Content

Content covers everything on a website: text, images, audio and video. It is central to SEO and user satisfaction because it answers questions and prompts action. Paid content costs money; user-generated content builds trust but is hard to control.

Content is an essential part of the internet: it covers everything you find on websites, in online shops and on portals – text, images, audio and video. There are also special forms such as paid content (paid digital content) and user-generated content (content created by users themselves, such as reviews). In an online shop, product descriptions, category texts, guides and product images also count as content.

Content: the key to satisfied readers

Since most users reach websites and online shops via search engines like Google, providers have to be visible in the search results (SERPs). Content plays a decisive role here: it picks up users' search terms and questions and answers them so that supply and demand match as closely as possible. Google mainly assesses whether content is helpful, reliable and shaped by genuine expertise. Depending on the page's goal, visitors should then send an enquiry, make a purchase or feel well informed. What this looks like in practice for Shopware and Shopify stores is shown on our page about content for Shopware and Shopify stores.

Different forms, different challenges

The basic challenge with all content – whether text, images or video – is that it must not only be new and original, but also tailored precisely to the target group's needs. In addition, the individual forms bring their own challenges.

Paid content

A lot of content on the internet is free because online media are financed by advertising. Since that doesn't work for every newsroom and online content is in no way inferior to its print counterparts, many publishers rely on paid content: readers take out an online subscription to read certain content in full. The challenge is to keep readers despite the cost, because there are plenty of free alternatives.

User-generated content

This term covers content created by users themselves – such as comments, ratings, product reviews or photos. It helps other customers form an opinion independently of the company's own content and is a strong trust signal, especially in online shops. The challenge: user-generated content can only be controlled to a limited extent. Companies can specifically ask customers for reviews, for example by email after a purchase, but must comply with the legal requirements – bought or fake reviews are not permitted.