Since the arrival of Panda, having ‘good’ content is no longer good enough. To rank on Google these days you need to keep regularly producing fresh, exceptional content that answers all your audiences’ queries.
No longer can you shove keywords into an article and hope for the best. There needs to be a goal to your content. A purpose behind its publication that succeeds in keeping your audience’s attention, interest and desire to purchase/link back to your site.
Yet, this is only the first hurdle.
With everyone vying for the same goal, getting one of top 10 positions on Google is becoming more and more elusive – especially as the content arena is becoming a more crowded and competitive place.
How can I make my content stand out?
The first step to creating great content is recognising your limitations. If you can’t produce content on a topic that is 10 times better than the best result that is already out there, then don’t pursue it.
Instead, we suggest pursuing content in areas where you can easily surpass the existing ‘best’ and maintain it.
In other words, you need to be able to create a new standard of writing that others can only aspire to – yet never meet.
Other things to consider:
- Stay topical – to stay ahead in your industry, you need to be the leader in discussions. You need to be one of the first – if not the first – to address an issue and reach out to your audience. If there is something going on within your industry, your audience will be searching for news on it. So be the first to answer their call. Be the one others are trying to beat.
- Stick to what you know – there is no use writing about something you know little about as your audience will soon figure it out. Instead, you need to become an authoritative figure in your field, so the more naturally a topic comes to you, the greater quality of writing you’ll produce.
- Become your audience – by putting yourself in the shoes of your audience and performing your own searches; you can review the top ranking results across Google and Social Media, and ascertain what they are doing differently.
More importantly, you can ask yourself the following:
- How detailed/thorough is the information provided? Where is it lacking? Is it great?
- What questions are being asked and in turn answered through these search results?
- What visuals have they used? (Often one of the easiest ways to raise the quality of your work is incorporating the right visuals).
- What is the quality of the writing? What are their sources? Are they reliable? What information have they missed?
‘What have they missed’ is an important question and the key to making your own content incredible. By analysing the strengths and weaknesses of existing top results, you can use their mistakes to produce content that is 10 times more informative, detailed and empathic to your readers.
Put all these elements together and you have got the foundations, to push ahead of the competitive herd and become a real voice in your industry.
Did you know that you can indeed write great content even when you have to write for a slightly boring topic? Read our article and find out how to write top class blogs for a dull niche.
Just remember to be strategic; recognise your own weaknesses and not be afraid to use the mistakes/weaknesses of other articles to produce content that is above and beyond existing top posts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why isn’t my content ranking even though it’s well-written?
Because well-written isn’t enough anymore. Your content needs to be strategically positioned with keyword targeting, user intent alignment, strong metadata, and competitive research behind it.
If your competitors are covering the same topic more thoroughly, or answering more user questions, Google will prioritise them. Focus on creating content that is better, clearer, more useful, and more trustworthy than what’s currently ranking.
How do I know what topics are worth writing about?
Start with your audience’s real questions – from sales calls, customer emails, social media, or forums like Reddit and Quora. Then use keyword tools like Google Search Console, AnswerThePublic, or Ubersuggest to validate interest and search volume.
Look for gaps in competitor content too: what aren’t they explaining well? What are readers still asking in the comments? That’s where you can add value and win rankings.
What if my topic has already been covered a thousand times?
Then your job is to do it better. Analyse the top-ranking content and ask:
– What’s missing?
– What angles haven’t been explored?
– Is the writing dry, outdated, or generic?
By finding the gaps (whether in depth, tone, visuals, or structure) you can rewrite the piece with more clarity, empathy, and authority. Sometimes even just adding personal insight or clearer visuals can elevate a post beyond the competition.
How do I make content more interesting if the topic is boring?
The key is to focus on the problem, not the product. Even dry topics have emotional drivers. Frame your content around how it solves something: saves time, prevents risk, improves results. Use examples, visuals, storytelling, and real-world scenarios to bring it to life.
How do I know if my content is actually useful to readers?
Look at engagement signals:
– Do people stay on the page?
– Do they click through to other pages?
– Are they sharing it or linking to it?
Use SEO tools like Google Analytics (time on page, bounce rate) and Search Console (click-through rate, keyword impressions) to spot what’s working and where people lose interest. If users are dropping off early, you may not be answering their questions clearly or fast enough.
