How To Get Maximum SEO Impact From Content Marketing?
Getting the maximum impact of anything is always our goal. When we talk about SEO then content marketing can help you get maximum SEO impact. If you still think that content marketing has nothing to do with search engine optimization and your SEO rankings, then you are wrong. Content marketing can help you achieve higher SEO rankings easily.
No doubt major SEO campaigns or SEO packages will be there to help you improve site rankings. But sometimes getting the maximum impact of SEO is not achievable. If you are also facing such an issue, then content marketing can help you a lot. Here in this post, we will talk about content marketing and its benefits in SEO rankings.
What Is Content Marketing?Content marketing is a simple technique used by online businesses and websites to attract more customers with the help of content marketing. You will be writing content for your target audience and they will get attracted to your website, product or service, etc.
Importance:Content is always king, you may have heard this statement almost on every content marketing-related blog post. But it is not just writing content for your website, it is something more than just writing. You will be marketing your content along with your business in content marketing.
How Content Marketing WorksTo do content marketing you need to get more information about the pain points of your target audience. After researching more about your target audience and relevant topics, you need the right target keywords. Now you have to write content for your audience. Stuffing keywords in your content will help you attract more customers.
Get Maximum SEO Impact With ContentNow the question is how to get maximum SEO impact from content marketing. There are different ways to relate content marketing with SEO. Search engine optimization always works in a way to optimize your website to drive more traffic. While content also has the same goal. Following are the ways to get maximum SEO impact with content marketing.
Touch The Pain Points Of Your Target AudienceThe first thing is to find out the pain points or relevant topics to your target audience. All the target audiences have different pain points. And if your content is talking about them, then you may engage more visitors with your content. You have to research the pain points. You can directly ask your target audience about the relevant topics.
Write Content In Your Audience’s ToneYou are writing content and trying to touch the pain points, right? But what about the target audience’s tone? There are different tones used by different audiences. You have to hire a team of content creators and researchers to research more about the tone.
Use High Volume Target KeywordsYou have more content created with the help of content marketing campaigns. It means you will have more opportunities to use more keywords. You have to use high search volume target keywords. Sometimes we don’t use high volume target keywords, because of high competition. But you can now use it for secondary content posts.
Get Backlinks With Content MarketingGetting backlinks is part of both techniques, content marketing and SEO marketing. But without content, you cannot get backlinks. There are different ways to write content in a way to get more and authentic backlinks for your website.
Market Content With Right ChannelsContent marketing is not just related to search engines. It is also related to the other marketing channels. Social media, direct email are some of the different and popular marketing channels you can use for your content marketing.
Benefits:There are so many benefits that you will see in SEO with the help of content marketing. Gone are the days when content marketing was a different thing from SEO. It is still different, but the goal is always the same for both.
More Keyword TargetingYou will be creating more content and more content will allow you to target more keywords. You can target a mixture of keywords.
Search Engines Like Long ContentWriting long content will help you rank better on search engine result pages (SERPs) because search engines like long content.
More EngagementYou will be getting more engagement with the help of content marketing. More relevant content will get more visitor retention.
Returning Site VisitorsWith high quality and relevant content, you will be getting returning site visitors for you. It will be so helpful in SEO.
Nowadays content marketing is used with the relevancy to the SEO campaign. There are different ways to get maximum SEO impact from content marketing. You need to touch the pain points of your target audience. You have to target the right keywords. Content marketing will help you target more keywords. All these steps will help you get a better SEO ranking with the help of content marketing.
Have any thoughts on this? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.
Editors’ Recommendations:12 Of Your Most Common SEO Questions Answered: The Ultimate Search Engine Optimization FAQ Guide
Regardless of how many answers you get, fresh SEO questions will always crop up again and again.
It happens. What works for SEO today might not be as useful tomorrow, and what’s good today may be overcome by something else we’ve got to adapt to next year. That’s how we’ve been rolling for the past 20 years.
