Laying out quality content in black and white

No doubt about it, quality content is the centerpiece of content marketing.  Writing articles and blogs is probably the number one strategy that puts you miles ahead of your competition, increases your company’s reach, and cements an authoritative brand for the long haul.

The definition of quality content is not black and white. The term “quality” is as varied as the number of copywriters, clients, and information-seekers walking this planet. If I had a penny for every description I’ve heard or read, I’d be living a life of ease on a tropical beach somewhere and surfing every day.

What is Quality Content?

Google’s idea about quality content focuses on the reader only once. But mostly Google advises how to get the website found and what the search engine wants so you’ll end up on the front page. Search engine optimization is important to getting traffic (visitors), but Google generally doesn’t buy your products.

Clients and your audience are not search engine spider algorithms.

Getting found is crucial, but keeping an audience is decisive.

Client’s Quality Content

Most of the time Houston clients aren’t helpful at all in developing content. They don’t lay out their expectations in black and write. Write it, we’ll review. If we like it, we’ll approve it. If not, well …

Never lose sight that to a client, it’s all business, and quality is defined in terms of

• Brand elevation and awareness
• Why you’re better than your competitor
• Sales and repeat sales (customer loyalty)

If the client’s phone starts ringing, if the online sales go up, you have quality content.

Reader’s Quality Content

Your client’s phone or cash register won’t start ringing until you keep your visitor. People look at websites for information. They are usually in a decision-making mode, or close to it.

Convince me.

Or they have a problem they need help with.

Solve it.

Maybe they may be casually browsing.

I’m bored, entertain me.

One thing for sure, your audience is not looking for a research paper, chock full of jargon that they can’t understand. They don’t need to be talked down to, or talked up to. They don’t need sales pitch after sales pitch, touting feature after feature. They don’t like text and grammatical errors.

And they certainly don’t want to take a nap.

From a reader’s view, quality content is black and white. The visitor demands exceptional writing that is

• Relevant,
• easy to read, and
• informative

that helps them

• make a decision
• solve a problem
• stimulate an idea

The copywriter must “make it happen” for both the viewer on a mission and the casual surfer. The reader must be convinced through text that he or she really needs the product because it will make life easier.

Copywriter’s Quality Content

It’s not enough to write appealing, informative, objective and precise webpages, articles, and blogs.

Houston, we have a problem.

SEO copywriters must find a way to combine what search engines, clients, and readers want simultaneously.

Therefore, copywriters’ definition of quality content is writing that

• Is search engine bait
• Reinforces the clients brand and
• Increases client sales that is
• Interesting to the reader,
• Enticing him or her to buy the product or service and
• Share the discovery with family, friends, and co-workers

Quality content is very tall order for a relatively short copy piece. Search engine marketing is undoubtedly a cruel mistress.

Are you sold?

What’s your quality content definition?