If you've been keeping up with the latest marketing trends, then you must know that SEO (search engine optimization) is one of the biggest marketing tools at the moment.

Nothing beats ranking in the first position of Google's results. The bad news: Google keeps updating the rules of ranking websites.

So, how does one beat the system and stay on that first page of the results pages? By providing interesting, engaging and beneficial content. And this is where content marketing comes in.

What is Content Marketing?

Simply put, it is the development and promotion of useful content that is targeted at a very specific audience. Content marketing aims to attract a certain audience, engage them, and give them actionable solutions. The main objective is retain the audience and, with time, offer more beneficial solutions at a price and turn a profit.

How will content marketing help you with SEO?

You might be surprised to know that some people argue that SEO and content marketing don't go together. But according to Neil Patel, a highly respected SEO specialist, that could not be farther from the truth. Though he acknowledges that individually the two might generate some good traffic, in this article, he argues that together they combine into one powerful tool

3 Ways content marketing helps SEO

1) Content marketing lowers bounce rate

It's no secret that a high bounce rate will damage your rankings. A high bounce rate tells Google that readers don't like what they found on your website. In other words, your content was crap.

How can you fix that? By offering content that captures your reader's attention and keeps them glued to the page. You must create compelling content that offers real value.

Content marketing ensures you can communicate almost instantly that you are offering real value from the moment a lead lands on your page. Then, they will stay on your website longer. And Google will up your rankings because of this.

2.Effective content marketing establishes you as an authority

Google loves authority sites. In fact, getting a backlink from an authority site will improve the ranking of your website. But here's a question: how does a website or blog gain authority status? Simple, by offering the best and most detailed content on a specific topic.

Authority websites concentrate on one niche. The main aim of their content marketing strategy is to create content that will be referenced with regard to a specific topic. And as other websites link to them, Google regards them as a trusted source and ups their rankings.

By working to be an expert in a specific topic, you will improve your SEO. In fact, becoming an authority in a particular niche almost always guarantees the first position on Google's first page.

3. Content marketing improves ranking for the right keywords

You can't talk about SEO without mentioning the importance of the right keywords. After identifying your target keywords, content marketing skills will help you create compelling content around those keywords.

Gone are the days of keyword stuffing. Nowadays, there has to be a smooth flow of content. Additionally, Google prefers longer content.

To avoid sounding like a broken record, you need to create amazing content that integrates all your keywords seamlessly. And as you do this, you will notice a positive boost in your website's ranking on Google’s results pages.

Conclusion

Honestly, integrating content marketing and SEO will take time. But once you get it right you'll reap the benefit of a powerful marketing strategy that boosts your website visibility through SEO and keeps your readers coming back for more through effective content marketing.

Lorenzo Gutierrez

About the Author: Lorenzo Gutierre

Lorenzo, with a background in SEO is the founder of a boutique digital marketing agency in San Francisco. When Lorenzo is not working he likes to hang out with his dog, try cooking a new recipe or watching an interesting documentary on Netflix. Connect with Lorenzo on LinkedIn.

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