8 Factors That Determine Quality Content

Quality content is now a top priority, but what exactly do we need to look out for when separating the very best content from the rest? Quality content is now one of Google’s biggest ranking factors, so it’s essential that we’re able to identify what it is that makes content stand out.

To give you a better idea of what Google are after, here’s a list of characteristics every piece of content you write from now on should include.

Avoid Keyword Stuffing

Google introduced some clever algorithm updates that search for authoritative content through keyword synonyms and other related phrases, so stuffing your content full of keywords has essentially become a major backwards step.

You can make it easier for search engines to understand your content by structuring your keywords effectively across the page.

Strong Headlines

We rarely shy away from an opportunity to demonstrate our creative skills through clever headings and subtitles, so it’s a shame when you realise that readers don’t have time to work them out. Your titles need to be strong, clear, relatable and a realistic length.

Keep Your Audience In Mind

Do your best to write for your audience rather than your peers, in which case you should be thinking about what your audience wants to read.

Avoid lots of technical jargon if you know they aren’t all that familiar with complex industry terms and avoid talking down to an audience primarily made up of industry professionals.

Will It Be Shared?

Content needs to be built around plenty of share value, so it helps to consider whether or not your social media followers would have an interest in it. Try reading your content back as a consumer to see whether or not it talks to you.

Word Count

A ranking factors study from Searchmetrics suggested that the ideal word count for a page of content was 1000 words. However, there’s no strict set of rules you need to follow as far as word counts go, although Google does seem to favour longer, heavier content pages.

Proofread (Always!)

It’s quite easy to miss typos; no matter how much experience you have proofreading content.

You could lose significant credibility as a writer for constantly failing to pick up on your mistakes. It’s not always a bad idea to let someone else read your work before sending it out.

High Quality, Natural Links

You should only ever link to reputable, high quality sources and this is something any experienced SEO will be aware of.

However, your links should also come from natural phrases within the text, so not just standard terms such as “click here” for instance.

A Compelling Layout

Bulky text isn’t a good look, so use every ounce of creativity you’ve got to design a content page that’s well structured and appealing to the eye.

Avoid long paragraphs and throw in a few additional headers and bullet points, especially when listing. The most imposing images are best placed at the top of a content page.

There’s plenty of additional changes you could make to your content writing style in order to improve your ranking capabilities, but the characteristics mentioned above are certainly some of the most important when trying to get the upper hand with Google.

If you’re looking for unrivalled SEO results from a company that’s always up-to-date with the latest algorithm changes at Google, get in touch with Artemis today.