Why is Content So Central to SEO?

Today's entry penned by Paul Carpenter on 9th Jul 2007
Jargon: Copy (Written) Long Tail (Search) Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)

Filed under:
Search Engines

"Content is king". It's a phrase you'll hear a lot when you talk to (reputable) SEO companies. It trips off the tongue easily enough, and most people can grasp the concept. We're not talking about the technical stuff but the stuff you can see and read for yourself. But then, when push comes to shove, good quality content often turns into the ginger-headed stepchild of most marketing efforts. A pity - because done right, it can sell your business, improve your SEO and ultimately increase customer perception of your brand.

Nice Spiel. What are you Getting at?

When people type a phrase into Google there are two broad motivations behind what they are doing. They are either looking to buy something today, or they want accurate information about a subject dear to their heart. Added to this is a third motivation: people looking for accurate information before making a purchase somewhere down the line.

Good content should be able to answer all of those conflicting needs. If it does, it will be naturally aligned with the needs of those searchers. And that means better organic search listings for your business.

Great Sales Text

If your product description begins and ends with size, colour and weight then it isn't doing its job. In a way, that's part of the problem with the term 'product description' - it leads people into the blind alley of describing their product. Duh.

Think instead of the "product pitch." Sales is all about answering or creating a need. Consider these two descriptions of the same product (roughly based on my own experience recently): a beanbag.

The Product Description

"Our all-weather beanbags are comfortable, ideal for outdoor or indoor use, and are available in a range of sizes and colours that will suit any house. Choose a colour option from the drop-down list below and click 'buy now' to add to basket."

The Product Pitch

"You want comfort? Our beanbags are the biggest, comfiest beanbags you'll ever sit on. We're not going to tell you how to decorate your house, so if you want a flourescent orange bag - you've got it! And if you want to drag them outside to soak up the sun, their wipe-clean material ensures they'll stay stain-free forever."

See the difference? They both impart the same information (many colours, indoor/outdoor use) but one addresses the customer directly - tapping into the reasons they're buying a bean bag. The other trots out the information and then sits there.

Great Information

Most products come attached to a raft of stats. Size, weight, colour choices, batteries required, standards met, that kind of thing. To the customer who's doing their research, this kind of thing can be crucial - and many people won't even buy without it. If you've got that information - make sure it goes on the site. Bullet-lists or feature tables are easily digestible ways to present this information.

If someone is looking for the output of a particular guitar amp, the search engines are more likely to pick you up if you've got that information on your site.

This is part of what we ostentatiously call the 'long tail' of search - queries that you can't necessarily anticipate but that have great value. You might never be #1 for 'guitar amps' - but you might be #1 for 'Marshall JVM140 output'. Taken together, the long tail can generate great business for you - probably far more in fact than being 22 for 'guitar amps.'

Great 'Linkability'

Getting links is, frankly, a bitch. So much so, that there is a whole sub-branch of the search engine optimisation industry now dedicated to the art of acquiring links. But if you've got great content, you'll find that from time to time people just link to you because they like you.

Some blogger somewhere, with 30 dedicated readers is blogging about decorating their house. They just loved your quirky way of selling bean bags and they're delighted with the flourescent orange results. They report the fact on their blog. Not only is that a nice, unbought link, but it exposes you to a few hundred more potential customers. Or maybe your detailed spec of what goes into that Marshall guitar amp gets referred to on a messageboard where guitarists are arguing the toss about which amp is the loudest.

Search engines love that stuff. It's the best kind of 'natural' marketing.

Today's Moral?

Great content creates a virtuous circle. By anticipating your customers' needs, you are creating a message that will resonate with them and increase your chances of a sale. You're also likely to be giving out more information in a more accessible style. That increases your odds of the search engines digging your content - and for you to hit the sometimes lucrative 'long tail' of search engine queries. If you're in a specialist market, it also creates the best chance for you to generate some natural links.

But getting it right isn't easy. If you're strong on technical know-how, but your prose is leaden and dull, then hand it over to a professional.

Ultimately, if you want to do well on the search engines: concentrate on your customers first.

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