Looking for new ways to improve your site’s search engine rankings? Content marketing could be one of the solutions you’re looking for. In the recent past, SEO was largely about keywords, link-building, and on-site optimization. While these elements are still essential, their effectiveness is decreasing increasingly as search engine algorithms continue to change.
Therefore, it is important to incorporate other SEO strategies in your online marketing efforts, such as creating high-quality, long-form content. In this article, we explore three ways in which you can use content marketing to improve the SEO of your business.
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Focusing on User Intent is More Effective Than Using Individual Keywords
The release of the Google Hummingbird algorithm in 2013 has seen the search engine shifting away from keyword target in favor of focusing on semantic search. It’s worth noting that this algorithm was developed with the aim of eliminating irrelevant content in favor of more authoritative content in the search engine results pages (SERPs).
The algorithm uses phrases instead of keywords. That means the use of long-tail keywords – phrases of at least three or more words – will work much better for your SEO efforts. You can benefit from Scott Keever SEO service for long-tail keyword research.
Google will normally return content that matches the actual meaning and intent behind the search instead of returning pages based simply on keyword density. When creating content, keep in mind the questions your target audience could be asking, rather than just focusing on one or two catchphrases.
Focus on the intent of your audience. What are they looking for? Where are they are located?
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Unique Content Can Help Boost Your Rankings in The SERPs
Search engines tend to favor unique content. Your keyword research and content marketing strategy should be focused on creating high-quality, never-seen-before content. This kind of content will put your business or website in front of visitors searching for long-tail keywords, increasing your chances of ranking higher in the SERPs.
By writing unique content that is relevant to your business, you’ll not only be able to rank higher for more keywords but also reach a wider audience.
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Google Prefers Long-form Content
Research shows that pages that rank the highest in most SERPs normally have the largest amount of content. In fact, the first three positions of the SERPs are normally occupied by pages that have at least 2,000 words of content.
However, long-form content alone is not necessarily effective in improving SEO. The trick is to deliver valuable, informative content to your audience. Otherwise, your visitors will get bored and leave. This will affect your bounce rate and hence your rankings.
Conclusion
SEO has evolved to include factors other than keyword density, link-building, and on-page optimization. A factor that has proven effective in improving search engine ranking is content marketing. You should aim to create unique, substantial content that resonates with your target audience.
Also, focus on using long-tail keywords, rather than one or two individual keywords. This will not only help to boost your ranking in the SERPs but also help expose your business to a wider audience and position you as an authority in your industry.
