Content marketing can boost organic views of your website. However, you may not know why or how content marketing helps SEO. What is it about creating and advertising content that increases the number of clicks your website receives?
The Peppermonkey Media team provides SEO services with tangible results our clients love. As New Jersey’s search engine optimization experts, we know several ways a detailed content marketing strategy increases brand awareness online.
The Basics of Content Marketing and SEO
Search engine optimization (SEO) intends to clarify the website ranking process and help people find answers to their questions. Search queries can be anything, but the optimization shows you relevant content.
Meanwhile, content marketing refers to a strategy of bringing awareness to:
- Goods
- Services
- Products
- Events
- Ideas
- And more
Content marketing includes videos, blogs, or other online media that stimulate interest in a subject.
How content marketing helps SEO comes down to how it attracts a target audience through keywords, quality, and connections. You can use content to motivate search engines to showcase your website’s relevance to your chosen subject.
What You Need to Know About Keywords
Keywords help identify the subject of your online content so search engines can categorize them in order of relevance. For example, when searching for “dogs that parents didn’t want but love,” you’ll find cute videos because of keywords. The words on the web pages help search engines identify them as relevant to your inquiry.
So, how does content marketing help SEO in this case? The more you use a certain word, the more a search engine thinks your post relates to a searched-for topic. Then, the system that organizes the SERPs (search engine results pages) can place your website high on the list.
For example, you’ll find cute blogs and videos for “dog parents love” because the creator titled it that way. If the video or blog has images near them, the alt text probably says something like “cute dog hugged by parent.” The text surrounding the video or images might refer to the cute dog and the parents in a story.
Be Careful with Keyword Usage
Search engine algorithms pick up on language use and categorize it into a SERP. When more people look at the page, the algorithm moves it up in the search results.
However, you can use a keyword too much, like making a post that says “cute dog” several times as a paragraph. Previously, websites used this over-optimization method to bolster their keyword quantity. Search engines have since become more sophisticated, and they will mark an over-optimized piece of content as spam.
It’s best to get creative with how you attract attention. Content marketing gives you more opportunities to use keywords, but frequency means little without the proper presentation.
How Quality Content Benefits Your Website
Over-optimization isn’t a good option, so website managers should consider how they present their pages. Some methods focus on color schemes and imaging, while others concentrate on providing a wealth of information. The best practices include both elements.
To tie in keywords, a dog treat baker can use “organic dog treats” and create product posts about that subject. They can use soft colors that promote comfort and ease while posting detailed blogs about different dog-related subjects.
The baker can also attract viewers with cute animal stories, like those about people who didn’t want a dog but now love them. While the viewer enjoys the story, they can read about the lovely organic treats dog owners could feed their pets.
Make Your Website Easy to Use
Another method to add quality includes having a well-designed website. Good website design makes it easy for new users to navigate the pages to find information.
Broken links to nonexistent pages or redirecting to many other pages distracts users and makes them leave faster. Additionally, search engines will not display overly complicated or broken websites near the top of the search.
In the dog example, people like to view the treat baker’s website because it is easy to understand and navigate. The search engine algorithm notices how many views the website gets and moves it higher in the SERPs. Then, when people search for keywords related to the treat baker, their website shows up quickly.
This positive reinforcement loop keeps the baker’s website highly ranked. But what if competitors fill all the top places for your desired keywords?
Building Connections with Good Sources
Link-building, also called inbound linking, connects your website with another site with a higher SERP ranking and informational authority. Using our example, the treat baker might want to include dog facts in blog posts. They may consider information from the American Kennel Club or ASPCA as good resources.
When they write their blog, they can cite that information and link it back to the source page. Search engines recognize the link created between the two websites and boost the baker’s blog posts because they have reliable information.
The Best Websites to Link
Prioritize .edu and .org pages. Organizations and educational websites tend to have more detailed resources with high accuracy.
Search engines also tend to find these websites more trustworthy, as do online audiences. When both see your page referencing other quality information, it makes yours appear more reliable.
Another great website to link to includes your own. When you want to increase traffic to other pages of your website, add them in different posts with anchor text. That anchor helps the reader understand the other post’s subject before they visit the post.
Let Us Build Your Online Presence with SEO Today!
To attract your target audience, you need a robust content marketing strategy to identify keywords, create a positive image, and link with reliable sources. Doing this work can feel complicated to someone already busy running a company.
When you need help building an online presence, call a team that knows how content marketing helps SEO. Peppermonkey Media staff continually updates our knowledge of digital marketing trends to deliver the best content marketing services possible.
Connect with us online or call (888) 231-9764 for a free digital marketing consultation.
