It goes without saying that any business that’s serious about success needs a website…you wouldn’t be reading this blog if that wasn’t true.
But just having a website in itself is not a competitive advantage. As a business owner, you need to make sure your site is generating leads and positioning you as a thought leader in your industry. Quality content is the key.
Make Sure Your Site is Found, Not Lost
In light of Google’s recent search algorithm updates, SEO practices have become more focused on generating quality content than ever before. One of the major updates — called Panda — focuses on content-rich websites.
While hyperlinks remain important in boosting a given website’s Google rankings, Panda now also judges content as vitally important in site authority and, therefore, results placement. Striking a balance between obtaining solid links and generating authoritative content is the best approach. These two goals are inseparable—the more quality content you generate, the more likely people are to link to your website.
Follow Guidelines from Panda
Google Webmaster Central Blog has provided the following questions for content creators to use as guidelines for producing “authoritative content”:
- Would you trust the information presented in this article?
- Is this article written by an expert/enthusiast who knows the topic well, or is it more shallow in nature?
- Is the site a recognized authority on its topic?
- Would you recognize this site as an authoritative source when mentioned by name?
- Is this the sort of page you’d want to bookmark, share with a friend, or recommend?
The SEO experts recommend thinking of Panda as a “content quality filter.” Tailor your content to fit Panda’s known parameters and your website is more likely to be perceived as a living resource center—one that clients and prospective clients will return to when they need information — not just on your products and services, but your industry as well.
And generating content encourages other content creators to link to your website, which can further enhance your search engine rankings.
You Owe It to Your Business to Stay Current
There’s little chance your website will be found if it doesn’t yield decent search engine rankings. So think about Panda. Visit Google Webmaster Central and similar sites regularly to keep up with best practices for content creation. Your business will be the richer for it.
