In 2014, content is going to be more than important than ever. If you don’t plan on creating top-notch content, then you can plan on sitting on the bottom of the search results.

Since the launch of the Google Hummingbird algorithm, many webmasters know that creating unique content is crucial. However, many webmasters don’t know where to turn when it comes to creating a great piece of content.

Because all content isn’t created equally, here are some content formats that work wonderful in today’s search engine environment —

1. Evergreen Content

Evergreen content, which refers to content that never expires, is the type of content that works extremely well in the search results today. The problem with news stories is that, most of the time, they’re only hot for a few days. After the story fades away, the amount of people searching for that story will be next to nothing. With that being said, your content is slowly going to fade into the black hole with minimal traffic being sent your way.

The great thing about evergreen content is that it can help draw in traffic, build your authority and develop your brand. As long as the content is unique and tweaked over time, it should continue to flourish and never fade away over time.

2. Frequently Asked Questions

Most of the time, when someone searches for something, they may need the answer to a few questions on a certain subject. By creating a niche-based FAQ page, your visitors could potentially find a lot of value in it.

For example, you could create a FAQ page that is dedicated to a specific dog breed. On this page, you could answer the top questions that people have about that particular breed. If your content is good enough, you would be surprised at the amount of natural links you can get using your FAQ page as a resource.

3. How To Guides

Since the new Hummingbird algorithm places a larger emphasis on answering questions, the how-to guides tend to work well.

When building these guides, be sure to get straight to the point and lay it out in an easy-to-read format. Also, the more pictures and videos you have, the easier it will be for your visitors to understand what to do.

Aside from the content, also make sure that your titles are straight to the point and not something lengthy that confuses the searcher. So, something as simple as “How to Build a Tree Fort” is going to be more than enough to get clicks.

4. Solution to a Problem

Aside from getting answers to a question, many people often need a solution to a problem. If you can resolve this problem, you’re going to be their savior. As long as the solution is to the point, this is a great way to get organic hits to your website.

5. Studies

A case study is a great way to take a personal experience and turn it into an article. For example, if you ran a blog and wanted to test a marketing strategy, you could create a journal showcasing your results. Oftentimes, a case study can be spread out through multiple articles, making the reader come back for more.

By creating an in-depth case study, it’s going to draw in user interactions, lots of attention and hopefully some publicity if it’s interesting.

6. Top Tips

Top tips will refer to something that you see on many popular social media and news websites. This can be referred to as “Top 10…” or “Top 5 Ways To…” These type of posts are entertaining, they are to the point and are often laid out in an easy-to-read format.

These types of formats tend to do very well with the new Google algorithm. Remember, when you’re ready to produce a piece of content, just make sure that it’s worth reading. If you’re going to rehash the same material that can be found elsewhere, you should probably reconsider your strategy.