Google Likes Quality Content It Enhances User Experince
Google likes quality content as it enhances user experience and adds value to the conversation I have the old perennial question how long should a post/blog be and what factors determine quality content?
My online engagement is shifting more to mobile, statistically, I am in an ever increasing demographic. I feel really comfortable connecting this way, a little shaky to start with but now it is rapidly becoming my preference. I have just finished reading a massive post on my phone, a good old 3000-word classic very informative and it contained all the information that I was looking for, happy days. Thinking about it perhaps we are all changing. My preference is shifting I want it straight away Short and sweat that information right there on my 5inch screen, no hassles right here right now. Do I have the time or interest to read through a screed of information to get the solutions I am looking for?
I can hear the purists screaming in the hallways. Is there a disconnect forming, is Google in all its wisdom (and excluding business nuances ) falling behind the populace. We seem to be moving in a different direction at a rapid pace. I look back over the last six months, my knowledge base, my engagement is increasing exponentially mainly down to using my mobile device. The proliferation of wifi hot spots is just adding to the rapid pace of change , I mean if the local cafe doesn't have free Wifi," well we will give that cave a miss".
Now to the crux of my question, as the creators and publishers of content do we need to look at changing how we produce content. Looking at the Wealthy Affiliate blog forum, which is an amazingly creative environment folks are almost apologetic when they write a long post. Even in the wider online community it is not uncommon to read,
- You are still here
- you have made it this far
- keep reading the best is yet to come.
Shorter posts with images seem to be really popular, that post that cuts to the chase straight to the point is gold the post with video inbedded top of the range or am I disconnecting? Is the day of the mini novel over?
Do we need to become more creative when generating content in order to add value and maintain relevance? Bearing in mind that it can be shared over multiple platforms.
I would really appreciate your feedback on this one. It is something I am pondering. This post started off as a question but ended up as a blog and too long to boot.
Thank you for your patience.
Alexander
Recent Comments
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Hi Alexander, I agree with Ray, If it can be said in fewer words, why pad out just to achieve a word count. I prefer short blogs.
Keith
Hi, Keith, thank you for dropping by, I am tending to head in the same direction. The caveat on this would be of course be topic dependant. In a learning situation If I am looking to work something out I can read all day long.
Alexander
Exactly, if the writing is riveting and informative I can stay with it, however, if the object is to make a fairly straightforward point.
Keith
Hi there. I'm new to this, so it's thoughts only. I'm also aged, but have just put my website up and it has photos, and I'm using an IPad, which probably is a bit unusual for an aged granny. I find its much easier to use the IPad, so structured my site for mobile devices mainly, with the theme suited to same. In short, I agree!, Jan
Hi, Jan thank you for dropping by, we are never to old to give it a nudge. I Like how you are using technology to make things work for you. There seems to be an emphasis to create a mobile affiliate marketing lifestyle. I agree with you start out as you mean to go forward.
Alexander
Hi Alexander, I hope Google doesn't think "the longer the better", I find an article more than 1,500 words too long to read, depending on the information I'm looking for of course.
And yet I find myself wordcount-driven when writing a post. I've said everything I wanted to say, but 800 words "may not be long enough for search engines" so add more paragraphs unnecessarily just in case, that's so absurd.
Hi, Ray thank you for dropping by. Sort of find myself doing the same, part of the reason for this post. Tend to focus on the word count as well, I am trying to stop myself from adding paragraphs for the sake of it. Definitely, a work in progress does it actually add any value? Some of the authors on this platform just seem to have the knack of writing in a concise way. A craft worth the effort of learning, I am thinking practise makes perfect.
Alexander
Attention spans seem to be a lot shorter these days. Brief articles featuring graphics could become even more popular. Thanks for sharing the great post, Alexander.
Hi, Mike would have to agree, it seems that this is the case folks seem to relate to content that has everything up front. I wonder if this may be a generational demographic thing. thanks for raising this.
Alexander
I think you're right Alexander. When I read a long post I tend to skim over the words after a short time and just read the headlines. I'm in the minority 'cos I rarely use mobile devices for browsing.
Hi, Marion thank you for sharing your experiences. I to have found that my reading rate has extended since joining WA, probably due to the amount of information that we see on a daily basis. I tend to speed read, trying to retain the key elements of the content.
Its a very interesting thing, there seems to be a societal change as regards internet engagement. I am not sure if constant connectivity is a good thing, I would like to think I still have a foot in each camp. Take it or leave it, yeah nah, what no WA no I need to be connected lol
Alexander
I actually do not have a mobile phone, so dinosaur in real sense, but Alexander has a point here. My feeling is people are willing to bookmark long texts but not actually to read them.
Hi, Jovo that is amazing, I am tending to do that. My main aim in writing this post was to explore how mobile technologies will impact content creation. Statistical projections seem to be saying that mobile engagement is continuing to grow. How will we see the content change to accommodate this shift ?
Alexander
Even a dinosaur like me can feel: the future is in the mobile Internet. Amen, says the man who has no mobile phone.
So you are right in your observations. Short-to-the-point stuff will become more and more important. People have no time and, young people in particular (I see this on my daughters) think fast, they are far more efficient than me, and they need info fast.
I think obsession with long posts is based partly on a misconception. Long posts do rank good but this is because the majority of them are OLD posts, so they have had enough time to rank good (people USED to write long texts in the past).
The same is with backlinks, we read that LONG texts attract more backlinks. This may be so, yes people bookmark them, I do. But do they really read them? In fact it is again about OLD texts, that are long and old, and they have accumulated more backlinks as a result of that.
Hi Jovo, better put the word out for your next birthday " dad needs a new phone ". I enjoy reading your insights.
I have gained so much from this post. It seems that there is no fixed formula as to content creation, other than being relative to our audience. How we connect and engage is changing thanks to advances in technology. We are entering new realms.
Very insightful regarding back links, thank you.
Alexander
That's very interesting Alexander. I read an article today about a study done on 1,000s of posts on LinkedIn and it showed that articles with over 2,000 words got less backlnks than articles with less - in the 1200-1500 range. So, you may be right! And, it also supported your statement about images. The ones with a few images got way more clicks and backlinks.
Hi PJ thank you so much for dropping by, that is interesting information. It appears that this seems to be the case here within the community blog forum as well. Being relatively new to this industry I am fascinated by how things change so rapidly.
Alexander
I believe a shorter post is just as effective. I don't believe most people have time for long posts. I know I don't. I am pretty new at this so I am not an expert. :-)
Hi Joy thank you for sharing your thoughts and adding to the conversation. it will be interesting to see how folks feel about it.
Alexander.
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You make a really good point Alexander and it's one that I cannot answer as I'm just as confused!
Hi, Jude thanks for your input, I think the jury is still deliberating and it is a hung jury at this stage of the game. It is just so confusing, but having said that there are some standouts that can point the way forward. It's all about sifting the straw from the chaff. I think at the end of the day as creators and publishers we have to get to the point where we can run with our inner feelings. Did I just write that lol, personally for me this stage is more than a few KM's down the tracks ? I do know however there is a town called success down the line.
Alexander
And we're all heading towards it...