Content Strategy: Q & A with Top Rank Marketing

Lee Odden of Top Rank Marketing is putting together an article on content strategy and SEO and he asked me to participate.  Here is our Q & A from that interview:

Q: How would you define “content strategy” and what role does it play in a SEO effort?

Your content strategy is a systematic and planned approach you take to develop site copy, blog content, press releases, articles, newsletters, videos, podcasts, e-book and/or white paper downloads and other forms of content that enhances and builds your relationship with new prospects, current clients, the media and those in your industry. Through developing this relationship, you secure a long-term, two-way “benefit channel” for both yourself and them. People buy from those who they have a high comfort level with. If you have a large network through the relationships you’ve built from your strategic content efforts, you will always have a steady stream of buyers for your products and services.

The role content strategy plays in the SEO effort is simple: if your content can be ranked high in the search engines for your keyword phrases, you will attract more prospects, media attention and industry interest at a faster rate. It makes the marketing of your content much easier, because it’s placing it on their front door. If all they have to do to see your content is open their door, then you’ve just accomplished something that many other companies have not and it gives you a competitive advantage. Note: the content must be relevant and high quality and the content must be updated and added to frequently for maximum impact.

Q: What advice can you give companies that are looking for the benefits of an overall content strategy while enhancing search visibility through SEO?

1. Analyze your current web presence – What is the state of your existing content? What types of content do you have? If you only have a five page website and that’s it, you know you have work to do. If you are looking into the various types of content I pointed out above, you are ahead of most and on your way. If you are actively engaged in all the types of content I mentioned above, then you are in the top 10%. If you are connecting with new prospects, building your database and driving new sales from your new content, then you are in the top 5% and you are a truly model for other companies.

2. Look at your online competitors. How does their content compare to yours? Are they capturing email addresses and marketing through a newsletter and a blog? Do they have a forum where customers can discuss their products and services? Is their site built out with benefit-rich, call to action pages? Take some time and really see what you are up against, be sure to check their links, their meta tags and their presence in social media sites like Stumble Upon, Technorati and others. Your goal: be better than them.

3. Start building your content. Whether you do it yourself, through partnerships, or use a mix of both (recommended), there is no better time than right now to start growing your content. As you do, remember your keyword phrases and be sure to include them.

Remember the rules of SEO and follow them. Keep in mind the needs of your future customers and write about them. If you don’t know how to go about it an need help, reach out and start building your network. Don’t know the first thing about keywords? Use Wordtracker. Confused about SEO? Find a good Search Marketing Firm that knows it inside and out (TopSEO’s.com). Don’t have the time to write? Locate a great web copywriter and outsource to them.

Q: What comes first, keywords and SEO or content strategy? Why?

I think it all starts with keywords. This gives you the “lay of the land” for your industry. By engaging in an extensive keyword research effort, you start seeing patterns, begin understanding how your future customers think and develop a firm knowledge of how the search engines, namely Google, works. This is all fundamental. Plus, most businesses have no idea what their prospects are searching for. Most websites don’t have a clue about keyword research. The bottom line is that if you are on page 1 for these phrases, you will receive more clicks and more inquiries than others. It’s that simple. To start with your keyword research effort, get a free trial on WordTracker.com or KeywordDiscovery.com and go to work!

Once you have your keyword phrases researched, look into SEO and putting together your Content Strategy simultaneously. You want to ensure that what you develop is fully optimized from the start. Again, if you are intimidated by Search Engine Optimization, seek to partner with a leading SEM firm.