In digital marketing, you’ll often hear the terms ‘content marketing’ and ‘SEO’ mentioned separately. Many businesses make the mistake of isolating these two strategies, even hiring a content marketing agency for generic content and an SEO service provider separately.  

This is a counterintuitive process that’ll drain your resources and give you disappointing results.

Content marketing and SEO should go hand in hand. Once you have mastered how to integrate the two, your website will have better leads and customer conversion. In this blog, you will learn how to maximise your effectiveness in both SEO and content. 

But first, let’s look at what we mean when we speak of the two. 

What is Content Marketing? 

Content marketing is a strategy whereby a business creates relevant, value-added content pieces that can help it capture, engage, and keep new and existing customers. The goal of content marketing is to showcase your business as an expert in a specific topic and to improve brand recall among your target audience. 

Content marketing is a big industry, with 83% of marketers claiming to have a content marketing strategy. Here are some of the most common forms of content we see today. 

Now that we’ve familiarised ourselves with content marketing, let’s understand SEO.

What is Search Engine Optimisation? 

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is the act of optimising one's content to rank highly on search engines like Google. This optimisation is done by incorporating specific keywords in your content that consumers search for, thereby making it more discoverable online. 

Search engine optimisation is more than just stuffing your blogs with keywords. Rather it’s an act that requires tactical research and creative copywriting to ensure your content is coherent and readable. With 90% Australian consumers searching online before buying, building your presence through SEO has become critical.  

The Interconnection Between Content Marketing and SEO

If you are going to invest in writing great content, why not optimise it for search simultaneously?

True digital assassins know that SEO and content marketing are two weapons that should be used together. In content marketing, you’re building engaging and relevant content for your target audience based on their customer persona. In SEO, you ensure that this content is discoverable through keyword optimisation. 

Both strategies shouldn’t be independent of each other, but you do need a clear plan in mind before integrating content marketing and SEO. If you’re a business just getting started with both, follow these steps to maximise their value.

Strategies for Integrating Content Marketing and SEO

Keyword research and content planning

Keyword research and analysis is a crucial step that should guide all your marketing efforts, including content marketing. Consumers look online to answer their questions, and they will type in specific keywords to help them get their answers. 

You should use these keywords to your advantage by making them your guide when developing new content ideas. If it's a blog post, ensure that your keywords are highlighted prominently and naturally in your blog. If your content is a YouTube video, then create a script and a video description with the keyword. 

Keyword tools such as Semrush are great for keyword analysis. It provides traffic and search volume data as well as insights into what keywords competitors are using. 

Optimising content for search engines

Optimising your photos and videos is key to improving your content. The goal here is to ensure that your photos and videos are engaging, high-quality, and easily viewed on desktop and mobile. Here is some intel on how to improve them. 

In the case of blog content, you will need to add your keyword (whether it’s long tail or short tail) to your meta description, title tag, and headers. We call this on-page SEO, which is the optimisation of your website and its metadata to improve discoverability. 

Quality content increases shareability 

When writing out your metadata, creativity is your greatest ally. So think outside the box with your titles and meta descriptions, and remember that it's always a human reading your work. Here’s an example of how to turn a boring header into an interesting one with a keyword. 

With AI increasing the volume of content we see and consume, the only way to stand out is to add a human touch. So, as you’re creating your content, consider what’s your original opinion on the topic. AI cannot replicate your unique experience and thoughts, so make originality your focus, and Google will always reward quality.

More importantly, original postings will encourage more people to share your content, which will significantly improve its SEO score. 

Measuring the Impact of Integrated Strategies

Once you’ve done the hard work, it’s time to measure your outcomes against your goals. Our recommendations for analysing keywords and backlinks are tools like Semrush, Google Analytics, and Ahrefs. Semrush, for example, allows you to see how well your content has performed in terms of clicks and impressions, as well as your existing position in the targeted keyword.

Understanding your content performance will help you improve it in the future so that you’re always one step ahead of your competitors. 

Our Case Study: Content Marketing + SEO Services for Foliage Landscaping  

Our parent company team at SEO Assassin is a long-term partner of Foliage Landscape, offering SEO services to the local landscapers in Mornington Peninsula. In a case study, we built a fast, new website that’s SEO-focused and packed it with quality, problem-solving content.

We also weaponised their website with high-quality blogs that answered every possible question a Mornington Peninsula homeowner might have about transforming their outdoor space. 

The result? Foliage Landscaping went from virtually nowhere on Google to enjoying 28.44% of search traffic share in the competitive landscaping niche and a 311% increase in monthly traffic. Our tactical effort also improved their Domain Authority (DA) from 2 to 14 (a 600% increase).

Key Takeaway 

When done together, content marketing and SEO are your master plan for success. With the right knowledge of SEO best practices, content originality, and discipline in publishing a new blog every month, your business can achieve maximum impact and returns with each piece of content you develop. 

At Digital Assassin, we help brands refine their content and SEO strategy with informational content and a killer website. Our digital marketing package and SEO packages include blog posts, SEO-optimised YouTube videos, and case studies that help businesses infiltrate their customers. We work together with our partners' internal staff to ensure all content is made to produce targeted results. 

To get started with improving your social media marketing strategy with Digital Assassin, speak to an assassin today.