SEO

Search engine optimization (SEO) isn’t rocket science. In fact, now that Google has encrypted the referring keywords that companies used to track, SEO strategies have become as much about art as about science. Strategic placement of keywords is still important, but you don’t have to grab a calculator to figure that out.

This is especially true for B2B tech companies, which often target markets that are narrow enough for the content is more important than the keyword strategy. When you’re creating engaging and original content, SEO is actually pretty easy. Here are five SEO strategies for your blog.

 

1. Check Google to Find the Most Popular Industry Phrases

Say you offer a cloud computing solution. You write a blog post. The post is titled, “Cloud Research for 2014.” The title tells readers about the post, but does it tell search engines what your blog post is about? Is it a phrase that people are likely to search for? Just type it into Google and double-check.

Looks like the most common “cloud research” queries are actually about the other kind of cloud, so that doesn’t help. Clear the text and type in “cloud” or “cloud industry” into the search to see if you can make a title from those suggested keywords, instead.

2. Make a Tweetable Headline

Headlines need to be snappy, engaging, funny, intriguing, compelling and be optimized for search, too. Using Google can help inspire your basic headline, but make sure to refine it into something that will compel people to click it. Basically, if your headline won’t make a good tweet, consider rewriting it.

3. Find the Gaps in Content

Creating visible content about content marketing can be hard, because marketers have flooded the space with every tip, offer, whitepaper, eBook and infographic known to man.

You know what isn’t as hard? Creating visible content about how to plan a great product launch strategy. By identifying the need for this kind of content, March has positioned a blog post at the top of Google’s search results. In turn, that post builds our email list for our eBook about product launch strategy. This is possible for many other industries, too. The first step is to determine what your prospects want to read, and where there’s room for that kind of content. Use Google and social media to see the most popular questions, then see where those questions still aren’t being answered.

4. Use Phrases that Target Long-Tail Keywords

Google has invested heavily in making search more conversational. Searchers aren’t just typing “analytics software,” they’re typing “analytics software for telco companies” or “how telcos can use analytics software.”

Consequently, using phrases that are likely being searched for can help optimize a blog for search engines. This goes back to the product launch strategy blog post, which is entitled “How to Plan the Perfect Product Launch Strategy.” That’s a tweetable, SEO-friendly title all-in-one.

5. Create Great Content, Consistently

Content has become integral to SEO. Not just because an optimized blog post can send people to your website, but because search engines have placed much more emphasis on social shares than before. Therefore, a great piece of content helps boost SEO by getting ranked in search engines and by getting shared across social media channels.

That’s where content marketing strategies dovetail nicely with SEO strategies. As Google and other search engines move deeper into socially aware, contextual search (a la Google Now), we’re going to see personalized and compelling content take a very important role. The companies that get there first are the ones that will get to prospects first.

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This post was first published by Blaise Lucey on March Communications’ blog PR Nonsense.