Content Decay: What is it, and Does it Really Matter?

In a recent Search off the Record podcast, Google went into detail on its own take on the rather sketchy topic of content decay. A concept with no formal definition, most SEOs and webmasters have their unique ideas as to what content decay really means.

Hosted by John Mueller and Lizzi Sassman, the chat looked at how and why content decay occurs, and whether it’s something more SEOs should be taking seriously.

 

Mr Mueller's take on the issue underlined just how open to interpretation the whole thing is:

“Content decay is something where, when you look at reference material, it’s kind of by definition old. People wrote about it because they’d studied it for a really long time. So it’s an old thing. But that doesn’t mean it’s no longer true or no longer useful.”

He also made it clear that it wasn’t something he was totally familiar with himself:

“When I looked at it, it sounded like this was a known term, and I felt inadequate when I realized I had no idea what it actually meant, and I had to interpret what it probably means from the name.”

His sentiments were echoed by Sassman, who likewise gave the impression it wasn’t a concept she’d come across:

“It sounded a little bit negative. Like something’s probably wrong with the content. Probably it’s rotting or something has happened to it over time.”

But what was interesting was how during the discussion that followed – centred mainly on how to handle the issue – the pair made it clear that content decay in its own right isn't necessarily negative.

Avoiding Confusion and Misinformation

For example, you’d expect that blog posts talking about upcoming events that have long since come and gone would qualify as content decay. The content no longer serves a practical purpose and is therefore devoid of value.

However according to Sassman, this kind of content should be retained and does indeed still hold value for its historical accuracy. If someone was looking for information about such a past event, the post would be a practical source.

Digging deeper, Mr Mueller said that what matters most is ensuring you don’t confuse or mislead people. If a piece of content is subsequently deemed to be inaccurate based on future findings or developments, it becomes necessary to ensure this is highlighted.

Though contrary to popular belief, this doesn't necessarily mean erasing it, or even repurposing it. It could simply mean adding an explanation to inform the reader of the inaccuracies and irrelevancies, clearly showing the date the content was originally published, or redirecting users to more current and accurate information.

Only when outdated information could be considered potentially harmful does Google recommend removing it entirely. Otherwise, a nuanced approach to dealing with content decay can help you maintain trust and integrity, improve the user experience, and even make a positive contribution to your wider SEO efforts.

Smart Content Marketing

Perhaps the most important thing to keep in mind when it comes to content marketing is the following:

Every web user presently online around the globe is online for a specific reason.

There is a surprising number of businesses that assume that every second web user is online with no specific purpose in mind whatsoever. Drifting around with no requirements or intention, thus wide open to their tempting offers and suggestions. The reality, however, is much different.

Whether it is for socialising, entertainment purposes, seeking services or researching products of any kind, there is always a reason for going online. This in turn means that to some extent at least, there is something specific every person in question is looking for.

Exactly who fulfils their requirements and expectations comes down to one simple thing and one thing alone – quality content.

Value and Quality

Online webmasters and businesses in general can throw all the hype they want at their target audiences. But without genuine value and quality to back it up, it is an exercise in futility. Above everything else, the crucial thing to remember when implementing a content marketing strategy is that web users will always respond best to websites that are providing them with some sort of help.

It can be help filling some minutes with quality entertainment, help with researching services and products, help with buying services and products and so on. Web users in general like to know that after each engagement or experience with an online entity, they come away better off.

Which is exactly why the most successful content is that which delivers benefits and value of some kind. How-to guides, tutorials, infographics or pretty much anything unique that can’t be found elsewhere.

Web marketers who exist for the sole reason to separate consumers from their hard earned money rarely find success – those who try to satisfy the needs of their audience usually perform much better.

The Psychology of Selling

Studies and the experience of millions of online businesses worldwide remind us that strong customer relationships could be forged if you help them solve a problem. If you’re willing to offer support and advice that is relevant, useful, transparent and accessible, you will stand a greater chance of standing out as a leader and authority in your field.

This means that next time they need any support or help along the same lines, they will most likely gravitate in your direction.

In a way, it is the classic example of selling without really selling in practice. Rather than bombarding your audience members with marketing materials, you are instead focusing on what they really want. And by doing so, you stand out from the crowd as an authority in your field.

