Table of contents
- Introduction
- What Is a Website Content Strategy?
- Step 1: Define Your Goals and Metrics
- Step 2: Understand Your Audience
- Step 3: Conduct a Content Audit
- Step 4: Map Content to the Customer Journey
- Step 5: Develop Your Content Structure and Hierarchy
- Step 6: Create a Content Calendar
- Step 7: Establish Style Guidelines
- Step 8: Implement Measurement and Optimization
Introduction
Your website's design may catch the eye, but it's your content that captures hearts and minds. Even the most visually stunning website will fail to convert visitors without strategic, compelling content. This guide will walk you through developing a content strategy that aligns with your business goals and resonates with your target audience.
What Is a Website Content Strategy?
A website content strategy is a comprehensive plan outlining what content you'll create, who it's for, how it's structured, and how it will be maintained over time. It encompasses everything from written text and images to videos, downloads, and interactive elements.
An effective strategy ensures that every piece of content on your website:
- Serves a specific purpose
- Speaks to your target audience
- Supports your business objectives
- Maintains a consistent brand voice
- Guides users through the customer journey
Step 1: Define Your Goals and Metrics
Every successful content strategy begins with clearly defined goals. Ask yourself:
- Are you trying to generate leads?
- Build brand awareness?
- Establish thought leadership?
- Drive e-commerce sales?
- Provide customer support?
Each goal requires different content approaches and metrics for success. For example, if lead generation is your primary goal, you'll measure form submissions and qualified leads rather than just page views.
Key Tip: Limit yourself to 2-3 primary content goals to maintain focus and effectiveness.
Step 2: Understand Your Audience
Content that resonates with one audience may fall flat with another. Develop detailed user personas that include:
- Demographics (age, location, income level)
- Psychographics (values, interests, lifestyle)
- Pain points and challenges
- Information needs at each stage of the buyer's journey
- Preferred content formats and channels
Research Methods:
- Customer interviews and surveys
- Social media analytics
- Competitor audience analysis
- Website behavior data
- Sales team insights
Step 3: Conduct a Content Audit
If you're revamping an existing website, audit your current content before creating new materials:
- Inventory all existing content across your website
- Analyze performance using metrics relevant to your goals
- Evaluate quality and relevance to your audience and business objectives
- Identify gaps in topics, formats, or buyer journey stages
- Categorize content as keep, update, merge, or remove
This process prevents redundancies, identifies high-performing content patterns, and helps prioritize your content creation efforts.
Step 4: Map Content to the Customer Journey
Different content types serve different purposes throughout the customer journey:
Awareness Stage
- Blog posts addressing common problems
- Educational videos
- Infographics explaining industry concepts
- Social media content that showcases your expertise
Consideration Stage
- Case studies and success stories
- Comparison guides
- In-depth how-to content
- Webinars demonstrating solutions
Decision Stage
- Product/service details and specifications
- Customer testimonials and reviews
- Free trials or demonstrations
- Clear pricing information
- FAQ sections addressing common objections
Key Tip: Create content clusters that interconnect related topics, creating topical authority and improving SEO.
Step 5: Develop Your Content Structure and Hierarchy
Your website's structure significantly impacts both user experience and search engine performance:
- Primary Navigation: Focus on your main service/product categories and key user needs
- Secondary Navigation: Include supporting content like about pages, contact information, and resources
- Content Hierarchy: Organize content from general to specific as users navigate deeper
- Internal Linking: Create pathways between related content that guide users on logical journeys
Remember that a well-structured website makes content discoverable and helps search engines understand your content's relevance and relationships.
Step 6: Create a Content Calendar
Consistent content creation requires planning. Develop a content calendar that includes:
- Topic or content title
- Content format (blog post, video, infographic, etc.)
- Target audience and buyer journey stage
- Primary keywords and SEO focus
- Creation deadline and publication date
- Promotional channels
- Team member responsibilities
A 3-6 month rolling calendar provides structure while allowing flexibility to respond to emerging opportunities.
Step 7: Establish Style Guidelines
Content consistency builds trust. Create comprehensive style guidelines covering:
- Brand voice and tone
- Writing style (formal vs. conversational)
- Grammar and punctuation preferences
- Terminology and industry jargon policies
- Visual content standards (image styles, colors, typography)
- Formatting conventions
These guidelines ensure cohesive content regardless of who creates it.
Step 8: Implement Measurement and Optimization
Your content strategy should include regular performance reviews:
- Set up analytics tracking for key metrics
- Review performance monthly against your defined goals
- Identify top-performing content and analyze why it succeeds
- Test different approaches for underperforming content
- Update your strategy based on data insights
Remember that content strategy is iterative—what works today may change as your audience or business evolves.