How can you align content marketing and SEO with business objectives?

Coordinate with leadership on the goals that matter. Then, translate how your efforts across content and SEO can work towards those outcomes. For example, if your organization is focused on cost reduction as one of its main goals maybe you'll aim to do more content repurposing of existing resources to minimize spending while continuing to drive results. Or you could adjust how your budget is being allocated using MMM, so the spending by the marketing team on content, SEO, and other activities is better optimized based on historical data. What matters most is that marketing is always in service of the brand's goals, not the other way around.

The most helpful idea in this subject is knowing your customer's goals and what they need. So you can set realistic and efficient goals that manage every challenge between Sep and content and customer!

Having a solid content strategy that resonates with your audience is important. This content strategy needs to be informed by the brand and business strategy to ensure the success of the content feeds back into the larger business goals. Each piece of content should be seen as an opportunity to land your brand strategy, which is built from the business strategy and ladders back to the business' goals.

Don't forget your global audiences. Target the content to specific audiences and personas with the right language, formality, voice, and style. This might mean translation, transcreation (a more creative form of translation), or local copywriting. And never think that you can simply translate SEO/keywords - you have to identify the terms that people are using in each target market. #CSAResearch

The focus has to be on outcomes. Regardless of what initiatives you’re trying to align, you have to have a clear understanding of what you want to achieve and what the steps are to get there. SEO can be tricky to measure unless you plan ahead. Having a good analytics strategy in place to understand how this tactic ladders up to your established KPI or metrics is key. In my experience it’s also incredibly valuable to understand how SEO assists in your sales cycle or customer’s journey, even if it isn’t what ultimately closes them or converts them. Sometimes an SEO strategy that’s long term is the most effective, but only impactful if you can measure along the way.

People try to make analysis seem super difficult, but I can explain it to you in 30 seconds. 1. Go to your Analytics tool of choice 2. Look for your successful content pieces 3. Breakdown the Topic, Format, or Medium 4. Create new content with the purpose of testing 5. Double down on what worked and why it worked

Most tend to look for top-performing content and draw lessons from them, but it is equally important to understand why your low-performing content did so as well. Make a list of worst-performing 10-15 pieces, then investigate: - If there is an overarching theme - If the formats and methods used are similar - What could help them perform better? Then feed these lessons into your future planning.

One of the tricky things about using SEO as a key content goal is that search engine standards are always evolving, and SEO is an arms race. It can be hard to produce dependable, predictable results this way. Consider using other content strategy frameworks, such as the content marketing funnel.

Google Analytics is a really powerful tool if used in the right way. You can get so many deep insights to make your strategies better. For example, if a webpage has a lot of people leaving quickly (high bounce rate),it signals the need to make things better, maybe in terms of content quality, how fast the page loads or how it responds on mobile devices. Google Analytics lets you dig deep into how your content is performing, giving a clear view on what areas needs attention and improvement. Going deeper it provides insights into the Source/Medium, showing exactly where your traffic originates & evaluates Audience Retention, indicating how well your site keeps visitors engaged. It utilises Behaviour Flow to pinpoint potential exit pages.

A few specific ways to optimize content that many organizations bypass: -Interlinking: Add relevant hyperlinks to new content, even if it's published after the original. -Content Updates: Republish older content with new information. And, yes, use the republish date (not the original date). -Weeding Out: Get rid of content that is underperforming. Pruning content can boost SEO performance. -Content Hierarchies: You can retrofit content into a hub-and-spoke or other content hierarchy that is easy for both readers and search engines to follow. -Check Meta Details: Make sure your posts are optimized for specific keywords. Check that those keywords are incorporated into title tags, meta descriptions, headers, etc. Yoast et al. can help.

A content calendar is your strategic compass, guiding your content creation and distribution. Picture this: you're at the helm of a sustainable fashion brand, aiming to boost online sales. Your content calendar becomes your North Star, mapping out eco-fashion guides, laser-focused on keywords like "sustainable fabrics" or "ethical style choices." This synergy elevates your SEO game, resonating with your audience's interests, and shining a spotlight on your brand. It's not just content; it's your roadmap to digital supremacy.

