ignorant

I was recently retained to provide content for a Bankruptcy attorney and I have absolutely no idea what I’m doing.

They know that.

I work in the personal injury niche often; it is my favorite niche and I am very good at it. So, when I was referred over to the bankruptcy attorney I made sure they knew that I had no idea what I was doing. They have seen what I do in the land of personal injury and wanted some of that content for their website.

Doesn’t the business owner always know best?

I have always said that business owners (including attorneys) know their niche much better than a content writer ever will. They are passionate about it, can explain it better than anyone else, and have lots of free time to sit around writing articles.

At least one of those previous statements was a complete lie. 😉

An ignorant content writer is good, too.

First let’s get one thing straight. I craft content which ranks in Google search. My audience is always people who are asking the Internet questions. I have ranked something on the front page of Google search every day for YEARS. Except this weekend. This weekend I decided to rank about 18 things on the front page of Google instead of 2. I might even be addicted.

Being ignorant helps me. A lot. And no, this isn’t for everyone. But, I have a strange curiosity which hasn’t killed me (yet). When I enter a niche like Bankruptcy, I start asking myself questions. Lots of questions. Can I file bankruptcy? Which debts can I get rid of? Can I get rid of student loans? Credit card debt? Mortgages? Medical bills?  Can I do this without an attorney? Can I file twice? Do I want Chapter 7 or 13? Where did Chapter 8-12 go? Do I have to give up my new Chevy Z71 if I go Bankrupt? Can I get a mortgage after I file bankruptcy? If I’m already poor why would I pay an attorney? Can I file bankruptcy to get rid of my bankruptcy law school debt? Ahh!

I would imagine that the ideal bankruptcy client knows nothing about bankruptcy. After all, if they were the expert, they wouldn’t be asking Google these questions now, would they? (No.)

Some ignorant people will remain ignorant

Being ignorant and motivated is completely different from being ignorant and lazy.

My goal is typically to discover just enough factual data to get a unique article crafted and put online. Unique as in, nobody else has it out yet. If the other attorney 3 blocks away has already answered the question, well then I know that I either need to move on or answer it better. Plus, if he or she has put it on some crummy website and my attorney is using a shiny WordPress site or a site with more SEO value, then I go ahead and write the article in a way which will get it to outperform the others, or gear it around another geographical area. OR, if I am crafting content in hopes to get links I’ll try to wiggle in something popular/current here and there, like 50 Cent’s bankruptcy. Although, it’s tough to get natural links to attorney’s websites. It can be done, but, it is tough. Very tough. It is much easier to get links for kittens. Everyone loves kittens. And even if they don’t they still like watching them online, because the internet was invented for kittens, or adult kittens. Right?

kittens

Yes.

Ignorant + lazy is a deadly mixture in content writing. Unfortunately, I see this e-trash in search every day. Just visit a few law firm sites and you’ll soon discover the article titled “Wear a seatbelt”. This type of content does nothing. It doesn’t help SEO, it doesn’t get links, it doesn’t get read, it doesn’t result in a new client, and, if it does anything it HURTS the website it is on. Google places a significantly higher value on websites which produce real answers to their user’s questions. Help them help you.

The art of ignorance

Being ignorant isn’t for everyone.

On the web ignorance is can be better than experience. I once worked with an optometrist who would write his own content. He kept rambling on about anterior blepharitis. I was like “huh?”… In the end what resulted in more business was an article about irritated eyelids.

The right ignorant copywriter can write informative, factual articles with a tone of expertise and authority which rank in search and also inspires readers to act. They’re just hard to find.

Len
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On August 30, 2015   /   Content Creation   /   Leave a comment

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