Content

"Content is King" - This oft-quoted statement by Microsoft founder Bill Gates in 1996 underlines the importance of media content on the Internet. High-quality, relevant and user-friendly content rules the web.

But what exactly is content? What media formats are there? What is the effect of content? How do you produce good content? And how is content related to search engine optimization? Here you will find all the information you need on the subject of "What is content?".

What is content? - a definition

Content refers to all the text, images, graphics, videos and audio files on a website. Textual content is usually blog posts. The quality of the content significantly influences the length of stay, retention and interaction of website visitors and also has a decisive influence on the ranking of the website within the search engine.

What is content outside of the online marketing context? In terms of traditional media, "content" refers to all editorial media content that is distributed through traditional media (TV, radio, newspapers, etc.).

What content is - types of content

Textual content: blog posts, glossaries, lists, guides, white papers, e-books, case studies, interviews, etc.
Image content: Infographics, images, slideshows, sketches, diagrams, maps, etc.
Audio-visual/social media content: Podcasts, music, audio books, videos, GIFs, moving images (commercials, tutorials, reels), webinars, workshops, Q&As, etc.

What does content do?

What content is has already been explained. But what does content actually do? Roughly speaking, six goals can be defined:

Lead generation: Prospective customers are attracted to your website by high-quality content.
Brand awareness: High-quality, informative content improves the reputation of a company and its brand awareness.

Customer conversion

Customer loyalty: User-friendly content allows you to retain existing customers in the long term.
Traffic increase: Search engine optimization ensures an increase in visibility or a good ranking of your content in search engines.

Features of good content

Good content inspires, strengthens your customer relationship and is remembered. Your website and all its content is your company's digital flagship. Therefore, invest time and effort in your content and create added value for your visitors.

Expressive texts, images, etc. not only appeal to your readers, but also to the search engine. What is content that is search engine optimized and target group-oriented? You should pay attention to the following points:

Search engine optimization

The question "What is content" usually refers to SEO content. SEO content contains, among other things, keywords relevant to the target group (TF*IDF/WDF*IDF), a meta description and title tag, an appropriate text length, regular updates and internal and external links (backlinks). SEO content is also "unique", i.e. one of a kind. Do not copy content from the competition, but create unique texts that provide your readers with new information.

These criteria are primarily relevant for search engine rankings, but also increase reader satisfaction by providing them with unique and up-to-date content, for example. Search engine optimized content therefore goes hand in hand with user-friendliness.

Comprehensibility

In order for your content to deliver the results you want, you need to ensure linguistic clarity. Avoid long nested sentences and only use foreign words where necessary. Nouns are less vivid than verbs. Use comparisons, metaphors and adjectives to breathe life into your texts. Comprehensible texts should also be free of errors. Your text should be grammatically and orthographically correct to prevent misunderstandings.

Structure the individual aspects in sections instead of overwhelming your readers with text deserts. Highlighting, lists and subheadings emphasize your statements and allow the reader to better process what they have read. A structured presentation of information ultimately increases the time readers spend on your website.

Search intent

Your content should answer the questions of your target group. The search intent describes a user's motivation for a search query. What does the user hope to gain from their input? What questions does your blog post need to answer in order to increase the length of time the user stays on your website? Put yourself in the searcher's shoes and fulfill their expectations as best you can or provide them with meaningful solutions to problems.

Added value

Instead of excessive advertising messages, you should offer your website visitors added value. Provide concrete, meaningful and structured information, which you can present graphically if appropriate. As an expert, contribute your own perspective or specialist opinion.

Accessibility

Easy accessibility is an essential prerequisite for texts with a wide reach. Therefore, offer your information in different media formats and on different distribution channels: e.g. podcast, social media posting, infographic for download. Easy accessibility also includes accessibility. Take people with visual or hearing impairments into account and adapt your information offerings accordingly.

Uniqueness

Did you know that Google penalizes so-called "gibberish"? There are "gibberish scores" for this. The purpose of gibberish scores is to distinguish "unique content" from "duplicate content". In contrast to "unique content", "duplicate content" is inauthentic and boring. Text-based content without uniqueness and added value receives a lower search engine ranking. As the operator of your website, pay attention to the uniqueness of your media content in terms of the search engine. Describe facts in an appealing and lively way in your own style, instead of presenting sober descriptions.

What is content marketing?

"Content marketing is a marketing discipline in which valuable, relevant and regular content is created and distributed via various distribution channels. The aim is to appeal to potential customers, increase the attractiveness of your own company and increase the length of time visitors spend on your website. In contrast to traditional marketing concepts, the focus is not directly on selling products, but rather on attracting and retaining users. Whether it's a moving image, glossary or blog post - the user's search intention is at the forefront. At the same time, search engine optimization generates more traffic to your website, which can ultimately lead to an increase in sales.

This is content - a conclusion

The question of what content is is easy to answer: content is the entire content of a website. The question of how to create high-quality content is somewhat more complex and covers many areas. The primary focus is on user-friendliness. Put yourself at the service of your readers and invest time and effort in creating high-quality content. Quality is the best advertising message for your company - this also applies to content creation. You will be rewarded for this by the search engine. The right content ensures a better ranking within the search engine. This is the best way for your customers to find your website.

It should be added that content alone does not determine the success of a website. Aspects such as layout, loading time, usability, backlinks and community also play a role.

The bottom line: high-quality content is not the ultimate key to success, but it does make a significant contribution to it.