Creating compelling content is a requirement in 2023 for any business that wants to rank organically. In fact, content marketing the #1 most important thing that you can do for your business. According to the January 2023 Google algorithm update, regularly updated, quality content is responsible for 24% of your organic rank.
But creating generalized copy and slapping it on your website won't fit the bill. Why? Because Google is smart! Every time the algorithm updates, it gets smarter. So, you have to drop the old habits of hiring a $5 copywriter or using automatically generated content and, instead, really focus in on your content marketing strategy with these best practices in mind.
Be clear
Copy should be compelling
Upgrade to the active voice
Create an outline
Look at your business from a customer's perspective
Be a real person and avoid AI writing technology
Include images appropriately
Link to only reputable sources
Regularly update your content
Content Must Be Clear and Concise
Don't waste your readers' time. 99% of the time, content marketing needs to get to the point and be very clear and concise. Flare can be great to set the tone and give your copy personality, but make sure it doesn't go overboard and drown out the point of the piece.
Create Compelling Writing
Getting your reader to stay on your page for longer will help your Google organic rank. One way to do this is to write in a way that compels them to read on. How do you do this? Ensure everything you write gives your reader value. In exchange for their time you are giving them knowledge that may help them grow their business, understand a new concept, or simply feel entertained.
Use the Active Voice
Using the passive voice is something that many writers have a challenge with, but it is becoming more important with each update. Think about how your reader sees you when they read your stuff. Do you sound like an expert? It is difficult for them to see you that way when you write passively. That is why intentionally writing in the active voice is important.
And while we're at it... please don't use cliches ever again. They are the waving red flag of a novice, uncreative writer.
Create an Outline for Your Project
Many writers love to write with flow; and that certainly has its place! But for the best content marketing tactic, it is usually best to create an outline with clearly defined talking points before you get going. Prioritize structure and you will create copy that is also clear and concise. Include bullet points and numbered lists in your published article for added boost so that the reader knows what you are going to cover. This could help them stay on the page longer (a good thing for Google) and allow them to jump down to the section they are most interested in.
Consider Your Customer's Needs
A common marketing trap is to write content that comes to your head on a whim. This can be a great spark; however, proper research should be done to determine if your customers really want to know about that subject matter. You can do this several ways:
Put yourself in your customers' shoes - It can be hard to try to evacuate all of your expert knowledge to truly see what your customer needs, but it is essential to creating content marketing that speaks to them.
Check your website's search engine - This is one of the best ways to see exactly what your visitors are searching for on your site so that you can better meet their needs.
Check Google AdWords and perform SEO research - Make sure you do your research and discover what your potential customers are looking for.
Your Customers are Real... You Should Be Too
There are a lot of AI-powered writing assistants on the market these days that are pretty impressive. But they're still being written for search engines, not for your customers. Writing for the customer is essential now and will continue to be as Google's algorithm becomes more advanced over the years. Your customers are real, and you should be too. Don't try to trick them with artificial intelligence.
Include Only Web-Friendly Images
Only use visuals when they add value to your work and make sure that they are sized properly for the web at 72dpi. Speed is another noteworthy factor in the Google 2023 algorithm update, and large images are often a culprit of slow page load speeds.
Linking Should Be Done Sparingly and to Quality Sources
The days of link flooding are over. They were over the day they started. Linking should only be done sparingly and send users to quality, related sources. Linking a random word to a Wikipedia page is bad practice and should never be done again.
Regularly Update Your Website Content
A key aspect of the 2023 content marketing Google algorithm update is to regularly update the copy. Ideally, Google would like to see two updates per week. But who has time for that? Hiring a content marketing agency to handle all of your website copy needs is a smart choice. Contact Zoomies Marketing to get the quality, real-person content that your customers (and Google) are looking for.