With the latest Google Core Update and ongoing changes to how it ranks content, creating original, engaging, and valuable content is now more critical than ever.If you don’t have a system for consistently creating expert content, the chances of your business appearing on the first page of Google’s organic search results are slim.As for the top spot, it was always a dream anyway, right?Unlocking Organic Leads: A Property Expert’s GuideYour best leads will be the ones who come to you after finding the answers to all the questions they thought needed answering.It is your job to create expert content that shows them everything they need to know, the order in which they need to do it and make them aware of the various benefits and pitfalls that may arise due to actions they do or do not take.The Algorithm Shift: What Property Experts Must KnowOver the past few years, Google has been more focused on improving the results people get when searching for answers.Google applies hundreds of changes to its algorithm every year. Many are minor, and details are scarce, but here are some of the more notable updates of the past few years:NameDateIntended EffectImpact onExpert ContentImpact onSERP VolatilityMedic UpdateAugust 1st, 2018Improve the ranking of health content by medical expertsIncreased visibility for expert-written health content, decreased visibility for non-expert contentHigh volatility in health-related searchesBERT UpdateOctober 25th, 2019Improve understanding of search intent and relationships between wordsIndirect benefit for content demonstrating deep topic understandingA moderate increase in SERP volatilityHelpful Content UpdateAugust 2022 (rollout throughout 2023)Prioritise people-first content by demonstrably knowledgeable authorsSignificant boost for high-quality, informative content by expertsSignificant volatility, especially in expertise-driven nichesMarch 2024 Core UpdateMarch 2024 (ongoing rollout)Eliminate irrelevant and unhelpful contentPotential for further boost to expert-written content (details still emerging)Likely significant volatilityThe latest update, which is still being rolled out at the time of writing, will almost certainly impact low-quality, spammy, and generic content.Check out the details from Google here: https://blog.google/products/search/google-search-update-march-2024/.While it could take several months for the full impact of this update to play out, it will almost certainly shake up the top rankings for many searches significantly.Search Engine Land has reported that low-quality websites are being altogether de-listed. This is significantly impacting some businesses that haven’t put the time into creating high-quality content. See their post here.This is excellent news if you want to establish yourself in your area as the go-to expert for your services.This update seems to reward experts who produce outstanding and helpful content more readily. While it means there are no easy shortcuts, serious opportunities exist for real experts who genuinely want to help their prospects.Understanding Google’s UpdatesGoogle Core Updates are complex and often have a ripple effect beyond their initial focus. While the Medic update addressed health content and search intent, it ultimately promoted content demonstrating high expertise across various topics.The latest update seems set to take the ripple effect from the Medic update and apply it more uniformly across the board.If you’re already creating expert content and have been struggling to work your way up the ranking, the March 2024 Core update could significantly impact you.You’ll still need to apply all the SEO best practices and actively promote your content, but you won’t be competing with lesser creators or purely AI-written content any more.Crafting Content that Converts: Strategies for SuccessI won’t go into depth here about how you create a content goldmine since I cover that in several other posts and my book, Automated Property Leads Forever.I will say that the system I teach for creating expert content will be even more effective after this update has been rolled out.The downside is that you’ll likely have to spend more time demonstrating to Google that you are a trusted source of information and an expert in your field. However, that said, would you want it to be “easy” for anyone to outrank you just because they can apply a few SEO tactics you weren’t aware of or pay for backlinks from a more authoritative website?No, neither would I.With this latest core update, I hope that even more of the SEO “workarounds” will be neutralised because the quality of the content and its source will be a more critical factor.Content Depth and AuthorityBy creating expert content and positioning yourself as a property expert, you do much more than rank on Google and attract your perfect prospects organically.Positioning yourself as an authority will build trust in your brand, while your content will build rapport through your stories, expertise, and experience.When it comes to creating high-quality content to attract your perfect prospects organically, there is no downside.If you go the extra mile and position yourself as an industry thought leader, ranking on Google becomes even more accessible. Google