Content Marketing Sydney | SEO Copywriting

In the world of Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), content is often touted as the most critical factor for driving success. However, the reasoning behind the phrase “Content is King” goes beyond simple marketing platitudes.

The Who the What & the Why Human Written Content Matters

Content is the bedrock upon which all other SEO strategies rest. I’ve been doing SEO for over 24 years, and ‘Content is King’ is as relevant today as it was when I launched my first website way back on August 14, 2000. Without quality content, even the most sophisticated technical SEO, link-building, and social media campaigns will falter. This article delves into the technical intricacies of why content is central to SEO performance. And why who is writing your content matters now, more than ever.

Right then, let’s deal with the elephant in the room. The WHO.

All of SEO North Sydney’s content is written by company founder, Brian M Logan. To read about how I’ve has been Australia’s leading SEO Copywriter for over two decades, you can click on the SEO North Sydney ‘About’ page here. But the short version is that I’m a professional novelist and screenwriter repped out of Hollywood by WME (one of the world’s ‘Big 3’ agencies). I’m also a marketing grad and an AWARD and Masterclass copywriting grad, which are Australia’s two leading copywriting colleges (Class of ’98).

I’ve been doing SEO for over 24 years, and as such I understand innately how to navigate the bifurcation inherent in writing website copy. Because when you write for the web you have to please two masters: Google and humans.

Aside from writing content for our clients’ websites, I am an active novelist. My last book ‘Monster Town’ was set up at Sony studios in Hollywood and developed as a TV series, with Basil Iwanyk attached as Producer (Basil is the guy who produces all the ‘John Wick’ movies). And my new novel, ‘Desolation Cove’ is due out in April 2025. So, if you like monsters and things that go thump in the night, be sure to check that out!

Okay, now that we’ve got the ‘Who’ out the way, let’s tackle the WHAT.

What exactly is ‘Content?’ Well, I’m glad you asked, because content is quite literally anything on your website. This can be words, pictures, video or audio. And while a robust Content Marketing Strategy should use ALL of the above, where Google’s Pigeon algorithm and Google’s Helpful Content algorithms are concerned, 90% of the content that matters to SEO is in the words. So THAT’S what you need to focus on more than anything else.

And these words need to be written by human beings NOT by AI.

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Now let’s get stuck into the WHY human written content matters.

Google’s stance on AI-generated content is clear and they strongly advise against using AI such as ChatGPT to write content for websites for a multitude of reasons.

Google Advises You Against Using AI to Write Content

The Helpful Content Update, rolled out in 2022, emphasised that AI written content created primarily for search engines, rather than for human audiences, would be highly likely see a drop in rankings.

While AI tools can be useful for certain tasks like generating ideas or automating repetitive processes, Google underscores the value of human-created ORIGINAL content. Human-written content tends to be more nuanced, empathetic, and aligned with user needs, which are critical elements in creating truly helpful and engaging material. And – most importantly – human-written content is always ORIGINAL.

The key issue with AI-generated content is that it lacks the originality that human writers bring when creating content. This is because AI content is, by definition, derived from existing data sets of content and cannot therefor be original. It’s for this very reason that US courts have ruled that AI created content cannot be copyrighted.

Google’s Helpful Content Update was designed to reward content that serves the searcher’s needs by providing meaningful, insightful and ORIGINAL answers.

AI, while effective at mimicking human language, cannot fully grasp the intricacies of emotional tone, cultural references, or the evolving nature of user interests. And thus, cannot create original content.

Human-written content on the other hand, informed by real-world experience and a deep understanding of the audience, is far more likely to provide the authoritative, trustworthy, and contextually rich answers Google prioritises in its rankings. And while human beings are subconsciously influenced by other people’s work, it is always going to be ORIGINAL (unless deliberately plagiarised). And in the world of SEO copyrighting, ORIGINALITY COUNTS.

Okay, so that’s the crib notes on the Who, the What and the Why original content matters. Now let’s get into the weeds of how it all ties together in Google.

Search Engines and Content Relevance

Search engines, such as Google, Bing, and Yahoo, use complex algorithms to evaluate websites. These algorithms have evolved significantly over the last 25 years, particularly in how they process and understand content through Natural Language Processing (NLP). Google’s BERT algorithm (Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers), MUM algorithm (Multitask Unified Model), Page Rank algorithm and Hummingbird algorithm are prime examples of advancements in semantic search, which focus on understanding the intent behind search queries and the context within content.

Search Engine Algorithms and Natural Language Processing (NLP)

Search engines no longer rely solely on keywords; they now prioritise content that satisfies user intent. This means that search algorithms evaluate the quality, relevance, and comprehensiveness of the content to determine if it answers the user’s query effectively. For websites to rank highly, they need to provide authoritative, informative, and well-structured content that aligns with user search intent.

Topical Authority and Semantic Search

Content that demonstrates topical authority has a better chance of ranking. This refers to a website’s ability to cover a subject in-depth, addressing all the related subtopics and questions a user might have. With the introduction of semantic search, Google doesn’t merely match keywords but tries to understand the relationship between different topics, entities, and the searcher’s intent. This is why creating in-depth content hubs or “pillar” content around a specific theme can greatly enhance SEO efforts.

