Content marketing is so integral to the success of an online business that a strong strategy is required. And like most things in life, there is a right and wrong way to go about it.
In a survey conducted by the content marketing institute, 89% of UK respondents said their company uses some form of content strategy, and 66% of marketers expect to receive an increase to their content marketing budget next year.
These figures demonstrate there is little doubt that content is a catalyst for higher visibility in search engine rankings – when you get it right. And so long as you are publishing engaging material that provides value to readers, content marketing is a powerful weapon in your digital artillery.
However, if your content does not interest readers, you are more likely to damage your value to search engines. As a result, you throw money into a virtual hole and then complain content marketing doesn’t work.
But if content marketing works so well for thousands of other brands, then it can work for you. Maybe it’s time you gave your strategy a rethink. Are you using these old tactics or techniques that repel rather compel?
Content marketing has no place for standard 500-word articles
Search engine algorithms are so sophisticated these days that standard 500-word blogs do not escape their attention. Research shows that longer articles perform better in search engines. The reason for this is because search engines want to provide end-users with in-depth content that sufficiently answers their search query. The longer an article is, the more detailed it becomes. It’s logical, as it contains more information.
Furthermore, longer articles are an indication to search engines that the content has been published by someone that is an expert in their field and is thus distributing specialist content that can be trusted and offers real value.
Mobile users are also impacting search engine results. But end-users interacting with the internet on 5-inch screens do not want to read feature length articles of 1000-words plus. They need the micro-content of 200-300 words that can be easily digested on a smaller screen.
Your content strategy, therefore, has to benefit the target audience, not just regarding quality, but also keeping in mind the type of device your audience is using to access the content.
How to come up with longer content:
Let’s reveal a few tips on how to come up with a longer article and still keep it concise and juicy for your readers:
? Read all of the articles that are on the first search results page for your targeted keyword. Make sure that your post contains all the information that you read about and even more.
? Your post should answer all the questions and touch on all the queries that appear in Google Suggest at the top and bottom of the search page. Once you do it, you are all set as Google related terms will suggest possible LSI keywords that will help you with on-page optimization; to ultimately rank higher for the given phrase in the search results.
? Check Quora and the comments under the related articles to your topic, It’s possible that Quora users and relevant blog followers have specific questions that haven’t been answered yet by anyone. Study these resources diligently and add all these matters to your piece of paper. You will see, your audience will appreciate your work and expertise with their engagement. – Kasia Perzyńska; Content Marketer @Positionly
You know your business and your sector inside-out. The best content you can publish covers the common topics in your niche, the issues that always crop up, the problems that constantly need solving.
Using real-life case studies and talking about current trends and issues will give your content and more meaningful edge and will help people relate and learn. Some of our clients worry that they’re potentially writing themselves out of business by revealing their secret-sauce. However, publishing content that gives your potential customers a deeper insight, serves to help that customer better understand their and your world and is a fundamental step in building a trusting long-term relationship. Don’t be afraid to share your knowledge; it will help you and your customers win more business.
However, publishing content that gives your potential customers a deeper insight, serves to help that customer better understand their and your world and is a fundamental step in building a trusting long-term relationship. Don’t be afraid to share your knowledge; it will help you and your customers win more business.
Quality over quantity is more important
While it is true that publishing content on a regular basis will attract visitors and search engine crawlers more often, the strategy only holds true if you are publishing high-quality content.
If you are posting content for the sake of maintaining a blog in the hope of boosting search engine rankings, you could be causing more harm than good. It I far better to publish one high-quality article a month than two low-quality pieces a week.
The point of publishing content is to keep readers on the page, compel them to explore your website and pique their interest to drive them towards the buy button.
When content does not interest visitors, they click out of your, site in less than a minute. And this will bump up your bounce rate and set back your search engine standings, as it is an indication that you are not publishing content that is worth reading.
Publish original material
Although it ‘s hard to think of original content ideas every week, it is possible to stamp your unique personality on your content and deliver the same topic in a new and exciting way.
You’ll have probably discovered from your experience that a lot of content on the internet is repetitive. This is because content writers are merely creative enough to add more information than they see in other articles.
While this direction can be unavoidable in some industries, it is important that you differentiate yourself from your competitors, think outside the box, do your research more creatively and present yourself in a more interesting way. Develop a brand personality readers want to follow.
Avoid using generalizations and clichés
Stereotypes and sweeping statements are a turn-off. And so are many other lazy writing mistakes. Readers want to be entertained and informed when they are reading content, so be creative and try to annoy anyone.
For example, how many times have you heard this one: “We all know…” There are two things wrong with this statement; it is a generalization because not everyone does know, and secondly, it has become a cliché.
Don’t go hunting for low-quality inbound links
Backlinks are excellent for higher ranking. But only when they are organic. The Penguin algorithm punishes websites that appear to have a significant number of unnatural or low-quality inbound links, and if you go looking for backlinks from low authority sites and paid link farms, you will attract a penalty that will negatively affect your online earnings.
In the perfect world, inbound links should be organic, and if you are publishing high-quality content, you increase your chances of receiving backlinks from third party publishers.
Of course, you can come up with an intelligent and advanced link building strategy that will result in high-quality backlinks. Read more about it: …
Conclusion
If you are going to invest in content marketing, do it right. It is better to pay professional content writers to produce top-quality articles on your behalf than persisting with a strategy that will never work just because you read it would two years ago.
The digital landscape has changed, and maybe it’s time your attitude towards content marketing needs to change with it. Rather than going through the motions, you can benefit financially from content.