Making content a FAIR representation of your business

This week, people have noticed that Google has subtly amended its Google Webmaster Rankings article to suggest that it is turning its focus very much towards good content rather than links. The article now states that for a website owner to improve their rankings, they should provide ‘high-quality sites that users will want to use and share’, a new addition to the article which replaces the previous advice about ‘increasing the number of high-quality sites that link to [their] pages.’

So what does this mean you should be doing differently? Essentially, Google is saying that it’s time your site stood on its own two feet. Google should be finding it on its own merit, rather than because other sites are linking to you. It’s the difference between visiting a shop and finding out for yourself that it’s good because it stocks great content and offers fantastic customer service and being told to go by lots of friends whose opinions you respect, but when you arrive you find the shelves a little empty and the staff a bit surly.

What this means is that you need to start proving your worth and stop relying so heavily on the endorsements from other sites that backlinks provide. This is why it’s so important to optimise all of the content on your site. Backlinks alone won’t trick Google into thinking your site is worth its reputation. Once people arrive at the shop their friends have recommended, it needs to prove itself to you as a shop you would want to visit. The same principle applies here.

When you’re creating great site content, you need to make sure it gives a FAIR representation of your business: keep it Fresh, keep it Accurate, keep it Informative and keep it Relevant. This way, Google can see that you care about providing a site your visitors will find useful, and it will reward you for your effort to cater to your customers. If you’re an e-shop, put up as much information as possible about products. If your business is rapidly undergoing changes, put up a news page. No matter what industry you’re in, you can provide a blog about what’s going on either inside your own business or in the industry as a whole to show that you’re on top of current issues.

At Artemis, we have a team of content writers able to create a range of content which will fit into your website naturally and will show Google that you’re serious about providing a user-friendly, informative site. So get in touch today to find out how we can help you keep your content FAIR.