So rather than focusing on and investing in the kind of hype that will most likely lead to nothing, think about how your business and your website could provide valuable and genuine help, for the benefit of your web users.

Yes, You Do Have Time for Creative Writing

Some writers insist that their busy schedules get in the way of their creativity. Rather than focusing their efforts on quality content, they’re instead left with little to no time to write anything at all. Hence, the copy they come up with isn’t exactly their best work.

The thing is though, if creative writing is part and parcel of your profession, you need to make time for it. Irrespective of how busy your schedule may be, there are countless avenues to explore for freeing up a little time here and there.


Three of which you’ll find outlined below:

1. Cut Down on Social Media Time

If you’re anything like the vast majority of people these days, you’re probably spending far too much time on social media. Even if it’s only a few minutes here and there, it can quickly add up to several hours per week. Hours wasted doing nothing productive whatsoever.

It’s not a case of quitting social media entirely, but instead focusing on a strategic cut-down. Particularly during your working hours, when these kinds of distractions should be avoided entirely. As important as it is for you to stay connected, you can always check those non-business messages a little later. Facebook isn’t going anywhere, so there’s no rush!

2. Always Carry a Notebook

Why rely exclusively on technology to enable your craft? It can be far better and more enjoyable to go back to basics, carrying a notebook and making use of any spare time that comes your way. If it takes you 30 minutes by bus to get to work, that’s five hours a week you could dedicate to creative writing. All without the usual distractions creeping into the equation.

It’s also worth remembering how therapeutic traditional writing can be. Rather than straining your eyes staring at a screen, give the paper option a shot and see how it works for you. You never know when and where inspiration might strike – Harry Potter started out with nothing more than a pen and a napkin!

3. Schedule Creative Writing Time

Last up, if creative writing is part of your job, surely it’s worth bringing it into your schedule. If it’s a genuine priority, don’t simply cast it to one side until time permits. Bring creative writing into your schedule, ideally getting into some kind of effective routine.

If your current schedule is already full, think about which duties are more or less important than creative writing. Even if you simply slot 20 minutes of creative writing time into your lunch break, that’s more than one and a half hours per week. Or, more than 75 hours per year. A small price to pay to get those creative juices flowing and ensure your talent doesn’t go to waste.

In a nutshell therefore, it’s always possible to find at least some time to dedicate to creative writing. It’s simply a case of weighing up your priorities and focusing on what really matters.

Content Marketing: Why Is It So Effective?

By this stage in time, you don’t need us or anyone else to tell you how important content marketing is. You may or may not be using it to its full potential, but still…chances are you know it’s a big deal.

But have you ever stopped to ask the big question: why is content marketing so effective?

With so many other approaches to digital marketing out there, why does content marketing top the table?

Two very important questions, for which there are thousands of deep and unnecessarily convoluted answers. In truth, the explanation as to why content marketing is so effective can be summed up in just two words:

Value and influence.

Content of Value

The basic principle of content marketing is one that focuses on value. Whatever kind of content you produce and regardless of who you are reaching out to, you need to provide them with something of value. This is the only way they will look beyond your content to the brand behind it, slowly but surely building a sense of trust. And they build a sense of trust because content of value has influence.

Which in turn means that effective content marketing increases influence, which is just about the single most important thing a business can have plenty of.

When you think about it, the most successful businesses the world over are built on influence. Overtime, they increase their influence to such an extent that their target audience members practically eat out of their hands. The greater their authority and influence in their niche, the more power they have to grow, evolve and vastly extend their customer base.

You really only have to think of two brands to get the idea. One being a household name, the other being some random name you read on the packaging of an equally random product that you had never heard of. Which of the two would you be most likely to trust? Which would you be more likely to become a regular customer of? Or for that matter, give their product a try in the first place? More importantly, which would you recommend to your friends, family and colleagues?

The answer is almost always the same – the company or brand with the greatest influence.

Influence Through Value

There is a direct correlation between creation of value and greater influence. That being, the more value you provide, the more your influence grows as a result. Once again, it’s a case of thinking about which brands and even individuals in your life have the greatest influence over you. The brand you are loyal to instinctively, the people you look up to and so on. Chances are, the reason these companies and individuals have so much influence over you and the decisions you make is because you value them.

You may value what they do, what they stand for, the products they provide you with or anything else at all. Value breeds influence, which in turn breeds loyalty, which in turn breeds even greater influence.