loves leaders who also create content designed to solve people’s problems.Keyword MasteryKeywords will be a part of content creation and SEO for the foreseeable future. However, when you create in-depth expert content, the keywords become less critical.The fact that you’ve deep-dived into a problem, examining the steps needed to get a satisfactory resolution, highlighted the potential pitfalls of doing things incorrectly or out of order and the upsides of working with an expert who can guide them effectively to the desired outcome, will give Google more than it needs to determine who needs to see what you’ve written.The difference between stuffing a load of “relevant” keywords into a generic fluff piece for ranking compared to a well-thought-out, long-form piece of content with expertise, stories, values, beliefs, and experiences weaved throughout is like comparing night and day.If you master creating expert content, mastering your keyword strategy will happen almost immediately.User Intent OptimisationOne of the easiest ways to optimise your content for user intent is to think of your post as a conversation where you are the expert teaching a novice how to do what you do.This is also a good strategy for creating relevant headlines for your content. Questions make great titles. You educate and inform by answering a specific question in depth and highlighting various other questions you know will come up while demonstrating why you are the go-to expert for your service.When answering questions, remember to keep your explanations simple, to the point, and easy enough for a 10-year-old to understand. If they can learn what you’re teaching, anyone can.No jargon, industry terminology (without explanation) or unnecessarily long words are required. Simplicity, stories, and experience will make your content so much more relatable.Do this, and you’ll be more likely to get engagement from your audience.Oh! Just in case you were wondering, Google LOVES engagement on content.Amplifying Your Reach: Distribution TacticsOne of the best ways to get people to your content is to share it on social media. Sure, Google Ads work too, but for my posts, I like to keep everything organic. 😉Testing many angles to attract prospects to your content is one of the best ways to determine what works quickly.Social Media MagicIf you have answered three or four questions other than your title in a post, why not try a few images and headlines based on the other questions in the post?Having a dozen angles on a particular post that you can use to promote one piece of content for weeks without repeating yourself will keep your social feeds fresh and exciting.Leveraging Platforms for Maximum ImpactDifferent platforms have different requirements. Looking at what works well for each can save you a lot of time with testing. Engaging with Your AudienceDon’t forget about the social part of social media. It may not be possible to reply to everyone individually if you get massive engagement on a post, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try.There is software that can help automate some of this, but a VA would be a much better investment if you have the budget. Real people interacting with an audience in real-time is a much better investment than buying the latest AI add-on that does everything through an API.(An application programming interface connects different pieces of software and allows them to control certain aspects, such as liking and replying to comments. Social Platforms allow this but give more priority to live interactions than programmed software responses).Guest Posts and CollaborationsYou don’t have to do it all when building your reach. Sure, you’ll post regularly on your platforms, but guesting on other expert channels can introduce you to a new audience quickly and efficiently.If you’re following my system, exploring what others are doing will be part of your competitor analysis. Using that same analysis to find opportunities for collaboration seems like a pretty good use of your time. Google will love it, too.Building Bridges with Fellow ExpertsOnce you have built your audience and have a respectable following, connecting with other experts at the same level is an efficient way to grow each other’s audiences.Other incentives may be required if you are much larger than a guest or much smaller. Not always, but sometimes cash may need to change hands.Showcasing Your Expertise Beyond Your BlogStarting a YouTube channel is one of the recommendations I make in my book and, I think, in a couple of my other posts, but a podcast is also worth considering.Wherever you can showcase your knowledge and experience is somewhere you should consider showing up.Of course, the return on your time needs to be worth it. So, for example, jumping onto the latest platform, such as threads, without finding out what works well could be a bit of a waste of time. That said, if you have some free time, just getting in and being an early adopter can bring its own rewards. Usually, this means extended reach while they are building their user base.When starting your content creation journey, focusing on your blog, video, and 1 or 2 social channels will be far better than trying to do it all. As you grow