Recently I read a post from Remarka Blogger about Quality Content which inspired me to delve a little deeper into the theory that “quality” content is the new king, and success is no longer just centered around any old garbled musings on the web.
Shopzilla and our affiliate program are both very focused on traffic quality and since the very launch of the first Shopzilla UK Publisher Program, we have had a system in place not unlike Ebay’s Quality Click Pricing Strategy.
So, why are affiliate programs becoming concerned with the quality of traffic from their affiliates?
Shopzilla has always evaluated and monitored publishers’ traffic with our Smartpricing strategy. It can take years to build up merchant relationships and so we like to make sure that both parties our happy with the results. For higher quality traffic publishers may also be rewarded by us, and so it pays to provide great content.
Quality Content doesn't come handed on a silver platter...
How do we know it is the quality of the content and not just the amount we write that can influence a site’s success?
This is a difficult one which needs to be broken down into several mini sections. When it comes to Page Rank and SERPs, Google’s algorithm is as yet an undisclosed complexity of determinants. One of which is seemingly the frequency at which new and fresh content is posted on a site. This doesn’t seem to define “quality” though. However, if you take visitor numbers into account, which Google undoubtedly does when it crawls your site, a high trend in visitors must mean your site is worth reading. Thus, the more unique visitors who come to your site and the more who then return is surely an indicator of the site’s great content. This in turn Google sees and pushes your website higher up the ranking. And so the circle continues.
What’s more, if a site provides great content for its users (thus reaching high visitor numbers and a high page rank) and perhaps displays a dynamic banner containing products relating to that particular subject next to the review/post, you are more likely to have a higher click-through-rate (CTR) and higher conversions.
Higher quality content = more visitors = more clicks = higher revenues.
Simple, no?
It must be stressed, however, that Google never discloses the actual full list of algorithms needed to achieve success with a website. So, keep producing that great content and you are well on your way.
So how do you turn your content into quality content?
Write about a subject you know.
If you’re just starting out the best idea is always to write about something you know about well. This way, perhaps without realising it you are already providing that quality by offering first hand information and advice to those who do not undertand the subject as well as yourself. Visitors will keep coming back for more of your tips and tricks or a general read around the topic if you give them something to feast on. They are then more likely to stay loyal - if they like what they see, they will come back time and time again and begin to trust your musings. In Google’s eyes this is not only great for SEO but also can help create a “quality” site.
Choose your medium.
Not everybody has a natural ability to write, and write well. Some websites I’ve come across in my everyday ‘Googling’ moments should, frankly, see the bottom of the dustbin. Others, however, find a way to inspire through their words. If writing is not for you, blogging is perhaps not the best way to go about distributing your material. There are plenty of other high traffic mediums available. If you’re a natural in front of the camera, give Youtube a go and create your own video blogs. Or why not try Podcasts if your have a flair for talking and impress with you radio voice.
Ask for feedback.
There are various affiliate events each year at which you have the opportunity to network and speak to some of the industry’s leading experts. Ask their opinion. Most people are only too happy to help as they themselves had to start somewhere.
Determination.
Keep going! The more practice you have at blogging, writing, video-blogging or whatever type of content medium you choose, the better you will become at it. Remember that it is just like riding a bike…once you get the hang of it, you’ll never forget. A lot of people in the internet industry give up when they don’t see results immediately. With affiliate marketing this is, in pretty much all instances, never the case. It takes hard work a and effort over a period of time. If you are writing about a product or subject area in which you specialise, your content will be considered of high quality in no time.
Finally, remember that there is no specific definition to “quality content”. It depends on the niche you are in, the kind of information you are passing on to your visitors, how you handle your affiliate marketing and finding the right affiliate program for you. As long as you keep your readers interested, I’d say you’ve done a pretty good job in the quality stakes.
For further information see here on how to improve traffic quality.
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