We didn’t see mobile-first and voice search optimisation coming in, say, 2014. Bit by bit, Google announced algorithm updates throughout the years, and we waited on the edge of our seats. Tons of questions stacked up. We got answers. We adjusted. And here we are.
However, there are those “root” questions that never go away. I’ve compiled the ones I see most often, and answered each one for you.
How does SEO help your business?SEO helps your business gain online visibility by increasing the chances of your website appearing in higher search engine positions.
Competition is fierce out there, so keep in mind that an SEO strategy, however well-developed, won’t guarantee #1, #2, or even #3 rankings for a website. And that’s okay. Positioning among the top 10 websites for your focus keyword is what you should be aiming for.
(Searchers won’t always click on the first result that comes up!)
Which is better for ecommerce: Pay-Per-Click (PPC) or SEO?It depends on your goals. If you’d like immediate visibility and instant traffic, go ahead and set a budget for ad spend. But remember that PPC is no good without a solid campaign in place.
Now, if you’d like to generate organic traffic to your website while getting lasting return on investment, SEO is the way to go.
Bear in mind that the ROI of paid ads won’t last as long as that of SEO. Though ranking organically is a longer process, it increases brand awareness by placing your web pages higher on search engines without spending a penny on ads.
Is SEO dead?No, SEO is not dead. Far from it.
It’s easy to fall prey to this type of news. But ask any seasoned SEO expert out there and they’ll assure you they’ve been hearing this kind of horror story for the past 20 years.
For as long as Google is willing to create a better user experience for searchers, and marketers have access to algorithm and best practices updates, SEO will be very much alive. Not only that, but it will continue to be the most reliable process to create online visibility for your business.
So, yes, SEO is still relevant in 2021 and beyond.
Is keyword research still important?Yes. Arguably, keyword research is the most essential part of your SEO strategy, especially if you’re in eCommerce.
It’s true that Google is getting exponentially smarter at recognising a searcher’s intent. Yet, although Google is smart, it’s not human smart.
Keyword research with the help of platforms like SEMrush and Moz is still the most effective way to get your strategy right. By conducting keyword research, you’ll know the exact terms people are using to find products like yours, as well as those that aren’t as relevant.
It’ll lay the foundation for your strategy. You’ll use both long-tail and “head” keywords to create SEO optimised content that connects with prospects at every stage of the funnel.
Skip keyword research at your peril.
Can SEO keywords be phrases?Yes, SEO keywords can be phrases, as well as individual words.
“Cashmere sweater” is a keyword, but so are “how to wash cashmere sweaters” and “cashmere sweater price”.
In essence, a keyword is any term you type into the search box. That’s why some marketers may refer to them as “keyphrases” or “keyword phrases”.
Which SEO tool is best?There’s no “best” SEO tool.
Every SEO software will have its pros and cons, as well as pricing variations and feature availability according to the goals you have in mind.
Filtering your SEO tool choices will be easier if you consider:
Now, if instead of “best”, we were to talk about the most popular tools out there, start your research by comparing the following:
What applies as duplicate content in SEO?In simple terms, duplicate content is any type of content that shows up on more than one page.
Regardless if the content is exactly the same or almost identical, it would be considered duplicate content. Google won’t penalize websites for it, but it could hurt rankings. So be careful.
In eCommerce, creating duplicate pages without realising is fairly easy, so pay extra attention to your product pages. Make sure to create original content for each page whenever possible, and avoid copying and pasting pre-written content to new pages.
What does Technical SEO mean?There are three types of SEO: on-page SEO, off-page SEO, and technical SEO.
Technical SEO refers to the optimisation processes that help web crawlers scan and index your site easily, thus increasing your website’s chances of higher rankings.
Technical SEO optimisation makes crawling smoother by removing the “bumps” from your site. Best practices include:
“Bad” SEO, also known as black hat SEO, involves practices that are frowned upon by the Google Webmaster Guidelines. While black hat SEO isn’t illegal, it could have your website banned from search engines.
