I was reminded today of a familiar term for writers: writers block.

When I think of writers block, I think of a frustrated writer waiting for a spark of inspiration as he or she stares at a blank piece of white paper stuck in an old manual typewriter.

As search engine marketers, we all know how important content is to a Web site. Content can take many forms, from the nostalgic angle of your products to the history behind your restaurant or city and even to the descriptive text you use to describe each of your products.

It’s the beginning of 2008. We’re all on the Web, the Content Capital of the World. Without content, the Web would cease to exist. Yet, some SEOs, Webmasters, and Website owners refuse to add additional content to a Web site.

Why? Could it be that they get writers block every time they sit down to write? They just don’t know what to write about.  

Yet on the Web, do you realize you can write about almost anything, as long as you’re knowledgeable about your topic? (Let’s face it: some people don’t even fulfill that basic requirement!)

Here’s a little trick to help you get started.

Instead of staring at a blank sheet of “paper,” type your topic on the page as the title, then start typing. Just type. Don’t lift your fingers from the keyboard. Type.

Type for 30 minutes without stopping. Don’t edit or stop to correct misspellings. Type anything that comes to your mind.  

After 30 minutes, if you’re in the middle of a thought, keep going until you wind it down. Save the page.

Read over the content but don’t make any changes. Give it a day or two, and then look at it again. This is the time to edit it.

For 2008, let’s see if we can get past the piece of white paper by trying this little trick. Let me know how it works for you.

Good luck!

Robin Nobles