The phrase “content is king” has been around for decades but remains relevant each succeeding year. High-quality content is the foundation of digital marketing, SEO, and online engagement; not all content is created equal. But what is content?
In this article, we’ll look at what content is, how it works for your online marketing, and the changes shaping content marketing.
Everybody wants content.
Optimizers emphasize the importance of content in blogs, articles, and social posts. Google says your rankings depend on producing good, relevant, and engaging material. However, you may be receiving mixed signals about what this means. So, let’s clarify.
Table of contents
- Everybody wants content.
- What is content?
- The content marketing landscape is evolving.
- Quality content remains king, but trends are changing.
- Content is King!
- Wrapping it up.
What is content?
In Webster’s Dictionary, “content” as a noun means the things contained within something, the topics or matter treated in a written work, or the principal substance offered by a website.
Basically, this means “stuff”. So, pieces of content are nothing more than the “stuff” you put on your website. In the digital world, content is any form of information, media, or communication created, shared, and consumed online or offline. It’s the foundation of how people interact, learn, and engage with brands, businesses, and each other.
There is no “one size fits all” type of content.
Content comes in many forms and is used for many reasons. It’s essential because it educates, entertains, engages, and converts audiences. It’s used for marketing and branding, SEO and visibility, social engagement, lead generation, sales, and customer success. There are many types of content, including:
- Written content – This is text-based and includes:
- blog posts
- articles
- whitepapers
- e-books
- social media posts
- website copy
- case studies
- Visual content – Too many sites say, “Don’t use images.” Instead, they should say, “Don’t use just images”. If you use images as your sole content source, you may have traffic and ranking issues. Visual content includes:
- infographics
- photographs
- memes
- presentations
- illustrations
- graphics
- Audio content – As it sounds, audio is sound without visuals. These include:
- podcasts
- audiobooks
- voice search responses
- music and soundbites
- Interactive content – If you can do something with it, it’s considered interactive content. Interactive content can be on your site or another and includes:
- quizzes
- polls
- augmented and virtual reality
- web tools
- web calculators
- chatbots
- AI-generated conversations
This list is by no means exhaustive. When a marketer or optimizer talks about “we need content” or “your content needs work,” we’re talking about all the above and then some. But content is more than words or media. It’s how we communicate ideas, tell stories, and build relationships. It’s at the heart of how we connect.
Content is seen as powerful because it helps to establish trust and authority between the website owner and visitors. It also helps build customer relationships by providing them with relevant information about their interests. With content, people are more likely to return to a website if they find valuable information that meets their needs.
The content marketing landscape is evolving.
Content marketing is the delivery method for all of the above. Rather than put out content for content’s sake, content marketing is a strategic approach to attract, inform, and convert your audience. You want your “stuff” to build trust, establish authority, and nurture long-term customer relationships.
How is content marketing different from traditional marketing?
| Aspect | Content Marketing | Traditional Marketing |
|---|---|---|
| Approach | Educates and informs | Direct sales pitch |
| Medium | Blogs, videos, social media, etc. | TV ads, billboards, print, cold calls |
| Lifespan | Evergreen and long term impact | Short-term campaigns |
| Audience Engagement | Interactive and two-way | One-way communication |
| Cost | Most cost effective over time | Expensive and one-time |
As you can see, there are several good reasons to consider content marketing. However, new technologies and changing user behaviors influence the landscape of SEO, digital marketing, and content marketing.
AI-generated content has moved mainstream.
Are you tired of hearing about Artificial Intelligence (AI) yet? It now plays a significant role in content creation and search results. Many marketers now use tools like Claude, GPT4, and many others to assist in writing blogs, product descriptions, and more. A 2024 global survey found roughly 42% of marketing and media leaders use AI tools at least a few times a week for content tasks.
However, Google’s stance on AI content is that quality matters. Whether humans or AI writes a piece, it should be genuinely valuable to readers.
Best practices for using AI in content marketing:
- Use AI for inspiration and efficiency: Let AI tools generate ideas, outlines, or initial drafts to overcome writer’s block and scale content production. This method can help meet the increasing content demands of modern marketing.
- Human oversight is key: Always have a human expert fact-check and refine AI-generated content. Add unique insights, examples, and personality that only a human can provide to avoid the content feeling generic or lacking depth.
- Focus on quality and relevance: Ensure the content (AI-assisted or not) answers the intent behind user queries and provides up-to-date, accurate information. Google’s algorithms (including the 2023 Helpful Content update) are increasingly adept at identifying genuinely helpful content rather than content written solely to game the system.
