Updated June 7, 2024
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Pro Choice
We have now reached information overload. If you want to find the best car for your situation and you type something like “Best family car” into Google you’re presented with a front page full of useful, relevant, information from respected sources. On my front page (note: I am from the UK and not based in the US, so my results will be different to a searcher inside the US) I see whatcar.com, carbuyer.co.uk, bussinessinsider.com, autoexpress.com and a number of other results. All of these links are (in my opinion) reliable and trustworthy.
I don’t have the time, or inclination to read all of these links. Even if I did, how likely is it that I will get a consensus opinion from them all? So what should I do and how will this effect my SEO & Content?
Content Marketing’s To Blame
With the rise of content marketing we have obviously seen an increase in content creation. Most businesses now produce their own blog and have to create constant content to keep feeding their SEO engine. This creates a great deal of ‘noise’ for a searcher to filter through and also leads to a lot of different opinions.
The pressure to create regular content obviously filters down to the writer and a lot of content that’s created is just content for content’s sake. There is no real argument to the article, or meat in the sandwich. All filler, no killer.
SEO & Content Implications
What does this mean to the end user? It means they’re drowning in information and because of that they’re getting discouraged from searching for themselves, or search at all. Price comparison websites are a good example. People don’t want to wade through 50 websites on the best mortgage or insurance policy, so they’ll just pick what the comparison website says is best.
Another example is in our Facebook feeds. More and more people are getting their news from Facebook or Twitter. We’re no longer seeking out the publications we trust, or respect, but just taking what is put in front of us. Is this because we’ve become lazy? Or is it because we’re overwhelmed with information. I think it’s probably a bit from column A, but much more from column B. When you’re presented with 5 different options and on the surface they look largely the same, why not pick the easiest.
What Does This Mean For the Content Creator?
Firstly, it means that optimization is key. The ‘lazier’ people become, the more important it is to be top of the list.
Secondly, it may mean we see a ‘tipping point’ with content marketing. Where the search engines (and in turn consumers) start to refocus on the quality of content, taking away any benefit from publishing content at volume.
Thirdly, is the question of choice. The internet has enabled more choice and diversity of opinion than any time before. Now we can instantly compare our situation/ product price/ job/ government to that of someone thousands of miles away, in a totally different country. This changes how we, as consumers, act, as we are more aware of what else is on offer. FOMO, or perhaps FOGRP (fear of getting ripped off) rules our lives. But it also fights against the fact that we don’t have time to know everything, even if the information is out there.
Photo credit – Top: Mark Jensen
Photo credit – Bottom: Wikipedia
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