Back in 2012 there was SEO. Now in 2013 there is content marketing. Are these the same? Think again.
There is a move away from the importance of keyword use to a preference for promoting and respecting original writing. Repetition and duplication are given short shrift, only to be replaced by original content with relevant subjects, links and references to other authoritative sources.
Another difference is readability. An unrelentingly SEO-ed post would be stuffed to the gills with keywords, there would be no need for copywriting skills except how to incorporate the desired keywords in as many places as possible to stimulate the search engines. Now content marketing is rewarded with excellent writing, reader appreciation, reciprocal sharing via social media and plenty of comments and feedback. This can only happen if posts are written properly, have appropriate prose, grammar and syntax, and be suitably entertaining, informative and useful for the reader.
Content marketing communicates to the reader, not the search engine. Writers should address their audience in a way that shows they are understood, known and appreciated. Conversation is key: posts should be written as if directed solely to that one person reading the content, using familiar, personal and human language. Stories should take over from facts, case studies replace selling statements and the overall message should reflect ‘What’s in it for them?’.
The concept of conversation came from social media. The search engines noticed that a lot more interaction was taking place from to-ings and fro-ings from friends and contacts, however trivial, because the language used was easily understood, appreciated and simplified. There was no need for meaningless keyword use: repetition was natural, the vocabulary was appropriate and the pace fast. Short communications were vital to cope with a limited attention span, and messages were usually scanned first before a decision to read them properly was reached.
Another move was away from the written word. Images had been taking over since 2012 with the rise of Pinterest and other related social platforms. Video was making a comeback as creation facilities increased in mobile and tablet applications. Instant gratification of visual communication was made possible at a click of a button to express an idea, thought or observation on different media available to the audience.
Many things have happened since the beginning of the year, and we’re only about a third of the way through. Therefore it’s important to be aware of developments so you can keep up and adapt accordingly. All those agencies that specialised in SEO may now have their noses out of joint, but unless they can adapt to the world of good writing, excellent prose, meaning communication and exciting conversations that can relate to the reader, all good attributes towards blogging, they may find themselves falling behind.
Why reading other people’s blogs is important too
Therefore this wonderful source of information and inspiration should not be ignored. Blogs are perfect for fact finding, learning new stuff, market research and even a networking opportunity. Take time to find out more about these authors, how they tick, their styles and techniques, and bask in the glory of their expertise and knowledge.
You can find the most popular and optimised blogs through Google Alerts and other RSS mechanisms, and use other research methods such as hashtags in Twitter and keyword search criteria within a particular subject. Join lots of groups in Facebook and LinkedIn and read the contributions there. Sign up to social bookmarking sites and wallow through the content on offer; there is heaps to read within your chosen niche, offering a prime reason to socialise and communicate.
Being sociable by reading, commenting, reviewing and recommending other blogs will eventually draw attention to your own blog. If your desire is to increase traffic to your blog, this is an excellent method. The power of commenting is often overlooked by visitors, a missed opportunity to link back to your blog, and even your latest post with the correct plugins in place.
Be positive, considerate, polite, constructive and communicative. Don’t go on about yourself or your business or link heavily to your product, or you could be marked down as spam. There are enough annoying people out there without you adding to them. Instead if you leave a well-written, enthusiastic and relevant continuation of the post in the form of a conversation, this will be greatly appreciated, and warrant a good reply. Remember search engines mark comments as new content too, so as well as hoisting the blog higher in the optimisation stakes, they will more than likely visit your blog through your comment’s link.
Another thing about keeping abreast of what other bloggers write, is that you find out the latest trends, which keywords are in vogue, the ground-breaking subject-matter that is causing the latest stir. If you’re canny you’ll take this information on board and write your own version, thus stealing a march on the popularity wave and capturing the attention of the search engines. It will also set you as an up-to-date thought-leader in your niche, always a good thing if you want to impress your current and future readers.
And once you’ve struck up your new relationships with your blogger friends, who knows where it might lead to. Guest blogging is an excellent way of increasing your reader base, as well as presenting your posts to a larger audience. Blogging carnivals are another way of increasing your post exposure. Sharing your posts on social networking sites will work via interaction and continued conversation, plus using the same procedure for the bookmarking sites, and your increased sociability will stand you in good stead and more blogging popularity.