Content is king, brand is queen
Contents · 5 sections
Content is king, brand is queen
The phrase “Content is king” has taken online marketing circles by storm lately. I’ve watched, and joined, some very heated debates about whether it actually makes sense. Still, the digital content we create is a little different from other areas of marketing, like social media and SEO. In fact, I’ve always argued that every tool marketers use (myself included) revolves around one central axis: content.
Think about it.
Without content, there would be nothing to optimize for search engines. The metadata SEO gurus add to posts, images and videos exists for one reason: to help Google’s crawlers understand what that content is about. And don’t forget why people go online in the first place: for the content they search for, find, take in and put to use.
Every email, social media post, homepage and product description is content. The best way I know to show what they have in common is this:
Content isn’t just “something we write” to rank higher in search engines, or “infographics,” or “long articles.” Content is anything that carries a message to an audience.
Content is at the heart of everything we do. Whether we’re talking to customers, readers or like-minded people, we do the same thing every time: we offer content.
Why Google loves content and how brands win
Ever wondered what Google is really after? It wants to give users the most accurate, relevant results for whatever they search. The only way it can tell what your website is about is through your content and what it reveals about your business. In 2013, Google also rolled out the “Hummingbird” update, which helps it grasp the meaning of content and deliver better results. But here’s the most important part: without content, there’s simply nothing to optimize!
High-quality, original content doesn’t just get indexed well. It can also entertain, intrigue and even educate the people who find it. Keep offering interesting, useful content, and sooner or later you’ll stand out as an expert in your field, no matter how big your business is.
I remember one online store owner who wanted his site to rank first for certain keywords, yet his product descriptions were copied word for word from competitors’ sites. Google punishes that kind of thing right away, and an unknown website has little chance of fooling the all-powerful search engine into thinking it deserves a top spot.
Big brands understand the power of search engines, and above all the dominant one: Google. Some 12 years ago, the search giant made several algorithm changes, such as “Florida” and “Sandbox,” that pushed smaller companies down the rankings. Brands like Coca-Cola, BMW, Pepsi and Adidas pulled ahead by quickly adapting their content to Google’s criteria, and guess what? Their investment paid off many times over.
With its latest changes, Google has built what every advertiser dreams of: a ready-made platform for reaching the right people at the right time. But there’s a catch. To get the most out of everything the search engine offers, you need to meet some of these criteria:
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A recognizable brand
In the real world, Armani jeans cost at least 10 times as much as a pair from a market stall, because respected brands add value to whatever they sell. By the same logic, Google gives more weight to content from well-known brands with a positive image than to content from newcomers. If you’re not a recognizable brand yet, focus on becoming one.
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Structured data
Much to the dismay of everyone who creates content, Google is still a machine, so you have to help it along. For example, use microdata (small snippets of code that tell search engines that a string of digits is actually a phone number, or exactly where your email address is). The best way to do it is to mark up your site with the Schema.org vocabulary or with Google Rich Snippets.
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Speed
Holding people’s attention gets harder every year. Now imagine making visitors wait 20 seconds for your site to load. Think they’ll stick around? The faster a site loads, the better the experience and the longer people stay. That’s why Google favors faster websites. Optimize your content and code so you never keep users waiting.
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Responsiveness
The days of fixed-layout sites are long gone. People expect content to adapt gracefully to any device, anywhere in the world. More than half of internet users already browse on mobile, and that share will keep growing. It’s no coincidence that on April 21, 2015, Google rolled out an update (nicknamed Mobilegeddon) that favors mobile-friendly sites in mobile search. If your site doesn’t look good on phones and tablets, it’s time to fix that.
How does branding help me?
Search engines have always favored interesting content. When you brand images, presentations, infographics or e-books packed with expertise from your field, you get extra advertising space for free. Original content with your brand on it can only work in your favor. Branding also helps with something very important: getting customers to associate what they need with your brand.
You may be asking, “How exactly does that help me?” Simple. Think about how often you reach for a Coca-Cola product when you’re thirsty. I bet plenty of people don’t even think of water. They automatically link thirst to the brand.
Now look at it from another angle. When you see three white stripes, which brand comes to mind? I know. You don’t have to say it.
The king and queen in the great game of chess
Before you dive into the sea of content, take the time to think through your content strategy so that all your hard work brings the biggest possible return. Have you ever played chess?
Online, just as on a chessboard, you can only play if you have a king (content). Without one, the game can’t even start. To win, you can use other pieces (methods) and any tactics you can think of. When we have content (the king) and a good brand (the queen), it all comes down to the moves that will lead us to victory, or to our ultimate goal. But when our opponent has a queen (a strong brand behind them) and we don’t, the game gets much harder. That’s exactly the position we’re in when we launch a new online business: no established reputation, and big players to compete with. Even so, with quality content, a smart strategy and the right moves, we can win, even against a very strong opponent. Before long, we may find ourselves at the top of Google’s rankings.
Final thoughts
Content will always be king in online business, because it’s one of the few clear yardsticks in the digital world. But brands will keep gaining value, not only for Google but for all the users, followers and customers facing an endless ocean of choices. That trend looks set to continue for years. So it pays to think a few moves ahead and invest both in creating quality content and in building a positive brand. Sometimes you have to sacrifice some resources and revenue to beat the competition, but that’s the only way you’ll dominate Google’s rankings, and everywhere else too.
Petar Dyaksov
Entrepreneur and founder of a digital agency, in e-commerce since 2009. He grows online businesses such as Fragrances.bg and Timedix and shares his experience as a speaker, moderator and mentor at nearly 80 conferences and trainings.
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[…] above all it rests on the quality content you give your customers or readers. I like to say that “content is king and brand is queen.” Together, the two will play a central role in building a successful business with a good reputation […]