Just a few years ago, articles about SEO consisted almost entirely of advice on how to carry out the day-to-day technical aspects of keyword research, on-site optimization and link building. And while these elements are certainly still necessary, their importance has declined and changed quite significantly.
Instead, marketers must create quality, long form content and use SEO as just one of many content amplification strategies.
This article will walk you through the elements of SEO that are still important for content marketing success in 2015.
1. Focus more on user intent and semantic search and less on individual keywords.
Since the release of Hummingbird last year, we’ve seen a shift away from keyword targeting in favor of focusing on semantic search. Google has become far more sophisticated when it comes to understanding the meaning behind search queries; so rather than returning a page based simply on keyword density, for instance, they’re able to return content that matches the actual meaning and intent behind the request.
When creating content, focus on questions your target market may be asking, rather than simply on 2-3 word catch phrases. Write meaty articles that cover all aspects of a particular topic, rather than writing shorter posts that target a popular keyword or phrase. Focus on the intent behind what your customers are looking for, and on how andwhere they’re using search (for instance, on mobile).
