Content Marketing vs. SEO: The Truth Behind A Ridiculous Debate

By BARRY FELDMAN published JUNE 13, 2013

HTTPS://CONTENTMARKETINGINSTITUTE.COM/2013/06/CONTENT-MARKETING-VS-SEO-TRUTH-BEHIND-RIDICULOUS-DEBATE/

The headlines read…

Content marketing usurps SEO…

Content marketing has killed SEO…

Content marketing overtakes SEO…

The word “versus” often appears between these two purported rivals.

Shoot me now.

Or, wait just a minute and shoot me after you’ve read (and have disagreed with) my strong point of view on the hyper-hyped topic du jour that’s come to be a showdown between content marketing and SEO.

From where I sit, it’s a ridiculous argument.

Though the topic is often (and shamefully) broached by writers who actually understand marketing strategy, it seems little more than a gimmick to get readers to click on a blog post. At best, what they get from the read is another lesson on the power of content marketing.

If this is an unpopular opinion, I have two things to say:

SO BE IT.

HAVING AN UNPOPULAR OPINION IS A POWERFUL WAY TO POLARIZE THE AUDIENCE AND WIN FAVOR WITH THOSE IN YOUR CAMP.

Content marketing and SEO do not compete with each other

The “Content marketing vs. SEO” battle opportunists are so eager to pit the two against each other. They want you to pick a side.

The implication seems to be that, to be smart about your digital marketing spend, you need to choose to hire one type of specialist over the other. Maybe you have $3,000 to allocate per month. The dilemma: Do you put it into content marketing or into SEO?

I can only make sense of this if the SEO effort in contention here is of the black hat variety. In other words, if SEO wins your dollars, it would go into hiring a shop to go on a voracious back-link-building mission. This was indeed a booming, yet questionable, business for years. Today, it’s unethical and ineffective — dangerous even. Search engines penalize the practitioners they find guilty of these crimes.

Let’s cast aside the shady practice of building links by exchanging dollars (or favors, or link farming, or any other nonsense that will no longer fly, thanks to Google’s Penguin initiatives and the like). You’re left with no competition. There are no rivals here, and there’s nothing left to debate.

True online marketing professionals will recognize that both content marketing and SEO are star players in an enterprise-focused marketing strategy. If your team has a void in one area or the other (or both), you need to fill it — end of story. SEO experts need not fear the extinction of their craft. Their roles will remain vital to brand marketing because they know better than anyone that effective and ethical SEO can’t happen without content to be optimized.

You could make the case that SEO is content marketing

We create content to support our marketing objectives. If we’re doing this wisely, a vital part of our execution strategies should be focused on optimizations that will increase the probability that our content will be discovered via search.

As I see it, saying SEO and content are two separate marketing tactics is akin to saying headlines and copy are foes. How preposterous is that? You write headlines to get people to read copy. You then optimize your online content to get people to discover it.

In my opinion, SEO, or search engine optimization, is a misnomer anyway. It seems to suggest you optimize the search engine. Clearly, you cannot and do not. You optimize online content.

“Content” optimization — now there’s a term I could live with. Seems like a happy and harmonious marriage of the two marketing disciplines.

It’s time to think holistically

In “The Mindset that Makes Online Marketing Work,” from MarketingLand, Copyblogger’s Brian Clark writes:

“The struggle many face with online marketing is a misguided impulse to put various tactics into separate boxes instead of seeing each as an aspect of one overarching strategic process.”

Brian adds:

“To this day, I see people referring to content marketing, social media marketing, and search engine optimization as three different things — as if each is a tactic that can get you there alone.

“The smart way to practice effective online marketing is to treat social media and search engine results as aspects of a holistic strategy that centers around compelling content.”

You can’t cast a vote for content that succeeds in a vacuum. You can create and publish content across multiple, strategic platforms. You can repurpose it from materials created by other functional disciplines within your organization. You can share it via numerous social media channels…

And if you want to maximize its marketing power and potential benefit to your business, you damn well better optimize it.

