In case you’ve spent a while in digital advertising, you’d assume making high quality content material is the cure-all to each advertising woe. It’s in each search engine marketing information and content material advertising playbook and tossed round like buzzwords from a administration advisor’s presentation.
However what does “high quality” even imply? Some individuals assume the Alchemist modified their lives, whereas others assume it’s the worst factor ever written. What’s “high quality” to at least one reader could also be full BS to a different.
So how do you measure whether or not your content material is actually “high quality”?
To seek out out, we analyzed our personal content material at Ahrefs and found 5 distinct ranges. Every stage represents a special type of funding, ability set, and potential impression in your advertising targets.
Understanding these 5 distinct ranges will assist you:
Stability fast search engine marketing wins with long-term thought management contentMatch content material varieties to your staff’s expertise and experience levelsDevelop your staff’s abilities over time, as your staff members can climb from fundamental to superior, constantly leveling up their writing and analysis talents.Strategically allocate sources the place they’ll generate essentially the most impression
Listed below are the 5 ranges:
Easy listicles are weblog posts that combination fundamental info that’s extensively obtainable. They sometimes don’t require deep data of the topic, thorough analysis, or huge writing expertise. As such, they are often created rapidly by interns, freelancers, junior entrepreneurs, and even AI.
Listed below are some examples:
Though we think about them “Stage 1” content material, a majority of these posts are likely to generate a variety of search site visitors. For instance, the highest articles that ship our weblog essentially the most search site visitors are all easy listicles.
To seize this search site visitors, it’s worthwhile to goal matters that individuals are trying to find. This is called key phrase analysis. Since we’ve established that it’s doubtless that such matters ship a web site tons of search site visitors, the simplest solution to discover them is to see what key phrases your rivals are already rating for.
Right here’s how:
Go to Ahrefs’ Web site ExplorerEnter your competitor’s domainGo to the High pages reportToggle SERP titles on
For instance, you may see that HubSpot ranks for and will get search site visitors from numerous easy listicles. You possibly can inform by trying on the titles—largely “XX [something]” or “XX [Best]”. You’d wish to undergo this report and observe down these matters which can be related to your web site.
Making easy listicles is easy. In reality, so simple that AI can simply produce them. That’s why in right this moment’s local weather, it’s worthwhile to go above and past simply easy “listed here are #1, #2, #3”-type articles. You want to make one thing that AI can’t reproduce.
The easiest way to do that is to make use of private expertise. As an alternative of simply naming objects, truly do, use, or expertise what you’re writing about. For instance, as a substitute of simply itemizing out AI picture mills, our Director of Content material Advertising Ryan Regulation truly examined them out:
Concentrate on including real-world element to your easy lists: mini-reviews, private professionals and cons, or what you discovered out of your expertise.
Superior listicles are record posts that dive deeper and group instruments, sources, methods, or insights in a extra detailed and curated manner. This requires the author to be well-versed within the area in order that they’ll distill advanced concepts into concise summaries and set up them right into a coherent record.
Listed below are some examples:
The road between Stage 1 and Stage 2 could seem tiny, nevertheless it’s the distinction between a fast-fashion, “promote something” platform like Shein versus a boutique store like Goodhood that curates its choice.
In Stage 1, there is a component of “info dumping.” The author leaves no stone unturned and offers the whole lot to the reader—it’s as much as the reader to determine what they need out of it. That’s why you are likely to see giant numbers: “75 search engine marketing sources”, “124 search engine marketing statistics”, and extra.
In Stage 2, curation takes priority. The author expresses their opinion by deciding on, omitting, and categorizing objects collectively. The record is deliberately small; the purpose is to not overwhelm however to state clearly why this choice is the most effective, at the least based on the author’s opinion.
That’s why you want area data, in any other case you may’t curate effectively. Nonetheless, in case you don’t have present data, a great way to beat this hurdle is to interview specialists.
For instance, I’ve by no means labored in journey. So, it was unattainable for me to provide a bit on “journey search engine marketing” with out generously utilizing cliches and broad generalizations. That’s why I reached out to specialists in journey search engine marketing, interviewed them, and curated their insights right into a piece:
Deep dives are guides that present exhaustive protection of a subject.