- Avoid over-reliance on AI: Don’t use AI for everything. For example, skilled human writers still best handle sensitive pieces requiring nuanced expertise or creative storytelling. Use AI to handle repetitive or data-heavy sections and save your time for high-level strategy and creativity.
By leveraging AI as a supportive tool, content marketers can boost productivity without sacrificing quality. The goal is to create high-quality, original content that satisfies users – something AI can help with, but human guidance must ultimately ensure.
Google’s E-E-A-T is changing how we connect.
Google’s search quality guidelines have long emphasized E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) as a marker of good content. This change recognizes that content demonstrating first-hand experience can be more valuable and trustworthy to users. For example, a travel blog by someone who has personally visited a destination can be seen as more credible (and rank-worthy) than one written purely by aggregating info from the web.
E-E-A-T isn’t a direct algorithmic ranking factor (part of Google’s quality rater guidelines, which human evaluators use), but it heavily influences what Google’s algorithms aim to reward. Content that reflects high E-E-A-T tends to perform better in search rankings. Google has stated that among these factors, Trustworthiness is the most important – if a page is untrustworthy, it will be judged harshly despite any expertise or experience it showcases.
By aligning your content with E-E-A-T principles, you not only please the search algorithms but also create content that users find genuinely valuable and reliable. With the web awash in AI-generated material, content that radiates authenticity and trust stands a much better chance to rank high and engage readers.
Voice Search and conversational queries are still on the rise.
With the surge of voice-activated devices and digital assistants (think Siri, Google Assistant, Alexa), voice search has become a significant part of how people find information. By the end of 2025, an estimated 8.4 billion voice assistants will be used worldwide – nearly double that of 4.2 billion in 2020.
Globally, about 20% of people use voice search for their queries, underlining how common it has become. This shift towards voice means users often search in a more conversational, natural language format, asking questions like “What’s the best Italian restaurant nearby?” or “How do I fix a leaky faucet?”.
Optimizing for voice search requires a slightly different approach than traditional text SEO:
Target conversational keywords.
Voice queries tend to be longer and phrased as questions or complete sentences. Incorporate question-based keywords and natural language phrases into your content.
For example, include headings or sections directly answering questions (like an FAQ). If you have a content piece on Italian restaurants, a heading could be “What are the best Italian restaurants in [City]?” which matches how a voice query might be phrased.
Provide succinct answers (featured snippets).
Many voice search results draw from featured snippets – those quick answer boxes on Google. Structure your content to directly answer common questions clearly and concisely.
For instance, if someone asks a voice assistant a question that your content answers, a 40-60 word clear answer in your text is more likely to be read aloud by the assistant. Earning featured snippets can significantly boost your visibility in voice results.
Use structured data.
Implement Schema.org structured data (particularly FAQ schema, Organization schema, Article schema, etc.) on your pages. Structured data helps search engines better understand your content and increases the chances of getting rich results. For voice, structured data can improve how assistants identify and pull your answers.
Focus on local and “near me” searches.
A large portion of voice searches are local (e.g., “find a pizza place near me”). If applicable, optimize your content for local SEO – claim and update your Google Business Profile, include local keywords, and ensure your NAP (Name, Address, Phone) information is consistent. High local ratings and reviews also help, since voice assistants often recommend businesses with strong reviews.
Optimize for speed and mobile.
Voice searches are often done on mobile devices or smart speakers. Make sure your website is mobile-friendly and loads fast. Google’s voice results have been found to load faster than average web pages (since users expect instant answers). Compress images, use efficient code, and leverage browser caching to improve load times for all users, including voice users.
You align well with voice search intent by crafting content that answers the who, what, where, when, and how questions of your target audience. The convenience of speaking a query means users often use it for quick answers. If your content is optimized to be that quick answer, you can capture this growing segment. Ignoring voice search means missing out on a sizeable chunk of search traffic as more households and individuals integrate voice assistants into daily life.
Quality content remains king, but trends are changing.
Quality content is king, no matter what business you run or its size. Leveraging good quality information will always be essential for success online, establishing a strong digital presence, and driving meaningful interactions.
Beyond the major themes above, a few other developments are worth mentioning as you refine your SEO and content marketing approach:
Google uses Generative AI in search.
