Since the early days of the internet, content has played a crucial role in how we interact with the web. Bill Gates famously stated that "Content is king." Google, too, has emphasized that content and links are key factors in their search rankings algorithm.
It’s clear that content is important, but do we truly understand how to leverage it for online success?
The first step towards executing content effectively is grasping the primary goals of online content. For marketers, the three main objectives are link acquisition, keyword improvement, and conversion assistance. There’s also a case for a fourth goal – branding and awareness.
Branding often overlaps with link acquisition and keyword growth, as search visibility enhances online awareness. An exception might be publishing on authoritative third-party websites where backlinks or organic traffic aren’t earned, yet exposure and potential referral traffic are gained.
Let’s focus on the three main KPIs in content marketing: links, keywords, and conversions.
Crafting Linkable Content to Build Authority
Search visibility and success begin with links. Alongside content, links are a primary factor in how search engines rank pages. To achieve stronger search rankings, links must be considered. While links can be earned passively, strategic content promotion and link building are essential for visibility in competitive search results.
Not all content will be suitable for link acquisition campaigns. Promoting the right pages is crucial to link-building success, and understanding which types of content are linkable will guide your strategy.
Linkable content targets a broad audience at the top of your marketing funnel, aimed at people in the awareness stage who may be engaging with your brand for the first time. It should be relevant and useful to as many people as possible to be link-worthy.
Common examples of linkable content include:
- Definitional or foundational content.
- Well-designed, visually compelling content.
- Controversial, opinionated content.
- Engaging, interactive content.
- Trendy, newsworthy content.
These pages cater to larger audiences and support link-building campaigns.
Ironically, getting linkable pages to rank in search can be challenging due to their broad topic coverage. However, ranking in competitive results can lead to earning passive links from citations on these topics.
Even if these pages don’t rank well in search, they help secure links that build authority and credibility for your brand and website, supporting other keyword-focused content.
Leveraging Keyword-Focused Content for Increased Visibility
While links support rankings, linkable content doesn’t always rank well—it’s designed for links, not rankings. Crafting strategic, keyword-focused content aims to earn search rankings and visibility.
The primary goal of keyword-focused content is to rank well for specific keywords and themes, addressing a narrow, specific searcher intent and audience.
To find this audience, strategic keyword research and niche analysis are essential. Consider questions like:
- What terms and phrases are directly associated with your products and services?
- Does Google suggest any “related searches”?
- What terms does your audience use?
- Are competitors using different terms?
These questions help identify potential keyword targets. Assess the viability of those terms and whether you can create content that ranks well for those searches. Search opportunity boils down to search volume and competition—the higher the volume and lower the competition, the better the chance of ranking your content.
While securing links to keyword-focused content can be difficult, ranking these pages provides opportunities to earn passive links from other content creators exploring the same subject. However, these pages typically rank based on their focus and the merit of other relevant linkable content on your site.
Building Converting Content to Capture Qualified Traffic
Linkable and keyword-focused content together enhance organic search performance and bring more visitors to your site. However, you need converting pages to capitalize on this exposure.
Converting content targets visitors at the bottom of the marketing funnel, prompting specific actions like email signups, calls, or purchases. The promotional nature of these pages makes obtaining links challenging, and Google typically only shows these in commercial and product-specific searches, often the most competitive.
Utilizing internal linking can support rankings for converting pages by transferring authority from linkable pages. Internal links from high-ranking keyword-focused content can guide organic visitors to converting pages.
Converting content is vital for business success. Consider exploring resources to learn how to write converting pages and optimize your site for conversions.
Holistic Content Marketing for the Win
Different content types should have varying goals, and the primary goals online are links, keywords, and conversions. To build a successful website, all these goals must be addressed.
Effective content strategies account for these KPIs with various content types that support and enhance each other. Linkable content builds authority, supporting keyword-focused content, which attracts visitors and funnels them to converting pages.
Investing in content is essential for digital success. When all pages work together as part of a holistic content marketing strategy, it can be truly effective.
