How to Build Your Business with Content Marketing and SEO

Websites on internet require acknowledgement of web community for their survival. And making your presence felt amongst an ever growing number of companies over internet is like sensing a drop in the ocean.

A company’s products and services undoubtedly bear its stamp but are insufficient to prosper the business by themselves. In this web-pool you need to contribute some pebbles for creating waves that fetch recognition. These pebbles are the content you post. This content can be published anywhere from your personal blog, to public discussion forums, social channels and popular blogs.

The objective is to get your name read by the audiences. The more it appears the more you stand to gain commercially.

Keeping in mind some basic tips while curating your content will help you generate more fruitful results.

1) Audiences are hungrier than ever for content

Advertising doesn’t answer consumer needs. It is information that guides consumers in their purchase decisions. Embark on this opportunity to connect with your customers by sharing useful information that assists them in their search. And you will soon find yourself in their good books. Next time when consumers are caught up in a similar situation they will look-up to you for guidance. This will lay the stone of a trusted relationship.

image credit: http://rayedwards.com/089

Posting content on your website fetches web traffic. The type of content you post determines the kind of traffic you attract – random or targeted. Content created for masses fetches higher web traffic but is less likely to produce tangible results. On the other hand a targeted content strikes a chord with audiences having a definite purpose.

This kind of audience is more liable to engage with your business and become your customers later. Is content still king? According to Sarah Walters, Marketing Manager at The Whit Group “You bet it is! Yes content is still king and continues to be one of Google’s top ranking factors. Creating in-depth informative content that is of interest to your target audience is the most important thing you can do on your site.”

Moreover establishing yourself as an authority puts you in a position where you can sway buyer decisions. Products and services recommended by you will be taken seriously. However don’t misuse this power by recklessly suggesting your products irrespective of consumer requirements. The suggestion should suit consumer needs, even if you have to recommend a competitor product (in case your company doesn’t produce the particular type and feature) don’t hesitate to demonstrate the magnanimity.

2) Say it With Images

To convey a message images work better than textual content. As a child I always pulled out those story books from the library shelf which had images. Thick paperback editions without pictures were veritably uninspiring for perusal. Images enable better visualization of situations and help coincide reader’s thought process with the writer’s.

image credit: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/206673070375581270

Although the results are segregated by content types web search happens only through textual queries. (Search engines need to progress further to employ algorithms for processing search results on the basis of image text) And therefore the images obtained in search results are based on the descriptions and keywords fed while uploading. Infusing images over the web with keywords and meta-descriptions is a tested search engine optimization technique.

3) Importance of meta-descriptions

Content displayed in search engine results comprises content title and a brief description. For displaying results a search engine simply locates the first 160 characters it encounters within the content, regardless of its location which mostly happens to be in the first paragraph (excluding the title). A dedicated meta-description will save search engine the pain of locating text and at the same time prevent from random content being displayed in results.

image credit: http://buildyoursnow.weebly.com/search-engine-optimization.html

Sometimes first paragraphs begin with obsolete examples and quotes to build up the content structure, but if used for describing the topic they prove to be obsolete. On the contrary meta-descriptions are especially designed for describing the topic in 160 characters. They allow you to play around with relevant keywords that are more likely to be searched.

To bat more eyelids you can incorporate intriguing opening sentences like “To know world’s…” or ‘Read the best ways of…” or “The secret to…”. For that matter dramatizing a bit won’t hurt your subject. Meta-descriptions are underrated as far as influencing search engine ranking is concerned. But trust me optimized meta-description does affect the page rankings.

4) Instil backlinks in your external content

Links from popular websites, influencer blogs and shared social content facilitates your website’s appearance in search results. More links bring more traffic, and more relevant links would mean more relevant traffic. Google evaluates a website based on the number of inbound links pointing to it. Many links from less recognized websites fetch sporadic traffic. Whereas links from more popular websites gather substantial traffic.

image credit: http://keyblogging.com/project/search-engine-optimization-linking/

Quality of links that point to your website build up your link profile. But you also need to be aware of the nofollow tag used by some sites for external content. Wikipedia is one of them. Some publishers in order to project an unbiased image use nofollow tags in their links. This tag was born as an outcome of misuse of backlinks by websites for increasing search engine rankings. The only sure shot method of escaping this nofollow tag is to build a genuine link network through marketing worthwhile content.

5) Content Drives Social Platforms

Images, videos, quotes, news, articles and personal messages constitute the entire social content. These are the tools through which one can create an awareness for his business on social platforms. Old marketing tactics involved putting up huge advertisement hoardings in densely populated areas. This method outreached maximum customers.

image credit: http://bigmouthmarketing.co/which-social-media-platforms-should-my-business-be-on/

Similarly social channels are the most densely populated digital platforms today having paramount outreaching ability. Promoting your business here gets easy recognition. You can create brief articles, short duration videos and impressing images with your brand name imprinted. People who skim through your content will acknowledge your presence too.

6) Content Affects Search Engine Rankings

When it comes to search results Google’s PageRank algorithm and many others contribute in churning out the desired results. This is executed based on a site’s popularity and data. If your content is authentic and offers value to the reader it popularizes you and nudges your position upwards in SERPs. Google like a good old grandmother has employed many mechanisms to validate a page’s authenticity over internet. And so tricking away will not land you at safe shores, better produce content that is searched often and serves a purpose.

A rich content ensures higher search engine rankings.

Content marketing if done well could not just sell but induce upselling of products doubling up your profits. A good content alone has the potential to yield ample recognition, back it with a smart product and valuable service. This would be double ensuring the incoming business opportunities.