Over the past couple of days, I've been thinking about ways to communicate the importance of the content that surveyors place in their websites and social media profiles.  The best way to explain this, i've realized is to compare the important aspects of a single piece of content on the web to the elements one might find in a proper survey.

When you go to turn in your evidence from a survey, you most likely are careful to make sure everything is in order.  You certainly wouldn't hand over an unfinished job without a long excuse, right?   You need to make sure that you have presented your research in a thorough manner.  You'll want to make sure your name and company are prominantly displayed.  Your legal descriptions must be exact and most importantly, the details you report must be precise. Well, the same goes for any single piece of content that you place on the web.  Whether it be a photo, video or a forum discussion, if the proper elements are not in place, the content will not work for you.

Most Important Aspects of Any Single Piece of Web Content

You might think that your content is ready to post. But look again, and you’ll see a whole universe of interconnected elements contributing to this single piece of content:
 

• Eye-Catching Title
• Publication Attribution
• Publication Date
• Byline
• Yield
• Teaser Description
• Image (with alternate description)
• Details of post including keywords
• Link to your website
• Geolocation
• Subject Tags 
• Method of Contact 

In much the same way that you might not get paid for handing in incomplete work, content that you place on the web will not and can not work for you when the elements above are missing. Think about this when formulating your web adventures and make your content say great things about you as a geospatial professional and about your company!