Quality content rocks. Who would disagree with that? Absolutely no one. But how do you know if you’re actually delivering “quality content” to your market?

Let’s discuss some key characteristics (and one leading website) and just what it is that transforms plain ol’ content into “quality content.”

1. Your Market Always Finds “Quality Content” Useful

In a capitalist society, it’s all about serving your market. Give them what they want. Yes, some content does better than others, and variation will always exist. However, you’ll consistently see evidence of high-performing content. In your website analytics, take note of:

• Long on-page times (or long watch times for videos)
• Low bounce rates (below 70%)

Quality content simply starts with your target audience’s most pressing questions. Perhaps they frequently ask you these very same questions in your office! Always strive to become an encyclopedia of information while giving them the answers they’re looking for.

2. Example Website: TasteofHome.com

Let’s zero in on this website, which has benefitted bigtime over the years from Google updates targeting websites specifically in its niche—which is exactly how you know it has “quality content.” You can also visit BuzzSumo.com, enter a URL, and check the share count to gauge popularity.

So, what makes this specific site’s content such a big deal? Well, it serves a distinct niche: people cooking at home. The content is short, to the point, and written in simple language that’s easy to consume.

When we headed to BuzzSumo.com and entered the website’s URL, these came through as the top five most popular posts:

It’s easy to see why they are so popular! After all…

• Who wouldn’t want a free Dairy Queen ice cream cone? Yum!
• Taco Bell is one of the healthiest fast-food chains. Really?!
• A new fourth type of chocolate was discovered. Wow! Who wouldn’t want to learn about that?

BuzzSumo works for every niche, and you can even search by keyword. Simply enter in your top keywords or key phrases related to the subject matter you want to create and learn what works best in your niche. Then, whip up your own version with additional info not found in the leading stories. Ta-da!

It really is that easy to find popular subjects to write about and simply takes some time and research to do so. While quality content will vary by industry, you now know exactly how to find it and then hit the ground running to mimic the very same with your own unique spin.