9 reasons why good content is essential for SEO

At first glance, Content Marketing and Search Engine Optimization (SEO) might seem at odds with each other. Content Marketing aims to attract people, while SEO primarily courts Google’s web crawler. Many companies outsource their SEO to specialized agencies, yet allocate little budget to Content Marketing. This is a missed opportunity because, aside from its inherent value, Content Marketing is crucial for a successful SEO strategy. Here, we arm you with 9 reasons why good content is essential for SEO.

Why SEO Matters

Ultimately, online marketing is all about sales. The primary goal of SEO is to improve your website’s visibility. Better visibility means more organic visitors, leading to more leads and, ultimately, sales. It’s straightforward and precisely why companies are keen to ‘buy into’ the promise of being ‘number 1 on Google for a few hundred euros. Our article “Ranking high in search engines, how does that actually work?” dives into this topic.

So, what exactly are these SEO specialists selling? Their tactics fall into two categories. The first is the ‘black hat’ camp, which uses dubious methods to secure high Google rankings, like buying links and social media shares, or employing hidden software that the average visitor won’t see. These tactics can yield impressive results, but if Google catches on, your visibility is gone for good. The ‘white hat’ camp, on the other hand, sticks to legitimate methods, focusing mainly on programming and other fundamentals to ensure a site is easily indexable and quick for Google.

In the best-case scenario, you’ve secured a solid foundation from these agencies; in the worst case, you’ve taken a significant risk.

Why SEO Revolves Around Content Marketing

As Kissmetrics once stated in ‘Why SEO Is Actually All About Content Marketing’:

“SEO without content is nonexistent. You need words, articles, substance, keywords, verbiage. It’s a cliché but true: Content is king. There’s a significant overlap between Content Marketing and SEO.

In short; there’s is a huge overlap between content marketing and SEO.

9 Reasons Why Content is Essential for SEO

We thought of 9 reasons why content is essential for SEO in short order. When pressed, I’m sure we could think of more, but these are the most important;

1. A Reason to Return:
SEO aims to increase visitors. If visitors have a reason to come directly to your site, what do you need search engines for?

2. Establishing Expertise and Authority:
Quality content showcases your organization’s knowledge and expertise, showing potential customers they’re in the right place.

3. Conversion Opportunities to Lead/Customer:
Content that resonates with your audience can lead to inquiries or even orders. That article about a custom solution you implemented for a major client in France? A potential customer from Germany might call because it caught their interest.

4. Shareability on Social Media:
Word-of-mouth remains the most powerful form of advertising, with social media now a key channel. Plus, Google factors social shares into its rankings.

5. Claiming Brand Values
Content helps associate specific words with your brand or company. For example, if your search includes ‘positioning,’ you’re likely to find us, The Merkelijkheid, which is our area of expertise.

6. Maintaining an ‘Active’ Site:
Google favors active sites. A site that’s not regularly updated is deemed irrelevant by Google’s algorithms.

7. New SEO Insights and Connections:
Experimenting with content can lead to valuable SEO insights, like discovering long-tail keywords specific to your audience.

8. Link Building:
Good content naturally generates backlinks. As we link to Kiss Metric and the Content Marketing Institute, strive to become a prime source of information in your field, which Google rewards with higher rankings.

9. Embracing Your Unique Value:
Next time, consider hiring a photographer for high-quality shots of your new product, or invest time in detailing your production methodology in an article. Be proud of what makes you unique and share it with the world. If you don’t share what sets you apart, how will your ideal customer find you?

Wat willen we met dit stuk bereiken? Dat je de volgende keer wél een fotograaf laat komen om eens wat mooie foto’s te schieten van dat nieuwe product. Of dat je net wat meer tijd investeert in het uitwerken van dat artikel over jullie productiemethodiek. Kortom, dat je trots bent op wat de kern is van jullie onderscheidend vermogen en het de wereld mogelijk maakt om daarvan mee te genieten. Als jullie al niet delen wat jullie zo bijzonder maakt, hoe kan de ideale klant jullie dan vinden?