How content marketing, inbound marketing, and SEO all come together for an effective online marketing strategy 

We can all remember the days when all we thought about for marketing our business online was getting noticed by Google through SEO tactics that relied heavily on keyword algorithms and other seller-centric methods for getting our brands noticed. Today though, the way we think about online marketing has shifted to more of a human-perspective, and everyone from Google, content marketers, to inbound marketing teams have made the adjustment to create a web experience that is more user (i.e., buyer) friendly as a result.

• SEO is still important when coupled with content marketing 

But how does SEO continue to work with inbound marketing today if the strategy of Search Engine Optimization has changed? In short, SEO and content marketing are components of a whole inbound marketing strategy that are used to execute effective online marketing in a way that is more buyer-centric.

Remember: content marketing and inbound marketing are related and connected in the sense that they are both about creating and sharing valuable content that is tailored to your target audience, ultimately with the goal of building an online reputation of authority and trustworthiness. 

Now this doesn’t happen overnight of course; while inbound marketing is a proven formula that works for businesses of all types and sizes, it’s a process that takes time, analysis, and dedication to creating quality and relevant content that keeps your users coming back for more.

• Optimizing your content with SEO and inbound marketing strategies 

Just because the way Google searches through your site has changed doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t be optimizing your content and your website at every opportunity. Inbound marketing services provided by marketing teams like LOJO can give you access to keyword research tools which can help you find the best keywords to optimize for and around in your content and on webpages.

-Research keywords, especially long-tail keywords, based on your target audience, not just rankability and popularity; inbound marketing is about creating content based off the needs/questions/desires of your ideal customers and using SEO techniques to optimize your content is a foundational aspect of this online marketing strategy.

-Areas of your content pieces that you should optimize for, include:

*Title of the content: an appropriately titled piece of content is one that is both consistent with what is actually being talked about in the content, as well as built around long tail key words that your target audience is likely to search for.

*Keywords and phrases used within content: as previously mentioned, researching key words and phrases with inbound marketing tools gives you an informed look at what it is that your potential site visitors and customers are searching for online, thus giving you ideas and themes to build your content around.

*Links: there are two important aspects of SEO as it applies to links on your website; one, remember to use consistency when naming your links (i.e., the keywords need to be the same for every avenue that a piece of content is linked to), and two, the inbound links to your site must be both reputable sites, as well as relevant to the optimized keywords in the content piece)

*Reputation and authority in the industry: And finally, one of the most vital components of a successful inbound marketing strategy that uses content marketing and SEO to the fullest, is to publish and promote your content with frequency and consistency. Simply writing a blog post, creating an eBook, or posting on Twitter is only half of the equation; content marketing relies heavily on how well you can promote your content online so that it is seen/read/consumed by the right people. When you have an Inbound Marketing certified team like LOJO working with you, they can tailor your marketing plan just for you and for your needs!

But this is really just an introduction into the importance of SEO when it comes to fitting into a successful inbound marketing strategy. For more information on this integral aspect of online marketing, feel free to contact one of our LOJO team members for further guidance on this subject.

Written by Cassandra Sohn