Once you get a basic understanding of how content marketing is supposed to work for your business, it can be tempting to drastically overthink your content strategy through the lens of content optimization. However, this approach can stunt your sales and cripple your conversions, if you take it too far. These tips help you determine the right amount of analysis, and when you should let the writing stand for itself.
Keyword Strategies
You are well aware of the need to be careful in your keyword strategy. Google has punished businesses for keyword-stuffing for years. You know to place target keywords in a natural fashion throughout well-written content that has value for your readers. However, it is exceptionally important that you also maintain a consistent approach for each page. For example, a health writer may choose to use the keyphrase “chiropractor in Albany” for a specific page or blog post. This may be enough, depending on your business and your SEO goals. When content planners take this keyword and add others throughout the same page, such as “Albany back specialist,” Google has a hard time identifying which keyword is optimized for the page. Putting too many keywords on one page also has the unfortunate effect of making the page look spammy. Instead, select several different keywords for your website, and emphasize a different one for each page.
Link-Building
Spammy link building, often called “black hat,” has become the scourge of the online marketing industry. You would love it if other businesses, blogs or websites would link to the content on your website. It improves your search engine rankings and helps prospective customers to find you. However, too many people got the idea to start posting links in comments on random sites or blogs. It has led some SEO experts to conclude that link-building is dead. However, Google still rewards you for a solid link-building strategy, if you don’t overwork it. Reconsider old, tossed-out marketing approaches, such as forming a partnership with a symbiotic business and sharing links on each other’s pages. You could even start a formal marketing campaign on print media to spread awareness of your useful content.
Conversion Optimization
The goal of all of this is to increase conversions, and this does not necessarily have to mean more sales. You just have to make sure you do not spend so much time getting buyers to your door that you forget to tell them what to do once they knock.
When people:
- ask for a brochure
- request a consultation
- sign up for your newsletter
- follow you on social media
it is a conversion of sorts. The trick is not to place too many of your eggs in one basket, especially not a basket that’s teetering on the top of the funnel. Content optimization is the path you take to get you to conversions. With engaging, relevant content to draw in your readers, you can take them to the next step of getting more information about your company or even ordering services.
To improve your reach anywhere on the Internet, content optimization is key. If you balance your approach to keywords, link-building, and conversions, you will stay off Google’s punishing radar and earn greener.
Holly S is is a marketing copywriter who loves to create a vague sense of urgency in her writing, as a means to improve conversions.
