Google changes its search algorithm all the time.
In the early years of the internet, keyword stuffing was a legitimate part of on-page SEO — now it’s considered bad practice because it doesn’t read naturally.
Bloggers used to focus on putting out as much content as possible, even if it was the same mediocre stuff you see everywhere. Now these blogs have all been punished by the helpful content update.
Topic clusters are a relatively new way to structure your content, which helps provide context to search engines.
The list goes on.
But one thing has stayed relevant in search engine marketing throughout all these years: producing quality content.
The Key to Long-Term Success
Ironically, content quality is more about writing and branding than it is about SEO — yet it has the most impact on your long-term success:
- a well-researched article is more helpful to people.
- people only fall in love with brands if they have good products.
- a short and sweet blog post is more shareable than a needlessly long essay.
Ranking first on Google means nothing if your page sucks.
4 Tips to Create Great Content
1. Building on Keyword Research
It’s important to create content around your target keywords, as long as it reads naturally.
Incorporate keywords into your pages, but don’t overdo it.
2. Compliment Your Writing
They say “a picture speaks a thousand words”, but on the internet this also applies to examples, data and personal experience.
Adding these elements to your content provides context and expertise.
3. Concision is Key
Don’t write 2000 words for a topic that only needs 500.
People shouldn’t be an expert in your niche to understand what you’re saying. Make your content short and sweet for your target audience.
4. Get to the Point
The internet is a fast-paced world, and people use search engines to find answers.
Format your content so that it’s skimmable with tables and lists, and highlight important text so that it stands out.
People shouldn’t have to dig through a giant paragraph to find their answer, so use plenty of whitespace.
Conclusion
SEO and content creation work together:
there’s no point in ranking #1 on Google if nobody likes your content, but there’s also no point in having great content if nobody sees it.
Further reading: A Beginner’s Guide to SEO