Consider a potential customer surfing the Internet in search of your product. If your website only consists of product pages, there is only one way to enter. SEO content marketing can create additional entry points to your website. If you add new access points, you increase the chances of web browsers stopping while traversing the web.
What is Search Engine Optimization?
Search engine optimization (SEO) is the practice of adapting your website to increase its ranking in organic search engine results. Search engines use robots, sometimes called spiders, to crawl websites and get a general understanding of their content. The search engine then stores this data in a process known as indexing.
When a web user enters a query, a search algorithm goes through the indexed pages and delivers results based on what it thinks is the best match. For a web page to be indexed properly, it must be written in a way that robots can understand.
Effective search engine optimization has both a technical and a content component. The structural elements of a web page, including its sitemap and loading speed, affect its search ranking (and, of course, a higher ranking means more traffic). In addition to optimizing these elements, website owners can practice good on-page SEO by writing content that includes keywords, appropriate title tags, internal links, and meta descriptions.
Elements external to your site, such as backlinks and external mentions, can also affect your search ranking. This is known as off-page SEO.
What is content marketing?
Content marketing involves creating content, often a short video or blog post that sits on your website, that sparks interest in your product. This content is usually not a direct advertisement; does not explicitly promote or sell a product. Instead, it stimulates curiosity, provides information, and subtly shapes desires.
For example, if you own a novelty candle company, you might choose to create a blog post with 12 different birthday cake decorating ideas. Although this story doesn’t directly sell candles, it might inspire a reader to make and decorate a cake with candles like the ones your company makes. Brands often use blogs and social media platforms as the foundation of their content marketing strategy.
Practicing content marketing creates more opportunities to interact with consumers. Instead of pushing sales in every email and post, brands can offer customers an interesting story or useful information. Effective content marketing can establish your brand as an authoritative voice in the industry and build deep relationships with customers.
SEO vs content marketing
Content marketing refers to the creation of original web content designed to capture potential customers and increase your brand’s digital presence. Content marketing is a creative process managed by marketing, content and social media teams.
SEO, or search engine optimization, on the other hand, is the art of adjusting web pages to increase search performance. Not all content created for content marketing is directly related to SEO. Some content, such as a short video posted on Instagram, is unlikely to appear in search results, but can still benefit your brand.
How do SEO and content marketing work together?
Original web content can help increase your website’s search ranking. Inserting blog content or creating additional pages with additional information creates additional entry points to your website. Publishing more content on your website is an opportunity to target additional keywords, including long-tail keywords (or specific phrases that people search for) that appear in broader Google search results.
Imagine you have an e-commerce business that sells raincoats for dogs. On its own, your website can rank for the search query “Where to buy dog raincoats”. However, this may not be the only term that potential customers are searching for related to your business. Your content team might choose to post content focused on related search terms, such as “how to dry a wet dog” or “what to do if your dog won’t walk in the rain.” Implementing this type of SEO content writing will help drive potential customers to your web page and ensure they are aware of your product when they are ready to buy.
Benefits of combining SEO and content marketing
An effective SEO content strategy can help drive the long-term success of your business. Here are some of the benefits of creating and optimizing high-quality content:
Increase traffic
Appearing in organic search results can increase website traffic. Creating original content provides more opportunities for your target audience to discover your product through search. This can lead to increased conversions over time.
Nurture the tracks
Customers who are ready to make a purchase can search for specific products. However, those still in the research phase are more likely to conduct extensive informational inquiries. Creating content targeted at relevant keywords can help your brand reach customers in your target market beyond the purchase funnel. By the time they’re ready to make a purchase, they’ll already be familiar with your product.
Increase time on page
Populating your website with relevant content that complements your product pages gives users a reason to stick around. Even if they are not immediately interested in making a purchase, consumers may spend time on your website reading material and learning more about your product. This can deepen their relationship with your brand and build loyalty.
How to set up an SEO content marketing strategy
set goals
Conduct research
Create content
Technical SEO address
Publish content
Analyze performance
Use these six steps as a guide to start your own SEO content marketing strategy:
1. Set goals
Set your content marketers up for success by setting a clear set of goals. Content marketing goals could include increasing your web traffic by a specific number of page views per month, decreasing your bounce rate (a measure of the number of visitors who immediately leave your site), and ranking on the first page of search results for specific keywords.
2. Carry out research
Audience research, keyword research, and market research are all components of a good SEO strategy. Once you’ve identified your target audience, keyword research can help reveal SEO opportunities and identify which terms you should be targeting. Using a keyword research tool can simplify this process. You can also choose to conduct competitor research. Understanding the terms your competitors rank for can help inform your content strategy.
3. Create content
Brainstorm ideas and set up a content calendar. Be realistic about how many pieces you can create in a month or quarter. Try to create high-quality content relevant to your brand and include relevant keywords.
4. Address technical SEO
Make sure your website includes the elements that search engines use to index each page. Work with web developers to optimize your page performance, including load speed. Free technical SEO tools like Google Search Console can help you find and fix technical issues. Don’t forget about mobile optimization. More than half of web traffic comes from mobile devices and poor mobile performance can reduce the overall SEO success of your website.
5. Post content
Publish content following best practices for on-page SEO. Include clear and relevant title tags, inbound links, and external links in each article.
6. Analyze performance
Stay up-to-date and use analytics tools to track your SEO success by monitoring how your web content ranks for your target keywords. Track your specific goals and adjust your strategy as you go.
SEO Content Marketing FAQs
Does SEO help with content marketing?
Practicing search engine optimization can help your team get the most out of their content creation efforts. With proper optimization, your website content will rank higher in search results and generate more organic traffic.
How does social media marketing overlap with SEO content marketing?
Social media marketing and content marketing are built on a foundation of quality content. Social media content often involves posting photos, videos, and short captions, while SEO content marketing requires longer blog posts and web content. Not all content posted on social media platforms will appear in search results.
How can I measure the success of my SEO content marketing efforts?
Your business can evaluate the success of its content marketing SEO strategy by tracking website traffic and tracking rankings for relevant keywords.
Is there an ideal content length for SEO purposes?
In general, the longer content it contains 800 words or more are more likely to rank in search engine results. Longer content can include more keywords and search engine algorithms are more likely to view long articles as valuable content.
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