If you are wondering what unique content is and what meaning this "unique content" has on the ranking (findability in search engines) of your website, then this glossary post is just right for you.
What is unique content?
Unique content is a frequently used keyword in search engine optimization (SEO). It says that the content of a website is or should be unique. Unique content thus stands in contrast to duplicate content.
At the latest since the rollout of the Google Panda Algorithmus Updates everyone who deals with search engine optimization knows that with duplicate content and bad, thin content no good search engine results can be achieved.
Unique original content, which offers something new, different or more original for the website visitor, is necessary for a good ranking and a positive user experience.
How much unique content should your site have?
I have been surfing the net and researching countless sites. The more or less unanimous and little surprising opinion is: As much as possible.
100 % will hardly be possible, because even if you write 100 % of your texts yourself, others have probably already written the same thing.
Many speak of at least 80%. I can live with that number quite well.
We need unique content for two reasons
We want returning and satisfied readers and we want good search engine rankings - for these two reasons we need unique content.
Unique content serves on the one hand as a unique selling point for websites, on the other hand we can achieve a better ranking through good unique content, because good content finds and binds readers and thus increases the time spent on your website.
How do i create unique content?
You can write your own texts or hire professionals, such as a content marketing agency, that offers content creation and knows what is important when creating texts - especially SEO texts.
With so many blogs and websites, it's not easy to create content that you can't find anywhere else on the Internet. To make sure that you still succeed, here are 3 tips:
3 Tips for creating unique content
1. Unique Viewpoint
In addition to content, topic and writing style, the perspective of the text is also interesting. You can offer this through your personal view, experience and expertise.
Look at the topic from several perspectives and work out your position. This allows you to authentically reinterpret each topic because you reflect your view of the topic. New perspectives are unique and therefore interesting if they are well prepared.
2. Additions
Analyze the TOP pages on the topic and note down all the important points covered on these pages. Get inspiration, but don't copy the content 1:1.
Then search for the gap. Find out what's missing on the pages analyzed and add these points to your text.
3. Structure
Although many of the texts circulating on the Internet are good in content, they are not presented in a very user-friendly way. Often, they are "text walls" that are not very inviting.
Do it better.
Structure your texts.
How to structure your texts better
- By headings and subheadings
- Through short paragraphs and sentences
- By highlighting words and important passages (bold, underlined, italic)
- By inserting graphics
- Through lists and bullet points
- Through text boxes
- etc.
With these 3 tips you can easily create unique content.
If you want to be sure that your text is unique, you can validate it.
Unique content checker
There is no Unique Content Checker. But you can run your content through a duplicate content checker. If it doesn't find duplicates, your content is unique.
This means: Unique content is a content that you can check through a content checker and that does not contain any plagiarism or duplication.
By the way: Duplicate content can also occur on your own page. The causes can be manifold. You can check it with Siteliner.
Now you have created your unique content. That should be enough for a ranking.
Not quite.
In order to be at the top of the search engines, your content must not only be unique, but also good. Really good.
Good Content = Strong Content
Unique content is the prerequisite for successful content but does not make your content good yet.
Here are some examples of bad content:
- Texts that are run through and are posted through translation programs
- Texts that have no added value for the reader
- Texts where you know that you have to skip the first half page, because it contains the same information as hundreds of thousands of other texts.
Especially dreadful for interested frequent readers.
So, what makes a text not only unique, but also good?
To work this out, we do it differently than the others (after all, we want to produce unique content). Let's change the perspective.
Often you can get to the bottom of something by doing the opposite.
Ask yourself: What is bad content? Take notes.
Then write down what needs to be done better.
Now you might end up with one like the following definition: Good is usable, comprehensible, logical, understandable and content-wise correct.
This gives rise to further questions:
- What does my reader need? Research keywords, your readers, your competitors, relevant sources
- What message do I want to convey? What is your opinion on your topic? What is the intention behind your text? Do you want to sell, inform, instruct etc.?
- How do I structure my text? Headings, subheadings, introduction, body, conclusion, summaries (for readers who skim the text) and longer information (for readers who want to go deeper).
- In which language would I like to address my readers? Do I have to explain technical terms? Or do I annoy my audience if I use a language that is too simplified? Am I per you or per you with my readers? Can I use colloquial phrases, or should I be understandable throughout the German-speaking world? Do I use a complex sentence structure, or do I adhere to simple structures?
- Which sources do I want to use? The better researched sources or original sources you use, the better you can link your text, as your readers will appreciate good information. It is important that your text is not only correct, but also comprehensible.
A good text is therefore carefully researched, logically and logically structured, balanced in content, of an appropriate length, linguistically appealing and aimed at the target audience, and refers to sources. We can work with these guidelines.
Creating unique content – the Process
The Unique Content Process provides a very detailed and comprehensive guide to the process you should follow before actually creating the text:
- How do I find my ideas?
Ideas and inspiration can be found in blogs, forums, social media, books, conversations and your own experiences. Aditionally you can also create a mindmap.
- What does my competitor do?
Take a look at your topics and possible keywords to see how high quality, extensive and up to date the content is on the pages of your competitors. In some cases, you have good chances to rank with your topic, in other cases you will have to change your topic.
- What kind of content do I want to create?
If you want your post to be up to date and only relevant for a limited time, then you want as much traffic as possible in a short time and have only little time to create the text yourself.
- If you want to give existing content a new spin, you can create posts that can be easily shared on social media.
- Rarely, however, you will find new topics, which you must then of course really well prepare, so that the topic is understandable and can also maintain its ranking.
- And finally, you also have the opportunity to expand an existing topic so extensively that your contribution can become a classic.
- Which keywords do I define?
Take a close look at what your main keyword should be, and which other keywords can serve as sub-keywords in order to connect your topic as well as possible with the search intentions of your readers.
- What is my hook?
Find a solid hook for your text, and pull it through as a red thread, starting from the headline to a coherent structure to the end.
So, you see that there is a lot of scope for the creation of unique content. Writing good unique content can be learned. It doesn't work overnight; you need to practice. But with every new text you write, you'll get better and finally only create good, unique content.
Are you impatient or don't have time to practice?
Then have a look at our offer.
Do you need help creating unique content or content marketing for your website in general? Then get in touch with us. We are a content marketing agency and have been successfully creating text and website content for our customers for years
+43 1 353 2 353 | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Now it's up to you to make your content unique. Always keep in mind: Only with unique content will you be able to convince your readers of your expertise and to bind them to you. Satisfied readers mean returning readers and a long retention period. A very positive signal to Google and thus a solid ranking boost.
Do you have any further questions and/or comments? Then write us a comment. We are pleased about every suggestion and will answer guaranteed.
