Content Insights Blog

During recent interviews for Phase 2 of our Content & Credibility Study, we have been asking people what web content they find credible and why. As part of that process, I have observed many people’s opinions of search results listings and what makes a result click-worthy. It’s made me think about the importance of a certain content element – the meta description. During our testing, I’ve seen just how important this information is in the decision-making process as users scan search results.

What Is a Meta Description?

The all-important search results listing, or “snippet” in Google speak, is made up of roughly 155 characters of descriptive text that tells users what content is on a page and how it meets their search query. The information displayed in the results listing is created to best match the user’s search terms and can be pulled from a variety of sources, including the meta description. (Other sources could be the Open Directory Project or content from the page itself.) Here's an example of a search result for Content Science. The meta description is displayed under the URL and file format information.   Read More >

Over the past week, we've shared the main plot line from our study's first report. People are turning constantly to web content for help with everything from understanding a health condition to picking out shoes. (I admit, sometimes, shoes are a life-and-death decision.) But, people feel they can't count on that web content. It's a tale of great—but so far disappointed—expectations. (Need a recap? Get the highlights here.)

As with any worthwhile narrative, subplots weave and weave again. It's no different with this report. These tales just happen to be told in numbers, a language vital to science, technology, and business. While I can't share the numbers with you here (my team and I worked too hard for me to give them away), I can give you a glimpse into the stories they tell:  Read More >

We just finished the first phase of our Content + Credibility Study. What did we discover? A lot.

We surveyed 800 people in the U.S. and 800 people in the U.K. about their perceptions of web content credibility. This infographic shows a few key findings for the U.S.



My first reaction to this was disappointment. We've made so much progress in the interactive industry with technology, but we seem to be far behind with content. People are using the web more than ever to find content they don't feel they can trust. I didn't spend my career here to have people view content as "hit or miss," at best. (I'm sure you didn't, either.)

But, after having time to soak this in, I'm excited about the opportunity we face. Making even small improvements for credibility is likely to set your content apart. What's more, detailed findings from our study suggest that people are more open than we expected to non-media sources of content—that means companies, brands, government agencies, nonprofits, and other organizations. So, if you're one of those organizations and boost your content's credibility, people are likely to pay attention.

We assembled all of our findings, along with some discussion and recommendations, in a comprehensive, easy-to-understand report. We included some wonderful visualizations of the data, too. My hope is the report helps you both make the case for credible content and think of ways to make it happen. There's some extra detail for the health, travel, and finance industries, too.

Discover More

Here are some freebies, a way to register for an upcoming webinar, and a way to get the full report.  Read More >

Last week, I participated in the 4th annual Intelligent Content Conference helmed by Scott Abel and Ann Rockley. The intense Palm Springs sun bathed the event in a lovely glow, but I didn't see much of it. The presentations and community of smart people captured my attention and left my mind steeped in ideas. I'm sharing a few of the takeaways that excite me most.

#3 - We're in This Content Mess Together—and We'll Fix It Together

In her keynote "Collaboration Nation," Kristina Halvorson reminded us that the junkpile of content on the interwebs hurts all of us. Most of it is not worth finding, and the stuff that is worth finding is buried, lost, and unappreciated. While those of us who care about content see the potential for it to be a treasure, not trash, at times the problems stacked against us seem overwhelming. So, we need each other to press through them.  Read More >

Let’s see what you think about visual design and its impact on the evaluation of the credibility of a website and its content.

Take the Quiz

1. How important is visual design to a user’s assessment of the credibility of a website?

In a survey of 2,684 people, what percentage do you think discussed “design look” as a big influence on their perception of credibility online?  Read More >