What is content?
For any newbies, content is not just textual. Articles and blogs are not the only way to please Google. Any content you produce should never be created for Google. Google exists to inform, educate and entertain its users.
Forget bots, code to content ratio and keyword density the only thing you need to think about when producing any content is the person reading it. Will they enjoy it, share it, bookmark it, tell people about it?
Content can be grouped into 4 categories, Textual Content, Images, Audio & Video, Games and Interaction.
Textual consist of the following:
Web Copy
Articles
News/Press Releases
Blogs
Comments and User Generated Content
Textual content is possibly the most overused (abused) form of content available on the internet, closely followed by video (poor kitties). However when done correctly, it can be very powerful.
Historically, rankings were based on information gathered by bots. Bots loved textual content (as this was all they could read) and in an instant, spam, spinning and duplication was borne.
Over the past decade Google has tweaked, tried and tested it’s algorithms to try to combat spam.
Ultimately, engagement will be the most important ranking algorithm, and how engagement is measure is where Google will focus over the next 12 to 14 months.
Top Tip:Ensure all your content is socially discoverable and sharable.
Keep in mind at all times, your content can help to buildrelationships, strengthen your reputation and encourage word of mouth.
Remember the golden rule, anything you produce must...Inform, Entertain and Engage
Images consist of the following:
General Images
Graphs & Charts
Cartoons:
Infographics
Images can be used to inform, entertain and engage with your reader.
Many people dislike reading large chunks of text, images appeal to these types of people and also provide you to make a visual impact. Infographics are a great example of the change from bullet list type articles to easily digestible, shareable, informative images.
Depending upon the information you are conveying and the audience you are targeting, a great image can go viral, increase the number of inbound links, and add to your inbound link variations.
Audio & Video consist of the following:
Podcasts
Introduction Videos
Video Testimonials
Animation Videos
Video casts
As of right now, 90% of consumers watch video content online.
According to the Online Publishers Association, the percentage of Internet users who recall watching a video ad on a website, 26% of which looked for more information about the subject of the video.
With stats like these, do you really need to know more about why you should be investing in video and audio content now? The demand for quality video content is only going to increase, it is inevitable. If you feel like taking a gamble, leaving your video content production until the market place is saturated and consumers have started to form loyalties with other brands…go for it.
If you really want to generate content which is going to inform, entertain and engage with your audience, video will help and in return provide you with traffic, links, referrals, credibility and sales (leads).
Games and Interaction consist of the following:
Games and other interactive media will entertain and engage with your audience, keeping in mind who you’re targeting of course.
Provided creating a tool or game is relevant to your business (brand) and audience it will have a positive impact on your rankings, traffic, loyalty and conversions.
By having something unique and interesting to promote, your link building will be more effective. The value of traffic from your link building will also have a greater impact and have a greater weighting with Google versus the ‘exact match’ type of links which currently plague the internet.
SEO is intrinsic to digital marketing.
SEO creates content, improves web development, improves usability and demands quality.
Implementing a creative and varied SEO strategy whilst making your primary focus the end user, engagement, interaction and conversion your likely to
- Author
- Clare Brace
- Title
- Digital Marketing & SEO Manager
- Date
- Article added 25th October 2013