Be the Best in Class
Most online readers are shallow. That’s just a fact. When looking for content, they will usually always pick the most extensive and detailed options. For instance, an article named “5 Great Cat Gifs” will usually lose against one named “21 of the Cutest Cat Gifs You’ve Ever Seen”. The number one way to attract linksHyperlinks, also known as links, are the connection points on a webpage that take you to other webpages. to your content is by building content that will either establish you as the number one authority in your niche or will be the biggest and best content in its category.
Simplify an Overly Complicated Process
While longer can be better in some cases, it is not always so. While ultimate guides can be necessary depending on your niche, in some cases, content is just way too complicated for no reason. You don’t need a 5,000 word ultimate guide on how to pitch a tent anymore than you need a 10,000 word guide on how to bake the perfect cupcake.
eHow is the perfect example for this. Most of their articles are simple straight to the point guides on everything from how to pick the perfect sunscreen to how to change a flat tyre. And it is also one of the most shared sites in the world, because it fills a need and give readers a quick and straight to the point answer to their problem.
If competing content in your category is unnecessarily long, simplify it and give people a more concise option. There was a time when Google would reward long form content no matter what, but it revised its strategy once it realised that users didn’t always prioritise it. To put it simply, if your competition is providing information that is too vague and not extensive enough, dive in more details, but if it’s too complicated and drawn out for no reason, provide a simpler answer.
Research, Research, Research!
You have tons of tools at your disposal that will allow you to monitor what your competition is doing and emulate them. Tools like Moz Pro and SemRush allow you to spy on competing sites and see where their links come from and to which pieces of content. MozPro will even allow you to check the domain authority of a page and see which page is performing the best with search engines. This will allow you to create a link buildingLink building is a process of acquiring links pointing to your website. These links are obtained by creating content, participating in social media or commenting on other blogs. roadmap for your site and will also allow you to see what works for them and either simplify or expand on it depending on your niche.
Conclusion
Creating content that people will want to link to doesn’t have to be complicated. Remember that less is not always more and that more detailed content will usually beat thin content when it comes to highly technical subjects. However, simplifying overly complicated content can be a better strategy depending on your niche or subject. But in any case, remember that research is everything and using the right set of tools will allow you to monitor your competition and adjust your strategy accordingly.
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