Original Content is King

As designers, developers and marketing professionals, we help shape beautiful websites that function well and meet a certain criterion, (often set by the likes of Google). We spend a lot of our time helping populate websites with content and while we know a lot about it (queue the chorus of trumpets for our egos), we don’t write it. If you’re puzzled by the term content generation, keep reading as it’s possibly time to get typing!

It’s no secret that Google is an extremely demanding search engine; but if you know what makes them tick, you’ll have a much better chance of ensuring your site is seen! Good quality, original content is just one of many things they look for in a credible website, so let’s talk about the importance of writing it!

There are three things to bear in mind when it comes to original content generation.

Understand what being original means
Learn how to put it into practise
Recognise why it’s so important.

What is original content?

Original doesn’t always mean new, it’s easy to get these confused. You’ll often find multiple versions of the same article online; simply regurgitated with a new outlook. If you’re adding value and putting your stamp on an unoriginal topic, it’s original. Don’t get hung up on writing content from scratch if you’re at a loss for ideas, it’s time consuming and not always necessary. Use other article topics as your source of inspiration and make it original, everyone has an opinion, so share yours! It stands to reason that if your content is no different to the rest, the internet will penalise you and your customers won’t come back for more.

So, how do you do it?

Find your voice. Who are you? What do you do? Who are you customers? Are you speaking to them in a language they’ll understand?

Do your keyword research. Some say it sucks the fun out of writing, others disagree. Think of your keyword list, as your strategy in generating content. The best ideas often stem from keyword phrases and if you’re still at a loss for ideas, you could always try out the HubSpots idea generator!
Start a blog. This is the easiest way to inadvertently sell online. Inspiration blogs on the latest home and garden trends etc, can often prompt sales of items that customers would have otherwise overlooked.
Keep your site pages up to date. They weren’t created to lie dormant. It’s easy to fall into the trap of recycling old web content, especially when it comes to setting up new sites. Try and avoid this and see it as an opportunity to freshen things up a little. Your business is probably a far cry from where it was in 2014.
Remember that not everyone is a wizard with words and rightly so. If you’re time poor; consider a professional content writer, and we say ‘professional’ loosely. Take advantage of your staff before looking to expand your team. You could have a budding wordsmith sitting right opposite you, waiting for an opportunity like this.
Don’t overlook your meta tags and alt text! While they aren’t front facing, they still matter.

Why is it so important?

With over 85% of the world’s population buying online, it’s now more important than ever to treat your customers online as you would instore (if not better). Inspire them and give them something to remember you by. Content generation is basically an online dating game between your website and Google. Making time for it is probably one of the best SEO investments you can make (without it needing to cost an arm and a leg). Google is the one thing you should never stop trying to impress. You are just one website, standing in front of the internet, asking it to love you. So, if you’re not pumping out relevant, engaging content, your chances of being found amongst others is minimal.