Anyone who has been involved with search engine optimization for years will tell you that the game has changed considerably since the days of the “WWW era” (Wild, Wild West). Just a decade ago, it was extremely easy to push virtually any website to the top of search engine results with just a few actions. Most web masters knew that keyword stuffing, link building and content spamming could be done with little to no negative repercussions, and likewise, took advantage of it. As time went on, however, Google and other search engines began to weed out link farmers, followed by keyword stuffers, and finally moved on to content duplicators and spammers. Part of Google’s long-term strategy regarding SERPs is to produce intuitive, informative results at all levels. The next phase of this approach will impact smaller, shorter pieces of content in many of the same ways. You will want to continue reading to find out why small SEO content will die in 2014.

Why Is Google Doing This?

In an attempt to ensure that the content that is pinging to Google is as relevant as possible, Google is seeking to improve the overall content experience in the coming year by giving additional clout to websites and pages that utilize large amounts of content. This is not to say that websites with lots of 400-word articles will be successful, but rather, that websites with well-placed pieces of larger content will excel. While no exact metrics are available on how this will be implemented, it is assumed that content that consists of more than 1,500 words will be the prime benefactors of these changes. This is but one phase of the ongoing effort that Google and other search engines seek to implement to ensure that content relevance is the number one consideration in search.

How to Adapt

There is a lot of worry among those who currently rank in the top results for many SERPs and have done so through a quantity approach regarding content. Relevant content – regardless of size – will continue to play a prime role in search in 2014 and beyond, but the amount of significant and large content that is present on your website will play an ever-increasing role in how well you perform. As webmasters begin to make the transition, it is important to emphasize that the same ground rules still apply: you must deliver quality content that addresses the primary concerns of those who search using a given keyword. This effectively means that each piece of content may need to be two to three times as long as it is currently, all the while retaining the same level of relevance as it would under the current dynamics.

Conclusion

As Google continues to optimize its SERPs and the way it features content, webmasters will have to adapt once again. In 2014, the big evolution will come in the form of the size of your content and how it impacts your search performance. Those who continue to create large amounts of standard content will most likely see their rankings slip, while those who begin pinging to Google large, informative pieces of content will excel over the next year and beyond.