7 Solid Reasons Why Fresh, High-Quality Content Is Important For SEO

You’ve been told that the way to improve your Google search and Google maps ranking is to produce more content.

But as a local business owner, you’re probably not yet convinced that paying for writers or agencies to write up stuff month after month is the most budget-friendly way to go about this.

You’re probably looking for a cheaper way to do this.

Or worse, you might even be thinking if you can avoid this content marketing thingy altogether.

Whenever I have clients who are on the fence about investing in creating content for their websites…

I always tell them this:

It’s worth it!

You might not immediately see the results ASAP like how a promo code or a coupon works but over time, being consistent in your content strategy will pay off.

Of course, not everyone takes my word for it.

They need solid, indisputable reasons to convince them.

If you’re in the same boat, then listen up because here are 7 solid reasons why you need content.

And not just any content…

We’re talking about high-quality content that’s always fresh and up-to-date!

Reason #1: Google Needs Content To Rank You

Back in the day, the purpose of having a website was to have space online where you can showcase your business.

It’s like an online portfolio where you put all the pretty words and pictures so clients can “Ohhhh” and “Ahhhh” when they see the flash animations on your site.

But if you’re a business owner who has the slightest idea of how Google search works, you’ll agree with me that a website should be more than just pretty words and images.

I’m not saying that it’s okay to have a badly designed website.

You still have to make it look good and function well for an amazing user experience.

But more than just an online version of a company brochure…

Your website must have well-optimized content for Google to recognize that you are what customers are looking for.

This is not the time to be artsy-fartsy and put Shakespeare-worthy poetry on your website.

Your website has to have content that your target consumers are looking for.

For example:

Without content, there’s no way for Google to know that you are a “dental clinic offering teeth whitening services in Austin, Texas.”

Or that you are the “nearest co-working space offering high-speed internet in Venice Beach.”

You might be thinking:

But I already have those keywords on my existing website pages… Do I still need to add more?

Definitely!

You can’t just get your website pages done and forget about it.

You have to constantly update your site so Google can get more information about you.

This is not the time to be bashful about your company.

The more content that you have, the more pages Google can rank you for.

If you’re not publishing any new content, then you’re also missing out on ranking opportunities.

Reason #2: Creating High-Quality Content Is An Effective Way To Incorporate Keywords

In the early days of SEO, keyword spamming was a common practice.

It was all about how many times you can cram your keyword on a web page.

Doesn’t matter if the text actually makes sense or not as long as you put all those keywords in there.

But now, we all know that this doesn’t work anymore.

You can’t just put out junk articles and expect Google to still reward you for it.

Keywords have to be seamlessly integrated into the website copy, not just inserted in unnatural places.

One of the easiest ways to do this is to add new keywords to your site, without overhauling your beloved website copy time and again, is to publish long-form content like blogs, SEO articles, and guides.

When you publish high-quality blogs, you can strategically incorporate keywords in your copy in a way that’s not going to look like it’s junk copy.

Blogs are also reader-friendly because unlike text that may be in your services or product pages, the style of writing is more conversational.

It’s not that hard sell because the goal is to keep the readers reading and engaged.

Plus, long-form content does this allow you to add in new keywords, but it also provides Google more information about your business.

Reason #3: Publishing Content Regularly Can Improve Your Google Maps And Search Rankings

Google uses 3 primary determining factors when it comes to rankings.

These 3 factors are:

Relevance, Distance, and Prominence.

If you’re familiar with Google Maps, you probably know this already.

Plus, I’ve already mentioned this in my other posts.

But just to make sure we’re on the same page, this is worth repeating.

How do you score higher in these 3 factors?

Yep, publishing new content can definitely help.

When you publish new content, you have the opportunity to target these factors to improve your Google rankings.

For example:

If you own a yoga studio targeting moms living in Pasadena, California…

You can publish blog posts that incorporate geographic keywords, famous places nearby, geotagged images, and other relevant elements that can give Google the idea that you are in the local area.

When you publish frequently, you’re giving Google more info to work with so it can potentially evaluate whether you are relevant, prominent, and nearby.

