So you want to buy an existing website. Great! How's the content? Learn how to evaluate content before a website purchase, and how to increase the ROI on that purchase by improving or changing content where necessary. It's all about quality and flexibility.

1. Measuring Opportunity Through
Content Evaluation
How Positive Changes to
Website Content Can Increase ROI
MICHELLE LOWERY
@MichelleDLowery

2. Before you buy a website,
you must evaluate the
existing content.

3. Two Main Factors
Quality
Optimization

4. Quality Includes:
Spelling and Grammar
Style
Length
Reading Level

5. Spelling and Grammar
Poor spelling and grammar
can negatively affect authority and trust
If the content is poor,
what does that say about the
product or service offered on the site?

6. Style
Is the content too casual? Too formal?
Does it use good vocabulary?

7. Length
Is the content:
long enough to be positively
evaluated by search engines?
short enough to hold readers’ attention?

8. Reading Level
Can the content be easily understood by the audience?
The average American reads at the 7th grade level.
Source: U.S. Department of Health and Social Services
However, it shouldn’t be too simplistic, either.

9. Optimization Includes:
Good Use of Keywords
Meta Tags
Titles
Good Linking

10. Good Use of Keywords
While keywords should be included
in page copy, the content should not be “stuffed.”
Longtail keyword phrases are important in
light of the Google Hummingbird update.

11. Meta Tags
The two most important meta tags on any
page are the title tag and the meta description.
Are keywords included in the tags?
Are the tags well structured?
Do the tags adhere to best practices?

12. Meta Description
The meta description is
your first opportunity to convert.

13. Meta Description
The better the description, the more
likely the searcher is to click through to the site.
A compelling and eye-catching meta description
has a clear effect on organic click-through rates.

14. Meta Description
Meta descriptions that cater to
longtail queries also raise click-through rates.
Source: Google CTR Study by Catalyst Search Marketing
http://www.catalystsearchmarketing.com/pubs/google-ctr-study/

15. Titles
In addition to the title tag, actual
article or blog post titles are also important.
Do they include keywords?
Are keywords well placed?
Are the titles an appropriate length?

16. Linking
Does the content contain strong internal links?
Does the content contain
appropriate outbound links?
Are outbound links appropriately structured?

17. Evaluating E-Commerce Content
Four Main Factors
Quality
Sourcing
Supplementary Content
Calls to Action

18. E-Commerce Content Quality
All the quality aspects previously
covered apply to e-commerce content,
with some additional considerations.

19. E-Commerce Content Quality
Are the most important product
aspects covered? (size, color, weight, etc.)
Are product descriptions consistent?
Are descriptions long enough to inform,
but short enough to hold customer interest?

20. E-Commerce Content Sourcing
Do the product descriptions
come from a vendor feed?
•Potential duplicate content issues
•Potential quality issues
•An auto-generated feel rather than
unique, attention-grabbing descriptions

21. Supplementary Content
Is there a blog?
If not, could adding one help boost sales?
Are there any resources?
•How-to articles
•Instructions for use or assembly
Other content related to products

22. Calls to Action
Are they placed prominently and
in appropriate locations on the pages?
Are they worded well?
Are they used
appropriately throughout the site?

23. Making the Decision to Buy
Content issues need not prohibit purchase.
Despite any content issues,
revenue and/or traffic may still be good.
Content can always be improved or changed.

24. Making the Decision to Buy
•
If revenue is good in current condition,
imagine what revenue could be like
with improved and/or added content.
•
If traffic is good in current condition,
imagine what traffic could be like with
content optimization.
•
One e-commerce site saw a 400% increase
in traffic by optimizing their keywords
to be more in line with search terms.
Source: Marketing Sherpa study
http://www.marketingsherpa.com/article/case-study/traffic-increase-generic-seo-keyword-effort

25. How to Address Content Issues
• Determine what content needs to be
improved or replaced
• Develop a priority list
• Priorities will depend on factors such as
site type and purchase date
•
For e-commerce, product descriptions may need
updating before upcoming gift-based holidays

26. How to Address Content Issues
• Determine what content you want to add
• Develop a priority list
• Create a schedule for content creation
and/or editing

27. How to Address Content Issues
• In-House
• Do you have the resources
• Writers, editors, content manager, content strategist
• Do you have enough resources to accomplish
content evaluation and restructuring in a timely manner?

28. How to Address Content Issues
• Outsourcing
• If you don’t have the resources in-house, you
can seek help from outside professionals for:
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Content audit
Content strategy
Content creation
Editing
Consulting
Schedule/editorial calendar creation
Blog management
Overall content management

29. Connect With Us
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