Last Updated on January 25, 2023 by SERP Kingz
When it comes to creating content for your website, it’s easy to get caught up in the idea that you need to focus on one specific niche in order to rank well on search engines—to avoid confusing the Google gods.
However, according to Google Search Liason Danny Sullivan, you can write about whatever the hell you want and still rank well.
Well, he didn’t say it exactly like that, but the point is that you don’t need to limit yourself to a single particular topic or category in order to be successful.
You can mix and match all you want, like setting out a content marketing buffet for your readers, or a smorgasbord of words.
Just don’t expect to get a Michelin star if you’re serving crap.
In a recent statement made on Mastodon, the Linux of social networks, Google’s Danny S. said that you can and should write about diverse topics on your site.
The key here is—as always—that you should be writing content “for people”—and not for search engines:
Who knew such wisdom could be found on a social network named after something that’s big, cumbersome, frozen, and dead?
This tweet (or whatever) came in response to a blog post by Elizabeth Tai, who pointed out that in Google’s recommendations for the Helpful Content Update, they ask if you’re producing lots of SEO-driven content on different topics in hopes that some of it might perform well in search results.
This was read by some to mean that having a diverse range of topics on your site is frowned upon.
However, Danny’s responses on this issue makes it clear that this isn’t the case.
It’s important to note that this doesn’t mean that you can ignore search engine optimization altogether; it’s still important to make sure your content is properly optimized for search engines in order to increase your visibility.
However, the main focus should always be on providing value to your readers.
(Think E-E-A-T, not “how many exact match long tail key phrases can I stuff in this paragraph to make my SEO plugin’s light turn green?”)
If you’re creating content that is genuinely helpful and interesting to your audience, search engines will ultimately take notice and reward you.
(Sure, maybe that wasn’t true before AI got so involved in search, but now it is. Pretty much.)
Don’t be afraid to branch out and write about a variety of topics. Just put your audience first, before the bots.
Bottom line: it’s not necessary to limit your site’s content to a single niche in order to rank well for said niche on search engines. If you’re creating content that is truly valuable to your readers, it can naturally perform well in search results.
Provide value first—optimize second. (At least in terms of prioritization.)
