Why is good content so important?
Content is and has always been important in the Internet. Content sums up both graphic content such as imagery and videos, and text. The Internet works quite simple: If you have something interesting of good quality to say, Google will reward you with a higher position in the search results. The higher you rank in the search results, the more people will read your content. If your content is well-written, it’ll do it’s job, whether that be fascinating it’s readers to continue to follow you, converting them into buying clients or your readers regarding you as an expert on the topic. You may need content to fill up your website, a flyer or an email newsletter, but keep in mind that every text is different. Here are some rules for writing magically good content.
1. Write it for the purpose.
One thing we see a lot is that people copy text, i.e. from their website, to use in other advertising material. This might be a quick way to fill up empty space, but it might not serve the goal you want the advertising material to reach. Always think about your medium beforehand: Should the content draw people in to inform themselves more about you? Should the content convince people buy your product? Should the content entertain? Depending on this, your piece of content must be aligned with the tonality required for this cause.
Product descriptions are most convincing if they contain lots of facts, wrapped in an entertaining text or image setting. Whitepapers need to stick to the facts and a neutral tone to convey credibility. A blog entry should contain both information and entertainment. Also think about your audience and choose a fitting address, imagery and writing style for them. Keep it short and sweet or explain in more detail depending on your content purpose.
2. Don’t confuse copying content with quoting content.
The Internet, meaning both Google and your audience, is quite strict when it comes to copied content. If you copy content from other pages to use it on yours, it won’t only be regarded duplicate content by Google (and therefore ranked lower), but it also does not seem very convincing to your clients. Often, copied text paragraphs suddenly change tonality, making it obvious for the reader that this piece did not come out of the same quill than the rest of the text. If you’re a real expert on a topic, you’ll be able to explain with your own words – and thereby creating unique and great content.
Quoting content in the other hand is regarded a courtesy in the Internet, as links are a bit of a currency amongst content producers. If I link to your page, I pass on some link juice and a referral to your page that I think is valuable. However, quoting large paragraphs is not recommended (due to duplicate content). It’s best to either just quote a short phrase or entirely refer and link to the source while explaining the information with your own words. To keep readers on your page, make sure your links to other pages are opening in a new tab.
3. Content comes first.
Something else we see a lot is people starting to create new websites or new advertising material, creating a beautiful and elaborate design. But then, when it’s time to fill in the content, it doesn’t really fit. This is why content comes first, because eventually, you create a website or advertising material because you want to communicate something important to your clients or prospect buyers, right? Think about your content before. Do you want to have lots of imagery? Great! Should it be authentic? Then better do a photo shoot instead of buying stock photos. The same goes for text. Think before where you want to insert which kind of information and then design your website or advertising material to convey your message.
4. Engage a copywriter.
There’s no shame in not being able to provide suitable content – many SMBs struggle to find the time to write, take images or organise the build of a new website. That’s what relación is here for. Our experienced copywriters can produce engaging pieces of content within a matter of hours, and our professional photographers can arrange a quick video- or photo shooting to provide you with authentic imagery for your projects. You don’t need to be an expert in everything, you only need to know where to find an expert when you need them.
