SEO or Content: What Takes Precedence?

Comment spamming on blogs, keyword stuffing, article spinning, link exchanging and the works! Every SEO practitioner has at some point in his life engaged in at least one of the above mentioned techniques (directly or indirectly) to drive traffic. Truth be told, we didn’t really doubt about the legitimacy of these techniques until Google slapped us with a series of updates.

SEO drastically changed from being a link building based activity to a brand building activity. The transition continues as Google begins to give credence to user experience and customer experience. In the wake of all these changes, an average optimizer is left in a dilemma- should be focus purely on SEO or ignore optimization in favor of content marketing.

Here’s our take:

SEO

Content without SEO is just noise. I don’t for a fact disagree that good content speaks for itself. But isn’t it a fact that great content is rarity? Even the most proficient search engine optimizer cannot claim to come up with killer content every time he writes! SEO isn’t about tricking search engines to push bad data, but it involves marketing content in a manner that provides answers to users’ questions. Not until a few years ago, if you had an SEO optimized site, you were pretty much set for search engine rankings. A few good pages, keyword optimized page titles, and a credible list of backlinks was all that was needed to rank high. Thanks to the barrage of algorithmic updates, we’ve more or less set the benchmark for ‘a perfectly optimized SEO site’. The technical elements required to achieve a ten on ten in terms of SEO aren’t a secret anymore. So, if everyone’s aware of the ground rules of good SEO, what is it that gives one website an edge over the other? That’s where great content comes in to the rescue. Good content drives traffic, and SEO serves as the perfect icing on the cake!

Content

The truth about content marketing isn’t lost on web owners who’re continually increasing the budget for content marketing. NewsCred reports that $118 billion was spent on content marketing alone last year; while 53% of marketers’ rank content creation as the most effective marketing tactic. But not all of them make it to the first page on SEO and less than 5% of them result in conversion.

So how exactly does content marketing win?

Consider this; you’ve done everything that needs to be done for a search engine optimized website. You’ve also reaped in the benefits with an increase in traffic. SEO has its limitations in terms of the changes that can be implemented. But content marketing can always be improved. One can always keep on pushing the benchmark for good content. Infographics, tutorials, video content, guest blogs, industry interviews…the list just goes on and on.

Tips to Produce Good Content

  • Good content takes time and patience. Thorough knowledge about the subject and research should be your first priority
  • Originality is the gold standard of content, but if you cannot, make sure that you have a different perspective about the subject.
  • And most important of all, do not hesitate to share information. A small percentage of readers may choose to try out your techniques, but a larger percentage may turn to you seeking your help in implementing your strategies.

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