{"id":25,"date":"2019-01-30T19:34:58","date_gmt":"2019-01-30T19:34:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.regexseo.com\/blog\/?p=25"},"modified":"2022-10-18T13:06:50","modified_gmt":"2022-10-18T13:06:50","slug":"defining-quality-when-it-comes-to-content-and-seo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.regexseo.com\/blog\/defining-quality-when-it-comes-to-content-and-seo\/","title":{"rendered":"Defining \u201cQuality\u201d When it Comes to Content and SEO"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ever since Google\u2019s 2016 update, SEO has become largely about content, specifically high-quality content. But what does \u201cquality\u201d even mean? While we could write a book on all of the intricacies of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.regexseo.com\/seo-houston.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">SEO strategy<\/a>, these basics will help you understand what quality content is and why it\u2019s important.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<h2><b>How do search engines determine content quality?<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As search engines grow more and more sophisticated, the criteria they use to determine quality actually becomes more and more intuitive. In other words, modern search engine algorithms try to judge content quality in the same way an actual human being would. To figure out what Google considers high-quality content, think of the things you value when you\u2019re looking for an answer to a question on the web. You want content that is:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Original. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You don\u2019t want to read a respin of clich<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00e9<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> answers or worse, something that\u2019s been copied and pasted from another site. The same holds true for search engines; if your content isn\u2019t adding something new to the conversation, it won\u2019t rank.<\/span><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Well-supported. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The type and depth of support you want depends on the subject. You value citations of credible sources in articles about health or financial advice, but simpler explanations are fine for articles on makeup or refinishing furniture. Not every topic requires in-depth research to prove its point, but every topic does need clear, logical support for its points. <\/span><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Thorough. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ever encountered content that seemed promising but stopped short of fully answering your question? There\u2019s no magic word count that will make Google rank your site, but content that is too short to deliver what it promises won\u2019t make you or search engines happy.<br><br><br><\/span><\/li><li><b>Well-written. <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nothing has you clicking away from a site faster than blatant grammatical errors and typos. It ruins the credibility of the site and suggests that they don\u2019t actually care about the content they produce. But being grammatically correct isn\u2019t enough. We like writing that is engaging, well-organized, and easy-to-follow. <\/span><\/b><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Well-designed. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Even if you enjoy the information on the site, you won\u2019t stick around long if the web design isn\u2019t user friendly. Sites that are overcrowded with ads, that take too long to load, or have a difficult-to-navigate layout will send readers running.<br><br><\/span><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p><i>Negative user signals, such as high bounce rate, short time-on-site or pogo-sticking (the worst feedback that your content can receive), will get your content demoted from Google&#8217;s search results very fast. So, never stop on just creating a super informative article. Make sure it is well structured and fully CRO-optimized.<\/i><\/p><p><\/p><cite><br><em>According to <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\" aria-label=\"Daria Tokareva (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.seologist.com\/company\/our-team.html\" target=\"_blank\">Daria Tokareva<\/a> from SeoLogist, Toronto SEO company<\/em><br><br><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<ul><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Credible and Transparent.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> You like to know who\u2019s behind the information you read, right? Google does too. Sites that include About pages or other ways to determine the credibility of the author tend to rank better.<\/span><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Reputable.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> We tend to trust things that other people recommend, things that have an established reputation. One of the newer\u2014 and most important\u2014 criteria that affects SEO is reader engagement. This can include comments, backlinks, and shares\u2014 all of which tells search engines that actual human beings have found this content valuable. Over time, more engagement produces more credibility for your site, making it easier for future content to rank well.<\/span><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2><b>Aren\u2019t there shortcuts to creating content that ranks well?<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In short, no. At least, not anymore. Whereas decades ago you could more easily trick a search engine into ranking your site using techniques like keyword stuffing or article spinning, today these tricks backfire big time. Article spinning involves stealing content from another site and changing it just enough so that the two pieces aren\u2019t exactly the same. Unfortunately, it\u2019s still a service that some less reputable writers and businesses offer. And while it may seem like a quick, cheap way to grow your content, you should avoid it like the plague. &nbsp;It\u2019s a huge red flag to search engines, and it could kill the SEO for your entire website. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Just like it sounds, keyword stuffing means that you\u2019ve filled your content to the brim with keywords (popular terms and phrases that people enter into search engines)\u2014 way more than you would use in normal speech. The result is an awkward, choppy piece of writing that\u2019s a pain to read. And these days, search engine crawlers will ding your website\u2019s rankings for doing it.