Why SEO and Content Marketing Have to Live Together

I see it all the time. We have prospects asking us why their SEO is not working for them. And we begin to peel back the onion. And we usually see that their SEO really is not that bad. There are  always some good things and some bad things that we find. But SEO isn’t always the problem. When we start looking at what is really going on, there is usually a content issue. And it only goes to show that SEO cannot live on it’s own. Having an optimized platform to use to shout your message from the mountaintops is great. But that message comes in the form of great content. Whether it is text, graphics videos, etc… Content is a critical component to your online presence. And, oh yeah, so is SEO!

So how can anyone provide SEO or content services without providing them both?

Let’s take a little deeper look here. I don’t want you to just take our word for it. Let’s see what others have to say.

“Why SEO is Actually All About Content Marketing”

by Neil Patel

Neil Patel made some great points in his Kissmetrics post Why SEO Is Actually All About Content Marketing. He starts off by talking about the lack of integration between SEO and Content Marketing. Exactly. How are people offering one without the other? It just should not be happening these days.

He goes on to get deep into where SEO and Content Marketing overlap and what the differences are. A few of his best points are:

— SEO states the requirements. Content marketing fulfills them.

— SEO demands content. Content marketing is content.

— SEO demands keywords. Content marketing means using keywords.

“Content Marketing and SEO: A timeline of key events”

by Four Dots

Four Dots offers a great piece on the history of content marketing in their piece: Content Marketing and SEO: A timeline of key events. In this piece they have a quote from Rand Fishkin:

“You can’t do SEO without content – it’s never been possible and still isn’t today. Thus, I’d say content marketing is absolutely essential to SEO, but that’s nothing new.”

I love the fact that he says it is not possible, never has been and never will be. Think about how many times you have heard a pitch for SEO or brought on a great writer but had no resources to make sure that content was optimized? You should not be having SEO conversations without including content marketing strategy and vice versa.

“How to Maximize Your Content Marketing Strategy with Search Engines”

by Jeff Bullas

Then there’s the piece by Jeff Bullas about How to Maximize Your Content Marketing Strategy with Search Engines. Jeff talks about keyword opportunities, providing a great user experience and the use of content. He does a great job talking about some of the recent changes Google has made in its algorithm and how content helps meet the new requirements necessary to gain visibility via the search engines.

But don’t think these are the only good resources out there talking about the need for SEO and Content Marketing to exist together, no exceptions.

Here are a few other good pieces worth reading:

Why Content Strategy Isn’t Enough by Mackenzie Fogelson, Moz

A Content Marketers Guide to SEO: A Checklist by Thomas Stern, Search Engine Land

Content Marketing and SEO: The Bigger Picture by Trond Lyngbo, Search Engine Land

Where Social Media and SEO Fit in Today’s Content Marketing Mix by Lee Odden, TopRank Marketing Blog

The SEO and User Science Behind Long Form Content by John E Lincoln, Search Engine Land