Professional content writers can rejoice.
Though the all-knowing algorithm remains under lock and key, Google’s Search Quality Guidelines were released less than 6 months ago. A cursory reading of these guidelines shows that Google now gives primacy to content written by professional content writers.
In short, the internet’s most powerful force now favor skillful, authoritative writing. This is especially true in sensitive areas like medicine, finance, and healthcare, where the stakes for misinformation are higher. If you want to give your SEO a boost, it’s important to hire professional content writers with industry knowledge.
Professional content writers yield higher rankings
This is great news for internet users, because it means we’ll be exposed to better content from more qualified sources. Content farms—known for paying writers measly sums to generate loads of chiefly insufferable material—were undermined greatly by this change. Flimsy organizations like Anti-Vaccine Movement, The Flat Earth Society, and Ken Ham’s Creation Museum all have expressed outrage, claiming that their voices are being stifled. Yet overall, Google’s new guidelines make for a better web experience with more respected voices now separated from the masses of chaff.
Lousy content brings lousy results
These changes confirm what Red Letter Marketing has stood for all along: valuable content that makes a difference for target audiences. There is still a plethora of false prophets in this territory, ready to sell you cheap and easy content marketing solutions. Some have even recommended hiring a college student on the cheap to churn out blogs in order to keep your website content fresh. But the fact is, this won’t work, and is even less viable now than when it actually had some—albeit slight—impact.
The new EAT standard: Expertise, Authority, and Trustworthiness
Though more vital in fields like finance and healthcare, no industry is exempt from Google’s new E-A-T standard. This is the acronym for Expertise, Authority, and Trustworthiness. For example, say you’re looking for information on air movement. Google is more likely to drive you to reputable sources like Dyson or Boeing. Though each of these companies operate in distinct industries, they have expertise in the realm of air flow.
Offering Valuable Content, Interestingly
What’s the lesson in all of this? Chiefly, you need to have expert, professional content writers to produce your content. This is especially true if content marketing is a main artery in your business development strategy. But industry expertise alone won’t cut it. You need to present that information in a way that inspires engagement. Hierarchy of information, scanability, and relevance all become significant elements in the presentation of content. You need to keep a reader interested, even excited about the content.
Poorly-presented information will drive visitors away faster than a toupee in a hurricane, even if it’s valuable. It’s vital to keep your readers…well—reading. They want to leave the page feeling that you’ve provided something useful and accessible. If you’ve succeeded, they’ll remember, and are more likely to come back. If not, they may end up at a competitor’s site. In this regard, professional content writers are often more qualified than those who have industry experience, yet poor writing skills.
As marketers, we take content quality seriously. To do anything less is to disrespect readers, and consequently, customers. Because Google is now reviewing websites using the E-A-T standard, the quality of your content will affect your site content. If you’re wondering how to create effective content marketing that gets the attention of both Google and customers, let’s talk.
