Optimized Content That Gets Attention
Optimized content is valuable, and one of the strongest tools a business can use to engage their audience. When paired with proper SEO, your potential to satisfy the search intent of your visitors increases. Think of your content as larger than life ad copy.
Using compelling headlines or titles to draw readers in is the first step. Drafting content that includes long-tail keyword variations related to your target audience is the next step that helps keep their interest.
On the average, five times as many people read the headline as read the body copy. When you have written your headline, you have spent eighty cents out of your dollar. -David Ogilvy
When you leverage your content marketing with a solid SEO strategy, you’re nurturing a relationship. In some cases, your content is bridging a gap by answering a potential client’s question. Creating helpful content isn’t just about making a sale, it’s about offering solutions, insights, and data that builds trust.
Content Is Data-Driven
When determining content for your website, blogs, social media or email campaign, there’s one inalienable step that needs to happen first. Do your research. Ask yourself:
- Who are you writing for?
- What is their search intent (or answer to their question)?
- What keywords terms or topics do they use to find what they want?
- What motivates them to take action?
Understanding your target audience and delving deep into analytics provides a foundation for you to build upon. Learn what concerns your audience, and also what words they use. In other words, figure out how they speak. In a little bit, I’m going to show you how to use that to your benefit.
The best way to get a better grasp on your users is to create user personas. By doing so, you are fine-tuning the user experience. This experience isn’t always design related. Sometimes it’s what the user takes away from the content you created for them.
They’ll either use that content, share it, or even better…remember it. So do your research on the user, use the search terms they use to find what they want, and determine what would make them act on a call-to-action (CTA).
How SEO Improves Content
Just because you write or create it doesn’t mean they’ll read or download it.
The key here is not to do SEO and content separately, but in synchronicity. They should compliment each other which will reap more success than you can imagine. Let me explain.
Once you’ve researched your audience, you’re only halfway there. Isolate the keyword terms related to their search intent and incorporate them into your content. Use them strategically in the page title, heading tags, the content itself and in your call to action. And by strategically- I mean write in a conversational manner using those keyword terms as a guide. In the long run, this works to your benefit.
Are internal links important to content? If you’re looking to rank well in Google, the answer is always yes. Choose long-tail keyword terms or a short statement within your content. Then, link it to a relevant page or post already on your website. Ideally, it should be a landing page where you know your target audience will find value or further answers to their search intent.
You’ll also want to spice up your meta descriptions, image alt text, and any digital download titles with variations of your researched keyword terms.
When valuable, meaningful and problem-solving content is created, then it’s up to your SEO strategy to deliver it to the masses. In the end, SEO gives your content the exposure it deserves.
Measure Results That Convert
Now that you’ve published awesome content, you may be thinking that you’re done. Actually, consistently creating content requires measuring results. You’ll want to monitor your Google Search Console and Analytics to see which piece of content resonated the most with your audience. When you identify relevant and helpful information that gets attention…rinse and repeat.
On a final note, always make sure your visitors can contact you. More importantly, craft various forms of content that slowly pushes them toward your products or services, and convert those leads into conversions.
Knowledge is power. And people will pay for information. They’ll even pay with something that’s just as valuable as money. Their time. Leverage content with an SEO strategy to make it worth their time and money.
Are you looking to build a lead generating website that delivers SEO, compelling content, and a kick-ass user experience? Contact the conversion optimization experts at CreativeMMS. Let’s work together!
