If you’ve ever read the jumbled, almost incoherent content that is more than obviously intended to promote a big heap of SEO keywords, you likely already know that link-building, as the means to an SEO-ranking end, doesn’t resonate too well with your core audience. This ≠ Google Love.
That’s because traditional link-building focuses only on using a keyword (or series of keywords) to get some Google love. But the basis behind real, effective link-building is always content.
Good content will not only get some Google love for your business or website but will inspire, entertain, motivate or otherwise engage your customer.
Get Some Google Love by Focusing on Your Customer
You may already be familiar with the term “link bait.” This is how we refer to content that is riddled with keywords and serves a primary purpose of increasing search engine rankings.
True content marketing focuses on your customers and what is important to them. When you publish content that your customers find educational, entertaining or otherwise relevant and engaging, they are more likely to share it – thus helping you get some Google love.
Content Marketing = Google Love
If you’re a newbie to content marketing strategy, don’t despair! Getting started is actually pretty basic. To help create a content marketing strategy, you’ll need to know your target and your market goals, and more than anything else – know your customer.
That includes determining where you customer is spending time online and what they are looking to do, learn or buy.
Then, you’ll want to brainstorm and put some creative juices together to determine what kind of content would effectively engage that customer. Your implementation strategy should include pre-promotion, publishing and follow-up promotion of published content.
Of course, this process is all easier said than done, but the principle remains; getting Google love means doing more than simply laying out bait for links. It means effectively content marketing and offering your customers something valuable, entertaining and engaging.