Technical SEO vs content marketing: Which should SEOs focus on?

05 Apr 18 | Hannah Thorpe

https://searchenginewatch.com/2018/04/05/technical-seo-vs-content-marketing-which-should-seos-focus-on/

In the digital marketing sector we frequently talk about content and technical SEO as two distinct sections of marketing we can do on-site.

But that’s not entirely true. The two elements work hand-in-hand on a website to support its organic successes.

I think primarily the reason is that two separate skill sets are required to deliver the work. For a brand hiring an ‘SEO’ it’s rare they’ll be able to find one person who is equally strong in both content and technical work, so instead they must prioritize which one is the most important to them.

I don’t think that content vs. technical SEO is an either/or battle. Instead, it’s more about the ratios and weighting we put towards each side for the duration of an SEO project.

It’s an annoying cop-out, but when asked, “What’s more important: content, or technical?” the answer genuinely is, “It depends.” It depends on the current performance of your site, the speed at which you want results, the size of your business and how much you’ve previously done.

Let’s look at each one of these categories, and consider whether content or technical SEO is the best solution for various issues you might encounter.

Current performance

Struggling with site-wide rankings: Typically this is the result of an underlying technical issue, so technical SEO should be the priority area to focus upon.

Internal cannibalization: If rankings are low because you frequently have multiple pages trying to rank for the same keyword, then one effective solution is to look at and edit the content on these pages.

Product pages (with multiple configurations) not ranking: If a product page has multiple options to it in color/shape/size/style, and all of these are controlled by the user, it’s likely that a technical issue is causing inefficient crawling or indexing of these products.

Product pages with affiliates/stockists not ranking: If you’re selling another brand’s products, or work with affiliates or stockists of your products, when these are under-performing online, it’s often the result of duplicate content issues externally. The best solution here is to revise your content and optimize what is currently on your site.

Speed of results

The area of SEO to invest your money in really depends on how well the site is doing and where it is under-performing to begin with.

The balance of if technical or content is the solution will depend on which area of the site performance you’re trying to target:

It’s hard to know whether content or technical will get you the fastest results online, as it really depends upon the site you’re working on.

A site which is not being frequently and efficiently crawled will struggle to get technical changes noticed on-site, but also will rarely get new content indexed quickly or highly to begin with. To speed up the result you get from content pieces, it’s important to have already implemented the technical work required for Google to efficiently crawl and index the site.

This means that in cases where technical SEO already meets a minimum standard, content will get faster results than additional technical work and vice versa. Again, this needs a big caveat that is completely site dependent.

However, content has a major advantage in gaining results quickly without relying on SEO, as it can gain traction across other channels (e.g. social media) and support the branding of the business.

Whilst content marketing may come out of your SEO budget, there’s nothing to stop you using paid social as a means of promotion, email marketing or even just directing in store clients to your online resources. This means you get extra value from a single piece of content, which may be struggling to perform organically.

Aug 28, 2017, 02:57pm

What's The Difference Between Content

Marketing And SEO?

Jayson DeMers

I demystify SEO and online marketing for business owners.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/jaysondemers/2017/08/28/whats-the-difference-between-content-marketing-and-seo/#5d6a94da1216

If you’ve been plugged intothe world of online marketing in the past decade, you’ve heard the terms “SEO”and “content marketing” used pretty frequently. Moreover, they seem to be usedby the same types of people, in the same context, and referring to very similarstrategies.

If you’re new to the online marketing industry, this can all be a bitconfusing. Even if you’re experienced, you might have trouble drawing a linebetween the two concepts. On some level, this is fine; content marketing andSEO are two tightly interwoven strategies. But if you want to get the most outof each dimension of your online marketing, you should know where each beginsand ends.

