There’s simply no substitute for parental advice. Things like “Don’t forget to wear clean underwear,” “Put that down” and “Have you eaten today?” still ring in my ears – and I’m almost 30.
As Mother’s Day draws closer, we thought it might be fun to take a look at a few content marketing and SEO updates through a more maternal lens, and equate these elements with some of Mom’s best advice.
This week, we’re going over some of our Moms’ greatest hits, and aligning them with updates to SEO best practices, the current state of content marketing, guest blogging and social media marketing success.
As Mom would say, mouth closed, eyes up, ears open! Here we go!
7 SEO Best Practices You Should Be Doing Regardless Of What Google Says
One of the things my Mom said to me all the time was, “If your friends jumped off a bridge, would you follow them?” It’s an important life lesson – just because the crowds are doing something, doesn’t mean it’s right for you.
That’s also the message we’re seeing from Search Engine Land’s Manish Dudharejia, who is reminding content marketing and SEO professionals that there are a few main tenets that shouldn’t fall by the wayside, just because new approaches are coming up. Dudharejia highlights elements including optimizing the ALT text of images, targeting LSI (Latest Semantic Indexing) keywords for content relevancy and including keywords in domain names.
Dudharejia also touches on the importance of building authority within your brand’s content, as well as the power of using longer content. And while some experts have noted that word count doesn’t necessarily matter, Dudharejia reminds us that long-form content definitely still has its place.
Check out Dudharejia’s other advice here.
The State of Content Marketing 2019 (infographic)
Growing up, my mom was the master of cool, and I’m not just talking about her style.
She always kept a level head, even when three tiny humans surrounded her, each screaming for something different. And when I’d get overwhelmed, she’d let me in on a little secret: Sometimes, you have to take a step back, take a deep breath and take things one thing at a time. “Don’t get lost in the weeds,” she’d say.
And that’s the takeaway we’re getting from the comprehensive 2019 State of Content Marketing infographic, based on a survey from Zazzle Media. With so many new strategies across different industries, the world of content marketing can quickly become quite formidable. But the type of overarching look at the industry that we see in this infographic can be incredibly helpful and informative.
Some of the key findings from the survey include:
- 98% of advertisers now believe in the usefulness and effectiveness of content marketing.
- Nearly half of marketing budgets – 41% – are now being spent on content, up from 23% last year.
- More marketers than ever are tying their content marketing strategy in with their businesses’ larger goals – 89% have linked their strategy and goals in this way, up from 45% last year.
Check out the full graphic here. And read the full survey report here.
How to Develop a Guest Blogging Strategy for SEO
My mom also taught me the value of a clean house before having company over. To this day, I can’t open the door to the mail person or pizza delivery kid without at least tidying up the entryway first. (Thanks, Mom.)
I’m seeing similar parallels in this piece from Influencive’s Kavin Payne, who underscores the importance of planning ahead before heading out into the world of guest blogging. And the sword cuts both ways here – your internal team must have your content marketing strategy locked down before bringing outside writers into the fold.
Payne goes on to provide a few tips and best practices to support a guest blogging strategy including:
- Finding guest posting partners through Google.
- Checking up on the guest post guidelines and site metrics.
- Fostering strong relationships with site owners.
Check out Payne’s other advice in the full article.
What is the Future of Social Media Marketing?
One of the best pieces of advice I got from my mom was just before I graduated college. She told me, “Honey, live in the present, but don’t forget to focus on your future.” It’s something that’s stuck with me to this day.
As far as the future of marketing goes, much of this focus is on social media. As Gajura Constantin wrote in this piece for Thrive Global, we’ve started to see a real shift in the way in which brands are using social channels. Now, companies are leveraging social media to create a digital brand recognition in the first place, as opposed to building out their social presence to support an already established online presence.
In addition, we’ll also see trending approaches like partnerships with micro-influencers, who can help businesses reach more specific segments of their audience. And, unsurprisingly, advanced tools like artificial intelligence and augmented reality will also play a role in the social media marketing strategies of the future, particularly for informed decision-making.
Check out Constantin’s other predictions in the article here.
As we celebrate Moms and motherly figures of all types this weekend, remember to keep some of that parental advice top of mind – it just might come in handy for your content marketing strategy.
And check back for our next Content Marketing Weekly roundup!
