What is High Quality Content? 10 Examples on How to Make it.

The term high quality content is used an awful lot in the internet world, but most people who preach it don’t know how to write it. I do, and I’ll show you.

I have 10 examples that will help you understand it and use it. I also want to stress how important it is that you not only do it, but understand why being able to write it correctly produces better results in every regard.

So let’s start with what high quality content is:

High quality content is generally written or visual work that gets a lot of feedback from people who read and watch it. By feedback, I mean the following signals:

how to know if you have high quality content

In short, well written work satisfies a reader/viewer, to the point that they love your work, want to talk about it and it answers all of their questions and you gain their trust.

So the next question becomes…

How do you make sure the content you produce is high quality?

Nearly 5 years ago, I wrote a very short article on this, but in spite of it’s shortness, it’s tips still hold true today and if you want specific guidelines on writing high quality work, I recommend you read it here.

But in a nutshell, here are those tips:

what is high quality content

5 years later, I still recommend those tips, but more importantly, people need examples, so the way I’m going to show it is by giving you a particular context/frame in the form of specific niche websites and YouTube videos and explain how it can become high quality content.

1) Let’s say I’m writing an article on homeopathy. 

How can an article on this topic be considered high quality? Well here’s some examples:

  • Make it over 2,000 words long (why longer work is better).
  • Explain in a simple manner what homeopathy is (clearly written stuff is easier to read).
  • Add pictures of herbs and other things that are relevant to this article. 
  • Write a short story where you talk about your experiences with it.
  • Explain in bullet points the health benefits of this stuff.

I guarantee you that a person who would write an article on this and keep these points in mind would produce an awesome article that would get a lot of attention, reads, shares and comments

2) Write controversial topics relating to your niche.

Here are some topics which typically get a lot of positive (and negative) attention:

Political news and controversial topics within the political spectrum (be careful here as you can have a pretty heated argument with people).

Typically every niche topic you have on your site has a side of controversy behind it. For example, if you’re writing about homeopathy, you’ll likely get people who don’t believe in that (people more leaning to modern day medicine) commenting on your site about how wrong you are.

3) Include content on your site that tackles what the opposing viewpoint might say.

Taking for instance the same topic of homeopathy vs modern day medicine, think of what your critics who visit your site may say and tackle any one or more questions within a particular article. This will add to the critics reading it (hopefully) and having a dialogue with you in the comments section.

Comments and good debates in the form of content typically have VERY positive results for other people viewing your article and especially SEO benefits as it helps raise the quality of that article.

4) Challenge readers by asking them their opinions and thoughts.

I mentioned this when I wrote about getting more comments on your website and I still believe in it today. Comments are a huge driving force in showing both people and search engines that your website is full of high quality content.

When people “sound off” on what you write, it means they liked or hated your work at least enough to give their thoughts on it. Sometimes people who are very passionate will typically do this on their own, but most of the time, you will need to encourage/challenge them to do it so I make sure, that in big headings, I ask my readers their thoughts, on every article I write.

If I was writing about homeopathy, I’d say things like:

  • What do you think guys think about homeopathy in general?
  • Has anyone tried the same things I’m recommending or can recommend something better?
  • I’d love to hear from people who disagree with me, as I’m always up for a good, polite debate 🙂

These sorts of questions typically get good responses.

5) Communicate with readers by encouraging them to ask questions.

While this is a form of commenting, there’s many people out there who are too shy to say anything, but they may often have questions they want to ask you.

Let them know it’s OK and you’re happy to help. In just about every single article I write, I always let my readers know that if they have any questions, to not be shy and to ask it and that I’ll ALWAYS be happy to answer it (that encourages them more so).

Furthermore, this approach raises TRUST in other readers, even if they still don’t choose to comment. Trust is a reflection of high quality content.

And the beauty is, while there will always be a good number of people that are too shy to comment, having even a few people do it, will have the other, shy readers sifting through the comments anyway, and that will raise their stay times and trust on your site, another huge factor in SEO, trust and overall high quality work (more info on stay times).

6) Always aim for writing longer articles/making longer videos if possible.

This is one of those tips where for some reason I get a lot “what if’s” asked. For some reason, one of the most common criticisms and questions I get is, “well why write more if I can make my point with less words?” or “Why do I need to write 2,000 words in 1 article, when I can write 2 articles, that are each 1,000 words”?

