Self-Assess Your Content
As content creators, one of the most essential tasks we face is ensuring that the content we produce is both helpful and reliable. A good starting point for this is self-assessment. By evaluating your content against a set of thoughtful questions, you can get a clearer idea of its quality and usefulness. Moreover, seeking feedback from trusted individuals outside your content's direct sphere can provide an unbiased perspective.
Content and Quality Questions
When assessing your content, ask yourself:
Originality and Insight:
Does your content offer new, original information, research, or analysis? It's important that your content stands out by providing substantial value that goes beyond merely rehashing existing material.
Comprehensiveness:
Does your content cover the topic thoroughly? Readers should leave feeling well-informed, without the need to search for additional resources.
Value-Added Information:
Are you offering insights that go beyond the obvious? Your content should provide readers with something they can’t easily find elsewhere.
Substantial Contribution:
When drawing on other sources, do you add original value instead of just rewriting the same information? Your content should be a valuable contribution to the conversation.
Effective Titles:
Does the main heading or title accurately and descriptively summarize your content without being overly dramatic or sensational?
Reader Impact:
Would someone want to bookmark, share, or recommend your page? If not, what can be improved to make your content more compelling?
These questions will help ensure your content is of high quality and stands out among search results.
Expertise and Trustworthiness
When readers consume content, they need to trust the source. To achieve this, your content should be backed by expertise:
Clear Expertise: Does your content present itself in a way that builds trust? Ensure your sources are clearly cited, and provide background information on authors or the site itself, linking to an About page or author bio.
Authoritative Content: Is your content written or reviewed by an expert? The more specialized your topic, the more essential it is to demonstrate deep knowledge and avoid factual errors.
Reader Confidence: Will a reader feel confident in your content? Providing accurate, well-supported information builds credibility with your audience.
Building and demonstrating expertise in your content fosters trust, which is a key factor in its success.
Focus on a Great Page Experience
Google’s core ranking systems reward content that offers a superior page experience. The goal is not to excel in just one or two aspects but to create an overall smooth and engaging experience. This includes ensuring fast loading times, mobile-friendliness, and an intuitive layout that guides users through the content effortlessly.
People-First vs. Search Engine-First Content
It’s easy to get caught up in trying to optimize content for search engines, but the focus should remain on people-first content. If your content is created with the primary intention of providing value to your audience, you’re on the right path.
To assess if your content aligns with people-first principles, ask yourself:
Audience Relevance: Is your content created with your audience in mind? Would they find it useful?
Depth of Knowledge: Does your content showcase firsthand expertise and deep knowledge of the subject?
Content Satisfaction: Will readers leave your page feeling like they’ve gained sufficient knowledge to achieve their goal?
On the other hand, content created mainly for search engines often falls short of these criteria. Some warning signs of search engine-first content include writing about trending topics purely for traffic, excessive use of automation, and focusing on keyword optimization
over substance.
What About SEO?
Search engine optimization (SEO) is still a valuable practice, but it should complement
people-first content. SEO involves techniques that help search engines discover and understand your content better. When done correctly, it can be a powerful tool to enhance your people-first content’s visibility and reach.
Understanding E-E-A-T and Quality Rater Guidelines
E-E-A-T, which stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness, is a critical factor in Google's assessment of content quality. While not a direct ranking factor, these aspects help Google determine which content is most helpful for searchers.
Of these, trust is the most vital. Building trust through clear experience, expert knowledge, and authoritative content can give your content a better chance of performing well, especially on topics that significantly impact people’s lives, such as finance, health, or safety.
Evaluating "Who, How, and Why" in Your Content
One effective method to evaluate your content is by asking three critical questions: Who, How, and Why.
Who: Is it clear who created your content? Transparency about authorship builds trust and aligns with the principles of E-E-A-T.
How: Provide details about how the content was created. For instance, if you used automation or AI in the process, disclose this information to your audience. Transparency about the methods used to produce content can enhance its credibility.
Why: The "Why" is perhaps the most crucial question. Content should be created primarily to help people, not to manipulate search engine rankings. If your content's purpose is to attract and engage your audience by providing valuable information, you’re on the right track.
Conclusion
The key to creating great content is a focus on people-first principles. By continuously evaluating your content’s quality, expertise, and purpose, you can build trust with your audience and succeed in providing valuable information. Google's ranking systems are designed to reward helpful, well-crafted content, so keep that at the forefront of your content strategy.
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