If you think content marketing and SEO are totally separate concepts, you need to go back to class. SEO and content marketing go hand in hand, and can be combined with the term “content SEO”. Content SEO describes any online content created with the goal of attracting search engine traffic. Quality content is written for humans, and uses the specific keywords that you’re targeting. Content truly is king on the Internet, so don’t get caught without it.
Content can include product pages, blog posts, articles, guides, videos, infographics, but the possibilities are virtually endless. The key to great search engine optimization that results in link clicks is quality content. You may have fantastic SEO, but if the content is thin, readers won’t come back to your site. At the end of the day, aren’t you looking for purchases or repeat readers? Make sure your content provides value to your readers, and they’ll continue to come back!
To increase your search rankings with content SEO, you need to think like the search engines. Understanding what Google wants is just as important as understanding what your customers want when they click to your website. Google’s biggest goal is to provide quality searches so that users will continue to use their service. If you have excellent, relevant content, Google will reward you for helping them by placing you higher in their results. Sound simple? It can be, if you do it right.
The first step to great content SEO is keyword research. It’s best to do keyword research before you start writing so you can write toward topics that people are searching. No point in writing an article around a keyword that no one cares about! Keyword research can be done through the Google Keyword Planner, available to anyone with an Adwords account.
After you’ve selected your keywords, optimize your selections in your content. Proper integration of your keywords will greatly increase the success of your content SEO. There is no perfect keyword density, but be sure it’s mentioned at least a few times. Moz offers a great tool to help with on-page optimization. Don’t repeat the keyword too often – this is called keyword stuffing and Google may penalize you for it. Keyword stuffing is also typically a red flag for some not-so-quality content. You want your keyword usage to appear natural – both Google and your readers will thank you for it.
Are you unsure if you have quality content? Read it through and ask yourself, “was this informative? Was this interesting? Would I want to recommend this article to a friend.” If your answer is yes to all, great! If not, go through and re-work it. But don’t just copy another site’s article – this could get you dinged by search engines. Write unique content to truly be an SEO rockstar.
Once you’ve got your great, unique, keyword-optimized content, you need to promote it! Share it on social networks and start building links to your content. Use relevant hashtags, tweet it at industry professionals who you think may find your content helpful, or anywhere else! Don’t forget to use keywords in your article title, as well as mentioning it in your social media posts. Get creative and get your top-notch content out there.
Content SEO is key to growing your business. If you provide helpful information to potential customers, they’ll grow to trust you, resulting in repeat visits and eventual purchases.
