The Growing Importance of First-Hand Experience in Content

Keeping pace with the latest trends in the ever-evolving world of digital marketing is key. This is particularly true when it comes to content marketing, as this is the foundation of many different strategies and can have a direct impact on your brand reputation and visibility online. Currently, there is a growing trend of creating first-hand experience in content. For digital marketers, it is vital to have a strong understanding of why there is a growing trend for first-hand experience in content and how it can be utilised in your strategies. Read on to find out more.

Google’s Priority for Experiential Content

One of the primary reasons why first-hand experiences are key in content marketing right now is the fact that Google prioritises content that demonstrates credibility and authenticity. In December 2022, Google added a second E to its E-A-T (Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness), which was Experience. This means that content that is created by people who have direct, first-hand experience of the subject will be prioritised and can boost SEO efforts to increase visibility online.

Google explains the importance of adding Experience to the framework:

“Does content also demonstrate that it was produced with some degree of experience, such as with actual use of a product, having actually visited a place or communicating what a person experienced? There are some situations where really what you value most is content produced by someone who has first-hand, life experience on the topic at hand.

For example, if you're looking for information on how to correctly fill out your tax returns, that's probably a situation where you want to see content produced by an expert in the field of accounting. But if you're looking for reviews of a tax preparation software, you might be looking for a different kind of information—maybe it's a forum discussion from people who have experience with different services”.

Of course, SEO remains hugely effective as a way to increase organic traffic, improve brand reputation, and increase brand awareness. Therefore, it is vital that the E-E-A-T framework is utilised with a focus on first-hand experience in content.

Standing Out In A Saturated Marketplace

Another reason why there is growing demand for first-hand experience in content is the fact that the marketplace is saturated with generic, low-quality, and bland content (often written by AI). Internet users are becoming increasingly adept at spotting low-quality, AI-generated content, which means that this can harm your reputation. Instead, by focusing on high-quality, engaging, and first-hand experience content, you can stand out from the crowd and appeal to your target audience. Crafting a piece that clearly showcases first-hand experience will help you develop a reputation as a credible and authoritative brand - this will help you attract and retain customers while also improving your search engine ranking.

How To Create First-Hand Experience in Content

So, how can you create first-hand experience in content? You should always keep Google’s E-E-A-T concept in mind when creating content, whether this is a blog post, article, guide, or any other type of content. Expertise and Authority can be relatively easy to incorporate with carefully researched content that is backed up by stats and facts, but Experience can be more challenging.

The key is to make sure that the content creator has direct experience in the subject matter and revealing this in the content. For a digital marketing agency creating content on link-building services UK, for example, they could include a case study or statistics from a recent campaign. This experience will help to develop trust both with search engines and users. You can also use personal narratives and include multimedia evidence, such as photos or screenshots.

Topic selection is another important consideration. You should come up with fresh content ideas that will enable the content writer to demonstrate first-hand, real-world experience with the subject matter. If they do not have experience, then you should try to arrange this before the content is written, such as trying a new product before writing a review on it. If the writer does not have the relevant experience, you could collaborate with an industry expert or include a quote from someone who does have experience.

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How Experience Impacts Search Rankings

So, how exactly does Experience impact search engine rankings? Content that clearly shows real-world experience is likely to rank highly due to the fact that it aligns with search intent and fulfils the Google mission of delivering value to search engine users.

First-hand experience in content can influence search performance by:

Improving user engagement:

Users are more likely to stay on the page and engage with content when it includes evidence of real-life experience. This is because the writer will be able to provide useful and insightful commentary on the subject matter, which will always help improve user engagement.

Attracting backlinks: 

Another way that first-hand experience can impact search performance is by attracting backlinks from authoritative websites. When other websites cite your content because it clearly demonstrates real-life experience and value, it will improve your own domain authority (one of the key ranking factors).

Satisfying user queries: 

The other main way that first-hand experience in content boosts SEO efforts is by satisfying user queries. Ultimately, Google rewards content that aligns with search intent, and experiential content will always help with this because the content will address the concerns and questions that the user has about the subject matter.

It is interesting to see how first-hand experience in content is emerging as a major trend in the content marketing landscape. During a time when the internet is flooded with low-quality, generic content, there is strong demand for content that showcases real-world experience. This is also important from an SEO standpoint, with Google adding Experience to its framework in recent years. By showcasing first-hand experience in your content, you can improve your search engine ranking while also engaging your target audience. This builds trust, which is key to success in any industry and will help you compete at a much higher level.