SEO has long been a concern for content marketers around the world. Google's constant updates mean that content marketing needs to be revisited often, and websites must be revamped to meet new ideals. For those unaware of what we're talking about, Moz defines SEO as a methodology to position search results on an organic search page to get the most user attention. Search engine optimization is crucial in a content marketing strategy because it ensures that your website is picked up by the myriad bots that scour the internet for relevant search terms. Thanks to modern algorithm updates, Google's bots now look at more than just the ratio of keywords a site has, but delves deeper, looking at other places it links to and giving it a score based on those elements. But does SEO make any real difference to content marketing in 2022? You might be surprised at how much.
SEO Helps To Get Quality Traffic
The chances are good that you've probably looked at the back end of your website and noticed a few metrics there. An instrumental one is the bounce rate - the number of users that come to the site then immediately click away because it's not what they're looking for. Good SEO ensures that the people who find your site reach there for the purpose you intend. SEO is an "inbound" strategy, meaning it draws customers into your website. This approach contrasts with "outbound" strategies, where you would pitch customers and actively seek to get their attention. Inbound marketing tends to be the more polite way to get clients because it depends on their needs, while outbound methods focus on your needs, usually without a thought for the consumer. Quality traffic means that the bounce rate of your visitors will drop because most of them are there looking for what you provide. Each visitor is a potential client, and the more good traffic you get, the better off your business is.
No Ads are Necessary
One of the most impressive things about inbound marketing like SEO is no need to pay for ads. Organic search relies on your SEO and linking it to potential pages on your website. Once you end up in the top search results list for a particular keyword or phrase, you just have to wait for people to search that term to get hits. You will need to update your content often to retain that top spot, but it's essential to hold onto a place on the first page of results. Search Engine Journal mentions that a quarter of all searchers click the first link they see on the first page of results. If you want to be that first link, you'll need to keep refreshing your content and adding new posts to retain it. However, you won't have to keep spending money on ads without any sure return on investment.
SEO Is A More Well-Rounded Strategy
Marketing isn't just about content and strategy. It's about brand image and reputation. SEO allows a business to focus on all those aspects at the same time. Content, SEO, and public relations all work together to ensure that a business seems approachable and has good business ties to others. Outbound links to other high-reputation sites can help to increase the visibility of the company. Suppose the enterprise is trying to position itself as an expert in a particular field. In that case, SEO can help to raise awareness among the people who make up the most respectable in the industry. Lin-building can also help get a business's name in front of consumers, as guest posts and news reports covering the company all link back to the business's website. All of these together combine to make a formidable marketing strategy.
SEO Is Affordable and Effective
Most people who see something as affordable and effective start wondering what the catch is. With SEO, the only real "catch" is that the business needs to constantly update its content. Once the site gets to the first page of search results on Google, it's the start of the company's dominance of a small space on the internet. The site will likely rank for a few more keywords and phrases, but it doesn't have to pay for advertising for any of them. If the business is operating on a shoestring budget or doesn't feel like it wants to pay for advertising just yet, SEO can provide a solution that solves the fundamental marketing problems it'll have without paid advertising. People much prefer finding results on their own than being fed a paid ad. As such, they are more likely to click on organic search results than a paid promotion for a company. The chances are that they'll respect the business more as well.
Incorporating SEO into Content in 2022
Content isn't just your landing pages or your store page. It goes deeper than that. Weekly blog posts help to keep a website relevant and help them rank for seasonal and situation keywords. Video and images with alt-text can also help a website rank for a particular search term. Unfortunately, most businesses don't have the time to delve into keyword research and get just the right one to suit their needs. If you're running a company like that, let Iris Content help you. We offer professional SEO services along with world-class writers that are ready to work on your website's content. What would you like to create today? Contact us to find out more!