Effective Search Engine Optimization : What is Good Content?

I've read that a good web site is all about content, content, and oh yes content. Now if you've managed to design your site so that you can fill it with great content, what next, how do you know what good content is?

This may be one of those things that you know it when you see it kind of thing but I think that there are a few basic points to make in regards to having good content on your site. Considering how important content is we should all really focus on adding good content to our sites.

Relevant.
Your content must be relevant to your site. Why would you have articles or information that has nothing to do with whatever it is that you're selling. You would think that this would be obvious but I've seen web sites that just have gobs of information that really doesn't match their site.

Accurate.
The information that you give must be accurate. Part of the reason that you're adding content to your site is to add to your reputation as a knowledgeable person in your field so if your information isn't accurate then you don't look like you know what you're doing.

Free.
Now if you make your living by selling information then not all of your content should be free but some of it should. How are people going to know that you know what you're doing if they can't read or see any of your work. I sell stock photography and I offer all of my short informational articles for free, not only because I enjoy sharing my knowledge and experience but it allows my customers to see that I know what I'm doing.

One last point but I'm not giving it as much importance as the first three, it would be ideal if all of your content was your own. Now there are exceptions to this, if you can't write well then there is no point to writing poor articles with good information. The good information will be lost in the lack of writing ability. So it's okay to use some of the free content, furnished by others, on your site. (Don't forget to give them credit for their work though).

If you can create your own content I think that it the best case scenario for adding good content to your site.