So to answer the question once again, content marketing works because it is just about the only approach to contemporary digital marketing that focuses on value above and beyond everything else.

When Can I See Content Marketing Results?

As much as you probably hate hearing “It depends” in a response to “When will I start seeing the results of my content marketing?”, the simple fact of the matter is that marketers hate saying that even more. Unfortunately, sometimes it is indeed the only true answer.

But if the questions won’t ease up until you receive at least a ballpark estimate, then the answer is more often than not six to nine months. Naturally, there will always be brands that see results before this time and others who will need to wait longer than nine months. Put simply, it depends.
In a time when we have all grown quite used to instant gratification, this answer could be a hard number to swallow. But as common sense usually dictates “Nothing worthwhile is easy.”

What Factors Impact the Time Between Execution of Content Marketing and Its Results?
Two different categories of variables will affect the timeline of content marketing – those you have control over and those you have no control over.

What CAN I Control?
• The time and budget you’re willing to invest
• Your Goals
• Your strategy
• How frequently you publish content
• How you measure success and failure
• How well you promote your content
• The level of quality of your content

What CAN’T I Control?
• The marketplace
• The economy
• What your competition is doing

As you could see, while there is a handful of factors you cannot govern, there are many more things that you can. To increase your chances of success and to have a more predictable timeline, you will need to establish a plan for each of these elements.

Here Is What to Do:
1. Choose your specific goals. You are certainly free to use industry standards as a starting point, but no brand is exactly like yours, which simply means that no brand will have the same precise objectives. Choose the goals that will make the most sense for your brand.
2. Evaluate your resources. Be realistic about how much money and time you are able to dedicate to content marketing. If you need to outsource, then do it. Don’t try to bite more than you can chew.
3. Determine your strategy. Again, you are free to research and study the best practices, but your strategy will need to be your own. What has worked for another brand will not necessarily work for you. Think about your specific resources and goals.
4. Consider measurement criteria. Know what defines a win and what constitutes a loss. Any vagueness will make it very difficult to optimize your campaign.
5. Set the publishing frequence. Ensure you post often enough to keep your audiences interested, but not so often that there is no way for them to keep up. Try to engage them, but don’t overwhelm them.
6. Get the word out. All of the best content in the world doesn’t mean anything if there is nobody that knows about it. Post on social media platforms, use PPC campaigns where necessary and create relationships with industry leaders who are able to promote your content to their specific audiences.

What Are The Benefits Of Business Blogging?

Despite the number of successful bloggers out there, many people still aren’t convinced of its benefits for online marketing. After all, they say, all you are doing is writing articles – you are not actually ‘selling’ your product so how can this grow your business? The answer is that you are selling the image of your company – the idea of yourself as a brand. And in this oversaturated global marketplace, this is a crucial differentiating factor. If you’re still not convinced, here are just some of the many key benefits of business blogging: 

Increasing Client Base: It’s hard to attract new clients if your website isn’t regularly updated because your search engine rankings will fall. A regularly updated, well-written blog is a great way to keep your site fresh without having to spend a lot of time changing the graphics. Furthermore, if your blog addresses specific problems faced by your customer base then they will come to trust you as an expert in your field and are more likely to be converted into paying clients rather than casual visitors.

Increasing Your Writing Prospects: If you are already running a business but want to become a published author in your field of expertise to boost your personal brand then a blog is a great way to start. For one thing, it’s a regular discipline that helps you to become a better, more fluent writer. If you engage with customers by encouraging comments it will also help you to discover what people like to read and what they don’t. By the time you come to write your book you will have gained a lot of knowledge of your customer base and hopefully also built up a ready-made audience to buy your book. A large number of online followers always sits well with potential publishers.

Building A Network: If your blog is well written then hopefully you will start to build up your own online network to engage with through both your website and social media platforms. Not only will this hopefully increase your client base, it also gives you access to other experts with whom you can share advice and information. It’s good to have this kind of mutual support in today’s competitive market environment.

Improving SEO: Contrary to what many believe, search engine rankings are still important. After all, search engines are still there to deliver results that will be useful and relevant to their users. If you write valuable articles around a particular topic to a consistently high standard then search engines will recognise this and your search engine rankings will rise accordingly.

