Search engines love content – we know that. But guess what? We love content too.
Just three years ago, ‘transactional’ websites were getting 5% more traffic than ‘content-driven’ websites.
Now, Hitwise has reported that content-driven websites now get 73% more traffic than transactional sites – a massive turnaround compared to 2006.
This proves that the old mantra of ‘content is king’ applies more than ever.
New approach?
But what does this mean if you have one of these ‘transactional’ sites. i.e., your site exists to provide products and services, and make conversions.
Is your web marketing strategy doomed? Do you need to find some other way to sell your product or service?
Well, of course not. But you do need to evolve and make sure you are providing content – the content that both the search engines and we as consumers crave.
The Renault Clio example
I’ve just bought a 1995 Renault Clio Oasis (I’ve called it Noel). It’s in pretty good nick but I’m having a problem with it starting in the morning.
So I do a quick search on Google and find a page that tells me that it’s a common problem in older cars and that I can fix it myself.
While I’m there I also see a link to a guide on how to change the oil. The oil was changed before I bought the car, so I save the page to my Delicious account so I can find it again when I need it.
I also know a friend who writes a blog about his Renault Clio. So I post it to my Twitter profile so he can see it – he then later writes a blog about it with a link back to the guide on website.
A few months later, I need to change the oil. So I go back to my Delicious account and find the link to the guide I bookmarked.
While printing the guide, I notice the site sells oil filters so I buy one. I also buy some windscreen wipers and some new headlight bulbs (Noel hasn’t been able to see in the dark very well recently).
And there you go – the site has made a sale and provided good useful content.
So what does this mean for your website?
As an SEO company, we always recommend that you provide lots of useful content on your site.
Not only will the search engines like you (they love content especially if it’s added to and updated regularly) – you’ll also get visits from potential customers who are looking for useful information before they are ready to make a commitment to buying your product or service.
Remember – useful content = lots of links which = higher rankings.
What you can do
Any site can provide useful and interesting content no matter what your main line of business is.
Here are three suggestions to get you started:
1. Post a regular blog and host it on your site – you can write about a new contract win, new products or your take on industry news.
2. Write guides about your products or industry – an Estate Agent in Birmingham could provide guides on all the different areas of the city they cover, or a pet store could write about the benefits of certain dog foods.
3. Allow comments and customer reviews on your pages – this is a good way to get relevant content for free while getting feedback from your customers.
Tom Hallett
Campaign Delivery Manager
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