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SEO is Not ALWAYS the No. 1 Goal for Website Content Marketing

Audience Engagement Should Be Your Main Focus
Given that search engines are increasingly becoming the medium through which your customers find your business, there is no denying the importance of SEO. For many businesses, being found in the top 10 search results on Google can be a game-changer.

Not surprisingly, the SEO bandwagon is keeling under the weight of anyone and everyone jumping aboard. Realizing this need and desperation from companies to make it big in the digital space, all kinds of SEO agencies with less-than-adequate resources and knowledge have mushroomed. Their advice is not always credible, and many small and medium businesses find themselves spending thousands of dollars on SEO campaigns that reap no visible benefits at all.
The truth is, every business is different and accordingly, your SEO strategy should match your business goals and your customers’ needs. Agencies or businesses that are too hung up on SEO and keywords and ignore the big picture do so at their own peril. SEO is most successful when applied judiciously without following rules blindly.

When SEO Content Need Not Be Your Main Focus

Content and SEO go hand in hand. Quality content is essential to engage and entertain a reader, while SEO helps that valuable content to be found. However, here are a few times when SEO can be scaled back or put in the back seat.

  1. When You Are a Trend-Setter: Don’t let SEO considerations stifle your creativity. Often, a copywriter comes up with a fresh phrase or word to describe a trend or a product. Don’t dismiss it just because the phrase has no search volume as yet. Many companies have garnered a huge “first mover” advantage by identifying a trend and giving it a new coinage. For example, HubSpot came up with the term “Inbound Marketing” when no one knew what it meant. Today, the term generates a mind-boggling 5,620,000 results. Lesson? Show panache in your content marketing efforts.
  2. When All Your Traffic Is NOT from Searches: For several businesses, (SaaS companies for example) online presence and high ranking on searches are paramount because all their sales happen online. However, that is not the case with every business. For example, a local bakery or flower shop with localized, fixed and assured clientele may not benefit as much from SEO. If these shops are already popular in their area, then word-of-mouth and online reviews will bring more foot traffic and business.
  3. When You Are A Market Leader Already: If your business is famous and people seek your brand, then it makes less sense to target keywords for which you will rank well anyway. It is essential to have an online presence and a well-maintained site for credibility reasons but your stress need not be excessively on SEO. Also, this could be an opportunity for you to target fresh keywords, or start a new trend.
  4. When the Keyword You Want to Rank for Is Too Competitive: Sometimes your desired keyword is too competitive and expensive. It can be futile trying to break into Page 1 listings on Google. Instead, why not try alternative keywords? If your content is relevant, meaningful and useful, there is a good chance of readers finding you through shared resources, social media channels, and other means that are not traditionally search-driven.
  5. When Your Visitors Are Coming from Everywhere: Before putting all your eggs in the SEO basket, step back a bit and analyze where your traffic comes from, or where it has potential to come from. Social media, email marketing campaigns, website navigation, paid media, shared links are all extremely effective in bringing in fresh traffic.

SEO is an essential part of content marketing but it is important to make mindful, appropriate decisions around it. 

If you are looking for a leading content marketing firm with expertise and experience in SEO copywriting, call 1-888-646-8003 today or email us to learn about our range of copywriting services in Canada.

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