Listed below are some examples:
Writing a deep dive would require you to do tons of analysis and communicate to material specialists. You’ll additionally want an intensive understanding of the subject your self. In any case, you may’t ask the correct questions in case you don’t know the subject effectively.
For instance, our Chief Advertising Officer (CMO) Tim Soulo interviewed a dozen hyperlink constructing practitioners for his hyperlink constructing information:
He additionally made certain to cowl all bases and interviewed specialists of all backgrounds: company, advisor, affiliate, in-house, e-commerce, and extra.
Having the data is just one a part of writing an incredible deep dive. You’ll additionally want the power to architect your publish in a manner that’s participating and simple to comply with. As my good friend Visakan Veerasamy says: “pondering is straightforward, info structure is laborious.”
One technique you may doubtlessly use to construction your information is to run your goal subject in our AI Content material Helper. AI Content material Helper will assist determine the essential subtopics individuals wish to see in your information.
For instance, listed here are the matters AI Content material Helper suggests to cowl for “occasion advertising”:
This was actually useful after I was writing my information to occasion advertising. Though the information was based mostly solely on our expertise organizing a large-scale convention, the subtopics had been useful in laying out its construction. Since I knew that searchers wish to see subtopics like advantages, the way to put together and plan for one, the way to drive demand or market your occasion, and post-event actions, I coated all of them in my information:
Experiments or surveys are articles based mostly on first-hand information: you run an experiment or a survey, collect responses, or measure a particular phenomenon. You then share insights from what you’ve discovered.
Listed below are some examples:
Your aim is to generate authentic insights not seen anyplace else. Nonetheless, doing this isn’t straightforward. You want thorough data of a subject, sensible expertise, and in lots of instances, a sizeable funding of time and sources.
That is the principle purpose why you don’t see such content material items typically.
But when accomplished proper, it could achieve a variety of traction. For instance, Aira’s State of Hyperlink Constructing report has earned 1,400 backlinks from 488 referring domains.
Contemplating how troublesome it’s to construct hyperlinks, that’s an unbelievable achievement.
Whereas there isn’t a surefire solution to generate experiments or survey concepts, my greatest suggestion is to interview your co-workers. In any case, it’s doubtless they’d have run experiments throughout their work. You possibly can discuss to them concerning the experiments they ran, their hypotheses, the outcomes generated, and what they discovered. For instance, that’s what I did after I talked to our Head of Partnerships, Igor Gorbenko about what he discovered from spending $1 million on sponsoring creators:
Even when they’ve but to run any experiments, they may have questions or curiosities alongside the best way that you could possibly run experiments on.
That is very true in case you discuss to your gross sales staff. They’ll have numerous questions from prospects and clients that should be answered. For instance, right here’s our Head of Enterprise Gross sales telling our content material staff what they wish to see extra of:
Analysis research are in-depth analyses typically involving giant information units or new methodologies. Authentic concepts are modern ideas which have the potential to reshape how individuals in your trade strategy a subject.
Listed below are some examples:
That is the best stage as a result of this can be very troublesome. You want intensive area experience, years of expertise, and significant pondering. In case you’re operating a analysis research, you’ll want information and even information scientists that can assist you with the evaluation. It’s a variety of time, effort, and cash.
However in case you hit ‘bingo’, you actually get the pot of gold on the finish of the rainbow. As a result of in case you’ve mentioned one thing distinctive and notable, individuals will cite and hyperlink to you. For instance, in case you take a look at the top-linked articles on our weblog, they’re largely analysis research:
Even the rationale why the article on long-tail key phrases obtained so many backlinks was a results of essential pondering. The unique model of the publish targeted on correcting the misunderstanding behind the time period: “long-tail key phrases” had been so-named as a result of they resided on the lengthy tail of the search demand curve, not as a result of they had been lengthy.
The 2018 model of our article on long-tail key phrases
There aren’t any shortcuts to reaching this stage. If I had the key hack, I’d be publishing Stage 5 content material all day lengthy. However evidently I’m not. It’s akin to being in academia—not everybody generally is a printed professor. That’s why we respect teachers a lot; it’s worthwhile to conduct sensible analysis and generate modern concepts to even be on that echelon.
