Stiles Says: even the Google bots have gotten wise to SEO-centric writing that provides nothing of value to the poor cat who takes the time to read it.
If your brand is paying for low-quality content marketing, you might as well be throwing your money away.
There’s no room at the top of major search engines for information that’s thin, repetitive, or that doesn’t add value to your niche.
Several years ago, it was possible to “trick” Google into ranking information well.
Since the introduction of the Panda and Penguin algorithm updates in 2011 and 2012, there’s a slim chance anyone will even see content if it isn’t outstanding.
What is Shallow Content?
If you’re unsure how prospects and search engines perceive your content marketing, consider the following factors:
Length
Blog articles which consist of only a few sentences can be perceived as thin by search spiders. There are exceptions to this rule, and search engines also take social signals (social media shares), and site authority into account.
Originality
If your content marketing strategy consists of rewriting your competitor’s articles, it won’t offer much benefit. Running your content through a comprehensive plagiarism checker like CopyScape can ensure your information isn’t accidentally too similar to another website’s.
Few Social Signals
Your audience is the best gauge of the value of your content. If no one is reading, Tweeting, or commenting on your articles, there’s a good sign it’s not especially engaging.
Your blog articles don’t need to rival the quality of The New Yorker, but they should satisfy your prospects’ need for education, entertainment, or research.
Here are slightly scary ways that failing to invest in quality copywriting services can damage your brand’s reputation and revenue:
1. It Can Hurt Your SEO
Negative SEO isn’t a myth! Websites who continually churn out thin content, plagiarize, keyword-stuff, or receive sketchy-looking backlinks can be flagged, and penalized by Google. Considering that 89% of consumers use major search engines to make product and service decisions, and the top three results receive nearly 60 percent of clicks, losing your hard-earned ranking can really cut a chunk out of your company’s revenue.
2. It Can Damage Your Reputation
It seems like brands who failed to research before Tweeting or penning a Facebook post make the news almost daily. If your copywriting services fail to check facts or offend a segment of your customer base, the effects can be difficult to come back from.
3. You Won’t Build an Audience
Consumers follow brands on Facebook and Twitter because they love their product or service, but they also choose to be a fan because they post interesting content. While we can’t tell you whether your audience prefers case studies or memes, we can say low-quality copywriting services might not be able to keep your audience engaged.
4. It Will Devastate Engagement
Amit Singhai, a Fellow at Google has stated that content marketing isn’t just about content. “It’s about identity, relationships, and content.” Your blog, eBooks, and social media should position your brand as likeable, knowledgeable, and someone your website visitors want to get to know better.
5. You Won’t Win Trust
84% of consumers refuse to engage one-on-one with a brand until they trust them. A key way to establish that initial trust is to provide quality information that shows you really know what you’re talking about. Consumers don’t want to fee like you’ve put in the minimal amount of effort possible.
6. You Won’t Improve Loyalty
60% of existing customers feel better about a brand after reading quality content on their website. Considering that it’s 6 to 7 times more expensive to acquire new customers than retain your current clientele, it’s critical to ensure they’re able to find the information they need.
7. You’ll Fail to Establish Thought Leadership
Low-quality content won’t just damage your company’s reputation, it can harm the personal brands of the employees whose names the articles are published under. Content marketing can be a powerful way to build digital influence, but it’s much harder with sloppy content.
8. You Won’t Close Sales
70% of consumers prefer to get to know a company through articles, not ads. If you’re not able to provide the answers your leads need to make a final purchase decision, they might consider purchasing from your competitor, instead.
9. You Won’t Earn Social Shares
Not only will Tweets, Likes, and Pins expose your information to a wider audience, it’s now a critical factor in SEO. One of the primary goals of your content marketing strategy should be delivering information that people want to share.
10. You’ll Fail to Gain More Insights into Your Customers
Blog marketing metrics are a powerful tool for discovering what resonates best among your audience. Content marketing should serve as a platform for engagement, and you’ll gain even more insight into your buyer personas through blog and Facebook comments, and social media interactions – but only if you’re delivering quality.
With over half of marketers planning to increase their commitment to content marketing in 2013, brands are facing steeper competition than ever before to earn prospects’ attention. Quality copywriting services isn’t optional, it’s essential.
How has your brand benefited from high-quality copywriting services?
