In our 50th episode of Actionable Marketing In Minutes we chat about creating content that adds value to your users.

Use the player below to listen to this episode, or the download link to load it on your device for listening later. You can also find our RSS feed by clicking here, or subscribe by email in the sidebar to the left.

Download our Social Media Marketing Best Practices Guide here!

Not able to listen? Why not read the episode transcript below:

Problem

Because of exponential Internet growth and Google’s constant use of new search engine algorithms, generic ‘welcome’ and ‘about us’ pages simply don’t make the grade anymore. In fact, one of Google’s most important considerations is whether a site contains the most pertinent information sought by a search request.

Google now identifies and penalizes the rankings of sites that have low-quality content; sites that have a high ratio of ads to content; and sites that lack brand trust. In other words, sites that don’t provide much value to the user.

Believe it or not, those are all good things. If you take your content seriously, this could be your time to shine!

Solution

Keeping in mind that millions of new websites are sprouting up each month, a visitor to your site will not stay any longer than 10 seconds if they don’t quickly realize that you have something of value to offer.

So, how can you create content that is worth reading? Here are some pointers.

1. Research: the quality of well-researched content is apparent to your readers. Spend the extra time and you’ll likely gain repeat visitors to your site.

2. Don’t meander: stay focused and on tract. Not only will your visitors want to read on, but this is better for SEO, too.

3. Size does matter: there are 2 types of readers – scanners and in-depth readers. Write to satisfy both needs. Don’t write too much; don’t write too little. Write just enough to say what you have to say with enough detail to satisfy the in-depth readers need for information.

4. Be unique: find your own slant – or hook. Create content that has its own unique viewpoint.

5. Titles are key: they could take as long to create as your entire page. Both robots and humans will hone in on your titles to decide if you’re worth hanging around with.

6. God is in the details – attention paid to small things has big rewards. Your first sentence; your lead; your close: Though every word does matter, these components matter more. Craft them well. The details really are important.

In order to meet the needs of and add value to both types of users – search engine robots and human beings – strive to create high-quality, relevant content that is user-friendly and worth linking to. Content must add value to the users’ experience.

Benefits

So, do you want to deliver value or just content? Let’s look at the benefits of quality content before you answer that question.

1. When your content delivers high value to your readers, search engine robots will rank your site high in the organic search. This translates to more visitors.

2. Visitors will hang around and explore your site. This translates into more conversion opportunities.

3. Other sites may find what you have to say remarkable. This could result in more inbound links. Great for your SEO!

We hope you’ve found this information helpful. Please connect with us on Twitter @DirectiveGroup or on LinkedIn. Let us know what you think and what you’d like to hear about next. And if you like our podcasts, please share with your networks using hashtag #actionablemarketing. Join us next time as we discuss 5 Pinterest Strategies to Drive More Traffic to your Website.