That mentioned, teachers don’t simply publish novel research on a regular basis. In addition they publish replications. So if we prolong the academia analogy, you’ll notice that you could publish replications of present research in your trade too.
Right here’s how we will discover potential research to duplicate. I’ll go to Content material Explorer, enter my goal key phrase and “research”, after which filter for:
No specific outcomes (to take away NSFW outcomes)Referring domains >50 (to seek out research with numerous backlinks)Phrase rely >500 (to seek out weblog posts)DR >40 (to seek out respected web sites)
Scrolling by means of the outcomes, I see just a few potential research that may be price replicating:
As you may see, the upper the extent, the extra effort, funding, and time you must put in. Particularly Stage 5 content material, the place you would possibly even take years or a long time to build up sufficient experience and expertise to give you sensible concepts.
As finance author Morgan Housel writes, “The long term is only a assortment of brief runs.” You want to survive within the brief time period with a view to be round in the long run. You possibly can’t put all of your eggs within the Stage 5 basket—it’s worthwhile to steadiness it out with the opposite ranges.
The degrees may be a scale however they’re additionally a portfolio. You want all of them, not simply the best stage. At Ahrefs, we produce content material of all ranges.
How will we determine which stage to provide for every subject? Let me introduce our BREW framework:
Enterprise potential — How effectively are you able to characteristic your services or products? We rating this on a scale from 0 to three, the place 3 is an irresistible pitch of your product and “0” means there’s barely a solution to point out it in any respect. For instance, the subject “social media advertising” would rating a ‘0’ and “hyperlink constructing” will rating a ‘3’.Attain—Who’re you reaching, and what number of are you able to attain? We’d go viral on TikTok, however the hundreds of thousands of random individuals watching are extremely unlikely to purchase a premium SaaS product. A bottom-of-the-funnel article might have a decrease site visitors potential, however we might be reaching decision-makers at corporations.Effort — How a lot time and sources would you want? Will it’s price it? Maybe you would possibly even make a minimal viable article, the place you discover artistic methods to ‘cut back’ the trouble whereas sustaining the identical potential attain. For instance, you would possibly interview three individuals as a substitute of 12 for a deep dive information.Who — Who’s going to execute this concept? Does this particular person have the required abilities to tug it off? For instance, it may be overkill to get your most senior content material marketer to make a easy listicle, whereas it may be early days in your intern to give you a groundbreaking thought in your trade.
To get the inexperienced gentle, the concept must be balanced in these 4 components.
For instance, let’s rating the subject “hyperlink constructing”:
Enterprise potential — 3, as a result of our search engine marketing device is integral for constructing hyperlinks.Attain — Excessive. Key phrases Explorer reveals a possible search site visitors potential of 4,400.Effort — Effort for this text may be scaled up or down, relying on how a lot work we wish to put in.Who — Our CMO Tim has a long time of expertise in search engine marketing.
On this case, since this subject scores effectively on our BREW framework, we determined to commit sources to make the most effective link-building information ever.
Closing ideas
If you wish to develop into an ideal content material marketer or an organization identified for its high-quality content material, it’s worthwhile to climb the content material high quality ladder.
In any case, the upper the extent, the tougher it’s for AI to maintain up. You possibly can’t shortcut the method to experience. You need to be taught, put within the work, expertise actuality, and do it again and again. That’s how one can give you modern concepts to jot down about.
You might argue that it’s merely a matter of prompting, however with out deep experience, it’s additionally troublesome to jot down a great, detailed immediate that may get LLMs to generate authentic concepts. And with out experience, you can also’t inform if the generated output is actually modern or simply regurgitation.
However as I’ve mentioned, deal with the degrees as a portfolio. Try to be creating Stage 5 content material, however that doesn’t imply you need to neglect the Stage 1s. There’s a time and place for all of them—and all of them are useful to readers at totally different ability ranges.
Even higher: repurpose your content material. Make investments the effort and time into a bit of Stage 5 content material, then splinter them into a number of Stage 1s, 2s, and 3s.
That’s how one can make your content material go an extended manner.