Your website is likely one of the first interactions your business has with the public; it’s the first time they meet you. And, although we’ve always been told not to judge a book by its cover, it’s human nature to judge. Within the first three seconds of meeting you, people have a solid impression of who you are.¹ Just as we aim to make a great first impression face-to-face, or even via social media, you should also ensure your website presents your business in an accurate and ideal light.
Having a great website to introduce yourself to the public can increase awareness about your offering, encourage your target audience to buy your products or services, and entice potential partners or even acquirers to come on board.
While your website must be visually appealing, all relationships must go beyond looks. The public’s first impression of you will be determined almost entirely on the content you publish. In 1996, Bill Gates published an essay titled Content is King, and more than 20 years later, that phrase has only increased in relevance.²
With a plethora of content available, combined with Google’s algorithm impacting what audiences see, people are thirsty for fresh, unique content.
Nearly three-quarters (72 per cent) of marketers say that a major key to their success was a good content strategy.³ Therefore, businesses are limiting their potential for success if they don’t prioritise fresh content in the marketing mix.
There are five ways fresh content can make a difference to your web strategy:
1. Search engines and your customers can find you
The most important reason to deliver new content to your website is to increase your search engine optimisation (SEO) ranking and help search engines find you. Search engines such as Google have complex algorithms that scan the web for content it deems as most relevant for consumers. These algorithms are always looking for new content and rewarding unique copy.
Old or duplicated content won’t receive the same benefits, with search engines viewing your website as dead or having nothing new to offer. This pushes your website down the ladder of results, making it harder for people to find you.
2. Your audience is informed and updated
Publishing new content regularly not only improves your SEO ranking but also keeps your customers informed. Regular updates help build trust between you and your customers, with customers relying on your site for useful information.
3. You can develop a reputation as a thought leader
As audiences begin to leverage your website as a reliable resource of information, your authority on that topic becomes stronger. Over time, you will become a trusted source, improving your businesses reputation as a result.
As you continue to comment on different topics or express unique opinions, you can begin to cement a position as a thought leader. The reputation and influence that come with thought leadership are valuable business currencies in our digitalised economy saturated with noise. Thought leaders inspire innovation and change, turn ideas into reality, and help generate revenue for their businesses.
4. Maximise keyword usage
Publishing regular content on your website lets you include more keywords. Search engines use keywords from web pages to determine if the content is relevant to audiences. By having specific pages such as blog articles that speak to relevant topics, products, or services that you provide, your customers will be able to find you more easily. Importantly, those who click on your website will be rewarded with plenty of highly relevant information, which makes them more likely to choose to do business with your brand when they’re ready to buy.
5. Social media
Sharing your content via social media platforms such as LinkedIn or Facebook lets you instantly update customers when something new is published to your newsfeed. This also increases the chances of your content reaching new audiences. The use of social platforms is still growing steadily; by publishing interesting and unique content on these platforms, you can create a community of loyal followers who help promote your content through liking, sharing, and commenting. Content shared on social platforms helps drive traffic to your website, with audiences often continuing to click through your website to learn more about who you are.
How to keep your content fresh
Creating and maintaining a constant pipeline of content can seem overwhelming and time consuming, so it’s often put on the backburner while urgent projects are prioritised. But, with content marketing generating three times more leads than paid search advertising, it’s a cost-effective tool that meaningfully support your marketing strategy.⁴
Partnering with an agency that can focus on generating fresh content, while you work on leveraging that content, can be a great solution.
To find out how we can help you develop a strong content pipeline that keeps your website relevant and attracting new customers, contact us today.
¹ https://www.amazon.com/The-Essential-Job-Interview-Handbook/dp/1601632827
² https://medium.com/@HeathEvans/content-is-king-essay-by-bill-gates-1996-df74552f80d9
³ https://www.hubspot.com/marketing-statistics
⁴ https://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2017/10/stats-invest-content-marketing/
