Google is perhaps the most well-known Internet company on the face of the Earth. It is by far the largest search engine in the world (by a large margin), and where a Web page ends up on Google’s search engine results pages (SERPs) can be the difference between success and failure. With such importance, it stands to reason that Google has an impact on a wide range of business aspects, including the content marketing industry.

Ongoing Evolution

Google’s search engine is constantly being updated, the most recent series of updates being known collectively as the “Penguin” updates. Google’s primary goal is keeping and growing its share of the search engine industry, particularly because Google’s search engine remains its primary revenue driver. This means that Google is in a constant battle with individuals and organizations that want to manipulate Google’s search engine algorithm to their benefit.

Google has constantly made updates and iterations to its algorithm with one primary goal in mind: improving the quality of search results. Over time, this has meant an increasing focus on high-quality, unique and lengthy content as opposed to generic content filled with the “perfect” cocktail of keywords.

These changes are a good thing for everyone (except those who were used to exploiting Google’s algorithm). Google benefits because it is able to provide a higher-quality experience for its users while the users themselves are able to find better content from their searches.

That being said, the question of companies that do not aim to “game” Google’s algorithm but simply want to generate traffic through Google searches should be considered, as well.

How Companies and Marketers Adapt

Back in 2013 and 2014, when Google made major changes to its algorithm, many companies were terrified to see that their website traffic dropped dramatically. It seemed like overnight, the number of hits their pages were receiving from Google cratered almost to nothing, and many were frantic to understand exactly how this could happen. As it turned out, many companies had trusted their Internet marketing strategies to companies that had simply posted low-quality, generic fluff on their clients’ websites while charging exorbitant premiums for the content. While this strategy had worked in the past, Google’s algorithms were updated to no longer allow this type of practice to be effective.

The digital marketing industry was forced to adapt. Those who were unwilling or unable to do so lost business (and ultimately went or will go out of business themselves) while those who were able to adjust to the new reality of “quality and quantity” were able to thrive. This, in turn, caused what could be called a renaissance in the content marketing industry.

Quality Is King

Content marketing in 2015 looks completely different than it did just a few short years ago. Today, content marketing is all about providing high-quality, unique, shareable content for readers. Instead of trying to game the system by keyword stuffing, content marketing is about providing real value.

It is worth noting that the ultimate goal of content marketing has remained largely unchanged. That is to say, content marketing is still about driving traffic and conversions for a company. However, the method for accomplishing that goal is now audience-focused instead of simply focused on how to manipulate Google’s search engine algorithms to artificially boost a website’s traffic and SERP ranking.

For companies willing to adjust to the new realities of content marketing, the future is certainly bright. The key is learning to evolve alongside Google’s constantly improved algorithms. While it might seem like a lot of work, it truly is a win-win for everyone involved.

Sources:
http://www.internetlivestats.com/google-search-statistics/
http://expandedramblings.com/index.php/by-the-numbers-a-gigantic-list-of-google-stats-and-facts/