Since it is nearly impossible to “fake” human reaction to a website, even the smartest SEO practitioners could not outrun Google – and other search engines – in their “Algorithm” Race! The solution? Keep it real!
Because of this, there has been a new definition for SEO based on Google’s mission. SEO now works around to comply with goals of the search engine to determine the most appropriate and the best content for a given search term. The more relevant the content of the website to the search term, and the more positive the human reaction is, the higher the search engine ranking!
Let me share 7 principles in creating killer content that will surely generate buzz for your brand and increase your search engine rankings.
Principle No. 1: Secret
Share something new, something different, something that hasn’t been said by anyone yet. Secrets tend to entice the curiosity of your readers; thus, they will choose your site over those that don’t say anything new.
Here is a classic case study that proved how successful sharing a secret on the web: If you were the marketing manager of the theme park of Harry Potter, what would you do? Spend millions, and reach millions of eyeballs via TV, radio, print, and billboards? What Mugglenet did was launch an exclusive webcast to 7 people at the top Harry Potter fan sites to announce the “secret”. They talked to 7 people, but they reached 350 million! Only because they arouse the curiosity of billions of Harry Potter fans through something that wasn’t existing yet before.
Principle No. 2: Humor
Be creative.
Think out of the box.
Deviate from the norm
of serious, formal talk.
What appeals the most for human readers is something that is light, positive, and they can relate to. Include a comic, photo, or video that will reduce the formality and seriousness of your content. Humoristic posts are often viral. Before you know it, it has already reached the other side of the globe.
Principle No. 3: Contest
Launch online contests and give away prizes and freebies. This would not only generate buzz for your brand, but will also attract potential audience, readers, subscribers, and partners. Add a viral component to your contest so it can easily spread through the Internet.
Principle No. 4: Controversy
Having a little problem getting a lot of attention for your brand name? If so, you may be playing it too safe and too quiet to be noticeable. Truth is, whether online or offline, those who get “all the attention” are not typically the plain and simple kind. They are usually the loud, roaring, and extroverted kind.
Hence, if you want to stand out and create a buzz about your website or brand name, it wouldn’t harm to create a little controversy. Drum up real enthusiasm, play a little drama, and attract interest! Maybe it’s time to think about taking a walk on the other side – the wilder side – and get noticed!
Principle No. 5: Outrageous
When creating content, try being outrageous in some of your posts. Throw something out on the table and talk about it. Outrageous can certainly make your content stand out. Think big and be bold. When your content includes some shout outs and links that are not self-serving, it does make it stand out in the crowd. Consider including videos to some of your content. They could be on how to do something, show what you’ve written about, illustrate a point, or divulge further info or proof.
Principle No. 6: New
Opt for new and fresh content every day (or at least on a regular basis). When you offer news, articles, or ideas that haven’t been said before, chances are, you’ll attract a lot of potential readers and visitors. Always give them something that they couldn’t get from anywhere else. Not only will new content invite human readers, but it will also signal search engines that you have new information to be crawled and indexed, especially if you added new pages for your new content.
Principle No. 7: Cause
Create content for a cause. Whether you want to increase people’s awareness about hunger, malnutrition, child abuse, or drug trafficking, you can immediately generate buzz with it, especially since they are serious issues being faced by every nation in the world. Another good thing about socio-civic cause-centered content is that you can tap organizations involve to support your campaign and spread your information, such as Unicef, WWF, and the likes.