Today, we’ve got a great guest post from Jessica Lambert, who’s Blogger in Chief at Webology.
Are you looking to take your content to the next level?
You probably already know this, but Google isn’t looking for just any content. It wants something very specific and if you can give it exactly what it wants, Google will be significantly more willing to give you a better spot in the SERPs.
But what are the specifics of the type of content Google really wants to see on your website?
Here are the five secrets to content Google will love and that will get visitors coming back over and over again to read it.
Ready? Let’s go!
Have something unique to offer
One of the main things that will get your readers coming back and have Google loving what you have to offer is if you are truly offering something and if that something is actually worth offering.
People don’t click on websites just to do it.
They’re visiting with a purpose and most likely an unmet need. And guess what? They’re coming to YOUR site to have that need met.
If you can meet the needs of your visitors, you’ll begin to build customer trust and a loyalty that is often hard to come by.
But how do you know what your readers need?
How do we know what to write?
This is simple.
You can’t have a website that everyone in the world is going to love.
Your site is niche specific, right?
Maybe you’re a moving company or a social media marketing consultant.
Whatever it is, your readers came to your site to learn from you, possibly hire you or gather information.
Google loves content that gives valuable insight and information to the reader.
There’s only one top spot in Google and they want to make sure that whatever gets that top spot is the absolute best in everything.
And the information contained within the content on your site is going to paint a picture for Google…especially as the years go by and Google’s Algorithm continues to improve.
So the bottom line for this first secret to content Google will love?
Have something to offer your curious readers.
Give them information that will get them excited and sharing all about it with friends, family and coworkers. Google likes content created for the readers, not necessarily for Google itself.
Ensure your posts are long, but not too long
Google loves content chalked full of information.
This means that longer posts often get more attention than shorter ones.
However, just because your post contains more words doesn’t mean it’s as full of information as a shorter article.
And remember: don’t wear your readers out with 5,000-word articles.
That can just be exhausting.
Stick to 2,000 words or less to avoid a high bounce rate and remember rule #1, because even long posts won’t get you anywhere if you’re not offering valuable information.
Make your content easy to understand
Nobody on planet earth just “knew” how to read.
All of us started small, right?
We learned the letters first, then we learned short words like “cat”, “dog”, “me”, “you”, and then we graduated to short stories, and within a few years and lots of practice, we’re reading thick textbooks and classics.
The same is true of marketing and pretty much every other industry out there.
When visitors stumble across your site, chances are, they’re coming to learn something.
Google doesn’t park unbelievably hard to understand content on the top spot of the SERPs.
Nope!
It’s looking for content that holds concepts that have been broken down so that someone who doesn’t have a background in marketing can at least be able to get a grasp of how it all works.
If your site is designed with experts in mind, well then, of course, your keywords will be slightly different and it won’t matter as much.
But remember that every visitor matters, And if you can break it down and show people why you can help them, they’ll be more likely to ask for your assistance when it comes to their marketing and their business.
Create an environment of trust
Unfortunately today, with blogging platforms and hosting services making it easier every day to create a website, buy a domain and launch, the internet is full of “experts” that try to make their readers think they know what they’re saying and then end up causing themselves and their visitors issues.
While you can’t avoid everyone else, make sure that you’re providing your visitors with proof of how things really work and not giving them the opportunity to ask themselves if something on your site isn’t true.
Create an environment of trust for your readers and Google will be able to trust you more.
This also means you want to be careful who you link to and why.
It must be relevant and high-quality. Linking to spammy sites raises red flags for Google and can lead to your readers getting viruses and malware.
Not exactly the best way to build trust, if you ask me.
Provide something enjoyable
Above all, give your content something that makes it exciting.
Unique. Adventurous, even.
Give your readers a chance to “get to know you” by making the content on your site enjoyable and personal.
Every writer who takes the time to write something worth reading has a “voice” and when you let it run wild and you throw in your own witty remarks, sarcasm, jokes and the thrill of an adventurous spirit, it makes readers want to read more and share the fun with friends, family and coworkers.
By giving the content on your site character, you’re giving readers a chance to start conversations, be involved and learn.
And when readers are happy and have reasons to keep coming, Google will be happy too.
Wrapping up
When it comes to the content on your site, you have to learn to think outside of the box.
Don’t write for Google Write for your readers and for yourself.
Learn to get personal enjoyment from producing content that is valuable and gives readers exactly what they’re searching for, even if they didn’t know they needed it.
And don’t ever forget to have some fun. Writing content never has to be a chore.
It’s always an adventure. Good luck!