Friday, March 17, 2017

Quality Content – Should It Stay or Should It Go?

Much has been said about information and content overload on the internet these days and while it is all true, it can also feel like a daunting task to try and tackle this issue. What are marketers to do when there is constant content being created online? Should we just pack it in and give up?

Not necessarily, as recent research is also telling us that long-form content of 2,000 words or more is consistently performing well and being shared over social media. In addition, last year, Google was found to be feeding its artificial intelligence engine romance novels to help it expand its vocabulary, linguistic structure, and better understand nuances within content and language.

So, while the end of content may not be near, the way we are accustomed to creating it, is. This means as digital marketing strategists, we must find ways to adjust, adapt, and create new and engaging content that works for both artificial intelligence engines and real visitors, alike. Look at where your audience is consuming their content and find your place within that. For example, do many of your visitors also prefer Facebook over Snapchat? Or have you seen a bump in traffic for certain topics that are consistent and speak to your business? What are your competitors doing and where do you see rooms for improvement? The answers to these questions can help you and your business find strategies to mitigate too much content and replace it with quality content that visitors are looking for.

This shift in the way we consume content also points to the fact that businesses and marketers need to continue to do their keyword research to keep their strategies tight and focused on targeting keywords and subjects of true value. From an SEO perspective, content is always important for keyword rankings. Content bridges the gap between a user looking for something and the search engine that finds it.  Therefore, creating a website that is rich with information for both search engines to find and for real visitors looking at your business is integral to your digital marketing strategy.

Blogs are a place where you can constantly add fresh and engaging content for search engines and capitalize on your keyword research. If you find that new keywords or topics are suddenly driving traffic to your site, creating a blog post centered around these themes is a way to increase your chances of being seen by search engines.

And while many say blogging is dead, this may also be a place where older, traditional practices are dead but can be revived with new and innovative approaches. Build a narrative, give further insight into products or services, and create closer relationships with your audience base while demonstrating that you are an industry leader who is engaged and knowledgeable in whatever field you are in.

As evidence points to longer-form content being on the rise, then there is reason to believe that visitors are still thirsting for content that engages and tells a story that sets a brand apart from the rest of the pack.  A blog is a great place to house longer content and can still help bridge a business’ mission with its products. It also gives readers and potential customers insight into why supporting your business is the way to go.

In conclusion, we may be living in a world of information overload but that doesn’t necessarily mean we should disregard content creation altogether. We should just be selective in what we choose to generate and how we share it. While Google’s engine may be a Danielle Steele fan, what does your audience enjoy? Find out and go from there!


Source: Hallme