Does your business create blog content to market itself? If so, the next logical goal is to have your content found online so it is read. If you want your blogs to be found in the search results, then you should engage in SEO Content practices.
The Importance of SEO
Being found in search should be a primary concern for every business today. In fact, every online activity should be done with an eye toward search engine optimization. Here’s why:
- Ninety-five percent of all Americans use the internet to find the products and services they need;
- Ninety-one percent of those never look past the first page of the search results.
Taken together, these two facts explain why not only appearing in search, but also ranking on the first page, are so important to businesses today.
What is SEO Content?
SEO Content refers to creating content with the specific goal of attracting search engine traffic. This is very different than simply writing a blog and having a SEO professional optimize it.
Instead, it involves a long-term strategy for developing content that your target audience will find helpful and that will rank well in searches.
Goals
Have you identified the goals for your content? Are you looking to convert traffic into sales? Is your site monetized with ads and you just need traffic? Do you have a specific call-to-action for visitors?
When you know your goals, you can shape the content to help achieve them.
Target Audience
Knowing who it is you want to reach determines how you will message them. Creating blogs for singles moms living with their parents will be very different than how you message married men in their fifties who are looking to buy a lawn mower.
Basic customer research will tell you the make up of your target audience. You can also gain insight into your website visitors by using tools such as Google Analytics.
Keywords
Your SEO Content strategy begins with the selection of keywords that you believe searchers will use to find a business like yours. Also consider words or phrases that might be related to what you do. For example, if you sell lawn mowers, then a related topic might be landscaping tips.
Then do keyword research to refine your list. Look for those terms that already have a significant amount of search volume. This will ensure that you are writing about topics for which people are searching.
Remember, you need to think like a consumer here. Don’t let your industry knowledge override what the research results are telling you. It’s not about the keywords that you think searchers should be using. What really counts are the ones they actually use.
The Selection of Blog Topics
Once you have your keyword list, you can begin shaping blog topics around them. If your keyword list is small, then create several different blog topics for each. The goal is to create as many topics as you can around your list.
If you’re having trouble, read this article on creating strong blog topics.
Editorial Calendar
With your blog topics identified, you can start creating an editorial calendar. Your calendar could be in an Excel Spreadsheet, in a Word document or even in an online calendar. What form it takes is up to you. The goal is to have it written down and planned out and for you to follow it.
When placing topics in your calendar, you will also want to consider the time of year. For example, it may be that certain topics will drive traffic better in the summer months than others. Schedule those accordingly.
Types of Content
For this article, the primary subject is using blogs for SEO Content. But other types of content can be added to the mix, as well. They include:
- Infographics
- FAQ pages
- Lists
- Guides
- Videos or podcasts
- Glossaries of industry terms
The Wrap
With the growing importance of appearing in searches, every online activity of your business should be done with an eye toward your search ranking. Creating helpful content for your target audience and having it rank well has become one of the most important things marketers should do today.
If you have questions about SEO Content, call me today at 513-237-5530.
Bob Turner is a Digital Marketing Consultant with RevLocal in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Bob Turner - Digital Marketing Thoughts 
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