It’s true that when it comes to digital marketing strategies, the lines tend to get blurred. So, it’s easy to assume that search engine optimisation (SEO) and content marketing are interchangeable strategies. And, while they are related, they are not exactly the same. The purpose of both tactics is to help businesses increase their online visibility, but they approach this outcome in distinct ways. Below, we explore the differences between SEO and content marketing and how they can collaborate to boost your online presence.
Always Be Number One with Search Engine Optimisation
The role of SEO is to improve and increase quality traffic to your website from search engines through organic search results. Put simply, your website is optimised to rank higher in the search engine results pages (SERPs). This can be done by incorporating relevant keywords in your copy, creating quality content, and building quality backlinks. There is a long list of reasons why your SEO is essential to your business, but briefly, it can make sure that your website ranks at the top of the search results for relevant search queries making it easy for people to visit your website.
Reach Your Ideal Audience with Content Marketing
Content marketing is all about reaching and engaging with a specific target audience by creating and sharing valuable, relevant and compelling content. The content can range from blog posts, videos, infographics, social media posts, podcasts and more. The goal is to inform or entertain your audience, establish your brand as an industry thought leader, and, ultimately, increase revenue through successful customer engagement.
Optimisation and Content Go Together, but Are Different
While SEO and content marketing do overlap, there are particular differences between them. The most important is to remember that they function most effectively together. The biggest difference between the two is that search engine optimisation’s goal is to optimize your website and its content so that it ranks higher in the SERPs, while content marketing is focused on creating and sharing great content with your audience to encourage engagement and build brand awareness.
The two also approach keywords differently. In SEO, keywords are used to help search engines understand your website’s content which they then match to relevant search queries. However, keywords are less of a focus in content marketing. Though they are important, it is more about creating content that resonates with your target audience.
In addition, they have different goals. SEO’s main goal is to increase organic traffic to your website by being as visible as possible in the SERPs, while content marketing’s purpose is to build brand awareness, establish your presence as a thought leader and boost customer interaction. Think of content marketing as the “gap between what brands produce and what customers actually want”.
The Power of an SEO-Content Marketing Fusion
The fusion of search engine optimisation and content marketing is where the real magic happens. Both are key pillars in a successful digital marketing strategy.
For one, these two can work together by using keyword research to guide your content creation with a two-pronged purpose. By identifying keywords that your target audience is searching for, you gain insight into their needs, which allows you to create content that speaks directly to them while also optimizing it for search engines.
Secondly, SEO and content marketing can be used together to build backlinks through content. Backlinks are essential ranking factors in SEO, and high-quality content that prompts other websites to link to it can earn you these valuable links that will also boost your search engine rankings.
Finally, the two approaches function together when using data to guide the strategy. By tracking metrics like organic traffic, bounce rate and engagement, you will be able to see which content relates better with your audience and can then align your website and content accordingly.
It is clear that the fusion between the two can offer exciting results for businesses. By understanding the differences between search engine optimisation and content marketing, you can leverage their strengths and create a comprehensive digital marketing strategy that drives traffic, encourages engagement and, ultimately, guarantees conversions.
Leverage the Exciting Potential of SEO and Content Marketing
If you would like to tap into the awesome power of search engine optimisation and content marketing, then get in touch with the specialist team at iLEAD et al. From a bespoke strategy for your business to captivating content and meticulous optimisation, our turnkey offering will propel your business to new heights.