Questions like these typically drive me nuts because I feel the person asking me it is missing the whole point and is trying to cut corners because they are being lazy:

Generally these questions are in relation to writing articles on a website. So that sets the context right there…

Next people who ask me these questions are typically having problems with their website and their articles not being ranked high (surprise, surprise), so my answer to them is to write longer, higher quality articles, simply because:

Longer articles/videos, when written with better quality just gets better feedback and it raises the authority of a website more so than anything else in the beginning.

When you start off your website, you have 0 authority, and 0 reason for your page to get ranked high. Google doesn’t know you, it doesn’t know your website and it certainly won’t listen to your arguments on writing less stuff, no matter how good of a point you think you’re making, by writing less.

So the BEST thing you can do, when starting out is to write WAY more than you think needs to be written. I actively write over 1,500 words lately on my SHORTEST articles and over 3,000+ on most of my longer ones. 

When Google sees this, it sees that you put in a lot of work and it ranks that work higher. Now to be honest, I don’t care so much about my word count, but I do care about getting any and all points across, and that requires that I write more and it just turns out to always bypass that 1,000, 1,500 word count anyway. And it fits in line with what Google says.

I’m just going to say this: 

If you can’t write over 2,000 words on an article and are trying to cut corners, you need to figure out another way to make money online, because you’re only cheating yourself. Learn to write more and it’ll make you a better content creator. 

  • People who write more, get more rankings.
  • People who make YouTube videos longer, and actively, get more views.

There’s a reason this works…

Now the only time you can really make an argument for writing LESS is if you’re NOT doing SEO. Say you’re running an email campaign and want to lead people into a promotion. Then sure, write less if you want to.

Or perhaps, you have authority and trust with people and you know, that you don’t have to spend so much time writing stuff to prove your point. In that case, fine, write less. And this also pertains to videos that are short. This stuff typically works when a person already has trust from their viewers and they don’t need that extra proof to believe what they are saying.

But when it comes to SEO, especially the early stages where you don’t have followers or trust, you need to write more and produce more, period.

7) Review common questions on a topic/product to answer in your content.

Any kind of popular product or topic carries with it tons of people who have various questions about it. The key with this tip is to understand the most common questions that come with whatever topic/product you’re writing about.

By addressing them in your work, you will:

  • Improve the amount of words you have on an article/s.
  • People are less likely to leave your video/site because you already satisfied their queries.
  • Answering serious questions from readers helps build out trust. I have on numerous occasions bookmarked sites/videos which answered my most serious concerns. 

This is another big reason why knowing your niche topic/products is so important. For example, I review drones, and they are very expensive “toys”.

I can promise you that before I buy one, I actively surf Google and YouTube looking for reviews and when I find something, I carefully look at whether or not my questions are addressed. If they are, I will continue to look at that person’s content with trust.

Always ask yourself what types of common questions your article/topic/product review may have and answer them within the content of your site. You may very well get a big thank you from a commenter because you solved their problem.

For example, in a review I did for a program called Wealthy Affiliate, I have actively updated it to answer common questions I was asked. That way, some who is reading the content, who may have that particular question (and are to shy to ask it), will see it, be at ease and I will have a better chance of selling the program. Plus it adds more quality content to the article anyway.

8) Use simple analogies/metaphors.

In just about every single topic you write about, the more complicated it is, the more difficult it is to explain to people who can only understand it from a simple point of view. That produces the risk of them leaving your site/video too early. 

Enter analogies and metaphors, to make sure they stay. I use them all the time and by using them as well, you will be able to relay your message way better to readers.

If I’m writing about the ellipses of a planet, I guarantee you, more than half my readers won’t know what that is, but if I say to imagine…an egg shaped motion, it suddenly makes more sense, and even more so, people will now understand what an ellipses is.

And being able to simplify complex things is also going to make you more trustworthy. If you’re confused on how to write these, do me a favor, give me an example below and I’ll help you turn it into an analogy/metaphor.

9) Never underestimate the power of a personal story/experience.

I believe I mentioned that in the article I linked way above when I started this post, but in any case, let me tell you that one of the best ways to write great work is to have a shared experience with your reader/watcher.

If you’re writing about a topic where you solved a big problem and your reader HAS that problem, then believe me, they’re going to read it as though your content is their solution. Personal stories like this also help with producing high quality product reviews that sell.

10) Provide a solution within your articles/videos and prove it works better than anything else.

