Are you sick of seeing that phrase? "Quality content" - Google uses that phrase, gurus use that phrase, and I use it myself a ton (you'll find it in my books, posts, emails instructions, forum threads, and more.
But...WHAT the HECK does it mean?
I've had a chance to take a look at some sites created by people on my list the past week because they were concerned about not seeing results, sales and commissions. They wanted some feedback.
The sites were all visually appealing, the posts were well written, the grammar was excellent, and the content was unique.
In each case, though, what was missing was the human side of the equation!
When you write something - especially if you're writing something that you hope is going to make you money - you have to remember that there is someone on the other end of that content. A human being.
And you need to give that human being something - charm, humor, information, wit, a demonstration that you understand what they're after and why....SOMETHING. You don't need all of those things - one or two can suffice. If you're not a charming, witty kind of writer, that's okay. Maybe logic and information are your strengths - play to those!
Grammatically correct sentences that are unique and relevant are not enough. If you have those covered but aren't seeing results then maybe your "human" is missing.
The content you write isn't about Google and it isn't about you. it's about the person who is reading it.
What are you giving them that they didn't already have?
Suppose you're writing about a product keyword like "large yellow sofa pillows". It's easy to think that just writing about the pillows should help Google understand what your post is about but you're not writing for Google (I mean, you want to keep them in mind but they're not your #1
target!).
That person who is looking for those large, yellow, sofa pillows is your target. Think about why a person would land on your post about those pillows rather than going straight to Amazon or straight to their local store. Brainstorm some things you might know about that person:
- They can't find the color of yellow they want to match their living room
- They want a really bright yellow for a child's room
- They can't find a print (stripes, curls, polka dots) that appeals to them
- They don't like the few, local choices they have
- They want to use them as floor cushions, too
- They have teens at home who love to surround themselves with extra pillows when watching a movie in the playroom
- They're sick of winter and they're ready for something bright and sunny in their home
Well, now! In just a few minutes of brainstorming we have some good stuff we can draw from to use in our content, right?
Next, think about how you've felt in a similar situation. Certainly you've gone shopping for something and couldn't find just the right color or print that you wanted. How did it make you FEEL? Write those words
down!
You've shopped for something you couldn't find in your area easily, right? And how did THAT make you feel?
You've been sick of your local weather at some point in your life, you've seen how people use pillows, you've probably sat on a sofa at some point and thought to yourself "this could really use a pillow". I'm short, when I sit on my sister's sofa, my feet don't touch the ground. I either look like a child or I'm slumped so far back that I'm ready for a
nap. You know what I need? A pillow!
Get all that stuff out of you and put it into your post. There's your human. ;)
Reach out to the person on the other end of that post and let them know you're thinking of them.
Magic happens when you do this - while you're thinking about the end reader, Google suddenly sees more value in your content. You have more relevant, naturally formed words in your post. You rank for more phrases and are likely to get
more traffic.
Every one of you has some human in you (I'm fairly certain....ha ha!) - it's time to let it out!
But if you just can't put that kind of thing into writing yourself, find a writer to do it for you. And I happen to have one on hand you should try.
Contact Shazi Sayed
She's wonderful! She has
content published in Huffington Post like this:
You can check out other samples of her work and contact information here:
She can write about many topics, not just pets - and she's eager to help!
Have a great day!
Sincerely,
Erica Stone
erica@extremereviewer.com
