High Quality Website Content, A Key Business Growth Asset

Do you know what the most essential component of your website is? High-quality website content!

In the online world, there is a well-worn phrase, “Content is King.” It has stood the test of time for good reason. Good content rules.

In the age of DIY website creation, business owners can quickly launch an attractive website using various website platforms.

While the convenience is extraordinary and the ease of use continues to improve, an attractive website can be quite different from a productive website.

 

Quality Content Provides Value to Visitors

Your audience is visiting your website because it has some form of value. Their goal could be learning, reading, watching, purchasing, or gathering more information about your brand.

The quality of the content on your website impacts your visitor’s experience and can win or lose a customer. It is also essential to your website’s success with discoverability and visibility in search engines like Google.

In this post, we’ll explore several significant benefits of using high-quality content on your website and why it’s a key business asset. These benefits include:

Table of Contents:

1. Builds user engagement.

2. Develops trust with readers and visitors.

3. Stays relevant to visitors longer (Evergreen Content).

4. Grows website traffic & google rankings (SEO).

5. Converts visitors to customers.

6. Reduces marketing costs.

7. Supports other marketing programs.

What is Website Content, and What Makes It “High Quality”?

How do we define quality website content? At its core, a website has a structure, a theme, and navigational elements. However, it is the content that fills the structure and brings the website to life. Exceptional content adds more life.

When we talk about “high quality”, we’re referring to web site content that engages readers, is relevant to the topic, is factually accurate, and is unique in what it provides. Most business website content consists of text, images, videos, and PDFs.

High-Quality Content Provides High Value and ROI

High-quality website content, in its many forms and formats, can yield tremendous results for an affordable level of investment (think ROI).

The content you publish on your site may vary by topic, type, function, and length. However, the ultimate goal of high-quality website content is to promote reader engagement, brand awareness, return visits, content sharing, and conversions. Oh, and also grow your sales and revenue.

Although “quality” is somewhat subjective, a few essential criteria will identify your content as “high quality.”

1. Clear of typos, grammar mistakes, and misspellings.
2. Gains credibility by delivering sufficient length and depth for the topic or function.
3. Delivers what your users want and expect. Focuses on what makes your web site content unique and valuable.
4. Avoids tricks designed solely to improve search engine rankings.
5. Loads quickly on both desktop and mobile devices.

Focusing on producing high-quality content for your business website will deliver clear and measurable results. Here are seven reasons why.

Why Quality Website Content Delivers Value

1. Quality Web Site Content Builds User Engagement

Well-written, high-quality content engages website visitors. Poorly written, uninformative, or thin content (less than 200 words on the page) doesn’t resonate with readers.

• The quality of your content can be the difference between a reader spending 5 seconds on a page, or two minutes.
• It can also be the deciding factor on whether a website visitor visits additional pages on your website or leaves the site.

Beyond the time a visitor spends on a page and the number of pages per visit, quality content also encourages social media sharing and direct sharing via email and text messages. Activities that are likely to bring additional visitors to your website and increase conversions – at no cost to your business.

Increasing User Engagement

Quality content often prompts readers to engage further through comments, sharing the content on social media, or even signing up for newsletters. This active engagement boosts the site’s interactivity and fosters a sense of community around the brand.

• Even in a niche market, competition for attracting visitors and readers remains intense.
• High-quality, high-value content will engage and retain those readers.
• People are more likely to read and share your content if it provides value to them.
• It’s important to discover what your visitors are interested in and give it to them.

Growing Organic Traffic

Search engines favor high-quality content. When content is well-researched, original, and relevant, it’s more likely to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs). This directly translates to increased visibility and more organic website traffic.

Quality content naturally incorporates relevant keywords, meta descriptions, and high-quality backlinks, all essential components of search engine optimization (SEO). When content is crafted with both reader and SEO in mind, it becomes a powerful tool for driving organic traffic.

2. Builds Trust with Readers

Many of the same elements that build engagement also build trust with readers. We’ve all been to websites with spelling errors, poor grammar, or outlandish statements that leave you thinking, “That can’t be true.” Website content like that does not inspire trust, often on a subconscious level.

Websites with sketchy, thin, content or that look like they were thrown together without much effort generally don’t build a level of trust to make you want to return in the future. Or to sign up for an event or email list and, even less likely, make a purchase.

