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Multiplatform Publishing Strategy

Google Sheds Light on Quality Content

Discover how to make the Panda update work for your content

Since Google’s Panda update took place in late February, many publishers have been wondering how to provide the “quality content” Google was expecting to see.

Those lacking quality content saw some negative impacts. However, Google didn’t explicitly state what was meant by quality content.

Discover how to make the Panda update work for your content

Since Google’s Panda update took place in late February, many publishers have been wondering how to provide the “quality content” Google was expecting to see.

Those lacking quality content saw some negative impacts. However, Google didn’t explicitly state what was meant by quality content.

Now, months after the Panda update, Google has released questions that content producers and publishers should ask themselves before publishing content. The following list of questions comes directly from the Google blog and provides insight on what Google really considers quality content:

  • Would you trust the information presented in this article?
  • Is this article written by an expert or enthusiast who knows the topic well, or is it more shallow in nature?
  • Does the site have duplicate, overlapping, or redundant articles on the same or similar topics with slightly different keyword variations?
  • Would you be comfortable giving your credit card information to this site?

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  • Does this article have spelling, stylistic, or factual errors?
  • Are the topics driven by genuine interests of readers of the site, or does the site generate content by attempting to guess what might rank well in search engines?
  • Does the article provide original content or information, original reporting, original research, or original analysis?
  • Does the page provide substantial value when compared to other pages in search results?
  • How much quality control is done on content?
  • Does the article describe both sides of a story?
  • Is the site a recognized authority on its topic?
  • Is the content mass-produced by or outsourced to a large number of creators, or spread across a large network of sites, so that individual pages or sites don’t get as much attention or care?

Those above questions are only half of the criteria Google has outlined in their blog for quality content.

For the rest of the list, which ultimately helps you understand Google’s approach to rewarding quality content with higher search rankings, take a look at Google’s blog.

By Amanda MacArthur

Research Director & Managing Editor

Amanda is responsible for all the articles you read on the Mequoda Daily portal and every email newsletter delivered to your inbox from us. She is also our in-house social media expert and would love to chat with you over on @Mequoda. She has worked with Mequoda for almost a decade, helping to evolve the Mequoda Method through research, testing and developing new best practices in digital publishing, editorial strategy, email marketing and audience development. Amanda is a co-author of our four digital publishing handbooks.

Co-authored handbooks:

Contact Amanda:

Contact Amanda via email at amanda (at) mequoda (dot) com, @amaaanda, LinkedIn, and Google+.

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