In the past couple of years, Google has put a big emphasis on the link between “quality content” and ranking highly in the search results. But what exactly does quality content look like?
Put together using Google’s guidelines and our own experience, here’s a simple, 5 point checklist to help you create content that climbs the search rankings and engages your guests.
1. Create content that informs, inspires and entertains
At its core, great content provides real value to your guests by giving them information, answering their questions and addressing their queries and interests. Before you get started on a new blog or social media post, it’s a good idea to revisit your guest personas to reacquaint yourself with your audience’s needs and behaviours.
But it’s not just about educating, quality content can inspire and entertain too. Preferably, it will do all three. Next time you’re in danger of producing content for content’s sake, remind yourself of the primary purpose of the piece you’re working on and be faithful to it.
2. Keep your word count in check
When it comes to word count, there are no set-in-stone rules. Research has shown that most of us have a very small attention span when reading content online, which suggests short and to the point content goes hand in hand with better engagement rates.
Still, the best thing you can do is test content of different lengths with your resort’s unique audience. Although short to medium-form content seems to be favourite, creating the best possible user experience for your guests, regardless of word count, should be your number one priority.
3. Proofread!
No matter how long you’ve been doing this, mistakes happen. We all miss a keystroke and jumble our characters up now and then. Unfortunately, nothing erodes authority, professionalism and confidence in your brand like sloppy spelling and grammar errors. So, check and double-check before you hit the publish button, and put your best face forward for your online audience.
4. Ease Up On Keywords
Poor quality, keyword-stuffed content no longer cuts it; in fact Google seems to punish this kind of behaviour more and more with every algorithm update. However, sometimes keyword stuffing can happen unintentionally - especially when it comes to headings. This can trigger Google’s spam filters, even if your intentions were innocent.
When you’ve finished writing, try running a Command+F/Ctr+F search on the main keywords you’re targeting to ensure they’re not saturating the page.
5. Make It Look Good
One of the first rules of creating text-based content for an online audience is to make it easy to digest. Present your information in bite-sized pieces by using headers consistently, and break up long paragraphs with bullet points and indent quotes. Don’t forget to include images and video wherever possible to add visual interest.
What guidelines do you use to create quality content for your guests? Let us know in the comments below!
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