Authority and Credibility

Consistently producing high-quality content can position a business, brand, or individual as an authority in their given field. Readers invariably turn to these trusted sources for information or solutions related to the topic or area.

• Authority builds trust, and trust helps build authority.
• Credibility in a website’s content also builds trust.
• When your content is consistently high quality, free from errors and misspellings, and highly accurate and well-researched, it generates credibility with website visitors.

The more credible your website is, the greater the level of trust visitors have in the content and potentially in your business. In the long run, trust also builds increased website traffic and website conversions.

3. Quality Website Content Remains Relevant Longer

One fact proven over years of measurement on the Internet is that high-quality content stays relevant and visible longer. Phrased another way, it has a longer shelf life. This is also known as content being “evergreen.”

What is Evergreen Content?

Evergreen content is quality content that survives the test of time and continues delivering value to your website visitors for months—or even years—after publication. Evergreen content can be packaged in various formats, including “how to” articles, top ten lists known as listicles, instructional videos, and case studies. It can be text, images, videos, infographics, or PDFs.

Several elements help high-quality evergreen content maintain a long shelf life. They include:

• Complies with SEO best practices.
• Is periodically updated.
• Covers broader issues within an industry.
• Does not “date stamp” the content with event-specific information.
• Has sufficient depth and level of information.

Content Scope

It can be tempting to cover a wide range of topics with less depth and detail to appeal to a broader audience. On the other hand, quality content delves deeper into specific subjects, providing comprehensive insights and detailed explanations.

• More words or posts don’t necessarily mean better content.
• Quality content prioritizes delivering value in each piece of content, whether a concise 300-word product description or an in-depth 3,000-word how-to guide.

Quality, well-written content, like product or event reviews, is useful and important for your readership. However, maintaining a balance of content types, including evergreen content, on your website or blog is key to growing long-term website traffic.

4. Builds and Maintains Google Search Engine Rankings

For your content to be effective, people need to find it. You may be a clever or quick writer, but ultimately the greatest content in the world isn’t going to help your business unless people know it exists.

Quality website content employs SEO best practices. Well-written content uses appropriate keywords, keyword density, inbound links, and other SEO elements that make your website site more visible in search engines.

Bounce Rate, Engagement Rate, and Wordcount

When visitors find valuable and relevant content, they’re more likely to stay on the page longer and read additional pages. This reduces a website’s bounce rate (visitors leaving quickly after viewing only a single page) and increases its engagement rate (staying on the website longer and viewing multiple pages).

A lower bounce rate and a higher engagement rate often signal to search engines that the content is valuable to readers, potentially boosting its rankings. A critical factor in these metrics is wordcount, or the number of words on the page.

“When searching on Google, how often have you seen a web page with only 200 words ranking in the top 10 results on a search results page (SERP)? Not very often.”

In an article on the respected SEO website Backlinko, they explored “the factors that correlate with first-page search engine rankings.”

• “We analyzed 11.8 million Google search results. Here is what we learned.”  “We discovered that word count was evenly distributed among the top 10 results. The average Google first page result contains 1,447 words.”

Looked at from another perspective in the industry publication Search Engine Journal in the article, Word Count & SEO: What Content Marketers Need To Consider.  Their conclusion was: “…a higher word count alone will not help you rank higher. Instead, you need to create quality content with the information searchers want. Remember why users are coming to your page; satisfy their intent and give them what they seek.”

Content Discovery

Related marketing programs such as social media sharing and email marketing are also valuable tools for getting broader viewership for your content. Direct sharing of content links via email and text messaging also extends the audience of your high-quality content.

Encouraging social sharing of your content is essential to SEO marketing programs. However, first, you have to have quality content that people will want to share. Sharing of website content helps with the following:

• Content discovery.
• Website and business visibility.
• Visitor traffic to your website.
• Building additional, quality links to your content.

Backlink Growth

Another important SEO aspect of quality website content is that it encourages backlinks – other websites linking to your content.

High-quality, informative, and original content often attracts backlinks from other reputable websites. These organic backlinks not only boost SEO efforts, but also increase your content’s reach and credibility.

• Evergreen content is effective at attracting backlinks due to its longevity.
• When you create content with an effective number of words, it can potentially increase the number of people (domains) linking to your page.

