Next step: cite the source. And that doesn’t mean citing the first website you came across the statistic on! but rather the original source.
Going back to our example statistic! let’s say we found the data in this post from Keyword Cupid.
Mention the source and link
They are not the source you should attribute the statistic to. A little Googling will reveal that the Cupid keyword team got the data from Semrush! which is the source you should reference and link to.
With this in mind! this is how we should have presented our statistic from the beginning:
83% of marketers measure their organic traffic to supporting data evaluate the success of their content. (Semrush)
Or maybe this other way:
According to data from Semrush ! 83% of marketers measure their organic traffic to evaluate the success of their content.
By the way! misattributions of sources are very common! to the point supporting data that we could say that they are a basic characteristic of bad content on the Internet.
And yes! it may take you longer to locate the original source! but citing the first source is not the same as citing the real one! and it is something your readers can easily phone number library notice and verify.
There are times when the original source might no longer be available! but in this case! you should probably consider looking for a different statistic (and source) for your content.
Use the most recent statistics and add the date
Imagine you stop me on the street! ask me where the nearest coffee shop with armchairs is! I give you an address and when you get there you discover that the place has been closed for months.
That information would have been of absolutely no use to you.
And the same goes for the data you use in your content.
stick to the most up-to-date and recent sources. Continuing how to choose the best financial management software for your company with our example! we wouldn’t say that 76% of marketers use organic traffic to measure content success ! as this figure comes from a past report that has been updated.
As a general rule! data from research
And studies from the same year or last year can be considered accurate and up to date.
However! what is considered “up-to-date” will depend on the topic thailand lists and the industry.
For example! if you’re writing a story related to fast-moving industries like real estate or cryptocurrencies! a dataset from 2020 — or even from the last quarter — could be considered outdated.