What Makes for Good Quality Content?

CONTENT is the most important component of every successful website. If you have always wanted to rank “better” on Google search engine results, or “boost” site’s traffic, or generate more leads and increase sales, then you require content.

There are different types of content that people come to your site to read, including articles, images, videos, Infographics, etc. However, if you want to build a profitable site on a particular niche that will generate passive income for you 24/7, the most favorable type of content you SHOULD always publish on your blog/site are “written content.”

In this guide, we’ll be showing you several methodologies we have been using for couple of years to craft hundreds of informative, engaging, and high quality articles.

 “High Quality” Content – What is it, anyway?

The first thing you MUST do is understand what really makes content a high quality content. You can either create your own content or have them written by professional writer by outsourcing them; but no matter which path you choose, there are certain factors that define content as “high quality content.”

Here are several components that make a “high quality” content:

1. Having a “specific” reason –

It is very important that your content serve a particular purpose, otherwise you will only be wasting your time, effort, and money creating them. Remember, you’re doing a business, and all business has to generate enough dough/profit to SURVIVE. Knowing the “why” part of your content will help you do that.

Generally speaking, there are 2 types of content:

a. Content that generates money/profit for you –

These types of contents (blogs or articles) convince your readers to convert into regular customers, or submit email address, or buy something from affiliate offers you’re promoting. They could be sales pages, product reviews, squeeze pages, and so on.

Likewise, if you’re main monetization method is through Google Adsense, you may want to create articles that are written around high CPC keywords so that you will make the most money.

While creating your content, understanding the “why” part will assist you how to create it so that people will perform your intended actions (submit emails, click on buy button) when they’re reading your articles.

b. Content that sets you as an authority figure in your niche –

The first type of content above will often make people leave your site. This will result into pages having “high bounce rate” as well as “low time” on your website. Guess what? Google dislikes that!

That’s why, you require creating the second type of content that are engaging, informative, and helpful (tip-based) to keep people coming back on your site. Include videos, Infographics, images, and interlink your articles so that it will really lower the bounce rate and increase the time on site.

Remember: When people stay longer on your website, Google assigns more value to your site’s content just because people are staying on your site, reading your articles, and that’s an indication of high quality content.

In short, the major objective of this type of content is to make both people as well as Google fall in LOVE with your site.

2. 100% Unique, Conversational Style, Correct Grammar and Spelling

Your articles, blogs, and pages needs to be 100% original. While most readers really don’t care about them as long as they find it useful, however, Google do care! Copying others work and spinning articles will only put you work in jeopardy.

Web audience, not like the scholarly audience, expects content that are conversational in tone. So, before you publish anything on your site, make sure to sound like you are having a conversation with your reader by using the word “you” very often and in every article. Write as if you are talking to your close friend. Not only you will gain their trust, but also give them reason to give you their money, too.

Likewise, use standard yet correct grammar. Internet isn’t a place to show off your grammar skills though. Make sure your content is highly readable by anyone, even a 10 year boy.

3. SEO-optimized and Related Content –

To increase the website rank, you need to create content that are correctly optimized for search engines, but don’t go overboard with it as it can also get your site penalized.

Remember to perform these basic “on-page SEO” tips:

Insert keyword in the title, in description, in header tags (h1, h2, and h3), image “alt” tag, in first and last paragraph and throughout the content, and link to internal and high PR external sites.

While inserting keyword, make sure it sounds natural while reading. In other words, avoid “keyword stuffing” though as they will get your site banned.

4. Well-Structured and Scannable Content

Writing an essay and writing for web is very different too. Web readers are usually in hurry and if you write using huge block of text in paragraphs, they will likely leave the page without even reading them. That’s why you need to write short chunks of scannable content.

Scannable content are high effective as they are easy to read and pleasing to eyes as well. Here’s how you can make your content well-structured as well as “scan able.”

1. Use short paragraphs (3 to 4 sentences at max) and simple sentences
2. Use sub-headings to assist readers grasp the key points of each section of the article
3. Use bullet points to make it easier to scan the content
4. Use italic, bold, and underline main key points
5. Use high quality visuals – images and videos – to make your content highly readable
6. Make it short and to the point. Avoid using fluffy words and content.

Well there you have it – we just gave you 4 basic components that make a quality content. How about you? What other components do you use to make your content highly readable, useful, and engaging? Please share your ideas in the comment section below.