How To Prevent Content Overload

The introduction of the mantra “Content is King” has led to the development not only of a whole lot of content but also a new disorder. More and more marketers today have become afflicted with OCCCD—Obsessive Compulsive Content Creation Disorder.

This condition is marked by the obsession with all things content and the compulsion to crank out as much content as possible as fast as possible. Even when initial goals are met they are then only increased to further rev the content creation engine. If left untreated, a growing disinterest in the quality of any content created develops as the focus shifts solely to the quantity of content produced. This in turn leads to negative results.

Not only do businesses fail to achieve positive benefits from good SEO content but their SEO and business results can actually be hurt by OCCCD.

Do You Have OCCCD?

Fortunately, OCCCD is relatively easy to diagnose, giving anyone suffering from it a high chance of treatment success. To find out if you have OCCCD, ask yourself these five simple questions:

1. Do you have a content strategy?
2. Is all of your content created with that strategy in mind?
3. Is your content promotion led by that strategy?
4. Do you collect regular metrics on your content?
5. Do you make revisions to your content plans based upon your metrics?

If you answered “no” to even one of these questions yet find yourself producing seemingly unending amounts of content, you could have OCCCD. The severity of your condition increases with each “no” response.

How Can OCCCD Be Treated?

Essentially, the treatment for OCCCD is to take the list of questions above and make your response to each one be “yes”. Here’s how you do that:

1. Create a Content Strategy

Know who you are talking to and where they are and make a plan for how to get in front of them. An editorial calendar should be one deliverable from this action.

2. Align Content to Strategy

Every word you write and every attempt to promote it should all map back to your initial strategy. For like pieces of SEO content, you can simplify creation by developing templates. For example, you may wish to start each blog post with a quiz and give the answer at the end of the post.

3. Promote According to Strategy

Automating your content promotion is important and can save you valuable time while also increasing the results you achieve. Make sure the vehicles via which you publish map to your initial strategy.

4. Collect and Review Metrics

Because you are now concerned about whether or not your content is actually doing anything for you (versus just being concerned about cranking out as much as possible), you can take the time to review your analytics.

5. Revise and Repeat

Let your metrics guide changes to your content and keep the cycle going. This step, while at the end of the list, is essential to preventing further outbreaks of OCCCD.

These five steps should be the pillar of your content health and well-being and should be viewed as a continual loop of success.

While content may be king that is only true if it is the right content delivered at the right time in the right way. Don’t let yourself get so caught up that you end up losing sight of what is really important with your SEO content.