Last week we posted part one of our discussion on content curation. Mostly we stuck to what content curation is and how it’s helping users to discover new and reliable information. This week, however, we will explore how content curation is helpful for SEO and website development.
As we said last week, content curation is a great way to gather information on a topic. For SEO writers, this information can be a source for generating original content. Websites and blogs need to be updated often to maintain viewer interest. Sometimes, however, good writing topics are difficult to come by.
For example, if we are keeping up a blog for a company that manufactures window panes, there might be a week or two during which we simply cannot find an intriguing window or glass-related topic to blog about. If we have been curating content on windows and glass, however, we don’t need to rely on Google searches to supply a topic. Rather, we use our curation tools to find something interesting.
Perhaps we subscribed to a stained glass company’s Twitter feed a few months ago. They might have a really interesting post about artist Marc Chagall’s stained glass windows at the Fraumunster cathedral in Zurich.We could either reblog their post on our site or credit them as a source while adding our own spin to Chagall’s art. Suddenly we are not scrambling for a window topic, we have the entire Fraumunster to work with.
Another reason to curate content is the possibility of building relationships with other people interested in your topic. As your site gains a reputation as a good source of content, more and more people will be willing to let you submit guest posts (and links) on their sites. Moreover, if your site gains enough credibility, sites may even begin referencing your posts and giving you free links.
One of the great things about curating content is the ability to publish that content instantly. A number of sites offer content curation and publishing services. Scoop.it, for instance, allows users to grab content from anywhere on the internet and repackage that content into an online magazine format.
As Scoop.it and other content curation platforms continue to grow in popularity, a well curated page can become a means of driving traffic to your site. If you’ve established yourself as a strong source of information more and more content curators will follow your posts, link to your Scoop.it and maybe even visit your actual site.
Content curation is not an easy task. It requires lots of time and lots of patience as you gather your favorite sources. In the end, however, it may pay out big as a great way to create your own content and become a respected name in your industry.