What are content words? The answer may surprise you. Content words, in the most simple terms, are words which have semantic meaning and therefore contribute to the overall meaning of what a sentence is about. Let’s take an example, and see how these content words change the way we communicate.
So what are content words? The answer is: pronouns. You can use all kinds of pronouns, including person, object, and topic – just as you would in a statement. We can even change these pronouns to create new content words.
One of the biggest things you’ll find on the Internet today is videos. In most cases, the video is talking about themselves, so the main point is to describe their own content by using the main verb. A lot of this type of video uses the words “you,” “he,” “us,” “her,” and other objects instead of actual content words. If you’re familiar with this sort of video, you’ll notice that most of them contain very few content words.
A great way to describe videos is to use “content words.” This helps both the presenter and the audience understand what’s being said. Here’s an example…
OK…but what if I told you that instead of saying “…dinner, “you should say”…seats?” That would be content. If you want your content to have more meaning, you need to add more content words. It’s as simple as that.
Here’s another example. What if you want to explain that “the man in the blue suit” can’t talk, but he has a dog that can? Well… content words to help describe that. The dog can talk, but not the man in the blue suit. Add “he can talk” to that, and now you’ve got a more complete sentence.
Don’t worry if this seems very simple. Content development professionals don’t use “content words” all of the time. Even when they do, it’s usually in the form of several shorter words. For example, if someone is stating that they’re a “socialite”, they’d say something like “she’s a socialite because she wears suits.” It’s just a way to help give the content a human feel.
As you can see, content words can make or break your message. You should always include at least two or three good content words in any one paragraph of your content. If your content makes no sense, don’t waste your time writing it. Reject it! It could be the best content you ever wrote.
Unfortunately, there are still people out there making the same mistakes that I made as a small business owner. They seem to think that content words are a marketing technique… which they are, to an extent. But content is also a vital part of your business website. If your content is good, it will increase your search engine rankings and open up new, lucrative opportunities for you.
What are some of the content words that you need to avoid? Forget the “I” word. Your content is about you, and your business. Never use a “we”, “us”, “our”, or “ourselves” keyword. Those content words will always remind me of a sales letter!
Other content words that you should avoid including “your”, “yourself”, “us”, “we”, “our” and “ourself.” If a customer is looking for support for a problem they are having, writing “your” or “you’re” is just not a good idea. But instead, write “how may I help you?” Always remember that content writing is a process, and with every step you take, the closer you get to reach your ultimate goal: your customers!
Here are two examples of content words that I often find used in the wrong way. One of my favorite clients, our copywriter, asks her readers “What’s your specialty?” When she says her specialty is being a real estate agent, she sounds very close to sounding like a telemarketer. Instead of saying, “Your new favorite neighborhood”, she should have said, “The one in which we bought our last home.” That will make a huge difference in her content writing, and it will capture the reader’s attention!
The final thing you want to avoid is repeating yourself. Content writers seem to think that if they throw enough content words at their customers, they will be magically transformed into master content writers. Nothing could be further from the truth! Your customers don’t seek information that they don’t already know – they need information that will teach them something new. So make sure you provide them with valuable, relevant, usable content, and you’ll be well on your way to creating an amazing customer experience.
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