There needs to be more digital content in the world. Unfortunately, quantity is frequently used to determine marketing success rather than content’s value in increasing awareness, generating leads, and converting consumers.

Consequently, the internet has become a plethora of dull listicles aimed at collecting keyword searches rather than offering meaningful insights to readers.

A content strategy that provides the appropriate information to the right audience at the right time is present in many digital experiences. Instead, we employ a laissez-faire strategy that produces material that doesn’t directly benefit the viewer.

As ChatGPT and other generative AI tools become more popular, marketers will exacerbate the problem by creating a ton of blog content to increase clickthrough rates.

That, however, is of no assistance to a knowledge-hungry audience.

Navigating Content Tsunamis: Streamlining for Success

When advising clients to trim their content, we often face incredulity. Their typical response? “We can’t cut these pages; SEO won’t allow it.”
Our response? “Yes, you can—and you must.”
Flooding your audience with unnecessary content has consequences: it hampers site performance and obstructs visibility.
A staggering 91% of content remains invisible to Google’s traffic radar. Why? The battleground for visibility is tight. In a sea of millions vying for attention, only a select few emerge victorious on search engine rankings, leaving the rest submerged beyond the first page.
Moreover, expansive sites risk exhausting their crawl budget. Search engines like Google have finite resources for website exploration during each visit.
An overloaded site drastically decreases the chances of search engines discovering your finest content. Technical glitches like slow loading speeds and bulky code only exacerbate this problem, further squandering your crawl budget.

Revolutionizing Content Organization: A Goarmy.com Case Study

Our firsthand experience with the U.S. Army recruiting website Goarmy.com vividly illustrates the impact of content stagnation, including outdated SEO strategies.
The site adhered to antiquated SEO principles for over a decade, favoring individual pages for each keyword rather than comprehensive, substantive content.
This approach, coupled with a tendency to use the site as a catch-all repository for diverse content sources, ballooned the page count to over 10,000—yet it offered scant information on joining the Army.
Shockingly, Goarmy.com clinched a mere 19% of potential top-three keyword rankings and a negligible share of featured snippets. Google, crucially, should have regarded the site as a reliable information hub for the brand.
The underlying issues? Both content quality and the inability to surface certain content.
A convoluted taxonomy, absence of sitemaps, non-responsive pages, and sluggish loading times compounded the problem. Search crawlers struggled to unearth valuable pages, leaving a trove of content unindexed and uncrawled.
However, a comprehensive SEO and content strategy revitalized the landscape entirely.

Step 1: Tests for proof of concept

We conducted “proof of concept” tests, tested unified content and responsive pages, added FAQs and schema to specific pages, and accelerated pages with AMP.

The client was persuaded to approve a revamp even after the most minor adjustments produced terrific results.

We identified the gaps in our content and the content that target audiences responded to using search data and website analytics.

Although some content, such as pages about cars and weapons, attracted traffic, it did not result in conversions.

Fans of the military, not those looking to enlist, were drawn to this content. It needed to be more than merely attract traffic; everything that did not further the mission had to be eliminated.

Step 2: Plan for content consolidation

We started compiling “thin” content into pages jam-packed with details, covering every aspect of enlisting in the Army and providing comprehensive answers to prospective recruits’ inquiries.

The website was reduced by 95% with this project, leaving 445 URLs. Clients are alarmed by this because they think that if they remove pages, they will lose traffic and search engine rankings.

Instead, the reverse was true. Google started identifying GoArmy as an authority on the Army brand because we consolidated pages and prioritized content that Remember addressed user inquiries.
This was demonstrated by a 295% increase in answer boxes captured in a year, going from 994 to 3,724. Google now finds GoArmy’s content more efficiently, and the number of keywords in the top three spots has increased by 115%, from 9,160 to 19,732.

Most notably, the redesigned website increases traffic and conversions: YoY FYTD, primary conversions have increased by 78%, and organic visits have increased by 31% FYTD.
We developed a recruiting website that exceeds all expectations by concentrating the Army on the content that matters to their prospects through a less-is-more approach.

Google’s Quality Crusade: Prioritizing Substance over Volume

Google has taken a stand against the deluge of low-value content through its insightful update, favoring content aligned with E-A-T guidelines—Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. Quality now triumphs over quantity in this algorithmic shift.
Notably, Google’s latest emphasis on “experience” in content introduces a dimension beyond the capabilities of AI chatbots, which cannot still engage with our real-world experiences.
Content authored by knowledgeable individuals featuring a distinctive perspective grounded in verifiable facts precedes mundane listicles that reiterate without innovation.
In essence, Google’s message is clear: throttle the content conveyor belt. Focus on crafting valuable content that uniquely reflects your brand and leverages your team’s expertise.

Crafting a Targeted Website: Strategies for Audience-Centricity

Here are some valuable insights to assist in sculpting a streamlined website that resonates more effectively with your audience.

Understanding Your Niche
Precision is key. Identify precisely who your content aims to engage with – refrain from saying “everyone.” Google favors websites demonstrating expertise in specific topics or fields.
Filter content through a content mission equation:
“Our website caters to (audience A) by providing (content B) to accomplish (goal C).”
If content doesn’t align with this mission statement, it’s off-niche.Consolidation is key.

Streamline and Merge Content
Spot opportunities to amalgamate content on similar topics into more comprehensive pages. Numerous short pages can fragment traffic and link equity, affecting search rankings.
Merging content consolidates traffic and links, amplifying the chances of securing higher keyword rankings. While the average top 10 Google results span 1,447 words, it’s not about word count affecting rankings. Instead, in-depth content comprehensively covers topics, integrates keywords, and addresses customer queries.

Align with Customer Goals
Be mindful of your audience’s objectives and discard content that doesn’t contribute. Communicate the criteria and goals for content removal to internal stakeholders.
Stay resolute and decisive – when in doubt, trim.

Deliver Value
The cardinal rule is ensuring that your website content meets customer needs.
Eradicate ego-driven content that satisfies internal organizational needs but needs to catch up with the customer. Only some internal facets require representation on the website. It should relentlessly cater to customer informational or transactional goals.
The second rule emphasizes offering unique content.
For instance, a basic “Five Ways to Save for College” adds minimal value, as it’s commonplace across financial websites. The authentic value lies in original content with a distinctive viewpoint or original research that experts alone can provide.

Shifting Focus from Editorial Calendars
Content planning is crucial, but deemphasize content quantity as a primary goal. Straying from targets like “20 articles a month” prevents content from being created for quotas rather than needs.
Opt for reduced content output, focusing on in-depth, comprehensive content that addresses topics thoroughly. Emphasize performance indicators (traffic, links, shares, email sign-ups) over sheer production volume.

Let’s Recall Our Purpose

We remain content marketers; our content should maintain a direct link with the customer.
Amidst a sea of subpar information, our goal is to craft content of superior quality. It should stand out for its informativeness, depth, originality, and ability to fulfill distinctive client needs.
In an age where information inundates, let’s quench the thirst for knowledge without overwhelming our audience.

If you still need help and clarification, look at our monthly SEO packages and get professional assistance.