With the millions of websites that are popping-up every single day, the web surfers are spoiled for content and could easily find the information that they are looking for from multiple source. In order to entice them to come to your own website and keep them coming back for more day after day, you need to create content that is well worth reading and sharing.

Even though you could promote your blog or site in hundreds of different ways, word-of-mouth is far more powerful than most webmasters realize – in order for people to trust you, listen to you, and enjoy reading your blog posts or articles, you need to be an expert in your field, write exceptionally well, and research your topics thoroughly. You also need to write content that people are interested in – discussing the latest news, developments, products, gadgets, shows, or events are likely to gain large audience and help you grow your site faster. Here are some true and tested tips that will help you create interesting and engaging content:

Use Compelling Headlines

Put yourself in the shoes of the average Web surfer and you will quickly understand that he or she is far more likely to click on a link with interesting headline rather than on a title that is similar to hundreds of other titles. The headline is what the users are likely to see first when running searches on Google, Bing, or any of the other large search engines and using superlatives and numbers, or asking a question is an excellent way to grab their attention.

Optimize the content for the web

Writing for the web is no different from writing for the printed media when it comes to style and quality, but presentation most certainly is. Even though the opinions on “how long is too long” vary, keeping your content between 300 and 1000 words per page comes highly recommended. A single–page article is also what most readers love and less than 50% typically bother to proceed to page two of any article, no matter how well written.

Solve a common problem

Today, millions of people are using the Internet to find information on just about any topic, and great percentage of these searches are looking for an answer to a widespread issue. If you have identified a common problem in the niche that you are an expert in, then take the time to write a solid tutorial, which solves it. Include a few images or videos if possible and you are likely or receive great number of natural backlinks from people sharing your content on message boards, blogs, and their own websites.

Involve your readers

Whether you have decided to blog on an interesting topic or post your opinion on a controversial issue, if you encourage your readers to participate in the discussion, you will gain a loyal audience. Do not be discouraged or frightened by negative comments or opinions that greatly differ from your own – the saying “there is no such thing as bad publicity” still applies today.

Make your content easy to read

Use lists, bullets, smaller paragraphs, headings and subheadings, and avoid colorful and busy backgrounds. In fact, use black text on white background whenever possible and you will make it far easier for your readers.

Link to other websites and blogs

Find other websites and blog that have similiar content and link to them. Even though sending your visitors away from your website might sound illogical at first, when done right, it is actually beneficial. Linking to relevant sites could encourage other webmasters to link back and would make your own site more valuable to your readers.

Try to be unique

No matter what you are blogging or writing about, the chances are that there are at least a few thousand other people, who have written, are writing, or will write on the same topic. Some of them might have far better writing skills that you or have websites that are well-known and with better search engine positions than yours – instead of trying to compete with them head-on, approach the topic from an unusual angle, try to come up with a unique perspective, and you will see your visitors coming back for more!

Add social sharing buttons

Even though this is not a part of the content creation per se, it is a way to encourage your readers to share your post or articles with their friends on the various Web 2.0 sites. Twitter, Facebook, StumbleUpon, Digg, Delicious, LinkedIn, and AddThis are just a few of the popular social bookmarking sites that you could utilize to make your content available to a wider audience.

These are a few of the main things I think about when I go to create web content. Once you have a plan in place and make a habit of following it you will come up with great web content every time. What are some of your favorite techniques to make your web content unique and unforgettable?