I may lose some people here, as this tip “varies”, but let me give you some context:

Let’s say I’m writing an informative post on homeopathy, it’s benefits, dangers, ect…

One of the most common things that would happen with my readers, is that they would likely want to know how to get started safely. If I can…

A) Put that worry to rest by mentioning that I’m going to give them a good solution and…

B) Actually give them a good way to get started safely, they’re going to feel like they have a green light to move forward. In fact, this is how a lot of sales funnels work, so feel free to use that as well.

Now if I am doing something like reviewing a bad product, of course I don’t want to recommend it, but in my content, I want to thoroughly explain why that is and provide a BETTER solution (a link to it too).

In these examples, people who read/watch your stuff need to know there’s a conclusion to their worries/issues/questions. They don’t want to be left wondering what’s next or have to look at another site for that answer. You have to give them that.

My final thoughts:

Every tip I wrote here is great for improving your existing/future work on your site/videos. It will enhance it because it will bring out the curiosity of your readers/viewers, answer their questions before they get asked, build trust and have them wanting to get your advice on their problems.

Note: These same 10 examples you read about applied to blogging, but high quality content can also be found on video content, such as YouTube videos. In other words, these same 10 examples are also applicable there.

By writing out your work and/or creating videos with these things in mind, you will see a very positive reaction from your viewers, such that will also get Google’s and YouTube’s attention.

You will get more likes, more comments, more praise and bookmarks, all of these things will be symptoms of high quality content which will ultimately benefit both you, your website/video’s rankings, traffic and everyone who reads/watches what you have to offer.

34 thoughts on “What is High Quality Content? 10 Examples on How to Make it.”

  1. I am committed to following your 10 points on writing high quality content and have received encouragement to continue from friends and individuals I know. My challenge now is to attract new readers to my sites and gain their trust. At present I struggle with how to improve my SEO through relating keywords to my content and achieving more traffic. Can you suggest some articles that would help me to better understand how to bring more traffic to my content.

    Reply
  2. Thank you for your great tips. This has really helped me discover how to correctly write my content for scam reviews. I don’t have an issue with the amount of words, I just had an issue with engaging with the reader, and getting more traffic.   

    I was taught from the beginning to write as if I were having a conversation with a friend. I have always written this way. After reading these tips, I believe I have figured out a few that I have not included in my content. 

    For example, answering the questions that they might have. Now that I am more knowledgeable about this type of business, I may have forgotten the questions that I might have asked when I still knew very little. 

    This information will be of great use to me and will change my writing for the better. I believe that this may help my traffic issue as well.

    Thank you again for your help.

    Lee Ann

    Reply
  3. Thanks for the great tips. I’ve been toying with a controversial post. I think it may be time to test it out. Although I have a few posts that are 2,500 words plus, most hover around 1,500. I’ll strive to get that up.

    You’re spot on when it comes to using a personal story. My 2 top posts refer to my personal experience on the topic. One of them also uses the better solution option with examples showing why.

    I think your list really touches on what it takes to make quality content.

    Thanks again

    Reply
  4. I’m just starting out and figuring out what to write about, and how best to get my point across. And I certainly don’t want to waste my time writing something that won’t be seen. I need to remember that my goal is to keep the reader there, keep them interested, make them want to read more of what I have to say and make them want to comment. Thanks for the important reminder to not be afraid to write about something that is debatable. I tend to shy away from things like that but it’s what I need to do!

    Reply
    • Correct Anna. You want debate, you want engagement from the reader because it helps the ranking of that content to rise further 🙂

      Reply
  5. I found this article extremely helpful and it helped me gain a whole new perspective on my blogging. What are your best tips for content creation and targeted marketing? Do you have a particular strategy that you use to combat SEO algorithms? I love your point on finding solutions for problems this is he best way to really make a difference and live a life of success. Thank You

    Reply
  6. When it comes to the length of your posts I think it is very important to write what is really needed to get your message through but without exaggerating. If you write too much people are going to get fed up and they wont finish reading the post. Soo enough details, but nothing unnecessary and straight to the point. That is my way of writing. I have posts of over 2000 words and posts with less than 500 words. It all depends what your post is about.

    Reply
    • In many ways you are right Jojo, but to get away with writing 500 words and having it show up high on Google requires that your site first has a lot of authority behind it, otherwise, this will not work for newer blog posts and in that case, longer content will be better for SEO.

      Reply
  7. Hello Vitaliy,

    The way you write alone shows that you really know and understand what you’re talking about. Your article today has been an eye-opener for me on how to effectively write content that is both engaging and helpful to my readers.

