In our last guides, we explained what SEO is and how to find your keywords. Now, you might be wondering, "What do I actually *do* with these keywords?"
The answer is Content Marketing.
Content marketing is the process of creating and sharing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and retain a clearly defined audience. Instead of directly selling your products, you are providing helpful information that answers your audience's questions and solves their problems.
How Content Marketing and Keyword Research Work Together
If keyword research is the process of finding *what* your customers are searching for, content marketing is the process of *creating the answers* they're looking for.
Think of it this way:
- Your keyword research tells you that people are searching for "how to send HTML email."
- Your content marketing is the act of creating a helpful knowledgebase article that clearly answers that exact question.
When Google sees that you have a high-quality page that directly answers a user's query, it will rank that page in the search results. This is the core of modern SEO.
Why is Content Marketing So Important for SEO?
Creating good content is the single most effective way to improve your Google rankings. Here's why:
- It Answers Search Queries: Every keyword you found represents a question or a need. Content is how you provide the answer. Without content, there is nothing for Google to rank.
- It Builds Trust and Authority: When you consistently provide helpful, expert information, both users and search engines (like Google) begin to trust your website. This builds your site's authority, which is a key ranking factor.
- It Earns Backlinks: Other websites are far more likely to link to a helpful, informative blog post than they are to a sales page. These high-quality "backlinks" are a massive signal to Google that your site is a trusted resource.
- It Drives Free, Organic Traffic: A single, helpful article that ranks for a popular keyword can bring in a steady stream of free, targeted visitors to your site for years to come.
What Counts as Content?
When we say "content," we mean any piece of information that provides value to your audience. The most common and effective types for SEO are:
- Blog Posts: In-depth articles that answer questions, offer tips, or discuss industry news. BLOG_POST_IMAGE_HERE
- Knowledgebase Articles: Clear, step-by-step guides that solve specific problems (like the one you're reading!).
- FAQ Pages: A page dedicated to answering the most common questions your customers have.
- Service Pages: While these are "sales" pages, they should still be full of helpful content explaining the features *and benefits* of what you offer.
Your Next Steps
Now you know *why* you need SEO, *what* to target with keywords, and *how* to target them by creating content. The next step is to learn how to optimize that content to give it the best possible chance of ranking.
- Continue Learning with Our Guides
Move on to the next major category in our series: On-Page SEO. We'll start with our guide on "How to Write SEO-Friendly Title Tags" to learn how to make your content stand out in Google search results.
- Get the Right Foundation
Your brilliant content deserves to be on a fast, secure website. Don't let slow load times ruin your SEO efforts. Explore EncodeDotHost's high-speed hosting solutions.
- Get Professional Help
If creating content and optimizing it sounds like too much work, our experts can help. If you're in the Stratford-upon-Avon area, learn more about our professional search engine optimisation services.
