We all know that content is king on the internet.  The maxim has been cited so many times that it has already become a cliché.  Well, it has become a cliché because it’s true.  The internet IS the information superhighway.  The processes in the World Wide Web are fueled by information.  Users search for it.  Web publishers provide it.  And when you could give the information that people want, then you’re in business.  Whether your online endeavor is based on Pay Per Click (PPC) programs or the sale of digital products, quality content will drive people to your pages.

Indeed, content is your best investment for your online enterprise.  But preparing unique, premium content is often not enough.  You must strive to regularly update your content so that the search engine spiders would constantly crawl through your pages and fetch them for every relevant query.  This is the key to good search engine placement.  It is very effective… 

 but it is also very demanding.

Writing good content is taxing enough.  Having to write the same on a regular basis could be difficult.  Having to write the same on a regular basis for several websites could be hellish.  Surely, there must be an alternative or two which could spare you from having to write your own content to update your website and win the favor of the search engine spiders, right?

Well, here are five fantastic alternatives that not a lot of people are employing.  Knowing them alone could give you the edge over your competitors in the race for good search engine positioning.

1.Try RSS.  RSS, which stands for Real Simple Syndication, is a technology that was first used by news wire services online.  RSS allows users to display specific files every time they are uploaded on a source website.  If website A, for example, generates RSS feeds to announce new articles uploaded to its server, and websites B, C, D and E are subscribed to website A’s RSS feeds, they could display the said feeds on their desktop via an RSS aggregator.  For online marketing purposes, these RSS feeds can also be displayed on your web pages.  All you need is to download some programs that would enable you to do this.  Make sure that you get an RSS-to-HTML reader, so that the RSS feeds you will display on your pages can be readable for the search engine spiders.  Afterwards, all you have to do is to subscribe to an appropriate RSS feed, and every time the source website would post new content, you’ll be able to display the same on your own website.

2.Create your own forum.  Online users normally gravitate towards forums that are dedicated to their own passions.  If your website has an attached forum, you’d be able to invite your visitors to sign up with the same.  They’ll be left to their own devices.  They’ll create threads about matters they are interested with.  They will pots messages to their hearts’ liking.  And you will have a virtual well of constantly updating content, without having to type a single word!

3.Integrate a feedback manager.  If you’re posting articles as content, then you might want to include a feedback system for the same.  This would enable your readers to leave their comments below the said article.  Basically, your article would serve as the catalyst for content that will continuously be added by interested readers who want to share their piece of mind on what you have posted.

4.Run a contest.  Offering a prize for the visitor who submits the most engaging article relevant to the subject of your website, for example, would encourage a lot of people to submit entries that you could use as your own content.  Just remember that your contest rules should include a term which states that submitted entries can be published on your website as a condition to their inclusion in the contest proper.

5.Run a mini-article directory.  Try to visit www.ezinearticles.com or www.goarticles.com .  See how these websites ensure for themselves an abundant supply of great content?  Simply follow their model, and implement the same on your website, even if it would be on a downgraded level.  You’d be able to guarantee for yourself a good flow of new content!