Search engines themselves are becoming more AI-driven. Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE) (introduced in 2023-2024) and Bing’s AI chat integration are examples of how search is changing. These AI-generated answers at the top of search results use information from multiple sources. By late 2024, Google’s AI overviews appeared in nearly 20% of queries, and that number is likely still growing.
To adapt, focus on creating content that is truly authoritative and answer-rich. If your content is high-quality and marked with properly structured data, it stands a better chance of being referenced or cited in these AI summaries.
Also, monitor your analytics for changes in click-through rates – even if you rank #1, an AI answer might reduce clicks. This makes strategies like building brand loyalty (so users seek out your site deliberately) and capturing leads via content even more important.
There is a rise in zero-click searches.
In many cases, Google provides the answer directly on the results page (via featured snippets, Knowledge Panels, etc.), resulting in a “zero-click” search. While this isn’t new to 2025, it’s become more prevalent.
To deal with zero-click trends, optimize for featured snippets (so at least your brand is visible even if there is no click) and identify keywords that still drive traffic (often more complex, long-tail queries). Also, consider diversifying your traffic sources (email marketing, social media, etc.), so you’re not solely reliant on pure clicks from search.
Content depth and topical authority are trending.
Rather than creating dozens of thin pages for every keyword variant, there’s a trend toward depth. Creating comprehensive content hubs around key topics can establish your site as an authority.
In practice, this means one in-depth pillar page covering a broad topic and several supporting articles on subtopics, all interlinked. This strategy helps users get everything they need, and search algorithms recognize the topical authority, potentially ranking all those pages higher.
Google is continuously updating its algorithms.
Google is rolling out updates to its algorithms more frequently, often with AI at the core (for example, RankBrain, BERT, MUM, and other AI models help Google better understand content and queries). This reinforces the importance of writing in natural language and covering topics in a way that genuinely satisfies user intent.
Old tactics like keyword stuffing or over-optimized exact-match anchor text are ineffective now and can be counterproductive. Stay informed about major Google updates (like core updates or the Helpful Content updates) through reliable sources, and always be ready to adjust. The best hedge, however, is to consistently produce user-focused, quality content. Algorithm changes are less likely to negatively impact sites that follow that philosophy.
Content is King!
Quality content not only drives traffic but also enhances user search experiences. For instance, when clients interact with your product or service, it’s crucial that they see your business as more than just a sales pitch. Providing valuable material—whether through informative articles on industry trends, helpful tutorials, or real-world case studies—demonstrates your commitment to benefiting the user.
Good articles engages visitors, encouraging them to return. Integrating internal links to related topics within your content can guide users to more of your helpful resources, increasing their likelihood of becoming long-term customers.
Wrapping it up.
As you can see, when something is so integral to your website, marketing, and sales, it makes sense to crown it and call it the top dog. This is why content is king. When you offer real value to your users through that content, you’re that much closer to another conversion. However, remember that it doesn’t have to all be text-based.
Integrating high-quality content in various forms is key to a successful digital marketing strategy. Emphasizing good quality content, whether written, visual, or auditory, makes sure your site stands out and delivers value.
If you need help with your content or content strategy, reach out. Level343 has over 20 years in content development, on and offline. Let us put our experience to work for you.
6 Responses
Content is king, but cannot be found if sustainable SEO isn’t applied.
written content must be written by copywriter who knows SEo rules and knows how to link images and develop media etc. I think seo has become an art of different techniques recently and adding those features to page does not guarantee visits on your page. You need the right mesure at the right ime.
That explains really nice and easy what content is and what forms of content you can use. It’s so simple; a mixture of interesting and relevant written, graphic and video content is the key to get traffic. Hope bloggers read this and understand that it’s rather simple to make a great and successful blog and to get traffic! Thanks!
What many businesses are doing to keep their content fresh is integrating social networking software into their sites. This gives them constant relevant user generated content that the search engines love. All the benefits, half the work!
This article will certainly help people to refrain from writing irrevalant stuff in their blogs, and hopefully they will focus on quality rather than quantitiy.
@omega shipping – I agree, but in defense of online/affiliate marketing, sometimes companies want to rank for certain keywords. What they do is hire someone without doing any industry research, with no knowledge of how to actually rank, and fall short of getting quality research. In order to write and compete with high ranking sites, people often forget to do the most basic thing: find out what their clients/ readers really want to know about. One way is to set up a Google alert for their industry. This not only lets them know what the buzz is about, but will also let them know what’s been said about their site, and what their competitors are doing. Thanks for dropping by!