We all know by now the importance of content for SEO, and for brand building. We also know that content needs to be high quality and rich in information. But when it comes down to it, what you really want from your SEO content is conversions. And the only way to do that is to create content that does a good job of meeting the needs of your customers.
70% of marketers invest in SEO content marketing in a big way. Competition is therefore fierce, so you’re going to want to make sure what you produce in terms of content really does stand out.
With this in mind, let’s explore how to create the type of SEO content that resonates enough to turn leads into sales.
1. Understand your target audience through keyword research
Keyword research is the vital starting point when it comes to writing SEO content that converts, because it shows you what your prospective customers are looking for.
If you provide the answers people need, then they won’t need to go to a competitor’s site to find them.
Because 70% of all search traffic comes from long tail keywords, you’ll need to incorporate a good proportion of these into your content. It’s also a good idea to consider keyword search volume, as this dictates the number of searches carried out over a certain time period. The higher the volume, the better your chances of attracting enough traffic to convert.
Our guide to keyword research tools for SEO provides the resources you need to find the right keywords for your content marketing.
2. Be clear on what makes you stand out
Every piece of content you produce should clearly communicate your selling points and value proposition. This is your prime chance to keep and convert your readers, and to stop them defecting to a competitor.
Think about whether readers can instantly see why they should go through with a purchase or making an enquiry. Don’t beat around the bush or use industry jargon. Instead get straight to the point, and speak in your audience’s language.
And talking of your audience, your content needs to be relevant to them. If it isn’t, you’ll quickly lose their interest.
Lastly, do your best to persuade readers to take action quickly. Fear of missing out is a powerful marketing tactic, so if you can, add some urgency into your call to action, such as ‘limited time offer’ or ‘don’t miss out’.
3. Craft compelling headlines
You’re aiming for click-worthy headlines here. You can do this by grabbing attention, but not in a frustrating, clickbait sort of way.
Again, urgency works well, and so does emotion. Asking a question that gets to the heart of a pain point is often a good tactic. Showing how reading your content is going to resolve an issue is another one.
There are some great tips here in our guide to writing a click-through friendly headline. And the Advanced Marketing Institute provides a headline analysis tool that’s really useful too.
80% of people don’t get past the headline. Translated, this means only 20% actually read your content. So you can see how important it is to get the headline right.
4. Appeal to the reader’s human side
Emotion plays a huge part in compelling readers to take the next step and become a customer.
Communicating values, especially ethical ones, can have a considerable impact on customer loyalty. So be sure to define yours, and share them.
A good way of communicating on an emotional level is to ask questions rather than give orders. Be conversational with your content, and try to personalise it to your audience as much as possible. This shows readers that you took the time to understand their needs before you went ahead and wrote for them.
Need help with SEO content marketing?
Content marketing forms a critical part of our managed SEO campaigns here at Figment.
If you’d like to learn more about how this powerful online marketing strategy, such as partnering with an online marketing agency in London, could help drive more organic traffic to your website to help grow your business, please get in touch.
