The decline of content farms and the effect on copywriting

The main criteria for using these ‘farms’ is that the articles published on them were cheaply and mass produced, written solely to attract search engines. Consequently, they were packed with keywords, phrases, and links. They offered very little value to the reader and were seen as a black hat SEO technique.

As a result, Google changed its approach and modified its algorithmic equations to favor unique, fresh, high-quality content that attracted lots of natural, relevant links. This meant that the backlinks were there solely for the informational value which of course is much better and more honest to users than links that are simply there to drive the value of a site that may not even be that authentic. For copywriters, or anyone who cares about their words, this has translated into a lucrative and favorable opportunity.

SEO is now focused on the value of the user experience. There is no room for cheap tricks and bad copy. In the old days of sweatshop writing shops (as they were sometimes called), shoddy, short articles were efficiently recited without regard, since the main principle underlying the practice was volume. Freelance writers were paid a pittance to essentially wrap a few words around keyword phrases.

The nice thing about the Google updates, first Panda and now Penguin, is that they are designed to favor websites that are actively looking to provide a quality experience for their users. This means unique, well-written, engaging content that stands out in some way.

Writers can now earn a fair fee for professional, well-thought-out work. Many businesses require updates to their websites, advertisements, and blog pages. There is often no time to do this in-house, so many turn to outsourcing with specialized freelancers. What the updates have done is set a fair price for professional writers to get paid for their skills, something that was more difficult before. If you are a company that has been affected by Panda or Penguin, the route back to the peaks of the highest rankings is gained through optimal design and giving your customers something in return for your clientele. The Panda update focused on websites that were seen as placing more emphasis on sales, so blogging and social media are two great ways to reverse this trend and bring back personalization through Google.

Some may view these practices as constantly kneeling and bowing to the giant that Google has become. There are elements of truth to this, but in many ways writing content to appeal to search engines was what led to the changes in the first place. Now, it’s probably better to focus less on search engines and more on consumers and give them value. This way, links will build naturally, social media channels will flourish, and relying solely on Google’s ever-changing algorithms will be a thing of the past.