“I can't find it.” It’s one of the most common complaints we hear from university website users. We also hear them ask: “Where am I?” “Is this for me?” “Where do I go from here?” These questions are symptoms of poor findability. Sometimes we respond to these problems with a redesigned website or new information architecture—but what about the content? Beyond SEO, how can we effectively guide web users toward their destination—as well as enable the discovery of useful, relevant content? It starts with a user-focused content strategy.

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Writing Content
for Findability
Confab Higher Ed 2016
#confabEDU
November 15, 2016
Rick Allen
@epublishmedia

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Museum Wayfinding and Signage company based in London UK

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https://flic.kr/p/6LQRDZ

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https://flic.kr/p/5XLQEe

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https://www.icaboston.org

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“An unmatched faculty…”
“…BOOTH ONLINE STORE.”

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I hate this $@%#&! site.
#confabEDU • @epublishmedia

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https://flic.kr/p/dwdqLx

15. Findability impacts
people's ability to easily
identify and locate
information on the web.

16. People won't use your Web
site if they can't find their
way around.“
16
Steve Krug
Author, Don’t Make Me Think
#confabEDU • @epublishmedia

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Low
45%
Medium
42%
High
13%
Higher Ed Findability Scorecard
22
.edu websites
75,000+
webpages

18. Whoa, Rick. I’m just the writer.

19. How did we get on the
topic of governance?

20. Impact from the bottom up
Improve findability
here.

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22. How people find stuff.

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Navigate Search

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Look around Ask for help

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How may I help you?
“How do I sign up for a meal plan?” SEARCH

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“Maybe financial aid is under Plumbing”?

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#confabEDU • @epublishmedia

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Is this the right page?
Where do I go from here?
I give up…

30. Context Search
Browsing Wayfinding
Elements of Findability

31. Context Search
Browsing Wayfinding

32. Content is made relevant
by the context in which
it’s perceived.

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Photo Credit: Photo by Ed Yourdon

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#confabEDU • @epublishmedia

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Find out more about what?
How do these links relate?

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Content appears irrelevant when…
it seems out-of-place
it lacks clear purpose
or a clear audience
#confabEDU • @epublishmedia

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Old date =
irrelevant content?

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To help establish context, consider:
• How does this page support or enhance
related web content?
• Where will people interact with this
content?
• How will people use this content?
• What content type will be most relevant
and useful for the user?
#confabEDU • @epublishmedia

46. Context Search
Browsing Wayfinding
#confabEDU • @epublishmedia
#SOPnotSEO

48. Search optimization
needs to be part of the
writing process—not a
post-launch fix.

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Search optimization guidelines
for content contributors:
#confabEDU • @epublishmedia

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#confabEDU • @epublishmedia
1. Publish relevant content

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2. Make every page on your website unique

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3. Make every meta webpage title, alt text,
and meta description on your site unique.

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Clear
Unclear
4. Use relevant and accurate keywords

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Helpful internal &
external resources
5. Link to relevant websites that provide
value to your users.

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6. Structure content to enhance
keyword relevance

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6. Structure content to enhance
keyword relevance
Clear and distinct
secondary headers

57. Context Search
Browsing Wayfinding
#confabEDU • @epublishmedia

58. “It’s on the website.”
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#confabEDU • @epublishmedia

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“The info is at the top
of the page.”
“I’ve already been on this
page. I don’t see it.”

60. Sigh.
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#confabEDU • @epublishmedia

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#confabEDU • @epublishmedia

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66. People need to
understand before
they can act.

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75. Browsing helps people
to easily understand.

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Content elements that
enhance browsing and scanning:
• headers
• links
• highlighted text
• bulleted and numbered lists
• photos and graphics
• captions
• pull-quotes
#confabEDU • @epublishmedia

77. …but not too much.
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#confabEDU • @epublishmedia

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• “Click here”
• “Website”
• “Homepage”
• “Download”
Non-descriptive link text:
#confabEDU • @epublishmedia

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Click here to download.
#confabEDU • @epublishmedia

80. Context Search
Browsing Wayfinding
#confabEDU • @epublishmedia

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Museum Wayfinding and Signage company based in London UK

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Source: https://flic.kr/p/8SZvsG
“I hope someone reads this
webpage and then leaves our site
and forgets about it.”
- said no author ever

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Source: https://flic.kr/p/8SZvsG
“I hope this website only has a
limited amount of information on
the topic I'm interested in.”
- said no web user ever

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Source: https://flic.kr/p/8SZvsG
“Next steps” to help you
on you way.

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Source: https://flic.kr/p/8SZvsG
“Next steps” to help you
on you way.

93. Findability is customer service

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Photo Credit: Photo by Ed Yourdon

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Source: https://flic.kr/p/6WWWx2

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How can I help?

97. Rick Allen
Content Strategist
ePublish Media, Inc.
Meet Content LLC
rick@meetcontent.com
Thanks!
#confabEDU • @epublishmedia