Content is one of the most important and valuable tools we have today as marketers. Content needs to be great. We advise adhering to the 3 Rs. Your content must …

Be Relevant to audience

Feel Real, honest, and authentic

And Resonate; it needs to touch the heart, the head, or better yet both.

But, you can write the best content in the world and if no one sees it, you just wasted your time.

So, how does Google rank content? The long answer: More than 200 data-driven metrics.

The short answer: Quality.

Google values its positive reputation (and net worth). To maintain that reputation, Google is always striving to make the search experience better for their users. This is why results from Google are likely to be high-quality content and be found on trustworthy and reputable websites.

For website owners and digital marketers alike, the goal is to show Google that their content is relevant, real, AND high in quality. Here’s how we can strive for that:

• Focus on original pieces, whether that be reporting or research
• Have comprehensive and substantial data to back up your claims and cite it
• Clearly report the sources used — even better if it’s from an expert
• Ensure that your content is free of any grammatical errors

Just as marketers strive for original and unique content that will resonate with their audience, Google looks to find unique and valuable content for its users. Here are some ways to improve your content even further:

• Add additional richness to your copy with subtopics related to the main subject
• Think about the questions that your audience will have when engaging with your copy, and then provide them with answers
• Incorporate interactive elements to encourage engagement
• Consider using descriptive image text, not only to be inclusive and accommodating for your audience, but also to make your media appear richer in the "eyes" of Google since the search engine can’t “see” the images
• Strengthen the overall webpage experience for the entire website so that your content isn’t lost behind a poor performing website — for example, mobile friendly webpages are no longer optional, they are required
• Only associate yourself with quality resources; choose wisely and be picky about the other websites you link to in your copy as Google takes that into consideration

High quality content is a priority to properly reach your audience and get the appropriate response from them. The same goes for targeting Google and performing well in their search results.

To stay on top of your game (and ahead of your competitors), Google has a simple tool to show how your webpage stacks up against its “Core Web Vitals” standards. The Page Experience feature on Google Search Console can be explored here.