If you’re reading this, I assume you’re aware that Google has made a major change to its algorithm which now favors content that is “original” and “unique.” In other words, if you just copy/paste content from elsewhere and don’t add any value, your content isn’t going to look all that unique anymore.
This update is a game-changer for content creators and digital marketers who rely on content curation to bring in traffic, capture leads, and make money. While it’s always been advantageous to have a large social media following, the ability to get “original” and “unique” content online has made that following valuable.
If you’re passionate about your work and enjoy creating content that is both groundbreaking and attention-grabbing, you’re going to want to know how to X even if you copywrite. Whether you’re an entrepreneur, blogger, or content marketer, this article is for you.
Why Should You Fear The Copywrite Penalty?
In simple terms, the copywrite penalty is the loss of value that Google ascribes to your copy (written content). Essentially, if you copywrite on a piece of content and then try to re-use that content elsewhere on the web, your search traffic, social media reach, and any other advantage you might have gained from owning that content will be penalized.
That penalty can be quite significant, even losing you valuable customer relationships. In some cases, it’s possible that your content’s value will actually decrease as a result of the copywrite penalty. For example, if you have a piece of content with a million views and then copywrite that content and republish it, all of a sudden, your one-millionth view will drop to just above a millionth view.
Why Should You Fear Repetition?
Repetition is often the kiss of death when it comes to creating content that is valuable and memorable. People are growing tired of hearing the same thing over and over again, especially if it’s something they’ve already heard before. This is why engineers put a stop to it. If you want your content to stand out, you’re going to need to offer something different and make it interesting.
Take the case of Dwayne Carter. Dwayne is a serial entrepreneur who earns a living teaching online marketing, primarily through blogging. One of his blogs, Digital Marketing Blogger, has been nominated for a Top 50 Blog Awards in the Marketing & Advertising category. If you’ve never heard of Dwayne Carter, that’s probably because he’s never advertised or promoted himself. Instead, he’s always relied on the strength of his marketing materials to pull in the interest and generate the sales.
What sets Dwayne’s blog apart is not just the quality of his content but also his use of marketing analytics to inform his decision-making process. His marketing research allows him to form a detailed picture of his audience, their needs, and what they’re interested in.
If you’re interested in creating content that is both original and memorable, you need to be wary of repeating things that have been said or done before. Instead, you should be searching for “what is the best…” or “why did…” Once you’ve established what you’re looking for, be sure to use modern search engines which are optimized for content discovery.
How Do You Prevent The Copywrite Penalty?
The key to avoiding the copywrite penalty is by simply not doing it. If you’re planning on re-using content that you’ve copywritten, the first thing you should do is ask yourself, “Does this work? Do people click through to this section when they’re searching for [insertkeyword]?”
If the answer is yes, then great! You’ve identified a section of your website which is doing well and can be re-purposed and updated to include more relevant and useful information. However, if the answer is no, then you may want to consider whether or not copying is the right course of action.
When Should You Republish Content?
The ideal scenario is to have a few successful pieces of content which you can repurpose and use for various purposes. For example, you have a blog post which talks about product reviews and that post is doing well. In addition to that, you’ve got another piece of content which is a how-to guide on creating a product review and the two of them work well together.
In this case, you should take the original post and expand on it by adding more detail. While the original post is a great “thumbnail” to include in your sales funnel, the enhanced version with more content can be used to attract more leads and make more sales.
What Should You Look For In Order To Identify A Successful Piece Of Content?
As you’d expect, the success of a piece of content depends on a number of factors. However, here are a few key metrics to consider:
- Views: Obviously, the number of views a piece of content receives is going to vary but generally speaking, content with more views is more successful.
- Shares: The number of times someone has shared the content is also an indication of its success. As you’d expect, heavily shared content is more likely to be found and used by others.
- Links: Another important factor in the algorithm is backlinks. Backlinks are essentially links which point back to the source, demonstrating that the author is providing value and that they’re a trusted expert in their field. In general, well-written, authoritative content with lots of backlinks is highly relevant and likely to be found and used by others in their searches.
- Position In Search Results: Although this doesn’t directly relate to the content itself, Google places greater value on content that appears at the top of the search results. As you’d expect, content that appears earlier in the search results is generally considered more valuable.
How Do You Maximize The Value Of Your Content?
Now that you’ve got a good grasp of the basics of the copywrite penalty and how to avoid it, let’s talk about maximizing the value of your content.
Ultimately, the success (and value) of your content depends on how you choose to present it and the forms in which you serve it to your audience. There are three important things you should keep in mind when trying to maximize the value of your content.
Firstly, make sure that your content is hosted on a reliable platform. Do you trust Google to host your vital website content? You’d better believe it. Google is responsible for hosting the world’s most valuable websites and it’s one of the largest content platforms out there.
Even if you’ve got the best content and the most useful information available, it’s of no value if it’s not where your audience is looking for it. Being hosted on a reliable platform is crucial in ensuring that your content will be found when someone is searching for it.
Secondly, make sure that your content is of good quality. The ability to provide good quality content is something that sets a professional blogger or freelance writer apart from someone simply dumping content out on a blog. Good quality content means taking the time to ensure that each piece is polished and free of spelling errors and factual errors. In other words, an excellent piece of content should be easy to understand and memorable without being too simplistic or confusing. Think of a good summary paragraph you’d like to include in a marketing or sales email. That’s the kind of thing you should be looking for in your blog posts.
Finally, make sure that your content is available in as many forms as possible. Google prefers content that is easily accessible and understandable across all platforms. In other words, make sure that the content you’ve created can be easily searched for, quoted, and linked to.
When it comes to maximizing the value of your content, make sure that you’re not just throwing it out there without any regard for the medium. From your blog posts to your website content, make sure that each piece has been given the care and attention to detail it deserves.