Chances are you already know that creating excellent content is indispensable to any strong content marketing strategy. But what turns great content into traffic-driving, lead-generating, sales-boosting content?
If you’re reading this article, chances are you already know that creating excellent content is indispensable to any strong content marketing strategy. But what turns great content into traffic-driving, lead-generating, sales-boosting content?
SEO and content are like chocolate and peanut butter—they’re better together (Reese’s reference totally intentional). But how exactly can you mix these two ingredients to create marketing magic?
We’ve outlined our top tips below.
Keyword research should be the foundation of your content marketing and SEO strategies. By analysing search data and trends, you can identify high-value topics and terms that align with audience interests AND have significant search volume. This helps avoid wasted time creating content that attracts little traffic.
Some favourite keyword research tools include SEMrush, Ahrefs, and good ol’ Google Keyword Planner. Track down keywords with 500+ monthly searches and <50% competition for best results. Organise these keywords into topic clusters that make sense for long-form, in-depth content creation.
For example, if “content marketing strategy” has intense volume/low competition, related keywords like “content promotion,” “creating a content calendar,” and “measuring content success metrics” would make a great content topic cluster.
The keywords uncovered during the research should directly inform content creation. Every piece of content should have:
• A primary keyword/main topic that appears in meta title, headers, URL, etc.
• 2-3 secondary keywords that also appear but less prominently
Avoid keyword stuffing! But do ensure keywords appear in places search engines check first, like page titles, meta descriptions, image file names, etc.
For example:
Title: 5 Tips for an Effective Content Marketing Strategy
Headers/Subheaders:
• Why You Need a Content Strategy
• Research Audience Needs & Interests
• Set Measurable Goals
• Create a Content Calendar
• Promote Your Content
Creating content that offers genuine value should be priority #1. But in terms of alignment with SEO, it helps to focus specifically on providing answers, solutions, and clarity around topics people are searching for. Calling out the specific questions and pain points your content addresses helps search engines understand relevance.
For example, If someone searches “how to promote my content on social media,” an article titled “Social Media Promotion Tips” may not seem as directly relevant vs. a piece titled “How to Promote Your Content on Social Media: 7 No-Fail Tips.”
Unfortunately, search engines can’t (yet!) judge content's actual quality, accuracy, or creativity. But longer-form, evergreen content updated consistently over time DOES tend to perform better. This signals legitimacy and expertise to search engines.
We’d suggest aiming for long-form, pillar content over 2,000 words, with in-depth research and multi-media to support quality and depth. Schedule updates every 4-6 months to keep it fresh and accurate.
Additionally, link internally between related content pieces to indicate relevance and connectivity.
Last but CERTAINLY not least, links remain one of the most robust trust and authority signals for search ranking algorithms. So, content optimisation must go together with link-building efforts.
Use your excellent content as link bait! Reach out to similar sites and influencers and pitch guest posting opportunities. Promote your content on social channels and earn external social shares. The more (relevant, quality) sites link to your content, the better its search performance.
Keep Testing, Analysing & Optimizing Over Time
SEO success requires patience. Keep testing content topic variations, tweaking on-page elements, monitoring rankings, and tracking goal conversions to determine optimal combinations over time.
Use analytics platforms like Google Search Console, Google Analytics, and third-party SEO tools to uncover optimisation opportunities. Surfacing in top stories carousels or People Also Ask boxes? Great! Are click-through rates low? Back to tweaking!
Rinse and repeat.
By applying search and content insights in harmony, you attract AND retain the right audiences. So don’t keep these marketing superheroes separated! Use the tips outlined here to help create discoverable, high-quality content that serves YOUR business goals.
Have you combined content and SEO efforts successfully? We’d love to hear your top tips in the comments below!
