February 17, 2017

In a world where content marketing is constantly changing, it is easy to get swept away with common myths and misconceptions regarding best practices.

You need to stay on top of the truths to excel in your SEO, so it is essential to sift out the false strategies that only lead to stagnant rankings. You need to plan effectively, which means you need to be able to determine the real from the fake.

Here are five common myths about content marketing, as well as the truths you should know:

Myth #1: Google + followers make a big difference

It is certainly true that Google plays a role in SEO. However, your efforts on the social media site should be about more than gaining followers who don’t interact with your content. Instead, you should be striving to create an environment where fans communicate with each other and your company. You must stay active on the site by sharing content and relevant links, responding to feedback and making connections. Everything should be done with your target audience in mind, so make sure each piece of information is useful.

Myth #2: Social media is becoming the most important aspect of SEO

Whether social media sites take over good old fashioned content marketing as the most important aspect of true SEO remains to be seen, but for the time being it should just be another cog in the machine. Search Engine Watch noted that you can’t rely too heavily on social, as it should only be used to back up interesting content. Although certain websites and businesses have found ways to go viral through social sharing, it is not sustainable and often doesn’t lead to long-term success – you need balance to achieve that.

Myth #3: The linking conundrum

No one denies that links are a valuable way to boost website ranking. However, the days of mindlessly loading up content with links are long gone, and in their place is a strategy that emphasizes quality over quantity. But you shouldn’t go too far with this initiative, which can leave you throwing in citations instead of good links. According to Search Engine Land, it is important to identify the best possible sources and connections, and then using those links and citations to build great content marketing.

Myth #4: You need to invest in paid ads to get a better ranking

Paid search is another aspect of content marketing that can improve your SEO efforts, as well as the bottom line, but it’s not enough to boost rankings. It was commonly thought that services such as Google AdWords went a long way toward jumping in the ranks, but Google executive Matt Cutts spoke about the truth behind this myth. He claimed that while the search engine would certainly like you to purchase ads, it doesn’t punish those who don’t.

Myth #5: Your content can never be improved

OK, this might not be a myth as much as it is a common mistake where you become content with everything you have done. Instead of thinking your content marketing strategy is consistently outstanding, take time to evaluate each piece and note areas of possible improvement. Analytics tools can be a huge help as you try to find small details you can improve. Dig through stats such as bounce rate or click-through rate to see what needs improvement and try to pinpoint exactly where you went wrong … or right.

* Maria L. Novak Dugan is president of Marketing Solutions & Business Development, a firm in West Chester, PA, offering creative marketing services and goal implementation for small businesses. For more information, contact Maria at 610-405-0633 or Maria@Maria-L-Novak.com or visit www.Maria-L-Novak.com

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