What Is Authority Content and Why Do You Need It?
Gone are the days when you simply had to post tons of content that’s brimming with keywords in order to get Google’s attention and, consequently, the world’s attention. Today, when you post articles with a high keyword density, you’re a spammer. Also, people won’t read you! Slowly, but steadily, authority content is becoming the norm.
What Is Authority Content?
First off, let’s see what authority content isn’t. It’s definitely not writing just for the sake of writing or for SEO purposes. Authority content is also not sloppy, filled with mistakes and not backed by data/research.
Authority content is such good content that it can turn you into an authority in your field.
It sounds simple, doesn’t it?
If you write great content, people will flock to your website. It may be common sense, but it’s definitely not that easy.
This is what you need in order to create authority content:
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You Need to Be a Trend-Setter, not a Follower
If you create your content strategy by mimicking that of your competition, you will never be an authority figure in your field. Want people to read/watch your content? Then it needs to shine.
If you’re simply spinning the articles other thought leaders in your field have created, you can be sure that your audience has already seen the originals and won’t be interested in a re-hashed version.
This doesn’t mean that you have to come up with new topic every day. Let’s face it: it’s nearly impossible to write about something that no one has ever written about before. But this doesn’t mean your content has to lack originality. If you see a topic that you have a lot to say on, you can always write your view.
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You Need to Do Your Own Research
People are always looking for fresh/interesting stats. Again, this doesn’t mean that you have to conduct extensive studies and polls on your own. You just have to find the best ones.
If you’re a regular on the Idunn blog, you know I’ve advocated for frequent blogging time and time again. Now, I can say that I recommend blogging 10+ times per month based on my previous experience. This is actually true – I’ve noticed excellent results for all Idunn’s clients when they increased their number of monthly blogs. But I can do better than that. I can link to this HubSpot study that recommends blogging at least 16 times per month if you want 3.5X more traffic and 4.5X more leads.
Why is the latter better?
First of all, because the HubSpot study is an independent, unbiased one. Secondly, because it draws on the experience of more than one company.
Yes, people may believe you when you say: “I know this is better because I am an expert”, but they will definitely believe you when you add: “…and a recent study confirmed it”.
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You Need to Create Long Form Content
Authority content is rarely short-form. In a long form piece, you have the time to present stats and research (see above), add examples or personal stories and, last but not least, create a compelling case that supports your view (and sells your products).
Long form content doesn’t just rank better on SERPs. It also performs better on social media and it generates more leads.
Granted, it also takes more time to craft. I can write a 500-word article in 10 minutes or less (yes, I am a very fast typist), but it will take me 2 hours+ to create a long-form blog (1500 words+) that’s packed with all the research it needs to become authority content.
If you’re outsourcing your content, going long form will also cost more. But take a look at the stats above — you’ll understand that authority content and long-form content both have excellent ROI (even if not all long-form pieces are authority content!).
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You Need to Be Original
No, this is not the same thing as not stealing/spinning articles from others. You also need to find your own style and speed.
Seth Godin blogs daily. DAILY! But his posts are often longer than 200 words and they can be as short as 50 words. Still, he gets thousands of shares and traffic numbers that would make anyone jealous.
Do you know who is not quite so jealous of Seth Godin? Neil Patel. He is one of the biggest advocates of long form content and, obviously, one of the most respected authorities in the field of content marketing. His blog posts are rarely below 2000 words and you can even find pieces that go beyond 5000.
Seth Godin and Neil Patel are both creators of authority content. Each of them has a unique voice and a unique style.
You may say that it’s easier to go the “Seth Godin route”. But, besides the fact that, as I previously said, it’s not advisable to mimic anyone, Seth Godin’s style isn’t easy to copy at all.
Making your point in 50-200 words and making it sound interesting and impressive is harder than writing a 2500+ words blog post.
On the Idunn blog, you will find some early posts that rarely go beyond 500 words. And you will find newer posts that are between 1000 and 2500 words. I found that, for me, this is the best way to go when it comes to creating valuable, authority content.
When I sit down to write I never have a word count in mind. I just want the piece to be good. And I don’t want any fluff in it!
Sometimes, a good, well-researched, no-fluff piece is just 700 words. Other times, it can go as high as 2500+ words. I found that, while size matters, too, what matters most is quality. This doesn’t just bring it readers; it brings in the right kind of readers aka leads.
Which is exactly what authority content is supposed to be.
Why Do You Need Authority Content?
I think we already covered the first reason – authority content establishes you as a thought leader in your industry.
This is a great reason in itself – everyone wants their own place in the spotlight. But what about cold, hard cash?
I couldn’t put it any more bluntly than this: such content SELLS. The relationship is simple:
Becoming an authority = You can sell anything
Look at the Kissmetrics article above. It speaks of Oprah and even the controversial Dr. Oz as authority figures and, obviously, authority content creators. Even today, almost anything endorsed by either of them will sell like crazy.
Better yet, Kissmetrics is one of Neil Patel’s businesses. He is the perfect example that the relationship above is valid. He established himself as a thought leader (by creating TONS of authority content) and now he’s selling to he’s preferred target audience.
The examples can go on and on. But I think you got the point: authority content SELLS and that’s all the reason you need to start creating some of your own right now.
Need help creating authority content? We’ve got you covered:
36 Comentarii la “What Is Authority Content and Why Do You Need It?”
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