Just how important is content when it comes to Search Engine Optimisation? Often seen as the icing on the cake rather than the foundation of any successful cake recipe, content is treated as an after-thought by many businesses. In reality, content plays a vital role in how your website ranks. Without quality content, you may find it a lot harder to see results from your Search Engine Optimisation strategies.
The Role of Content in Search Engine Optimisation
While content trends come and go, a few things remain the same. When it comes to the role that content plays in Search Engine Optimisation, the following benefits outline how important good content is to rank.
Content helps to provide intent
As Google continues to move towards mobile-first indexing, intent has become more important than ever. A decade ago, searches included web and mobile. Today, mobile searches outnumber desktop searches. This has changed the way that people find information. Google defines the new way of finding information micro-moments, which are defined as I-want-to-know, I-want-to-go, I-want-to-do and I-want-to-buy moments. Content that is optimised for mobile and web searches provides intent, which in turn makes it easier for consumers to find what they need. This does not only help your SEO ranking – it also helps you position your brand as a leader in your industry.
Content helps search engines crawl your website
Good content additionally creates a hierarchy that makes it easier for search engines to determine relevance. In the early days of SEO content, this was achieved through keyword stuffing and exact match keywords. Today, it is achieved through a number of strategies, from grouped keywords to long-form pages that cover similar sub-topics without a broader topic. For example, rather than having multiple pages relating to blue suede shoes, you could have a single page that covers buying blue suede shoes, along with cleaning, wearing and maintaining the shoes. Along with headers, meta titles, links, image tags and meta descriptions, this makes it easier for search engines to crawl and rank your pages.
Content improves usability, which also helps SEO
Finally, another thing that is often overlooked in the battle for top place in the SERPs is the usability factor. Top positions mean nothing if people are arriving on your website and leaving almost instantly. In fact, thanks to constantly changing Google algorithms, websites that produce poor quality content often end up losing their top positions, getting pushed back in the results. Quality content is a major ranking factor. Well-written content that answers questions, provides solutions and adds genuine value can be one of the most powerful tools in your SEO toolbox.
Take the time to work on your content, and you should start seeing the difference in your Search Engine Optimisation results.