Without new content, Google is limited to what’s already on your website and profiles.

And if your competition is pushing out content like there’s no tomorrow, chances are high that you’ll not be able to outrank them.

Reason #4: High-Quality Content Improves Your Click-Through Rate

Let’s say you appear on a Google search result for a certain keyword.

The number of users who click through your listing is measured by the CTR or click-through rate.

When you have a high CTR, this means more people are visiting your website.

This is an important factor that Google uses when ranking search results.

A high CTR is like telling Google that:  

“Hey, this must be a relevant site because a lot of people are visiting it”

So how does having more high-quality content help your CTR?

When you have more content available, there will obviously be more pages for users to click.

Reason #5: High-Quality Content Helps You Generate Backlinks 

A backlink is when one website links to another website.

For example:

You’re a certified psychologist and you published an article about anxiety on your website.

When another mental health blog uses the information you’ve written as a reference by linking to your article, then you have a backlink from that site.

If this mental health blog is a popular and credible blog with many visitors, then that can be considered as a high-quality backlink from a high-authority website.

When you have a good number of high-quality backlinks, this helps your SEO efforts.

Therefore, publishing fresh content regularly creates more opportunities for other sites to link to your site and use your info as a reference.

If you’re putting out content that really doesn’t say anything, then you can kiss those high-quality backlinks goodbye.

Reason #6: Fresh Content Equals Consistent User Activity

When was the last time you took a company seriously after seeing that the last update or blog post they have on their site was more than two years ago?

For me, I always assume that the company is either inactive or has already closed down.

Even with Facebook business pages and Instagram profiles, I’m guilty of disregarding accounts that do not have fresh updates.

I tend to unfollow these accounts, and if I was interested in buying something from this company, I turn to a competitor that has more up-to-date content.

I know, I know.

Not being active on Instagram or on your website does not necessarily mean that you’ve disappeared from the face of the Earth.

But you can’t blame customers for thinking that way.

62% of consumers will disregard a business if they can’t find info on it online.

And old info is like no info.

We are in the “now” generation.

We want everything on demand.

Netflix made it possible for us to get all TV episodes in one release instead of following the show all season long.

Amazon made it possible to have what we want delivered to our homes the very next day, without us even bothering to get out of our pajamas.

And of course, technology made it possible for us to find whatever information we‘re looking for just by calling Siri, Alexa, or Hey Google.

With what consumers are used to right now, they’re not going to give you the time of day if you can’t even bother to show that you’re alive and kicking – through your website!

On the other hand,

When you constantly update your website with fresh content, you get a chance to build consumer loyalty with your audience.

For example, if I know that my go-to SEO journal publishes new posts every day, then I’m more likely to visit that site regularly.

But if a website only updates its content once in a blue moon, then I won’t waste my time trying to check it out again if everything’s the same anyway.

As a business, you need to build a loyal following.

These users are your customers.

Whether you need them for clicks or to buy a product from you…

The more time they spend on your site, the better for your SEO goals.

Reason #7: High-Quality Content Delivers A Great Consumer Experience Overall

Is there a website that you love so much that you spend hours just drinking in all its content goodness?

This can be a blog that’s relevant to your career, like perhaps an SEO blog.

Or it can also be an online magazine that entertains you such as a sports magazine or a fashion website.

It can even be a shopping site that just buries you deeper into the add-to-cart black hole.

Depending on what our interests are, there are certain websites that just draw us in.

And while the functionality and responsiveness of a website play vital roles in how much time we spend on that site,

At the end of the day, what makes us stay is high-quality content.

I don’t know about you but if I’m not getting anything useful from a blog or a website, then I’ve gotta tune out.

You don’t want your consumers tuning you out.

That’s why you need fresh high-quality content to keep them engaged…

To keep them on their toes…

And to keep them wanting more.

Start Your Content Marketing Strategy Today

Building great content cannot be done overnight.

But with the right people, you can quickly scale up and have an arsenal of content that will work hard for you.

Interested to know how?

Send us a message to schedule a free consultation!