Good content writing is more than just words. In fact, writing well is just the beginning of the process. In order to meet the goals of content creation, you will want to make sure the material you’re providing is important to others, digestible, useful or at least enjoyable, and that it monetizes well. Yes, content monetization is critical to the success of your site, and quite possibly the success of your business altogether.

1. Good Content is Diverse.

Content monetization refers to the process of generating revenue from online content. Content can be text, data, images, apps, music or video. The same content can also be posted in a variety of places, but in slightly different forms – a blog post, a tweet, a Facebook note, a Pinterest picture. You get the idea.

2. Good Content is Real.

As you have no doubt seen around the web, some people think that creating a “hook” page with shallow (or even pretend) content, and then ambushing visitors with a sales pitch, is a good way to go. It isn’t. It actually accomplishes the opposite: It repels users and deters them from continuing on your page or buying your products or services.

Indeed, customers must be earned. And it’s a fast-paced competitive world out there. To get and keep business, you need to offer value, establish trust and credibility. All of that comes from content that serves a strong need or want.

3. Good Content is Relevant.

Before you start creating content (or before you go any further with what you’ve got), it’s a great idea to step back and analyze. For optimal content monetization, you will want to make sure that every page is of the highest quality, and entirely relevant to your visitors.

Ask yourself:

Why are they here?

Start by asking yourself why people visit your site? Often times, the people in charge of a web site provide content they want to share, rather than the content visitors need.

Consider the example of a university web site, where the front page has topics such as “alumni news.” The vast majority of users are not visiting to find out about an award that some former student won.

Instead, the majority of them are seeking information such as class schedules and curriculums, faculty contact information, school calendar and other such boring but essential data that is usually very hard to find.

So, again, why do they visit? What are they looking for? You might want to share your shiny new product photograph, but why are they there? You can only succeed in your content goals if the client succeeds in hers.

What do you have to offer?

With that in mind, consider what you have to offer. Look at the site, does it provide essential information? Research data? Product details? Advice? Reference sources? Humor? Try to connect the reasons that people visit with the things you have to offer.

Why will they stay?

Once you’ve figured out why visitors come to your site, what you have to offer them, and whether the two mesh, ask yourself why visitors might want to stay on your site or even join it. Is there any incentive? Any benefit? (You should be taking notes so you can improve in all areas where you feel you’re coming up short!)

Refrain from madly generating page after page of repetitive content just to rack up page views. Instead, formulate a genuine strategy and identify what each and every page has to offer, what each page accomplishes.

4. Good Content is…well…Good!

If you build it, they might run! It might seem obvious, but bad content can send potential customers straight for the hills. Make a commitment to quality. Spend time thinking about a piece, planning it, writing it, editing it, polishing it, and then revisiting, repurposing and continuously tweaking.

Remember that web writing is different from print. Good online writing is short, active and to the point. It can be quickly scanned. It stands out amongst all the ads, emails and instant messages flashing on the screen. It’s readable by a typical 9th grader, devoid of jargon, and with compelling headlines. It delivers at least one key piece of information that can’t be found elsewhere.

5. Good Content is in it for the Long Haul.

Remember that good content builds over times. Quality takes time, developing a plan and building a site takes time. Stay active and keep busy, but remember that quality suffers when you spend too little time or money. And don’t neglect content once you put it up.

Content is your forever friend; if you keep reworking and update it forever, it will be nice back to you.