“Content is King”

“You need quality content”

“Post unique content”

Sound familiar?

Everyone is telling you to create content for your website, but no-one has actually told you in simple terms what it is.

So I’m here to help.

My easy explanation of content is: anything you put on your site that adds value.

If you want to go deeper on this, even a little philosophical, check out Lee Odden’s sweet list of 40+ definitions of content.

Types of Content

Content comes in many forms, let’s have a look at the main types:

Blogs: Probably the most well known pieces of content. Every business that is serious about getting noticed online should have one. Blogs can be used for many different functions such as:

• Providing advice. E.g. a dental firm may post an article detailing how to clean your teeth effectively.

• Answering a question. This very post is actually a good example of this. Providing people with help and advice is an excellent use of content.

• Reporting news. This can be news about your business. e.g. a new product or offer. News about the industry you are in e.g a new regulation that has come into force that affects you. Or anything that relates to your business at all.

Infographics: The clue is in the name with this one, in a nutshell these combine pictures (graphics) with information. Infographics are one of the most popular forms of content to date.

Videos: I don’t think I need to explain what videos are! But videos are a great form of content to add to your site. Videos can be informative, such as a “how to” or a discussion, or maybe even some comedy that you hope to go viral to promote your business.

Audio: There are many different types of audio you can put on your site, the most popular and well known are called podcasts. Audio can be used for a variety of functions. You could give advice to people, share your opinion on important topics or teach them something new.

For a more definitive list check out one of the Don’s of internet marketing Neil Patel’s article on QuickSprout.

Why Do I Need Content?

Put simply, your business needs content because Google is in charge.

Google is the most popular search engine throughout the world. When someone searches for your type of business or the service you provide you want to rank high on that list. In order to do this you have to give Google what it wants.

Think of Google as the playground bully everyone tip toes around to keep happy!

And what makes that bully happy?

It wants to see that your company’s website is adding value to the internet. It wants to see that you are an expert in your field and that you know what you are talking about.

The best way to do this?

You guessed it…………………………CONTENT!

So there you have it, no 2,000 word essays, no fancy descriptions or jargon minefields to confuse you, just plain English. Content adds value and you really need it on your site.