In Why Google and Demand Media Are Headed for a Showdown, Mathew Ingram talks about the complaints regarding articles from the content mills appearing at the top of Google’s search results. It appears a great deal of searchers are getting tired of trying to find reliable, well-written information. I can’t say that I blame them either, because when I want to know more about something, I also am stuck weeding through Google’s results to find information from a site other than Associated Content and eHow. In fact, it’s reached the point to where I’ll skip to the fifth page of results to see if there’s a site with more trustworthy, well-written information on what I’m looking for, and many times I discover the sites with better quality articles on or beyond page five of Google’s search results.
Since more and more people are starting to speak out about how the content mills seem to be dominating Google’s search results, Google may start listing sites with higher quality articles above sites such as Associated Content and eHow. After all, Google’s quality guidelines already tell us we should create content for users and not search engines.
If this change begins to take place — and I believe it will — you could easily increase your rankings and sales by providing the information users really want.
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Learn From Demand Media and Associated Content’s Mistakes
Write content for users instead of search engines. If you manage an ecommerce site, consider providing content about the products you sell. Some of the content you can offer, for example, are product buying guides, product gift guides, articles on how a product can benefit the consumer (e.g. its uses), and best laptops, washers or etc. based on consumer reviews (research the web to find reviews so you can write these type articles. Start with Amazon. Also, check retailers’ sites for any reviews).
If you’re not good at writing unique, quality content, hire a professional writer, and pay him or her a professional rate. Avoid articles riddled with ads and keywords. Instead, make sure the articles provide helpful information and aren’t surrounded with ads. A few ads in the sidebar are okay, but many sites, especially content mills, place quite a few ads to the right or left of content, between content as well as at the top and bottom of the content.
As for keywords, insert them in the content to where it sounds natural instead of forced. Placing your chosen keywords in the title, once in the first paragraph, once toward the middle of the content and once in the last paragraph should be sufficient.
Focus on quality over quantity. Associated Content and Demand Media produce a large amount of content per day. Although search engines like sites that update often, they prefer those sites add new content of great quality rather than keyword-stuffed content.
Promote your articles, product guides, case studies and whitepapers. Once you’ve published the quality content on your website or blog, link to its page by sharing it with your social media friends/followers, submitting it to niche directories and linking to it in the bio of relevant guest posts.
What You Can Do to Help Lower the Content Mills’ Rankings
Use your social media accounts to share quality content. When you come across a great, free article, product guide, blog post, case study or whitepaper, let your social media friends/followers know about it. Also, link to those quality pieces from a relevant site or blog.
Stop giving the content mills link juice. You can still mention them, but don’t link to them, even if it’s a “nofollow” link. If you have linked to some and it’s not too much of a hassle, remove all links to them from your site or blog. The only time you should link to or leave a link to a content mill up is if you discovered an article there of really great quality and quoted the author.
Are there any other tips you’d like to add that would help website and blog owners increase their rankings and sales? What are your thoughts on content mill sites? Sound off in the comments area.