Have you ever wondered why content is so important for SEO? We will try to find the answer to it in this article.

Content is an integral part of SEO, and when marketers create the perfect bond between the two, it can lift websites to the first positions of search rankings. However, there is a rider to it because the boosting is only possible when both content and SEO perform at its peak. On the contrary, if the boding and performance are subpar, there are chances of attracting Google penalties that can damage the Baltimore SEO prospects.

To succeed with SEO, marketers must ensure that SEO and content work together in perfect harmony for which it needs proper understanding about how content contributes value to SEO.

Content meaning

Content is a body of information, but it does not mean that every piece of information can become content.  You must process the information to convert it into content. Firstly, you must objectively present the information by distilling the information with the purpose of sharing some important and useful aspects of it with the audience that is very relevant too. Secondly, the manner of presentation of information must be similar to storytelling so that it generates interest, creates engagement and stokes some emotions. Lastly, there can be different formats of presenting content like text, images, videos, audio, graphics, and even presentations.

Regardless of the manner of creating and presenting content, you must ensure that it is relevant and useful to the audience and indeed of high quality. There cannot be any compromise on this.

Why content is valuable for SEO

Search engines are the vehicles that give wings to digital marketing by ranking websites in search results for gaining visibility. By ranking sites, search engines accomplish their mission of organizing the world's information and make it universally accessible while ensuring that it is useful. The information is gathered from the content of websites and search engines are keen to serve users with valuable and relevant information is a split second. By judging the relevancy and usefulness of information together with its quality, search engines rank all information (content) of websites that appear in search results so that users can quickly access it. Therefore, when content is useful for searchers, it ranks high in search results, and automatically it becomes valuable for SEO.

Content features that underline its value

By stating that content must be useful, Google means that it must be beneficial for users. Marketers and SEO experts must be conversant in creating content that has some distinctive traits to denote that users would benefit from it. Here are some of the characteristics of good content that convey value to users.

• Informative and useful – You must provide exhaustive information on any topic that is interesting for users and on finding it useful they should be able to make good use of it. When users make use of the information, it should be beneficial for business. Suppose you have a website for the restaurant business, you can create content that has all information about the location, hours of business, menu, contact information and blog that highlights special events.

• More valuable than similar content on other websites – No matter what might be the topic of content, the information that you provide through it must be more valuable than information available on numerous sites on the same or similar topic.

• High quality – The content must be unique with a focus on some specific topic and high quality. Create content with the purpose of providing value to users and keep away from mass-produced content just for the sake of creating it. Although content helps in bettering search rankings, it must not be the goal of creating content. Instead, content should aim at providing better user experience, which if achieved will automatically push up the ranking.

• Credible – Content enhances the credibility of websites, and you must use content to build authority on the web by creating research-based and authentic content with links, citations, testimonials, and reviews spread across it. Actual user testimonials can help boost the reputation and trustworthiness of websites.

• Engaging – Make the website lively and colorful to create closer engagement with the people behind the business by uploading images of the leaders, team members and even yourself, in case it is a proprietorship business. Every information, as well as language, spelling, and grammar of the content, must be correct because errors can diminish its value and make it less appealing. Avoid too many ads on the website because it creates a distraction. Make provisions for social media widgets, comment boxes, and regular updates so that it provides enormous opportunities for interacting with users regularly and keep them engaged.

Creating content by ensuring that it has the above features helps to maximize the SEO value of content. However, to leverage the powers of content for SEO, you must optimize it. Without optimization, content can never deliver the SEO value hidden within it.

Why content optimization is important

Since content helps to rank in search results, it must be search engine friendly for which you must optimize it.  Optimization can begin right from the time of content creation by making it an audience-oriented which means fulfilling the requirements stated in the preceding paragraph. When you create content for the audience by keeping in mind what the audience wants, automatically it becomes audience-oriented content.

Knowing what the audience wants is a pre-requisite for creating optimized content. Conducting keyword research helps to gauge the search patterns and search terms that highlight what the audience is looking for. This provides guidance in selecting topics for creating content that the audience would like.  Next, focus on the content structure to ensure that is optimally readable by formatting it suitably. Include backlinks in the content that enhances the credibility of the website and enhances better ranking possibilities.

By creating quality content and optimizing it, the visibility improves dramatically which translates into significant SEO achievement.