How to use content marketing to boost your SEO

That content marketing can help to boost SEO is not exactly a closely guarded secret. Great content can drive all important traffic to your website, helping your business to reach a broader audience. However, while many have been relying on keyword research to create a content marketing strategy that wins at SEO, it’s not often all it’s cracked up to be. Why? Well because there can be a real disconnect between keywords and customers needs.

Making the move to audience based content marketing

If you’re keen for 2018 to be a more successful year for your SEO then an audience based content marketing strategy is going to be key. Relying purely on keywords to inform the kind of content you’re putting out there can lead to lots of pieces of content that are keyword rich but actually quite empty. If the content isn’t engaging because you’re only using it as a keywords platform, the chances are that you’ll be driving traffic to the website but that’s where it stops. What about conversions? You’ll need a new kind of approach for that.

Make 2018 the year your content marketing shines

1. Research your audience

Particularly if you’re switching to audience based content marketing then you need to know who you’re targeting. This means answering questions such as who the audience is, what their wants and needs are, the type of content they tend to digest and the conversations that they’re having, whether online or offline.

2. Set your content goals

Define a period of time and identify what exactly you’re looking to achieve during that time. Perhaps you’re trying to boost web traffic, get newsletter sign ups or increase sales. Goal setting is going to be crucial to better targeting the kind of content that you create.

3. What’s your USP?

The secret to stand out content is building it around the unique selling point of your brand. What insight or expertise do you have that others don’t?

4. Identify your best angle

By combining the knowledge you have of your audience with the unique selling point of your business you can identify an angle. If all the content you produce is defined by this angle it will not only be fitting to your brand and what it’s about but it will be relevant to your target audience too.

5. Create your topics

Content topics can be the most challenging part of the process but if you have your angle ready then it’s not so difficult. Make sure that every topic you choose is aligned with the angle that you’ve created. This will help with consistency but all also ensure that you’re not wasting the effort that goes into the content that you put out there.

6. Apply your keywords

It’s at this stage in the process that you can add keywords into the mix. Now, your content isn’t driven only by keywords but has the advantage of being informed by them.

7. Keep it up

Create a content calendar so that your pieces are planned and released at the right time. Make sure you’re creating content regularly and using the approach that you’ve defined.

At Iconic we have very broad experience with content marketing. If you’d like support with your content strategy or creation please contact a member of the team.