Over the recent years, the internet has been flooded with articles on how to use content marketing, and why it’s so important as a valuable part of your online selling campaign. However, the truth is that content marketing is nothing new, though people are only just learning how to do it right. For some time now, Google has been emphasizing the necessity of good quality content, and this doesn’t just mean content that has been packed full of search-engine-optimized words. It’s content that your users, as well as the search engine bots, are going to want to read. If your users think that the content you are putting out is informational and valuable, then they’re more likely to share it with more viewers and increase your potential reach.

The Google Algorithm

Various websites have begun to be penalized by the updates of the google algorithm over time. Most recently, companies have been suffering serious repercussions as a result of using duplicate content or text that possessed no valuable information. Once upon a time, it was fine to write content that tailored specifically to google and no-one else, but the truth is that Google is not the factor that will lead to your next sale or lead. The internet thrives on information, and every day the online network is becoming more competitive, with content appearing in the form of:

• Blogs
• Guest posting
• News
• Articles
• Social media

So how do you use content that you know is really going to work?

Provide unique, quality content

Every piece of content that your website publishes should be unique. This means that you cannot simply copy one article from a blog, to a website, to your next news article. Even if the first article got a lot of views or positive responses, you’ll get penalized for using duplications. On top of this, make sure that any content you put out there is worth reading. Quantity may be important in some circumstances, but nothing is more crucial than quality. Use content writers who have a good understanding of the way the English language works, and make sure that they are capable of using punctuation correctly throughout. The lower your content quality is, the less likely you are to attract customers.

Utilizing the right format can also be important in producing quality content. If you choose to copy and paste content directly from a word processing program that you have been using, you may find that this embeds a lot of extra code in the document. If you want to ensure that this doesn’t happen, you can copy content into notepad before posting it on your blog or content management system. Furthermore, content should utilize the correct use of lists, subheadings and pictures to ensure that you are not simply presenting your audience with a singular block of text, as some people find this difficult to read. Allow your readers the opportunity to scan through the content you have provided to find the exact information that they need.