Technically speaking, content marketing and search engine optimization are two different beasts. They potentiate each other–or can when executed correctly
Perhaps, it is less that they are two different beasts, and more that they are different breeds of the same animal. Though these two facets appear to function very differently initially, it is crucial to understand that they are really intertwined, and both need to be nurtured to increase the volume of traffic on your website.
Increasing digital traffic used to be as straightforward as experimenting with your meta tags, switching around the structure of your links, or adding keywords here and there. After these elements were in completed, all you had to do was build a few more links on your site, then sit back and watch your traffic volumes increase.
This process has become a bit more complicated today. We have said it countless times, but search engines like Google prefer (more like: “demands”) relevant, high-quality content over anything else.
The digital marketing phrase, “Content is king” will probably never disappear. It is a fact that if your website does not contain quality content, it will not rank well with search engines.
At the same time, however, if people are actually going to find (and use!) your high-quality content, you will have to develop a solid SEO plan to facilitate that process.
Composing the most poetic, compelling piece of prose you have ever written will not help your business grow at all if search engines do not view your entire website as one that follows “best practices” or offer value for its users.
Where They’re Different
As we already mentioned, content marketing and search engine optimization have two different mechanisms. The fundamental difference can be explained like this: Content marketing is broad and holistic, whereas SEO ir more technical and rigid.
While the two facets may appear to be polar opposites, the fact is they can create a union that is cohesive and effective when they are both utilized appropriately.
Where They Overlap
Despite all the of differences between content marketing and search engine optimization, there are many areas where they overlap too. You can take advantage of this overlap by using it in your website to find the most attractive way to get more people to spend time on your website.
So, let us examine how content marketing and search engine optimization can come together.
Quality
High-quality content gives your website authority. High rankings on search engines rely on a multitude of factors, including the quality of the content you have written. As you use your content to reach audiences and deliver keywords your ranks will climb higher in search engines and increase your authority with visitors to your business’s website.
Optimized Keywords
Optimize keywords within your content. Using keywords in several places within your content allows your reach to expand to more diverse audiences, including niche audiences. The trick to this is using keywords naturally within your website’s content.
New Pages
You can get new pages ranking with content and SEO. Search engine optimization is all about your rankings climbing on search indexes, which will not happen if are not publishing relevant, new, quality content.
As you publish new web pages, you create opportunities for more reach and better ranks. This then, leads to more keywords you can use to get ranked for. It is important to remember, though, quality will be far more successful that quantity alone. Higher-quality content gets your website higher rankings.
Why It Matters
It is actually very common for business and website owners to only focus on one side of the Content/SEO coin and completely disregard the other.
Content marketing and search engine optimization both contribute valuable elements to the online marketing picture, and you need to utilize them both properly to effectively grow your business. It is frequently a complex and intricate puzzle that needs to become a well-oiled machine to deliver the possible best results.
Here is an example for you: If a business was focusing only on something like publishing blog articles over investing time in good search engine optimization, they will likely see a drop in the overall rankings of their website.
Alternately, if that same business were to obsess over building links and pushes to make 18 new high-quality links live each day, it is highly unlikely that they will be able to produce enough relevant content to support constructing links on that scale.
Ultimately, search engine optimization requires so much content because it is an ongoing, evolving process. Google does not assign high value to an unchanging or stagnant website. Search engines want to know that you are publishing strong, relevant, and useful content so it may produce the best results for each search that is initiated.
Of course you can do search engine optimization on the same pages repeatedly, but you will probably find that it is much more successful when it is taking advantage of all this new content you are composing, tying it all together, and pushing it all up the search engine rankings.
Creating a Balance
The trick is to use content marketing and search engine optimization together. SEO does require a lot of quality content, but that certainly does not mean you should rely exclusively on this singular aspect of digital marketing. It is advisable to approach your digital marketing from a number of directions.
Perhaps publishing blog posts are not what your business needs at present. Maybe considering some long-form, evergreen content instead is more appropriate. Maybe we need to get your user interface updated before we start building links…
In any machine, there are a lot of moving parts, which is why it is imperative to forge a balance between your SEO and content marketing efforts. Click To TweetIt is probably going to be simpler than you think.
First, clearly identify the purpose and goals driving your website. If you simply want to attract more traffic, put more focus on SEO tactics that drive visitors to your website. If you want higher conversion rates once visitors are already on your website, then content marketing is more important.
Ideally however, the aim should be to both attract more traffic to your website and convert them into customers once they get there. As you develop this balance, you will be sure to see your traffic volume and conversion rates climb right alongside your search engine rankings.
Strategic content marketing attracts the qualified potential clients to your website and can convert them into potential clients. Whether your law firm needs a website and content to accompany it or you’d like to add additional content to your site, we’re here to help. Our content marketing department provides spectacular evergreen pages, blog content, and digital marketing collateral such as ebooks and email newsletters.
To learn more about our content creation services or how we can improve your law firm’s marketing, contact us.
