When you read anything about how to make your website rank effectively one thing you will read about time and again is that original content is the key to good ranking and customer satisfaction. I am often asked questions about creating original content so this article should help everyone that wants to get as much out of their website as possible.
What does original content really mean?
Original content means brand new written information on your website that has not been copied from anywhere else online.
Why does original content help ranking?
Search engines use small programs called ‘spiders’ or ‘bots’ that continually crawl through the internet looking for new content and new pages to index on its search engine. By adding new content to your site the search engine will re-list you at the top of their searches when users want new information relevant to your new content.
What happens if I don’t add new content?
A website that is crawled regularly by bots and doesn’t have any new information or content will steadily move down the rankings as the search engine perceives the site as becoming less relevant and a stagnant, or dead website.
Does the content have to be original?
A search engine does not want the top 10 listings on a search to give identical information; this is not helpful for their users. By rewarding sites that have original content through improved indexing, and punishing sites with duplicated content by lowering their ranking it means that sites benefit from original, new content and the searcher gets better results.
How do I create original content?
Updates about your industry are always a great way to start with creating new content, every time there is a development or change within your industry, write an article about it and put it online. Use blogs on your website to keep daily updates going. If you have a new product or service, write an article explaining every aspect of the service. If a customer phones with a question then do a write up on the answer and put it online – other customers may have similar questions.
It sounds like a lot of work; will this work for my website?
Maintaining your website is hard work if you do it properly. You need to generate interest in your clients and keep them returning time and time to your site. You need to be at the top of search engines so you need new, informative and relevant original content. If you maintain your website, then your website will maintain your brand and your business. If you are struggling in any way, contact us and ask about adding an extra page to your website through Townpages or ask your account manager for more information.
Keep it new, keep it informative, keep it original and make your site work for you!
