ZeroAdo Content Quality Guidelines

✅ DOs

✅ Do internal linking: Reference already published contentIdeally, we can have one link per 300 words of content. Though, links should be added in context and naturally. Each article should have at least 4 internal links to the relevant pages, with proper anchor text. Avoid using anchor texts like “read more” - “click here” etc.

 ✅ Promote your products and services within contentWhen writing blogs, think about how you can promote your products, solutions, features and services in the content. And link back those areas to relevant content pages and articles. 

✅ Support your content with stats, data, screenshots, and graphicsTo each piece of your content, add some extra flair of truth and proof! Support what you are saying with some stats and data, linking back to the primary source. Reference some big names and credible sources. It’s good for SEO as well as it sends signals to search engines that you have researched well. Also, add screenshots, graphic content, and other forms of media to make the content look interesting as well as practical. For each graphic elements, add proper description and alt text. 

✅ Give links whenever dueWhenever you are taking a snapshot of another website, recommending a tool, or picking up a stat or quote for your blog, always give a link back to the concerned website/source. It’s required as well as good ethical practice too! 

✅ Images content + optimizationWhen inserting images in your content, please ensure to add the following content tags for each image beneath every image:Image titleImage captionImage alt textAnd before uploading images to the website for publishing, make sure to property rename the image file. 

✅ Use the pageless format in Google DocOld format of Google Docs doesn’t let you embed large images and tables in content. For a seamless experience, please use Google Docs’ new pageless format. 

✅ Maintain 95% original contentEnsure 95% of the text in your content is original. Feel free to use 5% of the text for quotes and excerpts from other sources. Each of the content used from other sources should be properly referenced with a link back to the source. 

✅ Zero percent theory. 100% practical.Please do not add any theoretical stuff to your content. The Internet is full of content. Let’s make content that’s worth the time of you, the creator, as well as the reader. Every bit of content should be practical. Please do not add any theoretical stuff to your content. The Internet is full of content. Let’s make content that’s worth the time of you, the creator, as well as the reader. Every bit of content should be practical. In each blog, you must include practical examples to support your points. Going forward, we will not be publishing any blog done without practical examples from real brands. Reason for this is Google’s Helpful Content Update. With that update, Google has shifted more focus on “practical” content and it is no-brainer given example-driven content is better for readers as well. Including couple of blog examples that never do theory and support each point with practical examples from industry brands.

✅ Pass the “we are the best on Google” test! When picking up a topic from the content calendar, do a quick look-up of that topic on Google Search. Go through the first 10 pages that you see. Then, what we need to do is make our content better than all of those. #1 is the target. 

✅ Make it shareworthyThink: When your article goes live, would you be willing to share it on your Linkedin profile? Would you like to add it to your portfolio - Is it that good?If you get a yes, good. Congrats yourself for doing a fantastic job. If you get a no, think about what’s missing from the content. And then, make the adjustment to make it excellent. Add-ons to use:Tweetable snippetsQuotes

✅ Traditional one: Recheck your grammar. Before submitting your draft for publishing, please have a relook at grammar, readability, and other checks. 

✅ Make content scannableAvoid using long paras in your content. Use a combination ofHeadings and subheadings (H1, H2, H3, H4)Short paragraphs;Bulleted pointsGraphics

✅ Add “Table of Contents” for long articles (1500+ words)Some pieces of content are in-depth guides and will be very long. Ideally, if your content is going beyond 1500 words, please add a Table of Contents or ToC at the top of your article. Add the tag {{Table of contents}}

✅ Use standard SEO templatesFor writing blogs as well as landing pages, please use provided SEO templates. Examples:SEO Blog template: Attached in respective cards.SEO Landing page template: Attached in respective cards.Do you see any improvements in those templates? Always happy 🙂to make. Please share your recommendations.

✅ In-line CTAs for lead-genUse an in-line CTA box like this to promote sign-ups and lead-generation from content 👇

✅ Use proper Doc structureUse H2, H3, and H4 tags for headings in Google Docs. Headings markup help search engines, as well as visitors, understand the overall content structure.

✅ Language preferencesEnglish (IN) / English (US) - depending on brand focus.Merriam-Webster dictionary

✅ Word limitSee, every topic is different and needs different length of content to properly explain the topic to the reader and cover that in-depth. As a content creator, you must endeavor to deliver best value in minimum possible words. So, please have a look at the top 10 pages ranking for your target query and understand the intent and depth of the content. Based on that, plan your content and word limit. However, in any case, blogs should not go more than 2000 words because based on our content experience, we believe that quite any topic can be coveted well in depth within 2000 words or less. Also, if we notice that a content has been made unnecessarily lengthy by adding fluff or any unnecessary stuff that doesn't add any value to the reader, we will remove that content during edits. FAQs on word-limitShall I write 1500 words in each blog?See some blogs are good in as low as 600 words while others need even 2000 words or beyond. It depends on the topic. We have no such hard limits on the length. Just ensure, whatever you are writing is on-point and relevant to the topic, adding value to the reader, not fluff, and the entire blog makes sense when read from start to finish. It’s not about word limit, it’s about creating quality content in a way that once the reader finishes reading your content, they shall feel they got what they came for and that consuming your content was worth their while. 

✅ Upload images used in the Google DriveAll the images that you are using in your Google Docs, please ensure to upload those images in the concerned Google Drive folder as well. Because Google Docs and most other Doc software don't allow direct download of images. Otherwise, downloading, saving, renaming, and organizing images from Docs is too time consuming when content goes into publishing. Also, in the Drive, rename images properly for direct uploads to the website. It makes publishing easier. 

✅ Meta description: Avoid clickbait. Make it standalone.Don’t write meta description as a way to ask users to click on your article (for that we have excerpt). Think of meta description as a summary of your article in156 characters. Imagine, if Google or a person doesn't have time to read your entire article. The only time they have is to read your 156 character meta description. What will you write in those 156 characters? Will you write “learn more” or “click here to read more” or will you simply give the best standalone and independent summary of your article?