A good number of the SEO resources you’ll come across will be versed in content creation or SEO. They’re either great storytellers or SEO keyword specialists.

It’s rare to find an SEO company filled with agency-caliber consultants who are masters at both. Uncover one and you have a gem.

While story-led content creates value, it can’t be a sole marketing strategy. Engaging and customer-centric content is the baseline today, so a marketer needs to do more.

Keyword SEO is as imperative as ever. But, the nuances for proper keyword usage are lost to many. It’s a given that the black hat SEO tactics of yesterday (stuffing keywords into text and page tags) doesn’t currently fly. Google has set guidelines that clearly state websites will not be rewarded for spam.

To rank with the help of keywords, though, takes much more than avoiding a Google penalty for stuffing. You won’t show up in the SERPs without knowing how the intent behind keywords drives placement search results.

Mastering the art of storytelling (creating engaging, educational and action-driven content) and Keyword SEO (the science behind the keywords) is a feat accomplished by only the highest-caliber marketing professionals. Because the skills needed to be truly successful in marketing in 2018 are so rare – the best SEO companies assemble their teams from talent sourced worldwide.

The SEO consultants at Galileo comprise such a team.

Agency-caliber writers and keyword researchers come together with analysts and project managers – as well as experts in all other facets of SEO – to create digital art for our clients. SEO art that builds brands, connects with customers and makes sales.

SEO is not as easy as putting out daily blog posts or researching the most popular keywords in a given market.  A successful SEO campaign needs to address user experience along with search engine rankings and the brand as a whole.

Nothing can be left out. No one tactic will bring success.

The overall relevance of your content is going to be much more of a ranking factor than any single tool you might employ. So, how do you create relevant content? You set your focus wider than keywords in copy, word count in text, H1 tags, title tags or meta descriptions.

SEO content marketing tips

The following 10 SEO Content Marketing tips come to you from the agency-caliber SEO consultants at Galileo:

  1. Start with Keywords

You can write the best brand story and have all your talent (and knowledge) go to waste if no one reads your copy.

Keywords should dictate your content.

Research what consumers are looking for online, in your industry, and then create great content that answers those needs. Copy should speak directly to your target audience.

Your stories will have a good chance of being found by exactly the person who is searching for them if you let your researched keywords lead.

  1. Research the Competition

There are multiple tools you can use to find out what your target audience wants and how your competition is addressing the needs of your potential buyers.

Study your competitors. See what keywords they’re using and use them too if appropriate for your business. It takes experience to know when you should go after the big guns in terms of keywords and competition, and when you should concentrate on carving a niche for yourself.

  1. Target Just 1 or 2 Keywords Per Page

Don’t go crazy with keywords. Choose 1 or 2 per page – a focus keyword and perhaps a secondary keyword. Create content that revolves naturally around these words and phrases.

If you use more than a couple of keywords in your text, your content is not going to be precise. It’ll either be watered down or a mish-mash of information. It won’t effectively address what the reader came to learn about.

  1. Title Tags are Powerful

Marketers can’t get away with stuffing keywords into title tags any more, but page tags are still extremely powerful. Think of them as a second article headline, the first headline that your would-be readers will see.

Use your content’s focus keyword in its related title tag, and place the keyword as close to the front of the tag as possible while keeping the copy sounding natural. Don’t worry too much about character count. While 60 characters used to be the norm, we’re seeing many title tags now that extend to 80 characters and beyond. Natural is the key.

  1. Use Your Focus Keyword in Your Meta Description

There’s still much of a debate over whether or not meta descriptions are a ranking factor. Signal or no signal, you should still treat meta descriptions as an opportunity to focus on what your target audience wants to read about.

Include your page’s focus keyword its corresponding meta description. Again, standard word count has seemily increased and you can now write keyword meta descriptions that are roughly 250 characters long. Bold your keywords to catch the eye.

  1. Channel Your Inner Hemingway

Become a writer. A real writer. Let the words flow out unhindered. Tell your story in the language that only you know best. Edit afterward.

Many a great story has gone untold because the author self-edited during the expression process. You know what your brand has to say to its audience. Tell your story in a natural way, and then go back and fine tune when you’re done. Readers and search engines love this.

**Note: When you write this way (with your keywords as guides and not structural necessities), you’ll kick any bad habits of keyword stuffing (and you’ll love the results).

  1. Write, Edit, Write, Edit, Write

Writing is a process that produces a better result the more you engage in it. As is editing. Only through repeated practice do we become experts in a craft.

And, only through constant focus on the details do we produce a masterpiece worthy of the public’s attention.

  1. Have a Plan

We’re writing for business, we’re not penning novels. So, while stories that express our brand are essential, we need to work off of at least loosely-crafted outlines.

When you sit down to write a piece of content, have your focus keyword in your head (or write it down in front of you) and a general plan as to how the copy should unfold. Structure guides the writer, reader and search engines. With this in mind, organize your SEO headlines, opening and closing paragraphs, subheads and bullet points.

  1. Know Your Audience

You can’t create content that compels your audience to do anything unless you know your target buyer. Create customer personas and map buyer journeys as part of your overall SEO strategy.

Keep your audience in mind as you choose appropriate keywords. Think about your customers when you craft copy that ideally provides solutions to problems.

  1. Solve Problems

People look online for entertainment. But, mostly they’re searching to fill a need. When you can provide the solution to problems, you earn trust and gain authority.

Every bit of marketing you do must aim to position your brand as the solution to a problem. Your target audience’s problem. Through various types of digital content on social media channels, blogs and your own website, you can interact with consumers to find out just what they need.

Want to learn more SEO content marketing tips from agency-caliber consultants? Contact Galileo Tech Media.