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Content Development Is Simply A Balancing Game

Are you like thousands of business owners – confused about how to create your content? It’s a common problem with business owners feeling that the only way to impress search engines is by creating ‘keyword rich’ content. Content development really is a balancing game – get it right and everyone’s happy. Get it right, and no one’s happy. Here are the three common approaches to content development – can you tell me which is the best approach?

Keyword Rich Content

As the name suggests, the content is rich in keywords and keyword phrases. Some creators of keyword-based content even go so far as to aim for a certain percentage of keywords on a page. Keyword rich content is often difficult to read, doesn’t always make logical sense, and generally struggles to deliver anything of value. This content is written specifically for the search engines and not for human readers.

Content Without Keywords

Content that is written without any targeted keywords is often the easiest to read.Because it is written for human eyes and not search engines, it flows smoothly and if the information is of value then the content is as well. Of course, if the information is rubbish to begin with, even the best writer will struggle to make it “valuable”

Balanced Content

Balanced content is often content that has been written without reference to keywords. The term optimisation comes into play in this instance as the content is then edited to highlight keywords where ever they fit in smoothly. The content is generally easy to read by both humans and search engines.

Which is the best approach? Balanced content has been the approach of choice for most website optimisers over the years. Today, it is still an approach that pays dividends. However, writing purely for the human eye is gaining in favour as search engines become more adept at ‘understanding’ a page’s content. Semantics are starting to gain in importance so it won’t be long before non-optimised pages start to rank well – especially in long tail searches.

For now, balanced content is the best approach. Where this approach does need updating is the reference to keywords. Rather than concentrating on repeating the keyword, the best approach now is to use variations of the keyword – this is the semantic approach. You can use words that relate to the topic in a more natural way, and still gain good search rankings. Content development is heading more towards natural writing with a lower reliance on specific keywords. While you still need to perform keyword research and to craft your content around those keywords, you no longer need to squeeze them in wherever you can fit them – just write naturally.