Shiny, Happy WWW
May 3rd, 2006
I am picking up on a nice trend - still subtle, but gaining momentum.
People are finally beginning to realize that content truly is king. I know that we have all heard that catchy little phrase a couple hundred times or so. However, I think that the notion is finally beginning to sink in. Kudos to the efforts of link development moderators, search engine marketing professionals, conference speakers, and other industry influencers. Through their collective endeavors, more and more, site owners are realizing that the quick and dirty route often leads to mediocre results.
Webmasters are learning that their users crave good content. What good is the traffic you generate if the user is going to bounce when they see that you have craptastic content? Why spend all the effort and money to lure users in, only to piss them off with a lackluster offering? Instead of obsessing on how the user can help them, webmasters are looking at how they can help the user. Sweet!
So what’s behind this transformation? Did webmasters drink the kool aid to spread this message of altruism? Probably not. More likely, they have learned through positive reinforcement that the quality content is what gets links, and tends to gravitate towards the top of the SERPs. That’s not an accident. You see, the engines need your quality content as much as your users thirst for it. In an effort to provide relevant results, engines will seek out, and reward your quality content with prominent listings, and lots of visitors. Webmasters and bloggers will link to your content because it provides value to their users. Your users will return to your site because they value your content, and they may even become evangelists, telling friends and co-workers about your site.
It’s a pretty dramatic change, and it takes some introspection and experience to fully appreciate. However, once you see the true picture, the pieces really begin to fall into place. You’ll find your work more enjoyable, your marketing efforts less demanding, and your resources spent more effectively. Additionally, your site should now be higher caliber and less prone to a whammy or other algorithm tweak. Building something that will endure should help you to sleep a lot better at night.
As a web enthusiast, internet business owner, and technology evangelist, I hope that this progression gains steam.
Further Reading:
May 3rd, 2006 at 5:49 pm
As a web enthusiast, internet business owner, and technology evangelist, I hope that this progression gains steam.
*cheers* to that!
I find this all very refreshing. On the one hand I can see how it might seem like “work” to develop and manage “quality sites”. But on the other hand, I believe we can take the majority of the time we’ve spent “marketing” our sites… and spend that time developing content and growing the site itself instead.
I know that this would make my work more enjoyable, like you said, because there is just nothing FUN about ’spamming’ or spending countless hours on ‘link exchanges’.
Best,
Lynn Terry