A Search Engine Journal survey of 215 top SEO marketers assessed where they were spending their time. Results broke down as follows:

Image Credit: Search Engine Journal

Here is an eye-opening stat: 72% of those surveyed spent most of their day creating quality content. Yet, this in fact makes complete sense as Google is militantly consistent in telling SEO experts and website owners this is precisely what it wants to see from websites.

What Makes Content Succeed Online?

By now, you probably assume there’s so much content available online that it’s difficult for searchers to find yours, specifically—and you’re correct in making this guess.

Today, marketers refer to this challenge as “content saturation.” Some niches are much more saturated than others. For example, if you market in the technology niche, it’s tough to get noticed. At the local level—for businesses such as AC repair and law—it’s still difficult but much easier than tech.

So, what exactly can you do to make your content stand out? Here are some pointers:

1. First, Have a Plan

According to the Content Marketing Institute, marketers with a plan:

• Are far more likely to consider themselves effective
• Feel much less challenged in content marketing
• Consider themselves more effective in all tactics and channels they use
• Spend a higher percentage of their budget on content marketing

The proof is in the pudding! You must have some sort of plan to see big returns from your content; and if you’re afraid to make plans, remember you can always change things up if it’s not working.

2. Your Content Must Have These Qualities

Simply showing your audience you’re smart or deeming yourself an expert doesn’t necessarily get consumers to act. Instead, research presented at Harvard Business Review found your content must:

• Teach customers something new
• Give them a compelling reason to change their behavior

With this in mind, your content must focus on these areas to convince people and get them to act. Simply publishing as much content as possible may net you some results but not to the degree you’d like.

3. Offer a Product or Service Worthy of Attention

Know how the “same” doesn’t win as much attention as the “new”? At first glance, this puts you in a bit of a pickle if you offer a common service: such as AC repair.

It’s therefore crucial to simply position your service in a fresh way. For example, instead of focusing on “AC repair,” you can zero in on improving “comfort” (something your market really wants). After finalizing this strategy, you can carry this messaging through on your blog and social media profiles: discussing how your customers can finally find comfort in their homes via AC repair.

Wrapping Up

In 2022 and beyond, this is precisely where you need to focus your time: on content and differentiating from your competition.