The Role of Content in Search Engine Marketing

Getting started with search engine marketing is easier than you might think. In this blog we’ll talk about how you can leverage content to increase your site ranking and, consequently, your organic reach.

First, it’s important to understand the function and purpose of search engines in the first place. Sites like Google and Bing are ultimately trying to match users with the right sites based on their search criteria. To do this, they crawl websites to get an idea of what they offer.

And what do you think they look for specifically? That’s right. Content. A recent Search Engine Journal article explains this and its relation to content marketing:

“Since search engines operate to meet the demands of all different types of audiences and search engine keyword research seeks to understand common search phrases used by each, that search engine optimization is centered around understanding a particular market and audience, not unlike content marketing. Of course the ways in which search engine optimization and content marketing are expressed or executed look completely different (not to confuse you!).”

To be clear, search engine marketing is decidedly different from content marketing. They’re both centered around content, but while content marketing focuses on the creation and promotion thereof, SEM entails its optimization with respect to search engines.

It’s not the worst thing in the word if your SEM and content marketing strategies overlap. In fact, some businesses make this a priority. The more important takeaway is that you need content to fuel your online marketing strategy. Not just any content, though. It needs to be optimized for search engines so your site ranking will rise and new users will find your site.

In practice, search engine marketing is much less complex. Any business can do it if they want to increase their brand awareness online and climb a few rungs up Google’s ladder.

Follow our blog to learn more about how search engine marketing can help your business. Meanwhile, for help creating an internet marketing strategy that aligns with your specific business goals, contact us online or call 843-782-3836. You can also find us on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and LinkedIn.