I’ve always loved writing. I can’t remember the actual moment when I realized that writing came naturally to me but I know it was when I was very young. As a teenager I wrote a ton of poetry and other odd literary project most of which was real hit and miss but nevertheless writing was and continues to be a creative outlet that has not only gotten me through some pretty rough times, it has quite honestly kept me sane (still does). I’m lucky enough to get paid to write for my clients and I don’t take that responsibility and privilege lightly. Through my content writing on their websites, blogs, social media, and other marketing projects, I get to literally become the online voice of that business which is enormously fun but can often times be very difficult.
Search Engine Optimization and Content Marketing in Kansas City, MO
Writing for a business is content marketing and the best part about it (at least for me) is that I’m rarely at a loss for words or ideas. The trick to effective content writing is finding new ways to describe the same products or services over and over again in new ways that are relevant to my clients, their customers, and ultimately the search engines which is why they pay me to write in the first place. Looking back at some of my early content marketing work, it was pretty evident that the rules of the search engines weren’t very strict like they are today. In fact, I remember writing blog posts that were so absurdly overly keyword heavy that any normal person reading it would think a lunatic wrote it. That may have worked then but it certainly doesn’t work now in 2020.
Rich, unique content is what Google says they want to see and these days when you lay the keyword babble on too heavy, you’ll likely get penalized and loose rankings. This means that there must be a balance between relevant content that is unique, current, and most importantly makes sense to both potential customers reading it as well as the search engines in order to be effective. It sounds more complicated than it really is but it does take some practice to get content to consistently flow and at the same time be functional for online marketing goals. Integrating what’s currently going on is an easy way to create content that is engaging and relevant but there are some really deep pitfalls you’ll probably want to avoid if you go that route. For example, leaning one way politically with your business’ voice will inevitably cut off any potential customers that are on the opposite end of the political spectrum of you which isn’t good. A good rule of thumb I use when I’m debating whether to use an outside current event or mindset in content is to ask myself “is there a large group that are vehemently opposed to this?” If the answer is yes or even maybe, I don’t do it. Don’t get me wrong, I could care less if someone gets offended by my personal opinions but they have no place in my business communications or my clients’ content for that matter.
I guess the best advise I can give on content marketing is just keep typing no matter what (you can always go back and edit later), keep the content upbeat, and keep it current and relevant to where you are and what’s going on there. Don’t try to explain your whole business in one content piece but instead try breaking up parts of what you do or what you sell into separate content. Don’t expect all of your content to make you surge up in the search engine rankings because you’ll be very disappointed. Obviously some content will be more productive and effective than others and the key is to maximize those that really kick ass and learn why they performed so well so that you can take your future content to the next level.
When I first started in the SEO/online marketing industry the phrase “Content is King” could be heard in pretty much every sales pitch or presentation to new clients and it still holds true today. Sure you can go and pay Google a mountain of money to show up prominently and immediately with AdWords but the fact is that once you stop paying, you immediately become invisible again. With content marketing and search engine optimization, your online presence is built organically which, in my opinion, is much more powerful, effective and lasting. Especially when you consider that most Pay Per Click ads only see a roughly 2% click through rate which isn’t much for what you pay. Content marketing works exceptionally well but it is by no means the most simple and easy path to succeed online. However, when done correctly, content marketing can be the most powerful and effective tool in your online marketing arsenal and that is why I enjoy it so much.
If you have questions about content marketing, SEO, or web design in Kansas City, feel free to get in contact with us.
Call Web Force KC at (816) 462-9128 for web design and online marketing in Kansas City.
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