Some online marketing pundits lend the impressions that content marketing has effectively replaced search engine optimization (SEO)—that you can do one but not both, and that content marketing has basically killed SEO, or at least exhausted its usefulness.
A Complex Relationship
There is a grain of truth in this, of course. Changes to search engine algorithms have made content quality the key metric for search engine success, whereas many of the older, exploitative SEO strategies have been heavily penalized. If you want to boost your search rankings, then, writing compelling content works way better than keyword-stuffing or other questionable SEO tricks.
But even this statement points to the complex relationship that content marketing and SEO have: They are not as easy to separate or to consider on their own merits as some would have us believe. Ultimately, content marketing and SEO can be used together, working toward the same end. So long as your focus is on content quality—on delivering value to the user—there is no reason why you cannot also incorporate some thoughtful, well-balanced elements of SEO strategy, including some judicious SEO keywords.
How Keywords Help with Content Marketing
Not only do keywords have SEO value, but, when used properly, they can actually make your content even better—of even higher quality, that is. Consider:
- A keyword will help to focus each blog post or article on a single idea; it will provide you with your topic and your central thrust, and ensure that you’re not veering too far into tangents. Keywords help you stay organized.
- A keyword can also make the blog or article more helpful and readable for the user, providing a clear sense of what it’s about.
- Using keywords means researching keywords, which will help you develop a better understanding of your topic and your audience’s needs.
- Keyword research can also be invaluable for prompting new thoughts and fresh ideas.
In addition to all of the above, of course, SEO keywords can increase the chances that your content actually gets found and read. That’ not to say that all keyword use is helpful, and there is certainly such a thing as being inelegant and clumsy with the way you shoehorn keywords into a piece. When done properly, though, keywords can enhance the quality of your content.
To learn more about content marketing, please don’t hesitate to contact the Grammar Chic, Inc. team today. Learn more by visiting www.grammarchic.net, or call 803-831-7444.
Amanda E. Clark founded Grammar Chic in 2008. She is a graduate of Eastern Michigan University and holds degrees in Journalism, Political Science, and English. She launched Grammar Chic after freelancing for several years while simultaneously leading marketing and advertising initiatives for several Fortune 500 companies.