Online marketing and SEO efforts have become increasingly difficult over the last few years. Changes in the online landscape have come through increased competition, Google algorithm updates, a crackdown on link building, and other changes that have made the business of online promotion very volatile.
However, the one constant that has weathered this storm is that content, specifically good content, will help SEO professionals to reach their goals. Even though the need for quality content has stayed the same, the focus of that content has changed. There are four specific aspects of online content that need to be satisfied for SEO to be successful. Since everyone loves anagrams, here is the first part of the RARS model for online content.
Readability:
The first aspect of online content in the new world of SEO relates to the readability of content. Keyword stuffing and search engine manipulation through content creation has been a pointless tactic for years, but the need for readability is more important now than ever.
Last year, Google released the Hummingbird update. This search engine update brought with it a focus on the semantic relevancy of web content. This means that instead of Google just focusing on the keywords of content, the intent of users will factor in to how useful content is viewed.
Since users can search for entire thoughts and sentences instead of individual terms, longer search queries will become much more important. Search keywords were replaced by long-tail keywords, which became full queries, which will soon become full on search “thoughts” as Google learns what users are really searching for.
Authority:
It is no secret that an authority website posting quality content will be tough to dethrone from the top of the search rankings, but web content authority is trending less towards websites, and more towards the individual creating the content.
In an effort to put a face to online content, Google Authorship allows writers to gain credit and notoriety for their online content, but it also present a unique challenge for SEO. Ghost writing guest blogging will become less useful and more difficult to use as an online marketing tool.
Content creators must learn to add authority to their site through creating verified content in the eyes of Google. Authorship is the first step in letting users see who is saying what, and who is saying what is worth listening to