From Google Search Central, website owners should “avoid tricks intended to improve search engine rankings.” Such tricks include:
Are these quick ways to rank higher? Possibly. But the results won’t last long.
Can SEO be automated?SEO can be automated in parts. However, it cannot be fully automated (and that’s a good thing).
Certain SEO activities like generating related terms for a certain keyword, analysing a competitor’s rankings, and managing your backlinks can save you hours of work when automated. That’s the job most SEO tools out there do very well.
Still, human brainwork is encouraged when coming up with a seed keyword list, analysing a searcher’s intent, and earning high-quality backlinks through great content creation.
Does SEO require coding skills?SEO doesn’t require any particularly advanced coding skills.
Basic HTML knowledge comes in handy for SEO experts, but no additional skills are needed to develop a solid SEO strategy.
Is SEO free?SEO can be done for free, although there are paid SEO tools with automated features available. Those can save you a lot of time and give you more accurate analytics to work with.
Online tools like AnswerThePublic and even Google itself can bring free insights for keyword research, because you’ll have access to exact matches of terms people search for when looking for your product. When using Google’s ‘Search Engine Results Page’ (SERP), don’t forget to look at the ‘People Also Ask’ and ‘Related Searches’ sections of the SERP.
Keep in mind that doing SEO for free won’t provide data like keyword density, search volume, or allow you to analyse multiple competitor websites at once. Unless, of course, you’re working with a free trial version of a subscription-based SEO tool.
In closing…Can all SEO questions be answered? That’s impossible. SEO is ever-changing, meaning new questions will always come to light every single year. Not to worry – we’ve adapted so far, and we can do it again for as long as it’s necessary. Meanwhile, we’ll stick to the answers we know.
Have any questions I haven’t mentioned?
Let’s hear them in the comments below!
Author: Matt JanawayMatt Janaway is a successful Digital Marketer and Entrepreneur based in Nottingham, UK. He started his digital career journey during the mid 2000's internet retailing boom by developing 10+ eCommerce stores which enjoyed great success using a successful and evolving SEO formula. Matt is now CEO of Marketing Labs, one… View full profile ›
How To Create An SEO Law Firm Blogging Strategy
Legal content gets a bad rap for being dry, boring, and full of “legalese.” But most law firm owners know the importance of blogging when it comes to attracting organic traffic through SEO.
As one of the leading marketing methods for lawyers, SEO requires that law firms publish engaging, SEO-friendly content on a regular basis. But thinking up these topics – and actually writing content that’s optimized for Google – can be easier said than done.
The good news is that creating a law firm blogging strategy is made easy once you know which keywords to target and what best practices to follow when it comes to optimizing your content for search engines.
Read on for a step-by-step guide on how to create your winning blogging strategy.
1. Identify SEO Keywords for Your BlogBefore writing content for your law firm blog, you’ll need to determine which keywords are worth targeting and how those translate into engaging blog post topics.
The reason being, it won’t be a good use of your time to write content that won’t attract any organic traffic (unless you also have a social media strategy) or that’s targeting keywords that are too competitive for your site.
Advertisement
Continue Reading Below
Find Niche & Geo-Specific KeywordsYour goal should be to find high search volume, low competition keywords to start, so you have the best chance of ranking for these keywords, and gaining some SEO momentum over time.
These keywords should be related both to the services your law firm offers and the audience you are trying to reach.
For example, if you are a family law attorney in Boise, some keywords worth targeting in your web page content might include:
At the same time, you’ll want to identify long-tail keywords that are best suited as blog post topics, such as:
Advertisement
Continue Reading Below
Consider which keywords might attract potential clients to your law firm. If you serve a specific geographic area, you should identify geo-specific keywords as well.
You can use SEO keywords research tools like SEMrush.Com or Ahrefs.Com to:
It’s easy to let your law firm blogging strategy end up on the back burner, so it may be helpful to create a content calendar to ensure that you’re publishing new content on a consistent basis.
Using an organization tool like Google Sheets or a project management tool like Asana, you can schedule out your blog posts according to the keywords you want to target.