In addition to having a content calendar with SEO goals you need to consider following: 1)Stand out from the crowd. It’s important to stamp your unique voice. 2)Your content needs to be about topics that are in the headlines. 3)You also need a mixture of evergreen content as sometimes you need to just give value. 4)But most importantly your content has to have authenticity. 5) Always keep you target audience in mind and write as if you are in conversation with them. 6) Read it out loud and even read it to a friend

1) Keep a dedicated section for regular SEO updates as it is not a one-time task. It’s essential to consistently update your keywords, meta tags, and content based on the latest SEO trends and algorithm changes. This section ensures your content remains optimised and ranks higher. 2) Include a content refresh cycle in your calendar. Old posts that performed well can be updated and repurposed to maintain their relevance and effectiveness. This cycle ensures your content remains fresh, updated and continues to drive traffic and engagement.

As a content agency, we always start client engagements by building a strategy and then a content calendar aligned to that strategy. A few tips: -Our favorite tool for managing content calendars is Monday.com. The UI works well for editorial workflows and is very extensible and malleable. Other favorites: Asana, Trello, Notion, or good, old-fashioned Google Sheets. -PLAN AHEAD. The further out you plan your content calendar, the more efficient and effective it's likely to be. We generally recommend a rolling 90-day editorial calendar and then some "blocks" for monthly content (e.g., if you're an ecomm business, block out November and December for holiday-related content.) -Note published pieces: This will help with future audits!

Editorial calendars are a key tool for organizations looking to reach new audiences by tapping into potential viral waves. There are 4 buckets in this Editorial Calendar strategy: 1) Social Awareness Days (World Water Day, Earth Day, etc.) 2) Landmark Anniversaries (2020 was 50th anniv. of Davos; 50th anniv. of Earth Day; 75th anniv of the UN; etc.) 3) Tentpole Events (from gravitas convenings, like UN GA or upcoming COP28 in Dubai, to pop culture moments, like the Oscars or Super Bowl) 4) Breaking News (some news events can remain relevant for months) By creating content tied to a subject matter that is near-guaranteed to trend, you have the opportunity to connect to readers/viewers hungrily searching for content tied to that subject.

If you feel like you are not connecting with your audience and lagging behind your competitors ... keywords alone are not a silver bullet for success. Keyword targeting alone falls short. High volume terms lack context which leads to low relevance that wastes time and resources. This misalignment will confuse your audience and result in limited content/audience affinity and stagnant growth. You need to move beyond just keywords. Understand your audience's search intent through semantic analysis. Build context around target terms. Craft content that speaks directly to your audience’s needs. This creates authentic, valuable experiences and builds real connections, loyalty and growth.

If keywords are the key to SEO, don't forget that what you write; your words will be the essence of your piece. Be mindful while adding keywords to your content. It shouldn't seem like a forceful addition. So, after you add the necessary keywords as per the keyword density requirements, read your content out loud and ensure they're not disrupting the flow of the article.

One common mistake is prioritizing only high-volume keywords. These are often also high-competition keywords, so it may take a long time (and a lot of high-quality content) to rank for them. My advice? Use long-tail keywords — these are the lower-volume keywords (often keyphrases) others may overlook. Choose keywords that have *some* search volume and that are highly correlated to what you offer. For example, if you're a B2B tech company selling a solution for engineers working with massive data sets, you might choose long-tail keywords related to their preferred coding language and common challenges. These posts will only appeal to a small subset of internet users — but those users are far more likely to be your future customers!

Be sure to understand both the keywords your competitors are buying, and the phrases your ideal buyers typically search on. It can be a vendor name, software or solution description, or attributes of the problem they are trying to solve for.

Keywords are like signposts in the digital realm. Research is your GPS, helping you find the best keywords to target. By optimizing your content with the right keywords, you ensure that your audience can easily discover your offerings on their digital journey.

When writing your content, even just in draft form, we recommend using HTML tags like H1 and H2. This reminds you to use your keywords in headings and subheadings, which increases the odds that the published content will rank for said keywords.

