The six staple basics for content marketing

If you’re not up with latest information about search engine optimizing for business websites. You could still be thinking in terms of keywords to improve your websites search results. Well the bad news is if you are, Google does not use keywords for ranking anymore. It’s all about the topic of your content… or relevance to search term/topic from the user.

To improve your websites ranking you need to have a good technical setup and quality content relevant to the search term being used. Without at least these two things you will have a very hard trying to improve your websites ranking and or holding on to it.

I love to see website owners providing original content for their users. Here are some simple rules to use when creating content.

  • Catchy title and excerpt.

    Just like the days of old. The headline says/sells it all. The term used these days is click bait, because you want to have a compelling title which excites users enough to click on it. However, there is no need to be deceitful with your title. The trick is to write content that is topical and interesting to your target audience. Then it is just a matter of illustrating the topic clearly.

  • A picture says a thousand words.

    Yep that rule is still true online. Using a picture your target audience will like is important. If you are posting to social media insure you are using OG tags to control the picture shown. Additionally, users do not want to see a text wall when they load your blog. Break up the text with some relevant pictures that you are licensed to use. Make sure you use good technical SEO practice and add alt tags and name the picture file name accordingly.

  • If a picture says a thousand words what does a video say!

    Including videos in your blogs does increase followers. Users tend to have short reading spans, especially the sub 35 year olds, and a compelling video can break up the reading process and keep people’s short modern attention spans entertained.

  • Technical Setup

    Make sure you have your page url, meta tags correct and labels filled out correctly to keep the page topic focused. If possible create OG tags. Make sure your hosting is quick to every market you wish to reach and consistent.

  • Topic

    One blog, one topic is my rule. Keep it short and one topic.

  • Substance and value

    Make sure the content is relevant to your target market. Make sure it has an actual use and isn’t just a puff piece which actually says and means nothing.

    Where possible share your original views and feelings rather than re-hashing what others have already written. Even adding just a small point of difference or nugget of gold could retain a user.

    Note: Don’t just blindly outsource your content writing and don’t commit long term to any one source. Nothing will tank your business faster than poorly written content. Worse yet content that is plagiarized or obviously re-written by a computer or someone who doesn’t speak English fluently. So whether the content is generated in house or out do not just blindly assume that it is good. If you are the owner or manager make sure everything is checked off by you or someone trusted before it goes out.