It’s said in search engine optimization that “content is king,” but the truth is that good content is king.
Companies often are puzzled as to why their expensive, cutting-edge Web sites are perpetually outranked by sites of perceived inferior quality. But searchers are not seeking to be impressed by fancy Flash sites, nor are they looking for virtual pieces of art.
Studies have shown that search engine users seek one thing: information. Sites that consistently rank high usually offer something of value to people who entered the search query. Search engines do not care about the size of a company or how much it spent on its site. They simply need to return relevant, useful results.
Engines change algorithms frequently to improve their results and to remove sites that are ranked artificially high. Most sites that remain highly ranked throughout these algorithm shifts have a common denominator: They offer something of value to visitors and are considered a resource for their industry.
A common argument from companies advised to take this approach is, “We aren’t trying to provide information about our industry – we’re trying to sell products or services.” This can be shortsighted. Expand your site to serve as a resource for those interested in learning about your industry. Your rankings will rise, and you’ll attract prospects who look upon your company as an industry leader.
Also remember the “freshness” factor when considering adding content to your site. Search engines are interested in fresh content, often giving newer pages a temporary rankings boost. The logic is that if a Web site has not been updated in quite some time, the content must be dated or, at least, not the newest available information. Web sites that are updated more frequently are placed in higher regard. Moreover, the engines visit frequently updated sites more often, so new pages will be included in search results faster.
Improvement in search engine rankings is best achieved alongside the creation of an informative Web site. By constantly adding useful information, you can stay at the top of the results and bring in new clients.
Good content is king
