Providing content is one of the most effective ways to generate leads, educate potential clients about your service or product and eventually, convert those leads into paying customers. But without a precise content marketing strategy — one where you really delve into your customer's specific needs — you are merely rolling the dice, and the time and financial stakes are high.
The importance of search engine optimization (SEO) for your company’s blog or content marketing strategy is not a novel idea. SEO as a concept predates Google itself but has in many ways become an art form in the world of digital marketing. Knowing your customer persona well enough to predict what they may need from you and actually being able to provide whatever that is, is an enviable capability that can blow your competition out of the water.
From software creators to shoe designers and from law firms to language academies, many companies are fantastic at what they do, but inadvertently disadvantage themselves with a subpar content marketing strategy when they try to wear too many hats at the same time. Subcontracting content marketing to an account-based specialized copyediting company, equipped with expert knowledge of SEO and an armoire of technical tools to create top-notch content is a check-mate move when it comes to positioning your company on the first page of Google.
SEO involves using the words — keywords — that your ideal client is likely to search for. Let’s take the example of a furniture company. Filling the website with keywords like chairs, tables, and beds is, of course, an excellent place to start. Using these kinds of keywords for this type of business is likely to generate a lot of website visits from people looking for furniture, so why is our furniture manufacturer disappointed when these leads don’t convert?
General SEO attracts high volumes of traffic but frequently has a low conversion rate. Conversion focused SEO risks lower volumes of traffic but invariably leads to higher conversion rates. Durable kitchen furniture minimalist design is much more specific, but positions a such a product much higher on search engine results, which means that when a customer is looking for something as detailed as this, they come across our furniture company’s page first, see there is a lot of detail in the form of content surrounding the product, Et Voila! A lead that converts.
Conversion focused SEO is an effective marketing strategy as it helps your business to connect with audiences that have a very specific problem — one that you can solve for them. As content marketing experts, At Castleberry Media, we use a combination of more generic keywords, for audiences that are browsing, and long-tail keywords such as female family lawyer that specializes in young children custody for fathers, which suggests the customer is in the market for a very specific kind of solution, and ready to buy.
Long-tail keywords vary from industry to industry, and while you may have a rough idea of what your buyer persona is looking for, it can prove extremely difficult to hit the nail on the head without the use of AI tools and a well-thought-out marketing strategy. With account-based marketing (ABM), your content provider will take the necessary time to pinpoint your customer pain points, before even putting fingers to the keys. (Pen to paper is a little outdated now, right?).
Let’s be honest. How long it takes to get your business on the first page of search results by using an intensive and deliberate SEO content marketing strategy can vary from business to business, from keyword to keyword, and from how well you really understand your ideal customer. Part of the strategy consists in developing a clear understanding of what your clientele needs. As a ballpark figure, it can take a minimum of three months to rank on the first pages of search engines. If you are starting a website now then you may have to wait for 3-4 months until you see your first visits from Google. After 6-7 months and provided that you are working in the right direction you can start getting some serious traffic from Google.
If our furniture company wants to sell more shoes in general, attacking the SEO from a standpoint of vague keywords may work, but it may not. While a much more time-intensive and financially-demanding strategy, if our client were to work with us to create a series of explicit content based on each one of their five new bathroom models coming out for summer 2023, they would get a headstart in the marketing race for next summer by channeling potential clients to land on exactly what it is they are looking for.
At Castleberry Media, we work with clients to both find both short and long-tail keywords and weave them seamlessly into content that converts. Here are some examples of how we can do this, by industry:
While our list serves as an example and is not exhaustive, it helps you to see the difference between short tail and long tail keywords and highlight how long tail keywords manage to hone in on prospective buyers according to what they really need, allowing you to swoop in for the closing sale at the click of a button. Or the elaboration of a more niche article showcasing your product.
Whatever your industry, leaning into the benefits of long-tail keyword SEO strategies is par for the course for companies looking to expand their online presence and make valuable conversions. You can attempt to do this yourself, by guessing what it is your client needs, or you can consider ABM with a knowledgeable and competent agency that invests in your company. Because when you do well, so do we.
If you would like to learn more about how we can help you create a successful content strategy for your business, please contact us: sales@castleberrymedia.co. and we’ll be delighted to discuss your options with no obligation.
