Is re-centralization the new SEO and effective copy must have
for CMS?
What is the future of online copywriting and how will CMS
adapt to overcome the challenges? We discuss content management,
SEO and not overlooking the fundamentals of good writing for the
web.
The Issue:
The Content Management System (CMS) heralded a new age. Adding
information to the web was no longer the realm of a solitary
webmaster and in theory, anyone inside an organisation could
update content, post press releases and evolve the company's
online presence easily. It was a revolution.
Using a CMS not only makes it so much simpler to update content
and create new pages, it allows for the constant site-wide
tweaks needed to coast through search engine algorithm changes.
And once you have a dynamic URL rewriter, nothing should stand
in the way of getting your unique compelling copy into the
search engines and attracting all sorts of traffic. Content is
"king" after all.
There is one major issue however. By de-centralizing the
editorial process and giving multiple people the ability to add
and change the website's copy, your content may actually suffer.
Diluted keyword density (effecting search engines results), poor
readability (incorrect grammar and sentence structure) and
uncertain intent (not sales driven enough in tone) can lead to
disastrous copy. Bad writing is jarring for the user and
detracts from your business acumen. Even with an Editor to
oversee new content, there may be inconsistencies between
writers and the process of editing and optimising content can be
time consuming, bringing your "instant" CMS process to a
standstill.
A Solution?
Designers of bespoke content management systems for large
ecommerce websites know the many benefits of CMS and are not
prepared to go back to the "dark ages". The challenge for the
designers, developers and day to day users of content management
systems is to ratify the search engine and syntax issues, while
continuing to empower web writers.
The answer to this challenge may come from re-centralizing the
final steps of the edit process while still giving individual
writers the flexibility to add content themselves. Internet
savvy companies are looking at ways to standardize their copy
and make the output search engine effective, by evolving their
content management platforms.