Given the focus on good quality content across all marketing channels and the increasing tendency of Google to favor sites with relevant, useful, and original content, there is a school of thought that thinks that content marketing is the new SEO. However, as important as content is for boosting search engine page ranks, content marketing remains distinctive from SEO. However, for boosting online visibility both are extremely important for the contemporary online marketer. Content marketing and SEO need to work together as components in an integrated marketing strategy for digital marketing campaigns to achieve the best results.
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Understanding SEO
Search engine optimization comprises the various processes that are aimed to generate organic traffic to the website from search engines. Based on the search query entered by the user in the search bar in Google or any other search engine, the search engine generates search results that are ranked in order of their relevance to the search term and search intent as per the logic of the search algorithm working in the backend. The intent of SEO practitioners is to optimize the website to enable it to rank the best for the target keywords. The improved search visibility attracts more traffic that can then be targeted for conversion. While good quality content is a must for ranking high, it is not the only element responsible for the rank. There are several important on-page and off-page factors like website loading speed; site architecture, inward links, and much more that can also significantly impact SEO.
Understanding Content Marketing
Content marketing involves the creation of relevant, useful, and engaging content for attracting potential customers. The content is strategically aimed at the target audience to provoke some kind of action. Generally, marketers may want the target audience to take some action that involves them moving along the marketing funnel. The aim of content marketing is not always focused on making a sale; sometimes, the objective may be to provide information, or even entertain them. The ultimate reason for indulging in content marketing is to build relationships with both prospects and customers by demonstrating your skill and knowledge on the subject and the ability to make available useful information that the customer can use to expand his knowledge base and make more well-informed buying decisions.
The Collaboration of SEO and Content Marketing
While businesses have several communication channels available to them for promoting their content such as email, social media, websites, etc., it is not possible to get an assurance that customers will always have the content they want, when they want it. This is where SEO comes into play by increasing the chances of users getting to see your content when they most require it. When a person looking is looking for information on a product or service, he automatically turns to Google or some other search engine to find the information. With the help of SEO, you can present your content to help him broaden his knowledge horizon just when he wants it. You can see how content marketing and SEO join together to make a formidable marketing team. For a custom SEO content marketing strategy, you can get in touch with digital marketing agencies serving Manhattan, Queens, & Brooklyn.
The Impact of Content on SEO
Content marketing is unarguably one of the best ways of boosting your SEO. By creating valuable and engaging content around the target keywords used by potential customers in their online search, you can ensure that your content gets more visibility with a top SERP rank. When a user searches for content that is relevant to your business, SEO will ensure that Google makes it available to him, assisting you to make a beginning in the process of establishing a relationship that can result in a conversion. When your content is ranked at the top by Google, your brand gets free publicity that not only boosts brand reach and awareness but also acts to drive qualified traffic to your website that can then be engaged and converted. Even though content marketing and SEO are distinctly different from each other, they make a great team help drive website traffic. One without the other makes for very poor marketing and the results will immediately reflect on the business’s bottom line.
Creating Great SEO Content
Know what your target audience wants: For SEO and content marketing to succeed, you have to ensure that they do not miss the target audience of your business. Researching the target market is done better by creating buyer personas that are profiles of your target audience built with the help of demographic details, buyer behavior, and their interests. Understanding the challenges and concerns of the target audience is a great starting point for keyword research and deciding what to create content. According to Search Engine Journal, personalizing content achieves a better customer experience.
Conduct keyword research: By getting to know the most likely terms users will use for search online, not only can you get the opportunity of optimizing your website for SEO but also get a great insight into the most valuable topics for content creation. Both are extremely valuable inputs for the search engine algorithm for allocating page ranks and will also act to establish your domain authority. The quality of your keyword research will have a great impact on the quality of your lead generation so be ready to invest a lot of time and effort in keyword research.
Create high-quality content: Use the identified keywords to develop a whole range of relevant, useful, value-added, and original content that can engage website visitors. Extend your imagination beyond web pages and blogs to white papers, e-books, video content, infographics, and more. Not only should the content be written well and free of spelling and grammatical mistakes but also be comprehensive, sprinkled with examples, structured well, and easy to read. Ensure you revisit the content periodically and refresh it with the latest facts and figures.
Conclusion
Content marketing and SEO are completely different tools, however, for the best results, both should be used together. Developing an integrated content marketing SEO strategy is the best way of achieving the desired synergy.
Author Bio: Harry Patté-Dobbs is a content writing and PR newbie at Pearl Lemon Leads. He’s written for blogs, news, and media outlets and loves films, food, and wellness. You can usually find him either reading or writing.