If there is one aspect of SEO upon which more content is written than any other, then, ironically, it is content. Ironically is probably the wrong word to use as ‘Justifiably’ would have been more appropriate, given how important content is to SEO and helping websites rank. One reason so much is written about content is because it is a very effective way, and in most cases, a straightforward way, of enhancing a website’s SEO, especially in the eyes of Google.

However, its perceived easiness is the main reason why so many business owners get it entirely wrong when they create or purchase content for their website. The result is it does more harm than good, and the business owner is left scratching their head wondering why. It need not be that way, because if you follow some very simple principles, you can make content SEO friendly, and better than that, you can enhance the experience of visitors to your website, which can only lead to better conversions.

Make It Interesting and Unique

It is hard to fathom, why, to this day, some webmasters and even some SEO consultants who should know better, put content on websites that is no more than filler. It is there for no other reason than to exist with not one iota of thought towards anyone who might wish to read it.

One of the most misunderstood elements of online business, and the drive to improve search engine rankings, is content marketing. If done correctly it can have a huge and positive influence on how well a website ranks, however, many business owners spend a lot of effort creating and publishing content to their website and then wonder if they are still stuck on page 5 of Google.

There are several errors that businesses taking a DIY approach to their content marketing make. The first is that they do not really know what its purpose is and therefore they publish random articles in the hope that Google will somehow spot it and boost their ranking. The fact is that every piece of content you publish, either on your website or on another, such as a social media post, must be written with a specific purpose in mind.

The second error business owners make is they think that quantity is more important than quality, so they go out and find the cheapest freelance writer they can and pay them $2 per article for 20 articles. They then post these articles one after another and soon discover that any visitors who visit their website click away within seconds.

The reason that happens is that there is nothing of any value on the website that would encourage visitors to stay so they click back to Google and try to find a website whose content is worth reading.

One point to note is that following a search, Google can measure how long someone who visits a website remains there. Lots of visitors clicking away quickly (bouncing) is a red flag telling Google that the website is one people do not like, and that is a surefire trigger for them to rank that website lower.