As more brands get serious about content publishing, it’s going to be increasingly important to focus on relevance, quality and integrity — both editorial and technical. Your content efforts will need to go beyond the trends in SEO content marketing. They’ll need to draw on current best practices but also differentiate your business, so of course you’ll have to create high-quality SEO content.
But to really shine, all in-house agencies need to publish the right kind of high-quality SEO content for their specific audience. This is a requirement of gaining authority and trust with the search engines and with your target customer.
Forbes dives into this topic, and names 3 content marketing trends that will “rule 2018.” Take a look at the post, and learn why “trust is the secret sauce.”
In a nutshell, Forbes stays there’s going to be more content published this year than ever before. This means content marketers will need to be more focused on content management. Analytics and content marketing software help marketers keep on target and prove that their efforts are driving results.
The Forbes article also suggests that text-based content will fade in favor of video content. If you’re not currently publishing video, it’s well past time you start. Dive into video now and also jump into voice search, which is prominent in SEO today and will only gain more momentum as consumers increasingly rely on personal assistants like Alexa.
It can be difficult to decipher which areas of search are merely trends in SEO content marketing and what you should really focus on. The key to coming up with the best foundation and path for your content marketing campaign is to ask yourself what keeps you relevant.
Here are some sound strategies that content marketers should give serious weight to as they create that balance of staying current being known as the wise old owl, so to speak.
Content Marketing Strategies to Stay Fresh and Remain Unique
Smart marketers know that the goal to creating content is to remain fresh but also establish the brand as a thought leader. This can be challenging when so many businesses are competing in the same space, but it’s not impossible.
To create content that’s relevant, unique and memorable, consider some of these strategies:
1. Showcase Your Value
Whether you’re diving into video or jumping into voice search, your content must show off your value. It needs to have something different from the rest, even if the platform is the same.
As an example, a hotel can put out video content via YouTube but it shouldn’t be your everyday content. Of course the video could start with a shot of the hotel, but the primary focus of the piece might be to take potential guests on a walking tour of the city from the hotel’s front doors.
The clip could lead travelers to the best restaurants nearby and into the top shops close to the hotel. It would be distinct if it guided the viewer to the highlights of the hotel’s surrounding area, as if it was a personal walking tour.
2. Create Your Own Content Niche
Marketing tends to be pretty broad so every brand needs to hone in on exactly what makes their content stand out. To do this, think about what in your industry isn’t discussed as in-depth as it should be? Where is there a lack of information and a natural place for you to fill in the gaps?
Find a topic in your industry that you think is underserved. Dedicate part of your content marketing to that and develop a following in that niche. Again, video is a prime way to do this, but blog posts are also perfect for creating unique value (especially if you can write them so they go viral).
3. Focus on Educating and Helping
No matter what channel you choose to market through, you’ll gain authority and trust when you focus on educating and helping people. Address the questions that consumers want answers to. Make your content instructional and easy to understand.
When you’re writing content, don’t focus on the SEO aspect so much that you lose track of your primary mission – helping the buyer make an important decision. Keep informing and assisting (and entertaining where natural and possible), and make it clear that your content is about the reader and not you.
4. Maintain a Clear Voice
You can’t create unique and compelling content if you don’t know what makes your brand special. Before you attempt any type of content marketing, consider your “voice” and what sets you apart. How can you deliver answers in a way that no other brand can?
Think about what type of tone you’ll take with your customers. Before that, though, understand who precisely you’re marketing to. Learn all that you can about your target audience and speak to them in a consistent manner, ne that focuses on the unique way that only you can meet their needs.
It’s time to decide on your company’s ethos and infuse it into any content you create.
5. Evaluate Data
Through all of the trends in SEO content marketing and the solid strategies that we know aren’t going anywhere for a while, always evaluate data. Marketers must constantly review their analytics to determine which tactics are a bust and which should remain part of their campaign – at least until the next evaluation.
Take a look at your metrics consistently to identify the content that’s resonating with your audience over time. Find out who’s clicking, what they’re reading, how they’re sharing your content and which stories have been your biggest so far.
This gives you great insight into what’s working: podcasts, infographics, vlogs, blog series or other types of content you may have in your arsenal.
Want to learn more about evaluating trends in SEO content marketing and deciding on which tactics you should implement to meet your goals? Contact Galileo Tech Media.