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Content vs. SEO - What is the Difference?

October 27, 2016
When creating your online marketing strategy, there’s a lot to take into consideration. Some would argue that SEO is the most crucial to getting your website found and converting clicks, while others might argue that content marketing is the most important. This makes it sound like these are separate elements, when in reality they are intertwined. Once you start to break them down, they are difficult to separate. You’ll see that a holistic marketing approach that takes both into consideration is the best way to go.

What is SEO?

SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is a strategy for getting found by search engines like Google. Best SEO practices involve using relevant keywords and search phrases that people would be likely to search for and incorporating them in a natural way on your website. Rather than just typing in every keyword that comes to mind, this is a process that involves thinking about the way people search for things online, researching relevant topics and questions, and therefore leading them to your website. It also involves carefully selecting your phrasing of these keywords and questions in a way that mirrors what someone would type into a search engine.

What is Content Marketing?

With content marketing, the idea is to create shareable content - content that is interesting and engaging. For instance, it could answer a particular question that someone might relevant to your business. Not only does Google favor this kind of quality content, it also looks at how many people link back to your website. Your writing must be your own honest work, online content should be free of plagiarism. Of course, no knowledge is an island, so if you are producing truly informative content you will likely find the need to cite your sources by linking back to the other websites. Just as you are probably contributing to the ranking of the websites you have linked to, keep in mind that others will do the same with your website if your content is really good! When you find yourself looking at other websites you would need to cite, think about what they have done - what makes it unique? What makes it good? Why did you choose that website over another? Asking yourself these questions will help you along the way to creating your own content that is equally helpful to someone.

How They Work Together

That’s where SEO and content marketing come together - users searching for content and you providing the answer. Google’s algorithm for ranking websites is ever-evolving, so online marketers must keep up with the latest best practices. These days, Google has updated their algorithms to penalize sites that use dishonest SEO methods that were once popular, like link schemes and hidden keywords. This is why unique, quality content is so important. The more people who link back to your site, the better it looks to search engines, which affects your ranking. On top of that, you need a researched SEO strategy that will help users find your particular website when creating your site’s content. So you see, you can’t really have one without the other. It’s not a battle, it’s a partnership. Your online marketing strategy isn’t something you apply when you’re done building your website: it should be a part of the process from day one. To create a truly successful marketing strategy, content and SEO must work hand-in-hand; you’ll miss opportunities by choosing one over the other.

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