When I was a copywriter, I loved having a chat with my clients about the purpose and the target audiences of the content order. However, as a content manager and editor, I use this experience differently. In order to get the best out of writers I work with, I make sure to include the following in the brief I send them: target audience with age and education options, length of content on a per-section basis, headings (h2) and title (h1), entities to focus on (these are not keywords, but a list of relative contextual elements which can be used in case of getting stuck to guide the article). One main reason to do this is to make sure the content focuses enough on the main topic but also covers enough contextual subtopics.

It is important to always structure your content with an arresting opening and a powerful call to action. Successful content converts 'want to need' and will successfully steer the target audience to make contact.

The golden rule to have the best article is to have an outline ready before you start working on the details. Your outline should consist of - - Headings - Subheadings - The number of words you'll write per subheading (keep it consistent) - A brief of the subheading *Pro tip: Make your outline as if you're directing a fellow writer to elaborate on the pointers you mentioned.

High-quality content is what fuels your marketing engine. It’s imperative to have a content marketing strategy as the backbone for your content. It needs to do more than just incorporate keywords. Content campaigns should consider how the various types of content will work together to strengthen overall SEO by incorporating a linking strategy, a strong call to action, and clear customer journey down the content funnel.

-Consider using paid social media advertising to expand your content's reach. -Build and nurture your email list and send regular newsletters containing your latest content. -Collaborate with other businesses or influencers in your niche. Guest post on industry blogs, co-host webinars, or engage in collaborative content projects. -Syndicate your content on platforms like Medium or LinkedIn Pulse to reach a wider audience. Publish the content on your website first to avoid duplicate content issues. -Monitor website traffic, click-through rates, conversion rates, and social media engagement. Adapt your strategies based on data to meet your business objectives. -Allocate a portion of your marketing budget for content promotion.

While most of us share our content on social media handles, we forget to add a comment section to the blog. I think a comment section just under the conclusion helps people voice their ideas and bring out conversation.

Don't be afraid to be creative when distributing content. Social media and email marketing are just the beginning, and a blog post can turn into a webinar or even an industry report down the road. When sharing your content, leave room for questions and conversation. That will not only give you ideas for future content, but it's also a great way to source for the collaborator of your next piece.

Once you have quality SEO-friendly content, promoting and distributing it effectively plays a crucial role. Utilize social media platforms, email newsletters, and influencer marketing to reach a broader audience. You can also explore guest blogging and partnerships to distribute your content on different platforms.

magine your content as a message in a bottle. Simply tossing it into the vast ocean won't get it to the right shores. Promotion and distribution are like charting the currents, making sure your message reaches the intended audience.

Content strategy should *start* with the business objectives you’re trying to solve. When you know what problem you’re trying to solve (increasing brand awareness, generating leads, closing deals faster, etc), it becomes a lot easier to decide which formats and channels make the most sense. It also becomes easier to measure the impact of your efforts.

It is imperative to note that your content strategy might need to be periodically aligned with business objectives. The results a brand might expect from its content are bound to change periodically to keep up with the times. However, your content strategy does need to go through a complete revamp every time a new trend comes up. There needs to be consistency for best results. Having an extensive content playbook created for your brand will document your base strategy that needs to remain consistency even as you experiment with different styles and formats. Remember, a complete pivot only works when it is rare. Gradual change to align with new strategies will often be your best bet to retain existing customers while acquiring new ones.

Effective content marketing is a long-term play. Don’t get antsy for immediate results or you’ll be giving up too soon and leaving money on the table.

Aligning content marketing and SEO with business objectives is not streamlined, but a strategic interconnection of different components that work synergistically. This alignment requires a deep understanding of your business goals, the creation of quality content, optimization for search engines, effective promotional efforts, and consistent analysis. With these strategies at your disposal, your content marketing and SEO initiatives are primed to support and help you attain your business objectives.

Start by defining clear objectives—increasing brand awareness, driving sales, or generating leads. Develop a content strategy aligned with business goals, creating high-quality, valuable content. Optimize on-page elements for search engines and ensure consistent brand messaging. Implement a link-building strategy to enhance content authority. Use analytics for ongoing measurement, tracking key metrics against objectives. Regularly assess performance to refine the strategy for better results. Mobile optimization and local SEO are vital. Integrate content and SEO with social media to maximize visibility and engagement. This synergy creates a powerful online presence, contributing to overall business success.