Once upon a time, a business blog was a “nice to have.” Brands that could logically produce audience-worthy content (and had the extra staff member to manage this) would do so, building a stronger community and sharing aligned information. Nowadays, a content strategy is essential for all businesses, regardless of industry or target audience. A blogging strategy remains crucial for branding and as a consumer touchpoint, yet it is also vital for SEO purposes.

Quality content and SEO campaigns are complementary practices; without one, the other is less effective. It’s time to set the record straight and start embracing the opportunities afforded by content.

How does a considered content strategy boost SEO rankings?

Content here refers to blog posts, articles, infographics, videos and images, purposed for your website. They generally will inform, educate or entertain your audience about a vertical aligned to your core business.

Add value to your bottom line in a simple and effective way. Here’s how strategic content assists in SEO rankings.

• Make your SEO efforts more efficient. According to HubSpot, 75% of users don’t scroll past the first page of results, so enhancing this positioning is crucial. Useful and valuable information is highly regarded by search engines; it’s the key to a welcome boost.
• Increase engagement and the time spent on your website. Quality content is enticing for readers, meaning they are likely to spend more time on your website – reading and browsing. This higher level also warrants an increased click-through rate, enticing additional visitors to engage. A positive hit of site engagement increases SEO favourability.
• Build additional backlinks. Credible backlinks (links on websites other than your own) situate a business as trustworthy and authoritative in the algorithms, upping the ante. A blog, or other forms of owned content online, is the perfect avenue to highlight expertise and informed opinion. This may then result in referral from other blogs, news platforms and online publications (seamlessly fitting into the digital PR strategy as well).
• Keep your website fresh and appealing. Search engines love new content and frequent updates. Regular posting signals a pulse in technology: the website is still alive, breathing and thriving. More recent and relevant (quality) content only benefits the resulting SEO status.

How to optimise content for SEO

As repeated above, any old content won’t do the trick. A website filled to the brim with optimised content and keywords galore but with very little user value is almost worthless. A blog should not be a dumping ground for ideal keywords; it is a zone for considered, useful content. (In fact, overuse may be penalised). SEO is important, and so is the audience.

Optimised content should:

• Serve your audience. First and foremost, does it add value to the consumer? Does it help them and enhance their experience in some way? Meet these expectations and then consider optimising the content for an added boost in SEO rankings.
• Prioritise relevant keywords. Consider various keywords of relevance to the business and build content around these. Try to offer a point of difference from competitors, whether it be the information listed or the topics considered. Be careful to avoid over-optimising – repetitive and low-value pieces of content are similarly de-valued.
• Be original, readable and formatted to maximise audience ease and engagement. Use bullet points, numerical lists and short paragraphs to create content that can easily be scanned, read and consumed. No essays here!
• Include additional links. Ideally, include a few links to other relevant sources – internal and external – to continue this link-boosting cycle.

If not only for a welcome bump in search engine rankings, consider a content strategy to build better relationships with customers, generate new leads, and aid in the overall sales funnel. With all the information clearly outlaid online, there is less room for questions and frustrations. Close the loop with content. Rise up the ranks with an informed and effective content strategy.