Content is important for growing a business, no doubt about that. It plays a major role in how websites are ranked in search engines, how customers find a business, and how authoritative an organization is within its industry. Many businesses get that. They realize that it isn’t enough to slap some content on their site, sprinkle in a few keywords, and call it good. They know that you need great content to get great results.
Good Content vs. Great Content
Some businesses haven’t gotten that wake-up call yet. They think that “good” is good enough, then wonder why their content isn’t performing. The answer is simple: Not all content is created equal. There’s good content and there’s great content. Good content fills the space and might even draw a little traffic. Great content, on the other hand, engages the reader and drives relevant traffic to the site. Great content works for you and delivers results.
Is your boss stuck in the “good content rut,” and you think it could be better? Here’s a compelling comparison between good content and great content that just may sway people to your side.
Good content creates awareness of your brand.
Great content builds your brand.
Consistency and quality separate good from great content, and it can mean the difference between putting your brand in front of a few people and building your brand while creating brand awareness. When you regularly publish content that’s fresh and of high quality, you’re continuously creating opportunity after opportunity for your audience to come into contact with your brand — and interact.
Good content informs and entertains.
Great content increases trust and engages your readers.
Good content is generally consumed and forgotten. There isn’t enough substance for it to really stick to your ribs — or in people’s minds. Great content may entertain, inform or make your visitors think, and with each rock-solid, relevant, well-researched and engaging post you make, you’re also letting them know they can come to you with their problems and you can help. You’re building trust.
Good content gives visitors a nice place to read interesting posts.
Great content establishes you as an authority and influencer in your industry.
If you just want to entertain and aren’t interested in retaining visitors, then good content is probably good enough. However, if you want to be seen as an authority in your industry — an influencer, a mover and shaker — then you’ll need to step up your game. Great content is unique and adds value, which means you’ll probably need to hire a high-quality, experienced, professional writer to craft it.
Good content focuses on keyword-based SEO.
Great content is based heavily on organic SEO.
Good content starts with a few keywords, and the story is woven around them. This can result in awkward keyword phrases and odd wording. Great content starts with a story, and because it is relevant to the business, the keywords flow naturally. Sure, you might do a little keyword research, but you get a more effective organic SEO flow, which also means optimizing your meta tags, legitimate link building and keyword enhancement.
Good content generates leads to your business.
Great content drives relevant leads to your website.
At the end of the day, content’s first job is to generate relevant leads. It is intended to draw people to your site — ideally those who fit your target audience demographic. Good content can do that, but today’s internet user is very tech savvy. They don’t want recycled content that they’ve already read on a hundred other sites. They want fresh, unique content that makes them think. That’s what great content does while drawing in more relevant leads — and converting them to customers.
When people are in the habit of doing things a certain way, it can be tough to change their minds. If your boss is used to putting out content that is just OK, you may need to be a little more persuasive. Draw a definitive line between good content and great content, then don’t tell the difference — show it.
Stephanie M has been writing since she was old enough to hold a pen – and that’s a really long time! She has been writing professionally for more than 20 years and specialized in SEO, social media, and branding. She has written for clients of all shapes and sizes, including Home Depot, Mapquest, Axon Optics, Amazon, MobileRVing, Polaroid, American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgery, and many more. If you want polished, professional content that brings your brand to life, she invites you to reach out and start a conversation.
