“Content doesn’t matter as long as you use SEO words.”
I hear that a lot, especially from my sister. She’s a pretty successful mommy blogger who’s been at it for 10+ years, but her blog caters to a different market and has a different audience, so the standards are different. The same way you use one writing style for journalism and another for novels, writing for a mommy blog is different from writing for the blog on a company website.
People visit my sister’s blog looking for recipes and craft ideas. Content doesn’t matter as long as the cupcakes are delicious and the wreath looks good. However, many bloggers – like myself – are selling a service. SEO might get people to our blogs, but it’s up to us to keep them there (and keep them coming back).
So when does content matter the most?
- When You’re New: When you’re just starting out, you still need to prove yourself. You can entertain people with anecdotes and memes for a while, but eventually they’ll want to know that you know what you’re talking about. Show your readers that you’re a subject matter expert.
- Selling A Service: If you have a produce, the quality speaks for itself. (The same is true if you’re sharing recipes and patterns). When you’re a wedding planner, however, you need to prove to your reader that you know the latest wedding trends and most unique honeymoon locations.
- Longevity: If you want to keep people coming back, you need to give them a reason. Recycling the same material occasionally works, but if you can’t prove that you know how your industry is changing, your readers will find someone who can.
SEO will always be important – after all, it’s what people are searching for when they find you – but don’t neglect your content. Consistently providing high quality, relevant content will keep people coming back (and sharing!) your posts.