For example, if a website is about fitness, merely producing articles with the keyword “workout” isn’t sufficient. The site needs to dive deep into related topics like nutrition, recovery techniques, injury prevention, and different types of workouts to be considered an authority in that field.

User Engagement and Content Quality Metrics

Content is key in determining critical user engagement metrics that search engines use as ranking signals. Dwell time (the amount of time a user spends on a page before returning to search results) is a strong indicator of content quality. If users spend more time reading your content, it suggests that the material is engaging and relevant to their search query. High-quality, valuable content can improve dwell time and decrease bounce rates, thus improving SEO rankings.

Dwell Time, Bounce Rate, and Click-Through Rate (CTR)

Bounce rate measures the percentage of users who leave a site after viewing only one page. If a page’s content is thin, irrelevant, or poorly structured, users are more likely to “bounce” back to the search results, signalling to search engines that the page doesn’t meet their needs.

CTR, or the rate at which users click on a link in the search results, is another key metric influenced by content. High CTR can be driven by compelling meta titles and descriptions, both of which should accurately reflect the content and include relevant keywords. However, if the content fails to deliver what the meta description promises, users will quickly leave the site, leading to negative SEO outcomes.

Structured Data and Rich Snippets

Well-crafted content can also leverage structured data (e.g., Schema.org markup) to enhance its visibility in search results through rich snippets. Rich snippets provide additional information like ratings, prices, FAQs, or event dates, which can make a search result more appealing and boost the site’s CTR. The content needs to be structured appropriately for these features to be enabled, requiring technical expertise in both content creation and SEO optimisation.

Content and Backlinking – The Role of Linkable Assets

Backlinks, or inbound links from other websites, remain one of the strongest ranking factors in SEO. The quality of content plays a critical role in earning these links. High-quality, original, and in-depth content is more likely to attract backlinks naturally, as other sites reference it as a trusted source of information.

Backlinks and Domain Authority

Search engines view backlinks as a vote of confidence in a site’s authority and relevance. However, not all backlinks are created equal. Links from high-authority domains that are relevant to your industry carry more weight than links from low-authority or unrelated sites. Thus, content must not only be valuable but also contextually relevant to the niche it seeks to dominate.

Creating “Linkable” Content

To attract quality backlinks, content should serve as a “linkable asset.” Types of content that typically attract backlinks include:

Research and data studies: Original research, statistics, and case studies provide unique value that others are likely to cite.
In-depth guides: Comprehensive guides or “how-to” articles that provide valuable insights and step-by-step instructions are frequently referenced.
Infographics and visual content: Well-designed visual assets can be shared and embedded across websites, providing backlink opportunities.

These linkable assets not only improve off-page SEO but also contribute to the site’s domain authority, further boosting its ranking potential.

Keyword Optimisation – The Foundation of SEO Content

Keyword optimisation remains fundamental in SEO, but modern best practices focus on semantic keyword usage rather than mere keyword stuffing, which has been outlawed for over 15 years by Google. This means that content should naturally incorporate primary, secondary, and long-tail keywords that cover a broad spectrum of a topic.

Semantic Keywords and Topic Clusters

This approach is supported by topic clusters, where a central “pillar” page is linked to several subpages (cluster content) that focus on related subtopics. This internal linking strategy strengthens the site’s relevance and authority on a given subject. As someone who’s been doing SEO for over 24 years, I’m here to tell you that back in the day this was known in the industry as ‘Content Siloing,’ which is a technique that still, even today, works a treat!

Latent Semantic Indexing (LSI) Keywords

Incorporating LSI keywords, which are terms that are semantically related to the primary keyword, helps search engines understand the content’s overall theme. For example, if a page is optimised for “digital marketing,” including LSI keywords such as “SEO,” “content marketing,” and “PPC” further signals to the search engine that the content covers a broader range of related subjects, making it more authoritative.

Regular Content Updates and Freshness

Content that remains relevant over time is an essential SEO factor. Google’s Freshness algorithm favours pages that provide up-to-date information, especially in fast-changing industries like technology or finance.

Google’s Freshness Algorithm

Regularly updating content to reflect current trends, new data, and changes in the industry not only signals to search engines that the content is fresh but also keeps users engaged.

For example, an article about “SEO trends” published two years ago would likely require updates to reflect new algorithm changes or emerging best practices. Outdated content may lose rankings over time as it becomes less relevant to current search queries.

A Holistic Approach to Content in SEO is the ONLY Approach Worth Taking

Content is king in SEO because it serves as the foundation upon which all other SEO strategies are built. From satisfying user intent and enhancing engagement metrics to attracting backlinks and leveraging structured data, quality HUMAN WRITTEN content is pivotal in achieving SEO success. However, the effectiveness of content depends on technical execution—keyword optimisation, semantic relevance, structured data implementation, and regular updates all contribute to its success. SEO, at its core, is about providing value to users, and content is the primary vehicle for delivering that value.

In short, while technical SEO and backlinks remain critical to ranking your website in Google, content remains the element that ties everything together, ensuring that search engines and users alike find value in your website.

Call SEO North Sydney Today to Get Your Content Written by Experts

Call us today on 0425 204 887 to discuss all your content marketing needs. From Google-optimised website content, to E-newsletters (EDMs), to corporate video screenplays, to old-school print brochures and everything in between, SEO NORTH SYDNEY is the one call you’ll ever have to make for all your Content Marketing needs.