Every business with a website wants to reach the lofty heights of Google. However, when it comes to quality vs quantity for blogging – what works best?
Google trawls through (quite literally) millions of posts every day, in order to deliver the most relevant and on topic answers to specific queries that users are asking. Reaching the top of these rankings is the ultimate end goal for any brand or business, especially if they are putting a conscious effort into doing so – after all who doesn’t want to be at the top?
However, the topic of how to get to the top is a debate that has raged on for decades – what works for some, may not work for others, especially when Google changed the game in 2011 when they launched the Panda algorithm.
Purposely designed to reduce the prevalence of low quality, thin content in the search results, and to reward unique, compelling content, the Panda algorithm sent marketers scrambling on a global scale. The method that had worked for a decade, suddenly didn’t anymore – but what it did do, is offer a chance for smaller brands, publishers, businesses and websites an opportunity to make their mark online.
In 2020, the key to blogging success is to strike an appropriate balance between publishing high quality long-form content and quick-hitting short-form content – so what exactly is the difference between quality vs quantity blogging, and how do you craft a content marketing strategy that incorporates both?
The Case For High Quality Blog Content
When we use the term “quality” in relation to online articles, blogs or journals, what this is defined as is a written piece that is useful, meaningful, and answers the audience’s questions or solves their problems thoroughly. High quality content is often repurposed, and ideally evergreen – meaning that it can be reused across multiple platforms (think social media) and will continue to yield results without an expiry date.
Quality content does generally take more time to produce, and is usually longer in prose length (over 500 words). It’s for this reason that many brands or businesses shy away from it, as they simply don’t have the time, energy, knowledge or resources. However, in 2020 the relevant question is that can brands afford not to invest in quality content, as it acts as the backbone of any website and online presence. Without it, brands become overly reliant on paid advertising – which of course, quickly adds up in the long term.
The Case For High Quantity Blog Content
Short-form “click bait” style articles generally get a bad rap, but even they have their time and place when it comes to developing a solid position online – the trick is knowing when and how to deploy them. It’s also a common myth that posting more will get you to a more prominent position in the online search results – posting regularly and consistently is actually more important, even if it’s only once a month.
If you opt for posting too many of these, there’s little to no chance in developing a solid subscription base, more page views, or building trust with potential leads. However, when used at an appropriate time, such as syncing with topical world or local events, they can be a great tool to boost your brand’s exposure to new audiences. They’re also a great way to experiment with new keywords, providing that you take the time to track performance.
Quality vs Quantity For Blogging: What’s The Verdict?
At the end of the day, the fact that you’re blogging at all is really better than nothing, and the first step in securing your business or brand’s position in the online space. The sad reality is that if you don’t maintain your position, there’s plenty of others who are lining up and will try to take it.
The problem that many businesses face when it comes to producing great content is that they may not have the time, energy or resources to do so – but avoiding content marketing may actually be doing their brand a disservice.
Thankfully here at Content Hive, producing top quality content in all its forms is exactly what we do best – so why not book in a free discovery call today to discuss how we can get your business buzzing online.
