Why is Content King when Customer Should be King?
Why Content is King, although not hotly debated by those who agree that Content is King, is a question that brings up speculation about the effectiveness of Google’s massive algorithms. Particularly when search engine results still place results with keyword stuffing, link manipulation, irrelevant search engine saturation, and articles with more formatting than they do substance in the top search engine results. To get visitors to your website, you have to manipulate your content to satisfy Google’s excessive qualifications and the customer’s preferences, which might be contradictory. In addition, Content is not King if it exists without functionality and easy navigation. Your Content can be the King of the Universe, and maybe show up in first page search engine results, but without an effective web site design, or not having what the customer wants, your customer will be leaving faster than they came in and - Click - your Content may be a prince, but your Content is not King.
Content, defined as many have, as simply written material (copy) is not King. Content, as the whole substantive part of your website is certainly King. In order for Content to be King, it has to go beyond articles and blogs. It has to anticipate the customer’s wants and needs. Now that Google has implemented their universal search, your webpage is under some more stiff competition. However, it has opened huge doors that lead to pathways of marketing opportunities. Videos, images, news, maps, books and websites are no longer specialty requests by the search engine user, they are inclusive in all search engine results, pushing and shoving their way into the top. Google’s aim with the Universal Search was to “deliver a truly comprehensive search experience.” Which translates into your website having a truly revamping experience. If you don’t have all forms of media integrated into your website you could very well be left behind. Add content and not just copy.
Engaging the reader should perhaps be King, because Content is created to Engage the reader. However, the Reader is engaged by Content - and that makes Content the King to get the reader. Which came first the chicken or the egg? But doesn’t engaging the readers also include sales and marketing tactics such as branding strategies and opportunities for reward or pleasure? Do these necessarily contain good content? Look at Amazon.com and Ebay.com - their content is great because it gives the customer what they are looking for - it’s not necessarily full of information, and I haven’t investigated their foray into the world of blogging, forums and social networking, however I’d guess they only need that for support, because their websites give the customer everything they want.
The Content is King mantra needs to step down and make Customer the King. The Customer is and always has been King. Even if you have great content, your Customer is only going to buy or do what they want. You have to anticipate their needs, and for now, Google’s needs. Engaging a customer won’t work without a customer, and content won’t work without a customer, and your website won’t work without a customer. Anticipate your customers needs, meet your customers needs, keep up with the times, and make your Customer King. How do you do that? By anticipating your customer’s needs and making your Content King of course!
