Effective SEO is all about being able to effectively marry content and links. Whilst your on-site efforts, such as navigation and coding can’t be overlooked, success or failure within the search sphere is often dependent on these two simple concepts.
Often content production (or copywriting) is done entirely independently of all link building efforts. It is used to entice a click, encourage a phone call or persuade a visitor to part with their cash. It has a purpose, it also has a significant SEO benefit; but due to its static nature, website content isn’t a great way of developing inbound links.
Equally, link building is often something of a solitary pursuit. You will have to work hard to receive a single link which will then feed through to a page on your site. There are directories available, local profiles to create and you can also contact website owners directly to secure that vital nugget of SEO gold.
Combining Link Building and Copywriting
Neither of these tie-in with each other particularly, yet both have a significant impact on your site’s optimisation, traffic and ability to convert. So imagine what would happen if you were to combine the two? This is, in essence, exactly what Content Marketing is.
Essentially, it is creating content for the purpose of generating a link back to your site (and developing your reputation). The effectiveness of both the link and content are jointly dependent on quality. If you want your content to be hosted on a strong site (thus providing a stronger link), then it has to be of a standard that will warrant inclusion. However, if you create a great piece of writing and then hide it on a small article directory, you’ll never see any benefit from it.
Content Marketing is all about writing the best material and getting it out the best possible source [see: Where Should You Market Your Content?]
Creating a Network of Externalised Content
Your content needn’t simply act as a standalone satellite channelling a single link to your site though. Link to your other hubs, articles and guest blogs to build a swirling typhoon of link strength; all of which will eventually funnel into the many pages of your website. Content Marketing is all about strength in numbers.
External content should act as an extension of your site though. As was so ably explained in a post on Copyblogger yesterday – What’s the Difference Between Content Marketing and Copywriting – there is a crossover between the two. There has to be in fact. The skills learnt in each should benefit the other. A good Copywriter should be able to write excellent content, the opposite is also true (if of course there are any who would define themselves as a Content Writer).
But the SEO benefit of all this activity should be noticeable. Unlike other forms of link building, you are in control of your destiny. You can submit your content wherever you feel it would have most benefit; and, assuming it is of a decent enough standard, most will be happy to accept it. A free link is your reward, whilst a boost to your online reputation can be a pretty useful by-product.
So be rewarded for your creativity and get involved in a little Content Marketing.
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