we think this is the way to sound smart?

It doesn’t work.

If we are writing it differently than how we would say it to our friends, neighbors, or family, our content will not connect with real people. And, your website won’t work to its full potential in your sales strategy.

SEO rewards reader focus

So, the reader—the you—is always the topic, not the product, service, company, institution, organization, cause or program.

If you’re not talking to the you, they can’t find you. And if you’re not talking to them, you’re losing out on SEO (Search Engine Optimization).

SEO now recognizes reader/user focus above the older, lengthier and more complex formulas and tagging processes.

Simply put, SEO prioritizes search engine results when:

• Headlines speak directly to the reader about the reader.

• Answers are easy to find,

• Sentences are short.

• Language is simple.

SEO experts have summarized this well.

I’ll now boost my own SEO while linking to these folks…

How to hook your readers and grab their attention— “If you do not understand your readers, you will never be able to grab their attention for long.”

Why Readability Is Important For SEO - And How To Improve It | SEO Scout— “Google cares just as much about the content as they do about the way each sentence is worded. They want shorter sentences with clear answers.”

The Importance of Content Readability for SEO and How to Improve It « SEOPressor – WordPress SEO Plugin— “Websites with high readability scores are often seen as more user-friendly, which can enhance their search rankings.”

It’s all about the reader.

So don’t ignore your readers—and stop talking so much about yourself!

Invest in reader-focused content to connect with those who want your product or service. Put the reader first to motivate those who will resonate with your value proposition.

If all of your content does is talk about your product or service and neglects connecting with your reader, you are making them invisible.

We can’t find you and SEO is not helping you, no matter how plentiful you’re tagging.

You have to write about them and reframe your service offerings to put them first.

I can help!

Over my 36-year career, I’ve led communications in government, education, healthcare, non-profit, finance, advertising, and more. I can help you connect with your audience and find the right words to move them to action.

Hi, I’m Edie. I help organizations small enlarge get clear on their mission and who they want to reach. Let’s connect so I can help you reach your goals.