These days, content is almost like a dirty word being said by a child (yeah, we said it!). Everyone says it, but not everyone really understands what it means. Yes, content is words on a page, but it is so much more than just that. Digital content is images, videos, infographics, presentations, audio (with a transcript) and much more. It is the message given to your audience and the way that you are giving that message is considered content.
When content is done right, it will also help increase your search engine rankings. There are many factors that play into search engine ranks and content, so for this topic, we will stick with some of the high-level types of content.
Digital Content – Words on a Page
Content needs to be unique and give value to your audience. You can’t just copy and paste something from another website onto yours. That is considered duplicate content and you could be penalized by Google and other search engine algorithms. Duplicate content is one of the biggest “no-no’s” in the digital marketing world. You could add content from another site (or page) and then point your canonical tag/link to the original page the content came from and you won’t be counted as duplicate content. However, in our experience, doing things that way provides little to no SEO value. It only saves your site from being penalized from having duplicate content. The only real situation we’ve come across for this to be a viable option is when you are adding content to your site as a resource for your readers. Then again, you could just link to that page and not copy it. It’s a fine line that is better left alone.
Google and other search engines love unique content. Sometimes it is difficult to come up with content, so some companies or people will outsource it to an agency or content writer. This is ok, but make sure you are still editing and going through the content before you post it to make sure it is relevant to your audience and it fits the tone/style of your site and company.
“Content needs to be unique and give value to your audience.”
So, other than words on a page, content is also visuals. People love visuals. However, don’t just add a pretty picture. Instead, add an image or graphic that supports what your article is about to help draw and keep the readers’ attention. If the reader likes it enough, sometimes they will share it with their network. Which is what you want!
PDFs and eBooks
Yes, PDF’s and eBooks are also considered to be content. Also, if the PDF does not just contain images (also has words), then it can also be indexed by the search engines (they can crawl and find them).
Video Content
Video can be amazing source of digital content for your website and brand. Videos are a great way to increase your ranking, put a face to the name/message and really connect with your audience.
A good way to get started with video is to create a YouTube account/channel, post your videos there and then embed them on a page within your website. Then, share the page from your website to your other marketing channels. YouTube is great, but in essence, that is probably not where the viewers are going to convert. They will convert on your website if it is set up properly. Yes, there are always exceptions, but the vast majority of your audience will convert on your website and not your social media channels.
Digital Content Matters
Though this isn’t a complete list of all the different types of content, it should give you a good idea of where to get started. A few others that we will go over later are audio, infographics and courses. What types of content have you already used or are planning to use? I would love to hear your feedback in the comments below!