If you want the coveted first page result in search, you must know how the helpful content system works and how your marketing works with it.
Most of us would probably agree that whether you’re looking for camping tips, have a question about preparing your tax return, or want to settle an argument about who played that little dude in Stand By Me, Google is a great place to start.
Google is the world’s most used search engine and for good reason – it’s very good at connecting people to helpful information.
For Google to stay on top, it has developed an algorithm that sorts useful content from kind-of-useful content and from complete rubbish.
They’ve given it the completely useful and helpful name of ‘helpful content system’.
The helpful content system rewards content that provides users with a satisfying experience, by ranking the website highly in search – and that is the reason why, if you’re a business seeking the coveted first page of search, you need to know about how the helpful content system works and how your marketing can work with it.
Focus on your area of expertise
It makes sense that the most helpful content is going to be created by experts in the field. Experts know what people are looking for, what their issues are, and importantly, how to resolve them.
Producing content that focusses on technical or particular information will not only help you rank highly in Google, it will help with marketing you as a thought-leader in your industry.
Of course, being an expert in one area doesn’t guarantee that you’re also an expert in writing about it, producing videos on it, or constructing infographics – but that doesn’t matter.
If you are able to communicate about your topic of expertise to the communication professionals, the writers can take that knowledge and do their thing.
Stick to one industry or niche
Google has explicitly said it: they don’t want you to create content on every topic under the sun. The thinking is, if your website concentrates on one topic, you must be experts in that topic.
If your website focuses on multiple topics, maybe the information isn’t going to be that in-depth or expert.
If your business covers multiple areas of work – for example, you might install solar panels and also wire houses with security systems – it could be worth investing in two separate websites or marketing your work as home electrical services on the one website.
Make your content executable
Whatever content you create, people need to leave the page with a clear idea of what they need to do next.
The reason why that is rewarded is because it explicitly tells people what needs to be done to resolve their problem or issue – and that’s the whole point of Google.
Your call to action could take the form of dot points to sum up, or a short summary paragraph. You can even use a sub-heading like ‘in conclusion’ or ‘takeaway messages’ to summarise key points.
Regularly update your content
Very few industries remain the same; very few professions exist without developing or improving.
That’s why Google considers websites that regularly update their content as being the most helpful and relevant.
Many websites stay on top of changes to the industry with the inclusion of a ‘news’ section, which gets updated regularly.
If you have a static website, it’s worth conducting a quarterly or six-monthly content review, to see what you can update or rewrite. You can also produce follow-up articles, add new links to newer content, or refresh and republish old content.
Inject your secret sauce
Creating content that is the same or similar to every other website of your competition isn’t going to get you shared, no one is going to link to you, and you’re definitely not going to be rewarded by Google.
So, what’s your point of difference or unique selling proposition? What’s going to make you stand out from the crowd?
It could be your past experiences; it might be something unique that you bring to the table. Whatever the point of difference of your business, find out how it benefits your customers, then create marketing content about it.
Appeal to different readers
We all consume content differently, depending on personal preferences or even where we are when we consume it.
Some people will read an article word for word, others will skim it; some people enjoy watching videos on their morning commute; others listen to podcasts while cooking.
Make sure you capture a broad audience by varying the type of content you produce.
Remember your keyword research
Keywords remain an important aspect of the Google algorithm, yet it’s surprising how many people don’t do the research.
They make assumptions about what words people use when they search for a business like theirs, yet as insiders, the words we would use aren’t necessarily the words a lay person would use.
Start with a keyword audit. It’s worth investing the time to checking out what words your competitors are using and how effective they are. Then think about words that people might use when looking for your particular point of difference. What words are currently driving people to your site?
Marketing tools such as Moz, SEMRush, and Ubersuggest can help you develop a great, cost-effective keyword strategy.
Speak to the marketing strategy experts
The easiest way to make sure your website ranks highly in search is to call in the experts who understand search the best.
Assemblo is a full-service marketing agency based in Melbourne, that can develop a Google search campaign that will help your business grow its brand and achieve real bottom line results.
To find out how we can help your business, give us a call on (03) 9079 2555 or send us a note via the contact form below.