This is a guest post by James Martell from AffiliateMarketersBootcamp.com.
Whether you are just starting out in your Internet business, or have been at it for a while now, there are some important steps you need to take when developing quality content. Some of this might seem very basic to those who have worked for a while now, but a refresher never hurts.
I am not going to go into much detail on why quality content is important, as I’ve done that in a few other articles. This time I am going to focus on the actual development of material that will attract the attention of Google, an important ally to have when working with the Internet.
Google no longer is friendly to fluff material that are articles stuffed with keywords, yet no substance. They have the ability to zero in on quality content and weed out the material created for computer spiders, rather than humans. Gone are the days of spinning and stuffing.
So, let’s get down to what can help you in creating Google-friendly content.
1. Designated Work Space. I have touched base on this a few times, but will continue to do so, due to its importance. I am a firm believer in having a dedicated office or space for work, when working from home. Working from the dining room table, or living room couch will typically lead to less than professional results.
If you can’t designate an entire room for an office, then find a corner in a low traffic area of the house to set up shop. There are multiple corner computer desks for home to choose from and can fit in nicely. Make sure that everyone in the home knows this is your work area. In other words, it’s not a place to gather around and play games…and when you are sitting there, you are working.
After you have set yourself up in a professional atmosphere, then you are all set to move on to the next steps in creating quality content.
2. Define Quality. In order to define quality, you need to know what your readers are looking for when they visit your site. It doesn’t matter how much time and effort you put into your site. If it’s not what the reader is after, they won’t stick around.
Therefore, quality is actually defined by their opinions, not yours, or even your time spent in producing the site. You need to produce content that answers their questions, or provides solutions for them.
A good example would be a review site. If you are looking to invest in a particular product, you might seek out reviews before purchasing it. When going to a review site, you will most likely appreciate an honest review, over a well-written biased one with all pleasantries. So, by divulging the good and bad of the product, you are giving an honest review that is valuable to the reader. In other words, high quality content.
3. Relatable Story Telling. Take a look at popular print publications. You will probably notice a similarity between them, and that is they are telling a story and relating to the reader.
Conversational style writing is popular for a reason. People are drawn to what they can relate to, and feel connected to when reading. Talking about real experiences, events, and people make the story real. Talk to the reader as if you are telling them a story in person, filled with relatable experiences, links, and quotes.
4. No Need to be a Natural. When I first started my affiliate marketing career in 1999, I had no writing experience in my credentials. I was in carpentry, actually. Sure, I love to tell a story, but not necessarily on paper. Podcasts are my forte.
Knowing that I needed quality content, I realized that I had to find a way to write. I tried for a while, but soon sought outside help. And, I learned something interesting from one of the writers. She told me that she spends triple the amount of time in research than she does the actual writing, no matter how well she knows the topic.
The significance of research is that it helps you to learn what people are saying about the topic, as well as what they are looking for. It also can enhance what we already know and make for a great piece.
5. The Development Process. The process to developing quality content can be broken down into steps, such as the following:
- Research – As mentioned above, it helps to enhance the product. So, do a lot of research, and take notes. Also, include links and quotes that are relevant to the topic.
- Outline – Putting everything into an outline helps with development, by laying out the story, giving it a much easier flow for the readers. Use this outline to pace the story from start to finish.
- Reality – Using real events, people, and experiences adds credibility to your story. It also helps a reader relate to what you are saying.
- Format – It’s best to use shorter paragraphs, rather than those that are long and drawn out. It will help with a reader’s attention span. Also, use subheadings and bullet points when possible, to break up the reading, as well as informing them what is coming up.
- Finishing – Upon completion, read through it to find any errors that might be there, as well as making sure all questions are answered.
Knowing these steps will help you in creating quality content for your website, which will keep readers coming back for more. However, even if you plan on outsourcing this part of the business, it gives you an outline of what to expect and works as a guide for checking work that comes in from those you hire.
6. Technology. Being in the Internet business, we are already relying on technology. But, there are so many tools available to help us in our careers to make it easier, quicker, and more efficient. Some of those are items such as video conferencing, Smart Phones, software for organizing or writing, and so much more.
However, if technology intimidates you, it’s not a problem. There are plenty of people who are willing to assist you. If you are wondering how does video conferencing work, simply ask a sales clerk, or get on message boards. It’s worth it, because video conferencing can save you a lot of time and money by being able to host meetings right from home.
Smart Phones and iPads can keep you connected, no matter where you are, so you don’t miss important messages. Technology is constantly changing and improving. I suggest you do some research on what the latest tools are, on a regular basis.
Well, that is my opinion on the best steps in creating quality content. I am interested in knowing what you have to say about it all. Please leave questions or comments in the comment box below.
Some great points here. I completely agree about finding a designated working space at home. I used to try and work on the sofa but too often found myself falling asleep or reaching for the TV remote! Now I have set up a desk in a different room and my productivity has gone up a lot. Thanks for sharing
Having a designated workspace just makes sense if you’re planning to work from home. You need a place where you can sit down and focus on the task at hand, where you are less likely to be distracted by television or laundry or other duties around the house.
I also appreciate your tip about the significance of research. People will be able to tell if you don’t know what you’re talking about. You need to know your stuff before you try to present it to someone else.
The first thing to remember about writing is that you’re writing for someone else to read it – not for search engines, that’s secondary.
Some great points and particularly for me I also found the idea of writing well and regularly quite difficult but doing research (as you have suggested) and time to practice proved that I was actually quite good at it.
I can definitely back you up on the importance of setting aside a space for working. Countless hours were lost from the close proximity of my refrigerator to my computer in the living room. I loves the chocolate ice cream. A separate space is essential to achieve the mentality of getting down to work.
“Relatable Story Telling.” This is all what your readers want. People want to read something they can understand or at least can help them to solve their problems, not something to figure out what it is.
Quality Content is the Meat of the blog but before you can offer a Fresh and Quality Meat, the environment and other factors are still to consider. The Content becomes Quality when the factors or standards are met. Technology is a great factor too.
Hi James I agree, researching is one of the important aspects to know to grab the attention of your readers. Organizing and making it more realistic can grab people interest. Interesting and fresh contents can help you boost the attention of readers to visit your site.
Great build up to creating good quality content that Google will love. As far as work space is concerned, I find it hard to be in one location when working. Sitting in my garden on my laptop, sometimes brings out the best ideas, but I guess that’s just me 🙂
Your Development Process is amazing. In order to be consistent you really need a structured approach to remain consistent and productive. In my outline process, when I get stuck I visit amazon and search for the topic in the book section. Once I find a suitable book, I check out the book’s table of contents to give me an idea of where to start writing valuable content.
Hey James, Great blog man..In Google’s eyes, it’s taking steps to ensure that the users are getting only the best in terms of content. Improve under performing pages or remove them if they are not relevant or offering outdated information. First try to understand what’s happening with your site and solve the problem. The algorithm is here to stay and there’s nothing we can do about it..