Okay, so for the last few days I have been talking about content marketing. If you've never met me before my name is Brandie Peters and I am a content marketing strategist - so, obviously I am pretty PASSIONATE about content. In the past I made my living as a website content writer / blogger for hire.
In that role, over the last 4 and a half years, I have written A LOT of website content!
Some of it great, some of it not so great. In 2016 I decided that I would dedicate myself to helping people create ONLY the great stuff. "Blogs not "Blah"gs" I say -
In my last blog I talked about the difference between "having content" and having a content strategy.
In today's post I want to explore the concept of constructing a website with value content, rather than a website with just plain old "content" - and you are probably wondering, what is the difference?
Well, first we need to delve into a bit of history. In the past, when websites were fancy and new, a traditional website would have website pages "about" the business - and be essentially a virtual business card.
This was back when just having a website was something that could set you apart - and nobody gave too much mind to how many words were on the content pages, or how frequently the website was updated, managed or even viewed.
Back then, "web design" and the appearance of the website, was what earned you your bragging rights. And for the most part, business owners had little to no involvement in the management of their website - and the life-line of a stagnant site (that never changed) was years and years.
As web technology has evolved so have our expectations and standards for what a good site is / does.
People tend to prefer websites that provide them with some sort of value - and Google continues to modernize their ranking algorithms to favour sites of this nature.
I could easily get off track and vent about the differences between a good website and a bad website.
For the sake of actually getting to the juice of what your website content strategy needs, as far as written copy pages to rank well with Google, i'll refrain for now.
What type of website content strategy works to rank with Google?
Content nerds, like myself, would probably argue that Google has always favoured quality content first, but the old algorithms used to be much easier to trick with clever SEO.
Now, fooling the search engines into ranking your website using a keyword strategy is nearly impossible. The new search algorithms are so sophisticated that not only can they tell good content from bad content - they will also "ding" your website for using bad optimization techniques, like keyword stuffing.
Although, all of the Google algorithm details, are not publically know - there are a few things that "WE" know undoubtedly about the way that websites are being ordered -
Main Factors, For Ranking On Google
o Content Quality
o Content Legacy
o User experience
o Structure and formatting
I have underlined content quality as the most important because at the end of the day, that is REALLY all Google (or anyone) cares about.
Remember: Google is devoted to providing users with the best possible information relating to their search inquiries.
Because people tend to click the first result - Google wants to place "the best" response in that location...
That's just how it works.
Content Legacy, refers to the age of the content - and as more people have hopped on the content train, legacy content has become more and more valuable.
All legacy content is, is content that has existed and ranked on specific keywords for a certain period of time. Google gives certain websites legacy BECAUSE people are composing so much new content trying to grab those top ranking spots.
It is important to understand that legacy only applies when the content still has value.
For this reasons "bloggers" or people who have been writing about a specific topic for an extended period of time can hold their ranking positions, despite the volcano of new content we are seeing erupting all over the place.
User experience - okay, so this is mostly about the structuring of the content, the writing quality and whether or not people actually stay on the page. User experience is determined primarily by a thing called "bounce rate" which is determined based on the amount of time spent on your page. Last year, Google also began to factor in Social Shares (shares to social media) as a meter of user experience.
Why? Because obviously if people are sharing the content with their peers, it must have more value...
Lastly, structure and formatting - is the content well constructed? Does it have the SEO indicators like h1 tags - links to other websites - embedded images - etc. etc.
I've included a fully updated SEO checklist that explains further the important content structuring components.
I will be the first to admit however, that these continue to be the LEAST IMPORTANT factors in whether or not your content will rank with the modern day algorithm.
Creating Quality Content That Will Also Rank Well With Google
Personally, I enjoy geeking out about the factors that the algorithm monitors when ranking pages.
But, I know that this nerd topic isn't for everyone.
You probably are just sitting there wondering what EXACTLY do you need to do, to make your website show up on inquiries. Here we go:
o do your keyword research
o write strong "high value" content
o share and network that content
o make your website a "resource" not a stagnant page
To be more specific, when I develop content strategies I always coach on a High Value content strategy, that includes both "stationary" core pages and a dynamic blog or article feed.
The High Value content pages are meant to rank on your main target keywords - and are generally informative (providing information) about a specific topic relating to your industry or field. For my clients I include a minimum of 4 core content pages - but you can really have as many as you want.
If you are hoping to grow an audience, these pages can also be your "freebies" or premium content offers that you trade in exchange for opt-ins and follows.
Along with your 4 core content pages you also want to have one excellent "about me" / "story" page that articulates your brand values and mission. The "technical" purpose of this page is to assure that you rank on your business name. However, I like to challenge people to provide some value here as by talking about their history, passion and goals. - A great "story" page is also an oppurtunity to connect with your readers. Keeping in mind that this is usually the second page that people head to when visiting a website for the first time.
Once your core pages are written you will also want to launch a keyword optimized blog. Like this one. It can be off-site or built right into your website depending on what you are hoping to achieve.
The "technical" purpose of this blog will to be to assist you in ranking on your desired keywords -
However, this is also another oppurtunity to be an expert resource, inform people and tell your business story.
You still with me?
I know that this sounds like a lot, and probably feels like a very tall order for a solo entrepreneur or someone who is just getting started marketing themselves online.
I want to end with some re-assurance that it is possible to do this yourself and that the benefits of having a website content strategy are abundant!
The nice thing is that it doesn't has to happen all immediately right now. Consider building your website and its content pages over time - rather than just "launching" BOOM! and letting it sit there.
Need help with this?
We are always sharing and discussion website content strategy in my FREE coaching group.
I didn't stutter. It is free. So Join Today! --> Brandie's Visibility Rockstars
Until we speak again!
Stay cool!
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