How To Make Article Marketing Work For You

When it comes to article marketing, it’s important to have high quality, unique content.  Simply submitting content to article sites will not do you any favours unless it offers a new viewpoint, addresses a genuine issue or offers useful advice.

There may be links to your website from poor quality articles, but this is no good if nobody bothers to read till the end. In fact they can do you more harm than good: if the article is very badly written it will tend to reflect badly on your company. Here, then, is what to do to ensure that your article marketing has the effect you intended:

Writing Quality Articles: This is the most important rule to remember: before you start posting your content onto articles sites, test it out on your own website first and see how customers respond. If you are writing pieces that are useful to your website visitors then you can be fairly confident that potential customers who have not yet seen your website will also find them helpful. And don’t just hide them away in your ‘blog’ section (many customers won’t bother clicking on that), display them prominently on your home or product pages with catchy titles that will get people reading.

Getting Article Ideas: If you are struggling with the above because you simply can’t come up with any strong article ideas, don’t panic: this is a skill that can take a while to master. A good way of generating ideas is to do a search using the most relevant product or service keywords for you and seeing what kinds of information people are looking for. You could also look in forums related to your industry sector and find out what the big topics are at the moment or what kinds of problems people are struggling with: you can then base your article around this.

Make It A Collaboration: You may find that you don’t have the time to write all the articles yourself, and this is not a problem either. In fact, it’s good to get another perspective from time to time if you’re running low on ideas. You can encourage your employees to contribute their own articles. If they are heavily involved in marketing and selling your products then they will probably have plenty to say. You could even ask your customers if they would like to contribute content, along the lines of ‘tips on how to use these products’. Finally, if you’re really struggling to produce enough content, you can hire writers in to create it for you. Just make sure they have knowledge of the subject and can create engaging content.

How To Build A Content Marketing Strategy

Content marketing is a strategic approach to promoting your business online, focusing on creating valuable, relevant and above all consistent content to attract your target audience. It’s not about selling – it’s about communicating with your customers and establishing a bond of trust. But whilst this can be an incredibly effective tool for growth, it’s a skill and it does take time to get it right. If you’re new to the world of content marketing, here are some steps you can take to go about putting together a coherent strategy:

Establish Goals: You will only be able to keep an eye on your progress and track your ROI if you know exactly what your content marketing goals are from the outset. Whether you want to bring in more leads, increase your website traffic or boost your social media following, all of the following steps should be tailored towards this.

Connect With Customers: You should remember that your content marketing strategy begins with making a personal connection, so make it social. For example, use social media platforms to start a conversation, draw attention to trends in the industry or simply offer an entertaining article. People are far more likely to be drawn to and want to read content that makes them laugh or cry. People are far more likely to share your content with their own followers if it resonates with them on a personal level.

Be Informative and Consistent: With your content, you should aim to make it valuable and to really tell your customers what they want to know. Think about common problems your clients might face, or particular trends that are of interest. Can you build an article or blog post around these? You will find that the more relevant your content, the more likely it is to interest your target audience. Also, be consistent: people tend to trust things more if there are no surprises. Make sure you update your content on a regular basis and don’t vary your tone too much. If you’re going for informal and it seems to be working, then stick to that as far as possible.

Make It Accessible: Ensure that your entire team is aware of the strategy you have set out and that it is easy to follow. This doesn’t just mean your marketing team (if you have one). All employees should be able to participate, whether that is sales, human resources, admin or anybody else. Encourage the use of social media to promote your key aims, for example, and welcome any suggestions or feedback that anybody may have.

Measure Your Success: Whatever your goals might be, make sure that you know how to track metrics so you can find out whether your strategy is working or whether it needs a tweak. If you’re not sure how to do this, think about hiring a content marketing expert for a short time. They will be able to show you how to measure your results accurately on a monthly basis.

Should You Be Spending Less Money On Advertising? (And More On Content Marketing?)

According to AdGooroo, Amazon reputedly spent $54 million on Pay Per Click advertising during the first half of 2012. However 96% of businesses that use PPC spend on average less than $10,000 per year, and many of these are now seeking alternative marketing methods to deliver ‘more bang for their buck’.

Today’s most successful companies (we’re talking businesses of all sizes here), are fast recognising that continuous engagement with their target audience is the best way to keep their brands front of mind.

Such organisations are only too aware that advertising is a one-way medium – a marketing platform which offers no direct engagement with the audience. And as such it can be an expensive experiment.

