My career in SEO first started almost a decade ago, and I remember a couple of weeks into my internship at an SEO agency, first hearing the term “content is king”. Now, a lot has happened between then and now, and every now and again, people ask, “Is content still king in SEO”?

Well, despite everything that’s happened in the world of SEO, the vast majority of us believe that yes, content still reigns supreme in SEO. While the notion of “good” content may have changed over the years, content still remains one of the most important aspects of SEO, and if you don’t nail content, it’s unlikely your website will rank.

Reasons Quality Content Trumps All

So, after all this time, why is there still so much emphasis on content? While some reasons have changed over the years, there are still several key reasons why quality content should be prioritised over all else.

The reasons you should care about the most include:

• User Focus – Google and other search engines are focusing solely on serving the searcher the best way they can. Therefore, they will reward content that completely answers what the searcher is looking for.

• EEAT Principles – Google will evaluate content based on four key aspects (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness). High-quality content that successfully meets all four aspects is more likely to show up higher in results listing pages.

• Build Authority – Creating quality content day in and day out will help you build a reputation as an authority figure in your area of speciality. Authority is critical not just for search engines, but also for users, as they feel like they can trust what you’re saying.

• Long-Term Strategy – There isn’t really a quick fix for quality content. Unlike paid advertising, SEO and content take time to build up. While it can sometimes feel like an uphill battle, the long-term benefits should be worth the fight.

• Avoid Manual Action – Google is known to penalise poor quality content that was created solely to rank highly while not actually helping the user.

Changes in Content Creation

I previously mentioned how much content creation has changed in the past decade. But I want to talk about it more, and because I’m the one writing this article, that’s what I’m going to do! I can’t believe how much the way we create content has changed, and I’m sure it will change a lot more in the next decade.

Some of the key ways content creation has changed include:

• AI’s Influence – The rise of tools like ChatGPT meant some people believed that content wasn’t king in SEO. However, that couldn’t be further from the case, as it has ended up making it even more important to create well-researched pieces of content that can be trusted as adding value.

• Shift From Keywords to Intent – Gone are the days of keyword stuffing. Hooray! Now, it is about building content around both understanding and fulfilling the needs of what the user is specifically searching for.

• Different Content Formats – Content isn’t just about the written word; it extends well beyond that now. Different formats like videos, infographics, interactive elements and more should be used to create a well-rounded piece of content.

So, content is well and truly still king in SEO! If you have found your SEO strategy is lacking on the content side of things, you need a good writer to help you out, and as luck would have it – I’m right here 🍀