Some details you might want to include in your blogging schedule include:
Having a schedule will not only help you stay consistent with your law firm blog, but it will help you keep the details of individual blog posts organized in case you decide to outsource SEO content writing.
3. Write Engaging HeadlinesWhen it comes time to write your blog content, you’ll first want to translate your target keyword into a compelling headline or post title. It’s here that you need to consider what the user intends to find when they search for that keyword.
Are they looking for a how-to guide? A review-style post? A service page?
Make sure your content aligns with what you expect users are actually looking for.
It may help you to do a quick Google search of your target keyword to see which pages are already ranking. If, for example, most of the pages are step-by-step guides, you might consider writing a step-by-step guide yourself.
Once you’ve determined the direction of the article, use your target keyword in the title while including language that’s going to entice users to click.
Advertisement
Continue Reading Below
Here are some examples for the keyword phrase [How does divorce mediation work]:
It’s recommended that you use the exact keyword in your title, but if it’s difficult to do so, you can finesse it a bit to have it make sense for the reader.
Then, use compelling language that will grab users’ attention in the search results.
4. Cover Niche TopicsAgain, the point of having a law firm blogging strategy is to drive traffic and attract potential clients to your law firm. That means you’ll need to focus on topics that are relevant to your audience, niche, and geographic location (if applicable).
You might want to ask existing clients, previous clients, or your social media followers which topics they are most interested in.
You can also spy on your competitors to see what topics they are writing about.
Advertisement
Continue Reading Below
Just because there is search volume behind a keyword doesn’t mean it’s a great fit for your site. Think about how a given topic fits into your overall marketing strategy and whether it will work to attract your target audience to you.
5. Follow On-Page SEO Best PracticesWhen it comes to optimizing your content for search engines, there are a few on-page SEO best practices you can follow.
While you don’t need to be an SEO professional yourself, it might make sense to work with a consultant or agency if you have trouble implementing SEO.
These on-page SEO best practices include:
These on-page SEO best practices apply to most websites and are relatively easy to implement. Run through this checklist every time you write a new article and you’ll be set up to start attracting more organic traffic.
Advertisement
Continue Reading Below
6. Create a Social Media Marketing StrategyYour law firm blog doesn’t have to sit there waiting to passively attract organic traffic; you can start driving traffic from social media right away. In fact, the majority of bloggers promote their blog articles using social media, with SEO being the second leading blog promotion channel.
Your law firm can maximize your traffic-generating potential by sharing your articles on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and even Instagram.
That way, you reach an even wider audience, drum up more visibility for your site, and potentially attract new clients to your site right away.
Social media scheduling tools like Buffer and Hootsuite can help you circulate your content across social media platforms as you wait for Google to work its magic.
7. Identify New Topic OpportunitiesWhile keyword research should be at the foundation of your law firm blogging strategy, you might come across topics you know are relevant to your audience but don’t have a clear SEO focus.
Advertisement
Continue Reading Below
It’s just as important that you listen to your followers and clients when it comes to your blog content as it is to use SEO tools to find target keywords. This will help you have a well-rounded blogging strategy that’s hyper-focused on the needs of your audience.
At the same time, be on the lookout for trends in your industry, local area, and among your competitors so you can create timely content and get ahead of the curve.
Sometimes the best content is content that’s spontaneous and stems from a unique need that arises from your market.
8. Build High-Authority BacklinksFinally, no SEO strategy is complete without an effective link building strategy.
With backlinks essentially being votes of confidence from other sites that your law firm is legit, they can certainly help put your blog on the map and get Google to take notice.
Submitting guest posts to reputable publications, submitting your site to online directories, and optimizing your local citations are all methods that work to drive links and/or traffic to your website.
Advertisement
Continue Reading Below
All in all, your goal is to publish high-quality content that’s optimized for your audience and for Google while actively working to direct more traffic and authority to your blog.
A winning law firm blogging strategy can help you attract potential clients to your law firm and help you stand out in your industry.
Featured Image Credit: Paulo Bobita