The alternative?

Content marketing – and plenty of it.

A New York Times article (published 17 October 2012), reported on the considerable impact of PPC costs on small businesses, with one insurance company revealing that their original bid of $1 on the term “life insurance” had increased to a prohibitive $20 per click over a 10- year period.

At the other end of the business spectrum, CNN Money reported that since 2010, Nike has cut back on its traditional advertising (TV, print, radio) by 40%, in favour of creating content built around digital communities and high-profile sporting events. This cost-efficient direct communications strategy has seen Nike’s net income rise by $500 million and its company revenues by $3 billion.

Tips for reducing advertising spend in favour of content marketing:

• Set up a business blog and post new articles regularly (at least twice a week). Encourage your audience to post comments and initiate discussions.
• Produce an ebook and give it away as a free download to customers who sign up to your list on your website or squeeze page.
• Create your own YouTube channel and harness the power of video to attract more customers or clients.
• Launch a digital magazine (premium or freemium model). Many online magazine providers like Issuu offer a free trial of their software.
• Start a company newsletter (if your target audience is local you may wish to extend your offering to print).
• Create a fun app for your business. You don’t need a large budget to hire a freelance developer online from oDesk, Elance or AppBooker. (Ask the developer to sign an NDA if you are concerned about your concept being shared).

These are just a handful of the dozens of ways your brand could engage with its audience on a weekly basis.

Whilst content marketing can never be considered a quick fix; done well it amounts to a long-game strategy that could pay considerable dividends. At the same time, no-one is suggesting that businesses should stop running advertising altogether – that would be foolish. Many successful companies combine several elements in their marketing strategy. Ultimately, any activity that works for your business is worth repeating over and over.

Acclaimed US author and online advertising expert Perry Marshall says on the subject of PPC versus content: “AdWords is still doable and reasonably profitable for local businesses or those that have narrow niches and high barriers to entry. But you cannot put all your eggs in one basket. The ultimate goal for any business should be to drive as much unpaid traffic to their site as possible.”

How Content Marketing Can Work For You

Savvy marketers now understand that traditional forms of advertising are no longer enough to reach out to today’s consumer. Content marketing is the method of creating and distributing relevant material to your customer base in order to drive profitable consumer action. Rather than directly selling, what you are doing is keeping the lines of communication open and the Internet is the perfect medium for doing this. But is content marketing just the latest in a long line of marketing buzz words, or is it something that can have real benefits. In short, is it worth the effort?

The answer is yes. And you don’t need to take our word for it: most of the major brands such as P&G and Microsoft are using content marketing techniques today. As just one example of where it has paid off, look at L’Oréal’s recent campaign. In 2012 it collaborated with Rolling Stone Magazine on its ‘Women Who Rock’ annual issue. This invited consumers to get involved by voting to decide which female emerging musician would be on the flip cover of the issue.

According to Debora Koyama, AVP Marketing at L’Oréal USA, “We are very satisfied with the program having much stronger results this year achieving or surpassing our targets and benchmarks from a number of page and video views, earned impressions to brand health tracking metrics.”

If you want to get the best results from content marketing then there are three key areas you have to cover.

These are:

Images: Highly visual content such as images or infographics can be much easier for your audience to absorb and if done well it can make a big impact. It’s a good way to share tips or information on your latest products and this kind of content is also very easy to share so it has the potential to go viral quickly. Make sure you add your company’s name and web address somewhere within the graphics.

Blog posts and articles: As an expert in your sector you will no doubt have valuable advice and tips to share with your customers. A relevant and regularly updated blog is a great way to keep visitors flowing in to your website. You can also think about spreading the net further by posting articles on relevant blogging sites. It will showcase your knowledge and help you connect with clients, presenting an image of you as a reliable and competent supplier.

Videos: These days it is relatively quick and easy to put together a professional looking video – you don’t necessarily need much special knowledge and expertise. Once you have your video then it’s a valuable tool to connect with your audience over platforms such as YouTube. Be imaginative and come up with something really unique that people will want to share.

But remember that whatever you post, your content marketing strategy should always be coherent. Have the same themes and brand message running through everything and this way you will create a strong identity for your company. And keep plugging away! You are unlikely to see results straight away but this does not mean it will not pay off in the end.