    I really like the key points you highlighted earlier in your post. For instance, you mentioned about trying to put ourselves in the visitors’ shoes. And I think it really makes sense because doing so will help any content writer to focus on how his core content will benefit the reader.

    Also, more often I tend to focus on selling to my readers and I think its something I need to work on. By focusing more on giving value than just doing overselling. Thanks so much for sharing. As I said, I have found some real value in this article.

    Stephen.

    Reply
  8. This was a really valuable piece of content Vitaliy, just as you have discussed in the post. It gave me more insights into doing a completely thorough work with all my posts. I even got new content ideas for my site which I will putting into practice real soon. Thanks very much for the great job here. I will be stopping by again, and again, and hopefully again.

    Reply
  9. Great tips on quality content, Vitaliy. Thanks. As a sophomore blogger (just started my second year) I realize more and more the need to write great articles. I consider myself a pretty good writer but like just about anyone I have my weak points. One thing that you mention that I am weak on is writing stories and examples into my posts. If nothing else, thanks for that. It’ll help.

    Reply
    • One tip that’ll help you use this to it’s fullest Grant is writing content with which you personally have history with. This can turn into a relevant story you can share with the audience. If you don’t have this option, then share a story of a friend as an example. This is also good.

      Reply
  10. Very well said I have posts ranging from 1,500 words to up to 4,200 and honestly the shorter version does better but I keep always my content on 2,500 words so you’re right. When I make a tutorial, I usually write 3,300-4,700 so I can explain in detail what I’m trying to teach or show

    Reply
    • Tutorials happen to be one of the best ways to generate a lot of content in one article Sergio. I’ve had several that I’ve made over the years easily cross 3,000 words or more. 

      But at the same time, reviewing products I own also produces long quality posts for me as well.

      Reply
  11. Great post! I love your point about how writing more has to be a part of the content strategy, it’s often not thought of with internet marketing.

    Most of my posts nowadays have 3000 words or more and I already notice that they’re getting more attention, both organically and on social media. Shorter posts are alright from time to time but I’m right with you on this one- long posts are the way to go. As far as I’m aware, Google loves concise content.

    Reply
  12. This is really good stuff and I just learned a ton! I’ve been trying to get my own website noticed by google and am now thinking I need to start writing longer posts. I’ve been doing around 1200 words but I’m really going to press to try and get to 2000. Thanks for the all the info!

    Reply
    • Try to aim for better content, not necessarily longer content JD. I recommend writing about your personal experiences, it’ll increase the content per article and help your readers connect with your experiences.

      Reply
  13. Yeah, high quality content is probably the best point to focus on, because stuff like backlinks and other factors are not as important as it used to be. And writing quality content doesn’t have to be too hard really. If you’re passionate about what you’re doing, then you will kinda automatically put out better content than if you chose to write about something that you absolutely hate doing.

    Reply
  14. You gave some pretty good tips about writing good quality content. Sometimes the length of the article will depend on how deep we want to get into the subject. Especially when you’re trying to explain something step by step.

    Each article will vary in length based on many factors. But to me, as long as you can provide a solution to the problem or need I’m searching for, then I would consider it good quality content. Naturally the content must give me some answers and sometimes even show me how to perform a task or give me a guideline so I can get results.

    It must be useful, credible and it must provide value. The content should also be unique and engaging to be effective. Other factors could include images, infographics or even video. But they must support or reinforce the written content. You express a lot of these pointers in your article. Nice job and thanks for the insight.

    Reply
  15. Hi,

    Indeed I have heard of high-quality content a lot! I don’t find it hard to write more than 2,000 words but I find it harder to talk about my experiences. I might have to focus more on that aspect. Moreover, the controversial topic paragraph gave me many ideas to write about, thanks! 

    I will definitely keep your tips in mind when writing my next post. Have a great day!

    Reply
    • Well that’s the thing. Knowing your niche stems from having personal experience in it, which is what leads to sharing that personal experience, improving the content and connecting with the audience.

      Reply
  16. Hi Vitaliy,

    Thank you for sharing these great tips! I surfed around your website a bit and found more interesting articles. I have written down some of your amazing tips. However, I do have to think about the how to write controversial paragraphs for my niche. Nevertheless, you cranked my cogs into thinking, and I thank you for that:)

    Loes

    Reply
    • Controversial paragraphs stem from controversial topics Loes. In general, any topic that receives interest from a niche audience also receives doubt, questions and skepticism. This is something you can cover within your content, which can act as a form of controversy. 

      Reply

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