Want to make your business more visible online without having to shell out an arm and a leg for each lead? If so, it’s time to focus on content marketing and SEO (search engine optimization).

SEO is all about increasing visibility on search engines, like Google and Bing, helping you get to the top of page one for relevant keywords. And, content marketing is a big part of that.

In the SEO world, it’s commonly said that content is king. There’s more to SEO than content creation, but there’s no denying that it’s an important aspect of organic visibility.

However, every good content marketer knows that all content is not made equal. In order to drive the results you want and reach your goals, you need to learn how to make your content stand out and take it to the next level.

7 tips for creating next-level content

#1. Get to know your audience

One of the biggest lessons any writer needs to learn is that you’re not going to connect with everyone, no matter how hard you try or how great your content is. There’s no such thing as making everyone happy, nor should you try.

The most effective way to write is with a specific audience in mind. And, in order to do that, you should think about who you are writing for. For example, for the Marketing 360® blog, I try to put myself in the mind of small business owners.

Think of the people most likely to read your blog (your customers), put yourself in their shoes and write with them in mind. Here’s a few questions to ask yourself to get into their mindset:

• Who is your audience (i.e. how old are they, where do they live, do they rent or own their house, etc.)?
• What are their most common concerns that you can help address?
• What are they most interested in (i.e. what is the main reason they are visiting your site)?
• What do they care about?
• What questions do they have?

Use the answers to these questions to guide the content you’re creating — the subject of the content, the tone of voice you use, etc.

#2. Make it your own

Google doesn’t weigh all content the same way. There are, in fact, a few important qualities Google looks for in the content they rank the highest. One of those qualities is originality.

If you copy/paste someone else’s content on your site, you’re not adding anything new or valuable to the conversation. Google won’t necessarily penalize you for having duplicate content on your site, but it certainly isn’t going to reward you for it, either.

In fact, Google doesn’t really take duplicate content into consideration at all. It just pretends like copies of content don’t exist.

Originality goes far beyond not copying/pasting. Using your own words isn’t enough. You can’t simply rehash someone else’s article online and expect Google (or anyone else) to care. You need to be able to bring new thoughts and ideas to the table.

As a business owner, chances are, you have a lot of industry knowledge that most people don’t. Use it to create your own original content.

#3. Make sales your last priority

Google’s first concern is its customers, who are the people using Google search every day to find products and services, do research, read the news, etc. That means that Google’s number one goal is to provide its users with the best possible search results, and in order to do that, Google prioritizes content its users actually want to read.

No one wants to read an extended sales pitch about why your business is a better choice than your competitors, or all about the features of your products or services. This type of salesy content certainly has its place — like on product pages or your About Us page — but it should be the last thing on your mind when it comes to blogs or social media posts.

That’s not to say that you can’t mention anything about how your products or services couldn’t help to solve a problem or make life easier, but your main focus should be on writing content that provides value and that your audience wants to read.

For example, if you’re a plumber, it’s more valuable to write about what people can do to prevent their pipes from freezing or their toilets from clogging than it is to prattle on about your experience or your specials.

#4. Keep up with the times

The best content is original, informative and, possibly most important of all, relevant. You might be writing Pulizter-prize-winning articles or social media posts, but if they aren’t relevant to your readers, the message is just going to end up getting lost in translation.

A big part of ensuring that your content is relevant is, as I mentioned, writing with your audience in mind. But, it’s also key to make sure that you’re writing content keeps up with the times.

As someone who writes about marketing, this is something that really hits home for me. Marketing is ALWAYS changing. That means that I always need to take extra care to ensure that any advice or information I’m giving is applicable and relevant.

You should also make it a point to keep current events and trends in mind when writing content. And, don’t be afraid to update old content to keep it modern. This is actually an effective way to drive organic traffic to your website.

#5. Make your content visually appealing

Content serves many different purposes. Content is created to convey information, make the audience laugh, pull at heartstrings, form a connection, answer a question, etc. But, no matter the goal of your content, you can rest assured that it has competition.

The internet is vast, and chances are, other people are out there talking about the same kinds of things and putting out similar content. How do you make sure that yours stands out from the crowd? By making it visually pleasing!

Nothing will make readers push the back button like a wall of text without images or anything to catch the eye. Make your content appealing to look at by formatting your text properly and breaking it up with plenty of high-quality images.

People will decide whether they want to stick around and read or not within just a few seconds of landing on a blog or a page. If your content looks boring, your visitors are less likely to actually read it, no matter how well-written.

#6. Make your headlines count

As I mentioned, the way you structure your content plays a huge role in whether or not people will actually read it. One thing you can do to make your content more visually appealing is to use headlines in your structure.

Headlines give readers a snapshot of what they can expect to learn in the text below. In many cases, even if your readers don’t fully read the bulk of your content, they will read your headlines.

Headlines are also useful in drawing readers in and giving them a reason to stick around and keep reading. They should pique your readers’ interest, give them a preview of your content and a reason to stick around and learn more.

#7. Let the data guide your content

It’s not always easy to tell what’s working for your readers and what isn’t. And, the last thing that anyone wants is to spend time and energy creating content that your readers aren’t interested in or don’t want to read.

Apart from magically learning to read minds, it can be difficult to know what kind of content is working for you and what isn’t. But, having the right data on your side can make all the difference.

Which social posts are generating the most likes and shares? Which videos are being watched the most? Which blog posts are getting the most traffic and have the lowest bounce rates?

Don’t just blindly create content with the hopes that it just might work. Test and track your content, and use the data to help you create more effective content in the future.

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Creating stand-out content is a key way to drive organic traffic to your website and help your small business get noticed online, but it’s just one piece of the digital marketing puzzle.

Get everything you need to grow and manage your business with Marketing 360®, the only all-in-one digital marketing platform of its kind. Learn more and see our plans and pricing today. 

Originally published on 10/26/20