and become more confident in creating expert content and attracting your perfect prospects, looking for new opportunities will become a higher priority.Don’t try and do everything all at once.You will get overwhelmed.There’s a lot to learn from each new channel you add. Take it steady, build your team, and you will get there.Measuring Success: Metrics that MatterDetailed metrics are the only way to know if your content works. Several analytics tools are available, the best known of which is Google’s. Google Analytics 4 is free to use and will give you a good idea about what works and what doesn’t.Seeing how many visitors you get is, of course, an important starting point. Beyond visitor numbers, there are only a few metrics worth focusing on initially.How long do they spend consuming your content?How many pieces of content do they consume?Do they convert (download your lead magnet)?Organic Traffic SurgeWhen you first start creating your content goldmine, these are the golden metrics you should focus on.For question 1, the Time on Page (TOP) metric tells you if people are consuming your content. Figuring out if your writing keeps people engaged will be critical to your Google rankings.If Google sees people reading your 20-minute posts or watching your 30-minute videos, this will tell them you have what they were looking for and send more.Should they only be watching or reading for a few minutes, though, it tells them something isn’t right, and you’ll need to figure out what is wrong and how to fix it.Down the Rabbit HoleReducing your bounce rate (visitors to one page only) will also be important for getting to page 1 of Google. You will need to make your content interesting and easy to consume.If a visitor finds your content, reads or watches it, and then leaves without taking any other action, that isn’t very helpful for you.However, if they click through to other content and consume them, Google will know you have more of what they want.Ensuring you have other related content to treat your visitors with will be something you get better at over time. It’s an essential part of marketing and SEO, so it’s worth keeping an eye on this metric known as Page Depth.Your Conversion RatesThis is the third metric to monitor when starting your content goldmine. How many email addresses are you getting per 100 visitors?For content, this usually means a lead magnet. Creating a checklist or cheat sheet that will help your prospects achieve a goal is one of the best ways to accomplish this.Other lead magnets you can try are quizzes, training videos, market reports, in-depth guides, and eBooks. Depending on which part of the UK property market you serve, the type of downloadable content you use to capture a name and email will vary.The main thing to remember is to tailor your lead magnet to your target audience. Are you targeting landlords, property developers, or people who might need the services of an estate agent? Understanding their specific needs and challenges will make your lead magnet more attractive.Also, ensure you follow the best practice for crafting winning lead magnets:Focus on ValueProvide actionable insights and practical advice that solves their problems.Keep it ConciseBusy professionals appreciate easily digestible content.High-Quality DesignPresentation matters! Make sure your lead magnet looks professional.Clear Call to ActionTell them exactly what to do next, like subscribing to your email list.Once you have their name and email address, you can continue to provide value for the weeks, months, or sometimes years it may take to nurture your prospect into a client.The SEO StoryIs this all you need to know?Of course not.SEO is an enormous subject you cannot master over the weekend. There are hundreds of individual SEO elements that you’ll want to address over time. However, when you create long-form content, many elements of SEO are essentially baked in by default.Is there more to do? Yes. 100%. Absolutely.Do you need to do everything from day 1 of building your content goldmine? No.The most crucial element of SEO is ensuring the content is excellent. If you can get that part right, the rest is much easier.Applying every SEO tip, trick, and technique without high-quality expert content doesn’t help as much as you might think. With Google’s latest update, it seems that trend will only continue.Google and Your BusinessEvery business owner wants to appear on Google. Only the few who put in the effort see the true rewards of investing time and effort into content marketing.Being recognised as the go-to expert for your service in your area doesn’t happen by accident. It requires planning and commitment.One of the easiest ways to show up as an expert is to publish consistently.Google’s latest update will favour those who are serious about being successful and take the time to demonstrate their expertise through content.If you’d like some help starting your content goldmine, check out my other posts or grab a copy of my book. Everything you need to get started is there.Buy NowRemember, expert content is your secret weapon in the ever-evolving digital landscape.Discover the benefits of building a content goldmine, implement the strategies, and watch your organic leads soar! 🚀
