In a study Eloqua and Kapost took a look at how the costs of producing content stacked against paid search.
The results demonstrate that over time content marketing has a lower cost per lead.
So why is content so important? It is driven by the fact that Google is rewarding positive marketing practices. An organization that can provide high value, highly relevant content is more important to Google than paid search ads. This became even more transparent with Google Penguin. According to an article about Google Penguin from Enveritas Group, Penguin “moves high-quality sites with fresh content up the list in search results”.
So how does paying for good content work better than paying for keywords?
The fact is that the quality of natural search results is more important to Google than getting paid for search. This is an interesting dilemma for Google. On the one hand, they want to make money on purchased keywords, but on the other hand Google’s value is only as good as the content it delivers. So a good content strategy can get you further with Google than ever before.
Another point from the Eloqua blog, is that by purchasing keywords you are renting space that can easily be taken over by a higher bid. However, if you capture the top natural search ranking, you own that spot as long as you maintain your relevance and you do not need to pay Google to do it. You may be better off spending the money on a steady stream of high quality content.
So what are some tactics for becoming a trusted content source and a golden Google goose?
First, don’t be afraid of the negative news about changes made to Penguin and Panda. If you approach the new requirements head on, the system will work in your favor.
For example, you do not need to be 100% original. When you curate quality content (adding your own commentary to the link) and direct your visitors to these locations, Google will still reward this activity.
Engagement is another measurement used by Google. If you can get your audience engaged and spending more time with your content, you will be rewarded. A great way to do this is with an email newsletter.
You can spend a lifetime trying to figure out how Google’s algorithms work, or you can break it down into some basic concepts that Google uses to determine the value of a page in its index:
- You content should be timely, and updated frequently.
- Engagement with your content is measured by:
- Frequency of visits
- Number of return visits
- Unique visitors
SEO “experts” are working hard to understand the tricks and techniques of optimizing search results. But you don’t need lay awake at night worrying about it. The fact is that Google is doing everything they can to find and index good content. And all you need to do is give it to them.