In recent years, many have argued that content marketing is the new SEO. The technical aspects of optimization would soon give way to a future where content marketing was the only way to rank higher on search engine results. The truth is different than you would expect:
SEO and content marketing should work together
One does not replace the other, instead they should be merged for maximum results. Today we’ll look at 3 reasons why your content marketing needs to work with your SEO to achieve higher rankings.
3 reasons why content marketing benefits (and enhances) your SEO
As time goes on, SEO continues to evolve into a practice that goes far beyond keywords. You’ve probably heard the phrase “content is king.” Well that is the basis of content marketing, and it just so happens to directly benefit your SEO as well.
Let’s look at some compelling reasons why your content marketing efforts are an absolute requirement for higher SEO rankings. Once you’ve read these, you’ll be ready to plan your content marketing approach.
1. You’re building and engaging an audience
You may think that creating and giving away content for free seems counterproductive, but it’s actually an investment that pays off with a huge ROI. When done correctly, content marketing creates an inbound funnel for customers to find your business.
Where traditional methods of marketing grab attention and bring in conversions, they don’t solve a problem for the user, educate them, or engage them in a way that makes them want to buy your product.
There are 3 elements of your content marketing that will benefit your business:
- Engage – Your content will be targeted at the specific needs of your customers. When someone is looking for a solution to a problem, you should be ready with a video, post, or infographic that solves their problem. Combine this with a great headline and strong keywords to grab their attention.
- Inform – Once you have the people inside your article, you need to make good on your promise. Provide them with the information they need in a clear, concise, and organized fashion.
- Repeat and Build – Continuing with the points above, you will build a strong following of people who know and trust your brand. Not only is this good for your SEO and your traffic, but it increases the number of leads who will convert when you offer them a product.
Many businesses will accomplish this goal by starting a new blog with a plan that focuses on creating content for the purposes above.
2. It makes it easier for customers to find you
Content marketing directly benefits your SEO by compelling you to create consistent and valuable content for your readers. As you write more posts and articles, you will naturally use more keywords and attract more traffic and click-throughs.
The difference here is that your content must contain the three V’s to truly benefit both your marketing and your SEO:
● Value
● Variety
● Volume
For the first “V,” we should look at the meat of your content. Most marketing professionals will assume people want to read about them or their product, but this isn’t the case at first. Instead, your content should be focused on telling a story that makes the customer the hero.
By doing this, you’re placing them into the brand and showing them how it can affect their lives in a positive way. By telling a unique story, you can cut through the countless competitors and showcase a product or service that directly benefits them without ever advertising it.
Next up is Variety. This should be found, not only in your topics, but also in the way you present them. Simple text posts are great, but mix them up with image-based posts, videos, or even audio podcasts to keep things interesting.
You could also consider changing the tone of your posts from time-to-time. Try doing a post that’s a little funny or something controversial, but remember to keep everything grounded in your brand.
Finally, let’s take a look at volume. This all begins with a goal that you can easily reach consistently. Something like “one piece of content per day” is a good place to start. Remember, though, that your goal should always be doable within the context of the other two V’s.
In the end, your content marketing efforts will increase your visibility across the internet, search engines, and social media as well. Ultimately, this will increase your SEO by a huge margin.
3. Increase your leads while reducing costs
Now we come to the greatest motivator of all: money. Perhaps the biggest advantage of content marketing is the huge increase in your ROI. All of the increased visibility and organic reach will not go unnoticed by potential leads.
According to a study done by HubSpot, companies that blog are 13 times more likely to generate a positive ROI from their marketing efforts! The inbound nature of content marketing creates a self-sufficient machine that brings in new leads by leveraging your great content and SEO efforts.
As more and more companies are sinking money into lead generation, you should instead focus on using your content to do that for you. It all begins with how you use your content to generate leads.
Here are some examples of how you can make that happen:
● Analyze your market – Conduct research, surveys, and use analytics to understand your customers and what drives them. Find their problems and create solutions to showcase in your content. You should also keep an eye out for commercial keywords that indicate a desire for a product like the one you have.
● Focus on high-converting landing pages – When your content brings someone to a landing page, you should have something prepared that convinces them to convert. Start with a great headline then bring in some quick information, a compelling image, testimonials, and a call-to-action that closes the sale.
● Write case studies – This type of content is amazing because it allows you to showcase yourself as an authority on the subject, while also providing valuable information and real world examples for your readers.
Final Thoughts
Content marketing isn’t replacing SEO. Instead, the two are merging into a new and exciting way of reaching new customers. These reasons, combined with the actionable tips they provide, will give you everything you need to increase your rankings while also improving the ROI for your marketing efforts.
Let us know how you use content marketing to benefit your SEO in the comments below!
And if you’d like tips for how to improve your SEO, feel free to download a copy of our complimentary eBook:
Image by Renee Rendler-Kaplan.
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