Content is king. Don’t believe me? Check out this post for all the reasons behind why we believe in the supremacy of content.
If content (the written and spoken word) is so incredibly important to your growing business, it’s reasonable to conclude that the quality of the content is just as essential. Without quality, should there really be any quantity at all?
Quality Content
So what is this quality content that I speak of? In short, it’s information your target market finds useful and unique that is simple to read and easy to find. That’s it! But let’s break it down:
Quality content is useful.
It doesn’t matter if you are a pulitzer prize winner, if your content doesn’t offer your target market anything worth their time, it isn’t quality content.
Your goal with content isn’t always to make a sale. Sure, that’s the end game. But when creating content, your focus should be on offering useful information that builds a trusting relationship with the consumer. They should benefit from your content and feel motivated to come back for more.
Quality content is original.
Don’t worry, this isn’t a call to recreate the wheel. Original content doesn’t mean everything has to be brand new information. It means that old information needs to be presented in an original way.
Remember plagiarism from high school? That’s still a thing. Don’t do it. Unoriginal information can be original content when you create it with your target market, your voice, your unique style behind it.
Quality content is readable.
We are much too fast-paced-minded to waste even a second deciphering a messy article or confusing video or unclear graphic. Your content needs to be clean and clear and a breeze to read through.
Readability does not mean your customers should be treated as… less than intelligent. Quite the opposite! Respect their time and their intelligence by keeping your paragraphs to-the-point, your sentences concise, and your overall article simple to skim through. Well worded and organized headings are essential, as well.
Quality content is findable.
Finally, your content needs to be found in order to meet any of the criteria above. How does your target market find you? It’s called SEO (search engine optimization), and it’s key to becoming visible in any online search.
According to Yoast Academy, SEO is “the practice of optimizing websites to make them reach a high position in Google’s, or another search engine’s, search results.” If your content is useful, original, and readable, you’re already well on your way to being findable.
Specifics on how to make your content findable using SEO requires another blogpost entirely. Check out Search Engine Land and Yoast Academy for your personal education. Or better yet, let us do all the heavy lifting. Creating SEO-friendly, quality content is a Blackwood kinda thing.
Quantity of Content
How much of this quality content should you be throwing out there?
This is not a one-size-fits-all situation. There’s no magical word count. Some websites thrive on 1500+ words per article while others’ bounce rates soar with any more than 500 words. The key is to know your target market. Understand what your potential customers want. Provide what your people need. Concern yourself with writing for your readers and you’ll find that your content is excellent in both quality and quantity.
The Quality and Quantity Solution
Blackwood has mastered the art of quality content. We can also master the art of content quantity as it relates to your unique business. Let us create both for you.