The High Level View on Content

Let’s start by defining the goals and techniques of content marketing.Essentially, the idea is to create “valuable” content for your customers toconsume; valuable, here, could refer to content that’s practical, informative,entertaining, or otherwise useful. The type of content doesn’t matter somuch—it could be in the form of blog posts, transparentpapers, infographics, videos,podcasts, or even the paragraphs you use to populate the pages of your main site(here’s a list of 101 content ideas).

The goal is to naturally attract people to your site by giving them somethingthey want (usually for free), and then persuade them to convert by making asoft pitch for your products and services.

The High Level View on SEO

Search engine optimization (SEO) is a series of tactics meant to increase yoursite’s rankings in search engines, including the individual pages within thatsite. Search engines rank pages based on two broad categories of factors:relevance and authority. Increasing relevance usually means customizing your content to appeal toa certain segment of search users, while increasing authority means making yoursite more trustworthy by creating better content and earning links.

11.16.15 Search Engine Optimization

Content Marketing vs. SEO

The topic of content marketing vs. SEO baffles me and honestly it has always confused me. I thought this discussion had been addressed and marketers knew it was no battle at all, but last week I realized it is still alive and well.

I was on a sales call and the marketer I was speaking with said she didn’t believe in SEO. She said she believes you simply need to focus on content marketing and you’ll be fine. I’m paraphrasing, but that sums up the comments.

The SEO consultant in me felt a knife gab into my heart and twist in a million different directions.

The Reality of Content Marketing and SEO

Content marketing and SEO do not compete with each other. Instead they are two parts of a more holistic marketing plan. Content marketing and SEO intertwine within this plan to drive success.

You cannot have strong SEO without having some form of content marketing. And while you can write and publish content on the web, for you to be truly successful at content marketing you need to utilizing SEO.

There should not be a content marketing vs. SEO discussion. Instead the question should focus on how one can best merge the two types of marketing tactics into one successful marketing program.

A Deeper Look into Content Marketing

Content marketing is the process of creating focused and compelling content. This content is generated with purpose and it is focused on serving a specific target market. A strong content marketing plan will include strategy, content creation, and promotion all concentrated on targeting potential customers at their various stages of the buying cycle. In larger, more complex buying cycles this can include targeting multiple buyer personas simultaneously.

Goals of Content Marketing

Brand awareness for an individual or company

Lead generation and conversions

Prospect nurturing

Revenue generation

Components of Content Marketing

Define objectives

Identify the target market and buyer personas

Document the prospect’s buying cycle

Create a strategy and plan

Create compelling and useful content

Promote content

Define metrics and review available reporting

Content marketing focuses on the target audience, their needs, and the goal of building engagement.

A Deeper Look into SEO

SEO is an acronym for “search engine optimization.” Websites are constantly competing for page one placement in the search engine results page. Practicing the best practices of SEO will help a website owner better position themselves in these search results and increase their visibility on the internet. This increase in visibility will then drive more traffic to their website.

SEO includes a large list of checks and balances that are comprised of small modifications to process, content, code, and design. When performed individually, these changes might have a small and immaterial impact on search rankings. When combined together in a formal process, these changes will have have a large impact on a page or post’s placement in organic search results.

The higher the page or post ranks in search results, the greater the amount of traffic will flow to the website.

Goals of SEO

Discover the proper keywords that relate to a given target marketing or audience

Improve ranking of specific keywords in search engines

Drive visitor traffic to a website

Generate revenue

Components of SEO

Perform keyword research and define focused keywords

Establish a proper site structure by mapping focused keywords to content

Create compelling and useful content

Optimization content for on-page SEO factors

Promote content via social media

Build internal links to focused content

SEO focuses on keywords, build visibility in search, and driving greater website traffic.

So Who Wins the Content Marketing vs. SEO Battle?

No one, because there is no battle. These two marketing tactics go together like peanut butter and jelly.

You cannot have strong SEO without the creation of killer content. And you cannot reach the largest audience for your content marketing efforts if you don’t have solid SEO in place.

A good marketer sees the value of utilizing both content marketing and SEO and using the two tactics to enhance the overall success rate of internet marketing efforts.

