SEO is a broad topic that requires a lot of expert knowledge. But there is a simple rule for content: always put the reader first, then the search engine.
As part of our SEO series, we have already covered the basics of SEO. Today, we are dedicating an entire article to the topic of content because of its importance: After a brief introduction, you will learn how content fits into the larger picture of online marketing, how to develop a long-term strategy, and what types of content there are. We will also help you with simple tips for practical implementation and content creation.
Like all areas of website creation and marketing, the field of SEO content has changed dramatically in recent years. For brands, manufacturers and news portals, easy-to-read, interesting content has always been important, but especially for online shops and marketplaces, text often served only as a collection point for keywords. It was not uncommon for the content to be placed at the bottom of the page in small fonts and low-contrast colors, as the keyword strings were not only horrible to read, but were also not meant to distract the user from making a purchase.
This changed with Google's Panda update in 2011: the search engine now places much more emphasis on the quality of content rather than its quantity. Two years later, Google went one step further and improved its algorithm in the area of semantic relationships and synonyms. Since then, the intention of search queries can be better assessed and texts can be written for more than one search term. This brought SEO content into the spotlight.
Search engine optimization (SEO) and content marketing are two areas of online marketing that are increasingly merging, but they are not the same thing. Precise definitions of the terms help to distinguish them:
SEO encompasses all of the actions taken to promote your website in the organic (i.e., unpaid) results of search engines. This includes offpage optimization, which includes all activities that do not take place directly on the website, as well as onpage optimization, which includes technical and content-related improvements to the website.
Content marketing focuses on the regular creation and distribution of valuable and relevant content to attract new customers, retain existing customers, and increase awareness with the ultimate goal of generating profitable customer actions.
A good content strategy involves the long-term planning, creation and publishing of content and is closely linked to the definition of your keyword set. The result is content that is thematically relevant to the search queries of relevant customers and that best incorporates the appropriate keywords. To achieve this, ask yourself the following questions:
With the answers to these questions, you can formulate your editorial plan. You can use a chart containing the following points: topic, format, and publication date and location.
You can learn more about choosing your keyword set in the article "The basics of SEO - explained very simply".
When creating content, you should always keep your message and your audience in mind. Only content that matches the search intent and the search result will lead to success.
Generally speaking, there are four types of content, each with different intentions and goals:
Transactional content focuses on the transaction: The user is supposed to buy a product, sign up for a consultation, take out a subscription, or something similar. The content must therefore provide them with information about a product or service and about you as a provider. Transactional content is typically provided on category pages, product pages, or brand pages.
Informational content focuses on providing information: The user's search query should be answered as best as possible; a transaction is not the goal - at least not ostensibly. The information can be presented in evergreen and timely content.
Evergreen content is always interesting, while timely content, such as seasonal topics, is only relevant for a short period of time. Informational content is often provided in the form of a magazine, guide, or blog article. Brand content is content that introduces the company and creates its image. It is relevant to all business models and can be found on service pages such as About Us, FAQs, and Careers. Press releases and employee newsletters also provide space for this content.
Social content includes all content that entertains users and is suitable for sharing on social networks: insider tips, behind-the-scenes videos, infographics, etc. This content can be included in a magazine or guide, as well as on dedicated landing pages. It can also be integrated outside your own website, for example on Facebook, YouTube and Instagram.
Not all types of content play an important role in SEO: Transactional content is the most important for your rankings because transactional keywords often have high, consistent search volume. This is also true for informational, evergreen content, while informational, seasonal content is only important if you offer a seasonal product. Brand content and social content have an indirect effect on organic search results: you will automatically get a good ranking for your brand keywords if your website is technically flawless, while there is little search volume for content with entertainment value. However, social content is important for generating offpage signals such as links and social signals.
Once you have determined the topic using the keyword set and the type of content by defining the message and the audience, you can start creating it. There are two areas to focus on: readability and search engine optimization.
Tips for easy to read, interesting copy:
Tips for search engine optimization:
Good text is the most important ranking factor in SEO content. But images and videos can also be helpful to users and can be optimized for search engines.
Tips for optimizing images and videos:
If you keep all these points in mind, you will create content that both the reader and the search engines like.
Google and other search engines can use user signals such as time spent, number of clicks, and bounce rate to determine more accurately how interesting the content on your site is to the user. For search engines, the more relevant the content is to the user, the more important it is in the rankings. If you want to achieve a good position in the search results, you should offer the user high-quality content that informs, supports the purchase or entertains, depending on the requirements.
It is important not to think of content optimization as a magic bullet. Both SEO content and content marketing require discipline and persistence: you must continually provide your target audience with interesting content - and you will be rewarded with better visibility in search results.
If you have any questions or need help developing and implementing an SEO strategy, please contact us. You can reach us by phone at +49 711 184 206-0 or by email at hello@wus.de.
