I was recently critiquing a person's article, and something struck me. This article had everything going for it...in theory. It was on a great topic that would be interesting to the reader. The problem was, once you started reading, it was clear that the article was generic. It was a general dabbling into the subject and not the in-depth article the title promised. Of course, the average reader would click away from the article right away and never come back to the site.

To help you avoid this mistake, I'm going to give you a sure-fire way to determine if your content is generic with one easy step.

How to Spot a Generic Article

Spotting a generic article is easy. All you need to do is see if you can swap your main keyword for something else.

For example, say your article was entitled: How Marketers can Use PayPal. Throughout your article, you should give examples of how marketers, specifically, can use PayPal. If you can switch out the word "marketers" and replace it with any other type of profession, then your article is generic.

How to Fix Generic Content

Fixing generic content is just as easy as spotting it. Simply go through your article and insert tips or ideas that are specific to your topic keyword.  Remember, you want people to learn or be entertained with tidbits that pertain to their interests. If they aren't learning or being entertained, then your article is nothing but search fodder.

Nothing makes me angrier than search fodder. That's articles that are created with the sole intent of drawing in hits through keyword usage. These articles are dry, useless and infuriating because they waste people's time. Not to mention, search engines are looking for helpful content more than keywords and SEO tricks these days, anyway.

[bctt tweet="Keep it classy. Make sure that your content avoids the generic label and is something special."]

Keep it classy. Make sure that your content avoids the generic label and is something special. Not only will your brand gain a loyal following, you'll also get more search engine love.

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