Michigan SEO Consultant explains 3 Misconceptions About “Content is King”

Anyone who has done any research on SEO techniques has heard the phrase “content is king” at one point or another, if not a hundred times. And yes, it’s true that content plays a huge role in search engine optimization.

The problem is people’s perception as to what this phrase really means.

Common Misconception 1

I am going to write a fascinating article, and it will be so incredible that Google will certainly find it, which will help lure everyone into my website. People will fall in love with this article, share it and want to do business with me.

First of all, simply publishing content on its own will not be sufficient. Google has become pretty advanced over the years, but Google is not going to magically find your amazing piece of content without some on-page optimization. Google’s goal is to have a user think that a particular page that they clicked on met their information needs. On-page optimization techniques can help Google identify that your content is relevant to a user’s search query.

Additionally, you must generate links and promote your content on other platforms. Quality content is crucial for search engine optimization but only when it resides on an optimized site with a solid SEO strategy.

Common Misconception 2

I don’t really have time to write quality content, but as long as I have a ton of content, who cares if it is thin or low in quality? As long as I keep posting to my site, I can outrank my competitors.

This is what happens when site owners or SEOs get caught up in pleasing Google and forget about humans that are reading their content. The problem with this thought process is that Google cares about what people think. So if you are writing for Google, you really should be writing for people. Write quality content, then apply on-page optimization as an indication to Google that your content is relevant.

Furthermore, people care about the quality of the content of the page that they select from the search results. Just because someone found your site in the search results doesn’t mean they have to stay on your site. Your competitors are a click away so give your visitors a reason to stay interested.

Still not convinced? Google’s latest Panda update in May 2014 is cleaning house as far as thin content goes and many site owners are taking a hit. If you are going to invest the time and effort into optimizing your website, do it right!

Common Misconception 3

I can re-post old content from last year or maybe even re-post content from another website. Content is Content, right?

Wrong again. You want to post content that provides value to your users. Duplicate content is not quality content. Not only are you not providing value to your readers, Google is smart enough to detect duplicate content, whether it be on your site, or content you posted from another site Duplicate content is no joke when it comes to Google and you may even be penalized.

If you truly want to feature someone else’s piece of content on your site, you could write your opinion of the particular piece of content in your own words, or simply provide a link to this external website within your content.