SEO and Content Marketing Today and Beyond
SEO is not static. It is always changing and evolving, and those companies hoping to succeed with their SEO strategies need to keep abreast of all of the various changes and trends that could affect their marketing efforts and how they do business. Content marketing is certainly not going away, but you need to understand what you need to do to for it to keep working for you. The following are some of the trends that could affect SEO and content marketing in the coming years.
SEO and Content Marketing Are Intertwined
More than ever, content marketing and SEO need to be thought of in the same context, as they are tied tightly together. Do not separate the disciplines of content marketing and SEO. SEO techniques help you to optimize your content, which can help to drive web traffic to your site.
Size of the Content
Some are finding success by creating content that is a bit smaller than what was used in the past. For example, using blogs and articles can work quite well, even when they are 1,000 words and less. The longer forms of content marketing, such as webinars and case studies are not as necessary. However, frequency is important, as is quality. You need great content that is pushed out regularly. The search engines still love to have fresh content, and it can help to improve your rankings.
Pay Attention to the Data
It is essential that you pay attention to the data that you have access to through your site, your ads, and other sources. The data will let you know what type of content is successful and what does not work well. Find the types of content that do not work for you and stop creating it. You would be better served putting your time and energy into the types of content that do work.
Think How the Customer Thinks
Take a moment to think about how people are searching for content today. While many are still typing into search engines, many others are simply talking to their phones or devices and asking them to complete the search for them. You need to understand the way your customers think to have a better idea of the types of keywords they will use when they are typing and when they are speaking. You might find that you need to alter some of your keyword usage.
Knowing your customer – what they want and how they search – is essential if you want your content marketing to be effective. You will have a better understanding of the types of content they want and expect, and then it becomes much easier for you to deliver. This makes those visitors happy, and it can attract like-minded visitors, as well.
Better Headlines
While you might have quality content on your site, if you have poor headlines, it will simply not be as effective. The headlines that you have for the content needs to attract engagement. They should give the reader an idea of what is in the post and make them want to read more. It takes time to get to the point where you can write great headlines that draw people into the content, but it is well worth it to keep at it.
Of course, your headlines also have to be honest. You need to make sure that the content delivers on the promise of the headline. Clickbait articles and headlines might get views, but people have grown to despise this type of content. You want to avoid it at all costs.
The Quality of the Content Is Always Important
While the size of the content might not matter as much as it once did, quality always matters. You need to think about every post that you write and make it as good as possible. The content should not merely be written to add some keywords to lure people to your site. It needs to be entertaining, engaging, valuable, and educational in some way.
Even with your older posts, there is a chance that someone will stumble onto that post through a Google search. You want whatever they find to be as good as possible, because this is someone who is a prospective customer or new faithful reader. You always need to put your best foot forward. This is a trend that will transcend many others in regard to SEO and content marketing.
Remember, SEO Is a Long-Term Strategy
The biggest competition to SEO marketing is PPC, or pay-per-click. While you might want to utilize some PPC ads, especially when you feel your SEO isn’t working for you, keep at the SEO and content marketing. This is not a technique that is going to suddenly shower you with great results overnight. It takes time. You have to cultivate your SEO strategy and be committed to creating great, optimized content on a regular basis.
When you take the time to invest yourself in SEO and content marketing, it can help you to create a solid foundation for your business and brand. You will have an audience that trusts you. While the “quick results” of PPC might be tempting, do not overspend on that option.
Constant Evolution
It is important to remember that the only constant about SEO and content marketing is that it will keep changing and evolving. As new technologies are created, whether it is voice search or virtual reality, those who are working with content marketing need to stay abreast of the changes it brings to the field. Be ready to make changes when needed, but do not be too quick to spend money adapting to a new technology that has not proven itself.
When you work with us, you not only get a great website, but you also have some great tools that will help you with the content marketing for your business.
Umbrella has a CMS blog extension, and integration with WebTextTool.com to help you get your content marketing off on the right foot.