The larger question is how to best overcome the challenges today’s marketers face. Let’s look at three interesting statistics:

88% of B2B marketers use content marketing. (Content Marketing Institute)

Only 30% of B2B marketers feel their organization is effective at content marketing. (Content Marketing Institute)

Search is the #1 driver of website traffic. (Outbrain)

If you ask my opinion, a primary reason organizations are not certain about the effectiveness of content marketing is because they are forgetting to weave solid SEO into their content marketing efforts.

The more you can ignore the premise of content marketing vs. SEO and the more you intertwine the two, the more successful your marketing will become.

Why SEO Is Actually All About Content Marketing

by Neil Patel

https://neilpatel.com/blog/seo-is-content-marketing/

There’s a bit of confusion over SEO and content marketing. The confusion comes over how SEO and content marketing fit together. Do they fit together? Are they at odds with each other? If so, is it possible to force them together?

In a previous post, I explained why SEO and content marketing are like PB&J. They go together. They just fit. They work well together.

Now, I want to share exactly why that is — why SEO is actually all about content marketing, and vice versa.

Before I share the why of this article, let me be clear about the what— the problem I’m addressing.

The Problem: SEO and content marketing are not integrated.

The crux of the problem is that SEO and content marketing are separated, as if they were two very different things. The truth is, however, that they go together, overlap, cohere, blend.

Some people think that content marketing eliminates the need for SEO.

How can “content marketing overtake SEO completely” when the only way to successful content marketing is to have SEO? How can you tear the two apart like that?

Thankfully, there are voices of reason in the cacophony of confusion (e.g., the smallbusiness.yahoo article above). Careful marketers have observed the disconnect, and are trying to point out that SEO and content marketing go together.

Yet the mistake persists. One of the popular articles that makes this mistake comes from an article in The Guardian, which states: “It looks like Google has tired of its old friend SEO and is instead cosying-up to the new kid on the block, content marketing” [sic].

It’s a cute analogy, but it’s simply not accurate. It’s not as if SEO and content marketing are two different people. To borrow the same metaphor, SEO and content marketing are actually two personalities of the same person.

The problem, then, lies in the disconnect between SEO and content marketing.

It’s time to bring the two back together. This is the only way you’ll be successful in both your SEO and your content marketing.

There are differences between SEO and content marketing.

Yes, SEO and content marketing are distinguished from one another in several critical areas. And while they have points of differentiation, you still can’t separate the two entirely.

Rather than chase down every point of difference between the two, I want to point out this elemental contrast:

SEO is narrower, and more technical.

Content marketing is broader and more holistic.

This is the way in which the two converge:

The way to apply SEO in a broader way is to channel its specific technical endeavors into content marketing.

Conversely, the only way to ensure the success of content marketing is to apply SEO techniques in its implementation.

How SEO and Content Marketing Come Together

Another way to look at it is like this — SEO makes demands. Content marketing fulfills those demands.

Think of it as a conversation between two people.

SEO states the requirements. Content marketing fulfills them.

Now, let me show you how exactly SEO and content complement each other.

In each of the points below, I state exactly what SEO requires, and how content marketing meets that requirement. Keep in mind that conversation between SEO and Content Marketing (above) as you review each of the following points.

SEO demands content. Content marketing is content.

There is no such thing as SEO without content. You need words, articles, substance, keywords, verbiage.

I wince whenever I have to say it, because it’s so cliche, but it’s true: Content is king.

We don’t argue about that anymore. It’s a truism of the SEO industry. Content content content.

And what is content marketing all about? It’s about content. The practical application of SEO (content) is the very substance of content marketing.

When SEO shouts, “We need more content!” content marketing responds, “Gotcha taken care of!”

SEO demands keywords. Content marketing means using keywords.

Here’s another feature of SEO: Keywords.

No one would argue that a fundamental component of SEO is keywords — researching them, utilizing them, and tracking your ranking of them in the SERPs.

