“Content marketing helps you provide value to your target audience. If executed correctly your content marketing strategy will provide searchers with information that addresses their unique needs.”
Does this phrase sound familiar or similar to another marketing tactic? It should, because search engine optimization (SEO), just like creating good content, is all about helping people find the information they need.
Content And SEO: Two Peas In A Pod
There is a fundamental relationship between content marketing and SEO because when boiled down both tactics are about providing information to searchers. SEO specialists recognize that the best way to rank websites to help searchers find them is by creating great content, while marketers realize that optimizing their work using SEO tactics increases the authority of content.
What are some of the basic SEO tactics that you can use to increase the ranking authority of your content? We’ve put together a list of tips that will enhance the authority of your content so that search engines recognize your site as a valuable source of information, and can start directing searchers to your content.
Identify Your Target Keywords
Keywords used to be one of the top optimization tactics used by online marketers. While keywords are no longer as relevant as they were a few years ago, they are still relevant to optimize content for ranking authority.
So what’s the point of having keywords within your content? Remember that every person who organically searches the web does so by entering keywords into a search engine. If your content contains the keywords or phrases that people input into search engines, it increases the likelihood that quality prospects will find your site in search engine result pages (SERPs).
If you specialize in content marketing, you should use related keywords such as “content marketing tips” or “content marketing strategy.” However, to diversify your ranking authority and potentially increase your leads, research “long tail keywords.” These search terms are longer phrases or sentences that are very specific to buying intentions. If you rank for long-tail terms that are indirectly related to your core business model, your content will reap the benefits of a well-executed SEO strategy.
Think About What Content Appears In SERPs
When search engines pool website URLs into search result pages, the only content that searchers see in the index is the title and meta description published to that webpage. People decide whether to click on the link to your website based on the value they obtain from those two tags.
What you add into those tags should accurately represent the content people can expect to find when they click through to your page. However, as the gateway to your website, those tags should also appeal to searcher intent. This helps people understand what to expect when they click through to your site, and is also an effective tactic to improve the quality of inbound searchers. If your tags are written for your target audience, it means that the people you want to reach are more likely to click through to your site.
Properly phrased tags are also critical for your rankings in SERPs. One of the ways that search engines measure the value of a piece of content is by the number of relevant clicks on that page. Did the searchers arrive at your website by searching for a related keyword? If the answer is ‘yes’ then your site is in a better position to rank higher in SERPs when search engines conduct their next index. This is all part of the evolving nature of SEO and the various stages of optimization that webmasters go through.
Engage Your Audience
The content you insert into the title and description tags should encourage people to click the URL that appears in SERPs. Keeping searchers on your site requires content that adds some sort of value for the people who clicked through from the search results. Value, in terms of user satisfaction, is typically defined as content that is interesting, informative, educational, entertaining, or all of the above.
Create content that captivates your audience’s mind and encourages them to share with their own networks of friends or followers. If you successfully create something with that extra ‘WOW’ factor, you can even attract the attention of powerful influencers who may be inclined to comment on your work or share it with their own networks.
As people click through to your page as a result of SERPs the bounce rate will decline and your exit count will drop, indicating a positive user experience and improving the likelihood that people will share your content. Mastering the basics of search and SEO are an important component of the holy trinity of digital marketing.