A 2020 study by SEO Research tool company Ahrefs, “How Long Should Blog Posts Be? The ‘Truth’ About Content Length“analyzed around 900 million web pages and found a strong positive correlation between word count and the average number of referring domains.”

Related Content: Technical SEO 101: Your Guide to Better Website Performance

5. Converts Visitors to Customers

Building trust is a vital part of sales generation for any business or blog. One way you can create that trust is by establishing yourself as an industry thought leader and authority by producing high-quality content.

Decision Making

Quality content can educate potential customers about products, services, or industry topics, guiding them through the decision-making process. Businesses can help potential customers make informed decisions by providing all the necessary information.

Publishing product or service-specific content such as FAQs, product reviews, and instructional videos or blog posts will help reassure potential customers. A few tips for crafting sales-generating content are:

• Add screenshots to articles or reviews.
• Include videos when possible.
• Write in a conversational tone.

Producing top-notch content for your website is crucial in transforming visitors into prospective leads and, ultimately, loyal customers. By presenting essential details that aid in decision-making, you can significantly boost conversion rates.

Calls to Action (CTAs)

High-quality content naturally leads readers to a desired action without coming off as overly salesy. Whether purchasing, signing up for a webinar, or downloading a resource, quality content seamlessly integrates CTAs, making the conversion process smooth for the reader.

• An initial visit is often not enough to compel a website visitor to purchase or engage with a CTA.
• Convincing content can motivate that visitor to revisit your site in the future and move further down the sales funnel at that time.

For example, if your business revolves around product sales, think about developing compelling blog articles or videos that explore more details about the product or how to use the product most effectively. This material doesn’t just inform your audience – it also serves as a powerful persuader, encouraging them to opt for your brand.

6. Reduces Marketing Costs

Quality content is a long-term investment that will continue to pay dividends for months or years after it is created. Visualize a piece of web site content that still draws website traffic from Google and social media shares 18 or 24 months after it was created.

Compare that to the cost of running ads for the same period. Would you rather spend a significant amount of money each month on advertising or invest in content that continues to attract readers years after it was created?

Long-Term Investment

Indirect benefits that quality content delivers might not be immediately apparent compared to direct outcomes like increased traffic or conversions. Yet, they do play a crucial role in long-term brand building, cost-saving, and enhancing overall marketing strategies.

Leveraging User-Generated Content

Quality content often encourages readers to share their thoughts, stories, or experiences, potentially long after the content was initially  created. This user-generated content can be a valuable asset, providing authentic testimonials, insights, and visibility that can be integrated into future marketing efforts without additional development costs.

7. Supports Other Marketing Programs

Producing standout content can lead to collaborations and partnerships with other industry leaders, bloggers, or influencers. These networking opportunities and relationships can result in guest posting opportunities, joint webinars, or other collaborative projects. This further expands your brand’s reach.

Share-Worthy Content

Content sharing is a crucial factor driving the Internet. Shared content doesn’t just boost brand awareness; it’s also a significant part of making your brand visible online.

• Good website content is valuable because it’s precisely the type of content worth sharing— informative, engaging, funny, controversial, educational, or insightful.

It’s also important to remember that your quality website content isn’t shared only on social media platforms. Many people also share content by sending links to your content through email and text messages.

Content Amplification And Advertising Synergy

Quality content can be repurposed and used across various marketing channels, from social media snippets to email newsletters. This amplifies the content’s usefulness and reach and reinforces your brand messaging.

• While quality content can drive organic traffic, it can also support paid advertising efforts.
• For instance, a well-crafted blog post can serve as a landing page for a PPC campaign, increasing the chances of conversion.

Enhances Your Brand Image

Engagement, trust, and quality content all impact how your visitors perceive your brand. Consistently publishing high-quality content can also help position a brand as a thought leader in its industry.

This leadership status can elevate your brand’s image, making it the go-to source for information and insights on a given topic.

Quality Website Content Conclusions:

High-Quality website content is the most important component of your website. Content that builds trust and authority with visitors and adds value will and have evergreen staying power.

In the long term, website content can grow visitor traffic, increase website and brand visibility, reduce marketing costs, provide additional marketing opportunities, build user engagement, trust, and search engine rankings.

All leading to a greater number of  conversions and sales.

Creating genuinely effective content will provide a solid, continuing boost for your business and will be crucial to your online business success.

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