How does one apply the use of keywords? How is all the research funneled into its practical application?

It’s called content marketing. The only way you can use your keywords is to be employing them strategically throughout your content. Content marketing consists of top-notch content, written for humans, and using the keywords that you’re targeting.

Obviously, Panda will nail you if you insist on stuffing your pages with keywords and over optimizing. But when SEO and content marketing do what they’re supposed to do — work in sweet harmony together — you’ll be fine.

SEO demands linkbacks. Content marketing introduces linkbacks.

SEOs dream about linkbacks — a huge, fat, DA 98 linking to your site. Or, an incredibly powerful .edu tossing a link to your blog article.

This SEO dream can only come true if you’re unleashing stellar content through content marketing.

You can build links by contracting with a link building agencies. Some are reputable, some not so much.

But the best way to build links is by publishing killer content, and letting the masses link back to it. This is the real way to continual SEO success.

If you want this important component of SEO, you’ve got to have the indispensable element of content marketing.

The only way to get a linkback — that dangling SEO carrot — is to have content worth linking to.

SEO demands onsite technical optimization. Content marketing needs great UX.

I anticipate that some SEOs may still object to my point, at least in part.

Here’s why. SEO is about more than just blog articles, keywords, and linkbacks. SEO is about optimizing the robots.txt, enhancing metadata, utilizing proper tags, and constructing a strategic sitemap. Technical stuff like that.

Yes, it is. And, yes, this is also tangentially related to content marketing.

This technical optimization is put in place for the good of the user — whether the user is searching, selecting, or reading your content. It’s accurate to think of these enhancements from a user experience (UX) perspective. These technical SEO components are present in order to serve the user and promote your content.

Again, the link between SEO and content is inextricable. Why do you want a good sitemap? So people can more easily find and access your content. Why do you want an optimized robots.txt? So search engines can better crawl your site, and so readers can see the content. Why do you want the right tags in the right places? So your content can get stellar indexing, accurate search results, and more readers of your content.

It all comes back to content.

SEO demands consistent output. Content marketing requires consistent.

Google likes fresh content, and they have for a long time. If you know SEO, you know that fresh content gets rapidly indexed, and registers higher in the SERPs than older low-value content. When this fresh content appears on a site with historic authority, you can be sure that it’s going to have a SERP boost.

Good SEO, then, means consistent output of content. Consistent output means that you’re doing content marketing, and you’re doing it right. There isn’t any way around it.

Content marketing is an active verb, with ongoing action. You don’t just do it, and then stop. You do it, and keep doing it. And on and on.

Content marketing and SEO converge again.

Conclusion

I could continue to discuss applications ad nauseam, but I hope the point is clear: SEO is actually all about content marketing. And content marketing is all about SEO.

Here are two takeaways that I want to leave you with:

1. You’re not an SEO, unless you’re also a content marketer. You’re not a content marketer, unless you’re also an SEO.

I’m not trying to be harsh or unkind, especially if you call yourself an “SEO” or a “Content Marketer” exclusively. That’s fine, and you can keep doing that.

The point I want to make is that your content marketing needs SEO, and your SEO needs content marketing. These are no longer disparate departments with disconnected efforts. An SEO needs to know about content marketing, and vice versa.

I’d love to see these two occupations blend a bit more. I don’t think that the acronym SEOCM (Search Engine Optimization + Content Marketer) is going to take off, but that’s how you can think of yourself.

2. Your SEO campaign will fail unless you integrate content marketing. Your content marketing campaign will fail unless you integrate SEO.

In a recent post, I explained why your content marketing is doomed to fizzle and die without several key features. Each of those features had to do with SEO.

Clearly, content marketing is only going to be successful if it has SEO features. Look at it this way: Your content is going nowhere unless people search and find. In order to make it found, you need SEO.

Bring these two together. Alone, they are impotent. Together, they are dynamite.

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Content VS SEO from the experts