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The last popular shortcut is to produce high volumes of mediocre content. This strategy is based on the theory that search engines reward websites that are updated frequently and that have a lot of content. And while there is some truth to that, the strategy only works if you\u2019ve produced content that actually helps your readers. A slew of content that\u2019s vague, too short, or poorly written won\u2019t give you results.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2><b>The Takeaways<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Invest in your content and don\u2019t resort to shortcuts. Take the time to figure out what topics and questions are important to your audience and produce well-researched, well-written content that thoroughly answers their questions and solves their problems. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If creating quality content sounds like a work-intensive process, it is. But it\u2019s one that\u2019s worth it in the end. Your rankings won\u2019t jump up dramatically after you publish a couple of high-quality pieces, but overtime, well-researched, well-written content will produce traffic and grow the reputation of your website and your business. &nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If keyword research, writing, and web design are outside of your skillset\u2014 or if you simply don\u2019t have the time\u2014 we can help with strategic content plans and well-written pieces tailored to your niche and audience. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.regexseo.com\/contact-houston-internet-marketing-company.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Get in touch<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to chat about how your business could benefit from a personalized content plan from our SEO experts.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ever since Google\u2019s 2016 update, SEO has become largely about content, specifically high-quality content. But what does \u201cquality\u201d even mean? [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v15.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Defining \u201cQuality\u201d When it Comes to Content and SEO - Regex SEO Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.regexseo.com\/blog\/defining-quality-when-it-comes-to-content-and-seo\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Defining \u201cQuality\u201d When it Comes to Content and SEO - Regex SEO Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Ever since Google\u2019s 2016 update, SEO has become largely about content, specifically high-quality content. But what does \u201cquality\u201d even mean? [&hellip;]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.regexseo.com\/blog\/defining-quality-when-it-comes-to-content-and-seo\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Regex SEO Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:author\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/regexseo\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2019-01-30T19:34:58+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2022-10-18T13:06:50+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@https:\/\/twitter.com\/DigitalSpaceman\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\">\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Dmitrii Kustov\">\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\">\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\">\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.regexseo.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.regexseo.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"Regex SEO Blog\",\"description\":\"Your SEO, SEM and SMM Information Source\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":\"https:\/\/www.regexseo.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\",\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.regexseo.com\/blog\/defining-quality-when-it-comes-to-content-and-seo\/#webpage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.regexseo.com\/blog\/defining-quality-when-it-comes-to-content-and-seo\/\",\"name\":\"Defining \\u201cQuality\\u201d When it Comes to Content and SEO - Regex SEO Blog\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.regexseo.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2019-01-30T19:34:58+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2022-10-18T13:06:50+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.regexseo.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/59f2c07c3640a93875e0a868567cfeb0\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.regexseo.com\/blog\/defining-quality-when-it-comes-to-content-and-seo\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.regexseo.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/59f2c07c3640a93875e0a868567cfeb0\",\"name\":\"Dmitrii Kustov\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.regexseo.com\/blog\/#personlogo\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.regexseo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/portrait-1-e1549675655281-150x150.jpg\",\"caption\":\"Dmitrii Kustov\"},\"description\":\"Dmitrii is an entrepreneur and founder of Regex SEO, he has produced websites and run marketing campaigns for companies like John Deere and Dignity Memorial. As the Internet Marketing Director, Dmitrii works with Regex SEO to help businesses big and small grow their online presence.\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.regexseo.com\",\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/regexseo\/\",\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/regexseo\/\",\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/digitalspaceman\/\",\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/https:\/\/twitter.com\/DigitalSpaceman\"]}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.regexseo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.regexseo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.regexseo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.regexseo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.regexseo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=25"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"https:\/\/www.regexseo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3363,"href":"https:\/\/www.regexseo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25\/revisions\/3363"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.regexseo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.regexseo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=25"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.regexseo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=25"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}