What is Content Strategy?

Content strategy refers to the planning, development, and then future management of any information contained within any type of media.

The term 'Content Strategy' is particularly important in Web Design whether that be from a user experience, content management, data analysis, strategy, technical or communication. For over 15 years the web design community have been talking about user experience, information architecture, content management systems, coding, metadata, visual design, user research. All buzz words which relate to, in part (or wholly) to Content Strategy.

The focus of Content Strategy is important during all stages of the web design process. Whether its during the initial design stage, build or a site redevelopment.

Some questions you should be asking when it comes to Content Strategy for a website are;

• Who is this content for? Is it for humans, robots, search engines?
• Is this content really necessary? Do I need all this information on my website?
• What is my website's key theme(s)?
• What do I want from my website? Is it product sales or is it a hub of information?
• What topics to I want to cover, what do I want to tell my visitors?
• Does all my website content have a purpose?
• Am I thinking about my audience needs and not just my business requirements?
• What is best for SEO (search engine optimisation)?

With all these questions and considerations you may find yourself asking the following question, What is the main goal of content strategy? Rachel Lovinger's answers this question like this;

'The main goal of content strategy is to use words and data to create unambiguous content that supports meaningful, interactive experiences. We have to be experts in all aspects of communication in order to do this effectively.'

There are many 'aspects of communication' and to do it 'right' in all of these takes time.

In a business sector which produces a product where everything is considered content, we then have this extra element called Metadata. Metadata is often referred to as “data about data”. Smart, well-structured metadata helps to identify, organize, use, and re-use content in useful and more meaningful ways. Extra information about everything.

Your website is part of the largest library of information in the world. Eric Schmidt, the CEO of Google, the world’s largest Internet directory, estimated the total size of the Internet at roughly 5 million terabytes (5 trillion megabytes) of data. And currently, Google has only managed to index .004% of that figure. Content Strategy is a big part in creating a successful website and being found, it is important that we consider carefully all content to ensure all our websites are as useful as possible.

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