Content Marketing
With recent Google algorithm updates seemingly focusing on and promoting the thesis that: Good, regular content = higher SERPS rankings, we have witnessed a wash of banal content and ultra-frequent online posting(s) from big multinationals through to your small, local business.
Whilst as a marketing company we agree that new, well written content for your website or blog is a GOOD thing to do, updating your customers and potential customers with what’s happening in the business, it can in our opinion stray into overkill! We now seemingly read an endless rota of waffle and regurgitated words, phrases and articles covering the same ground, the same content and the same thoughts. Here are a few example topics from our industry that we see so often posted on different agency websites/blogs – it sometimes makes us despair:
Φ How to write a great article for the web
Φ Tips On Link Building And Cleaning
Φ Why Have My Rankings Dropped? An SEO Troubleshooting Guide
Φ 17 Steps To A Perfect LinkedIn Profile
Φ Building Fully Human Organizations
We recognise that publishing re-hashed subject matter and topics WILL mean it reaches more people who may get to view it on different websites etc. However, take the last article heading in the list above ‘Building Fully Human Organizations’. No doubt a subject matter worthy of discussion and publication, but let’s be brutally honest here this same material can probably be found on the web in 100’s of other places. Most notably, and probably originally, from the pen of Gary Hamel.
Quite often now we see, supposedly leading digital marketing agencies publishing two new blog posts a day! Often written by lower ranking employees to fulfil some edict from above to push out as much fresh content as possible. 90% of this stuff is devoid of any opinion, useful insight or wit. Too often it is just technical digital marketing speak, SEO babble, etc., etc. Nearly always it’s material and ground which has been covered before in a 1000+ places around the web. Like us, do you ever get the feeling that a considerable amount of this stuff is written and published purely for the sake of acquiring a backlink or two?!
When we look at the blog of Google head of web spam Matt Cutts, we see a different approach. Matt’s blog postings deliver personal opinion, unique insight, sarcasm, humour and technical know-how. In addition, you will notice that Matt does not post article after article every day of the week! Strange really, when you consider what Matt does for a living, if anybody could post every day it would probably be Mr Cutts.
Take a look at the above video. It provides a simple and clear checklist and guidance for ‘Creating great content that performs well in Google search’. Check:
Φ Original Content
Φ Different
Φ Unique
Paul Brewster, February 2014.