Rudyard Kipling may have said it best, “Words are of course the most powerful drug used by mankind.” With this in mind, you can see how the content on your page is the living soul of your website. You content is any text or words that are compiled on a web page with the accompanying graphics. The content you present to your readers can be the most powerful tool you have to build relationships with your current and potential customers. While the overall appearance and “feel” of a website is important, the content you include is crucial. There are two ways that your content affect your web presence, the ranking of your site in search engines and the ability for users to find you.
Search Engines
When a search engine is crawling pages of any website they search primarily for relevant content. The content that is present is easy for search engines to pick up on and the higher quality, the higher you will appear in searches. The fact is that when a person conducts a search, the search engine will provide the highest quality of relative content for the searcher for the given set of keywords.
Users
There are two intentions when someone performs a search through a search engine:
- To find general, basic information on a certain topic.
- To find advanced information on some topic or niche that they are familiar with.
Only sites with high quality content will be able to benefit both types of searchers. Stuffing keywords in hopes of great visibility is no longer feasible, as search engines can pick out the sites that have used this method.
Complete Content: Your Best Friend
There are three components that are found in complete content:
- The quality of the information. This includes the authenticity and originality of the content you present.
- The quality of the presentation. How easy is it for users to find what they are looking for. Use subheadings and short paragraphs, which are easier for users to scan.
- The quality of writing. If you have basic grammar and punctuation mistakes or poor comprehension for the subject, you will not rank very well in search engine results.
Superior Search Engine Optimization Starts with Superior Content
It has been proven that commercial sites that rank high are not well received by users. Why? Because these sites have one main goal: to sell their products. While the graphics may be top notch the availability of quality content is non-existent. While the catchy appearance of the site is appealing, it will not hold the attention of searchers long. The only way to keep users engaged on your site is to provide useful information that is relevant to their search.
Organic Link Building: A Happy Side Effect of Great Content
If you have great content you can organically build links. When you get links for your site it will increase your popularity and provide you credibility in the search engine rankings. If you have quality content, people will naturally want to link to it, providing the information to others. This is the best way to get natural links, which can be valuable to both your and their customers. The fact is that link exchange programs or paying to have your link spread is able to be picked up by the smarter search engines, making your efforts ineffective.
Create the Right Content for Your Site
It is important to understand that not every type of content is right for every site. You need to determine your target group, and then develop content that will appeal to them. In order to make it commercially successful you should consider the different types of content:
- Supportive content: This helps users to understand any topic from scratch.
- Marketing content: This content will pre-sell you online product. This should only be used on ecommerce sites.
- Industry Based Content: This will focus on a specific niche, such as telecommunication, pets, or children.
- Research articles: This should contain advanced knowledge for searchers looking for more in depth information about a topic they already understand.
- SEO Friendly Content: This will help you optimize your site with certain keywords or phrases.
You can outsource your content to ensure that it will provide optimum results with only informative and information pieces that will engage your readers. This may be the best option if you are unsure how to optimize the content on your site.
