Sean Walsh
Sean is a Director at Intelligency heading up our digital marketing and client services operations. Sean has 15+ years experiencing working both in-house and agency with brands including Lloyds, Alstom, Hitachi, Lufthansa, Viaplay, DFDS Seaways and Mercedes-Benz.
In the evolving landscape of Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), the emphasis on authenticity and firsthand experience in content creation has never been more critical. This shift is reflective of search engines’ sophisticated algorithms that prioritize content offering real value to users.
Search Engine Land reported this week that a SEO study showed that websites using first-person pronouns and first-hand experience seemed to be gaining from the recent batch of Google Updates. Subtle identifiers such as “me”, “I” or “we” perhaps demonstrate to search engines that the content is produced and written by a human, and not instead with the voice of a “brand” or company. This shift to focusing on individual experts is a clear one, with so many sites competing with often the same content (now not helped by AI), Google seems to be separating the wheat from the chaff by looking for content clearly penned by an individual.
We have long told our SEO clients – to write content from the individual’s perspective. Make it personal – use content so that it shows a company isn’t sanitised brand copy, but a collection of thoughts, ideas and explanations from the experts that work there. Never before has it been so important to ensure that your online content comes from an experienced individual, and one with true authenticity.
Authenticity
Building Credibility: Authentic content establishes a foundation of trust between a website and its visitors. Search engines like Google use various indicators to assess the genuineness of content. Original research, accurate sourcing, and transparency in authorship and intention all signal authenticity to these algorithms.
Enhancing Engagement: Authentic content resonates more deeply with readers, encouraging longer engagement times and more meaningful interactions. These behavioural signals are key metrics for search engines in determining content quality and relevance.
Mitigating Risks: In an era where misinformation can quickly spread, search engines penalize deceptive practices harshly. Genuine content strategies avoid these risks, ensuring long-term SEO health.
Experience
Firsthand Knowledge: Content created from firsthand experience offers unique insights that generic information cannot replicate. Search engines, through updates like Google’s E-A-T (Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness), increasingly value this depth of knowledge.
User-Centric Design: The user experience (UX) on a website, including its content’s readability, accessibility, and navigability, significantly impacts SEO. Content that reflects an understanding of user needs and preferences tends to perform better in search rankings.
Content Depth and Quality: Experience-driven content often provides a richer, more comprehensive exploration of topics. This depth is not only valuable to readers but also positions websites as authoritative sources on specific subjects, further boosting SEO performance.
Why focus on creating content with experienced experts
Adaptation to Algorithm Updates: Google’s algorithm updates increasingly focus on rewarding content that demonstrates both authenticity and real-world expertise. Websites prioritising these aspects are better positioned to adapt to and benefit from these changes.
Competitive Differentiation: In saturated markets, authenticity and experience can differentiate a website from its competitors. This unique selling proposition can attract a loyal audience base, contributing to improved search visibility and higher conversion rates.
Leverage your own experience and expertise
The importance of authenticity and experience in SEO content cannot be overstated. As search engines evolve, the demand for content that is both genuine and insightful continues to grow. Websites that embrace these principles not only foster stronger connections with their audience but also solidify their standing in search rankings. The future of SEO lies in creating content that is true to the creator’s experience and expertise, offering real value to the user beyond keywords and optimization tactics.
