With the advent of online marketing, writers and marketers became very clever at charming the search engines into ranking websites highly based on inbound links, cross-linking, keyword saturation, and more.
1. Prioritize quality & quantity in online content
Google engineers and developers keep a keen eye on advances that help ensure its algorithms adapt to the latest digital marketing strategies and cater to evolving consumer search behaviors.
Google’s Penguin update and, more recently, its Hummingbird update enhanced the ability of its search engines to distinguish quality websites and online content from spammy or link bait-laden ones. These changes have been well-aligned with fundamental content marketing principles and aims (creating content that is useful).
Given these algorithm updates, businesses that publish quality online content should naturally stand out, and their content should rank more highly on search engines.
2. Grab attention with titles — and retain it by using visual breaks
Anyone who has come to the world of online content by way of journalism knows the value of a catchy headline. Readers’ eyes tend to wander towards what they find the most interesting, compelling, or curious on the page when presented with multiple options or when faced with a limited time frame for consumption.
3. SEO success is all in the details
Speaking of SEO, don’t ever lose sight of its power and the value it can provide. Well-chosen keywords are a must when it comes to writing online content. Relevant keywords used frequently throughout your content will bring people to the online content you create.
4. Conversion is the ultimate test of content success
Some online content is created to establish brand authority; other content is positioned simply to serve as a helpful informational or educational resource for its readers. And in both scenarios, content is often created for the overall purpose of promoting or selling a product or service.
Whether you are writing content based on the buying cycle in your industry, making social media updates, or producing persona-based online content, strive to include compelling calls to action to help guide your audience through the stages of your engagement process and, ultimately, your business funnel.
Read more: 4 Online Content Creation Best Practices for Success in 2014
Google Recent Algorithm Updates