Rand Fishkin Reveals Secrets to SEO and Content Marketing in 2015

As the New Year rings in, the Internet has no shortage of advice on how to succeed in B2B marketing.  I read countless posts, articles and reports on trends about how to increase leads and sales. 

Optimized Content Marketing Gets Results

I didn’t see much about SEO. I guess SEO is old hat (forget about Black Hat).  Instead, content marketing, social media and native advertising dominated the conversation. 

But one article about SEO and content marketing grabbed my attention: “The Wizard of Moz Talks SEO and Shares Tips for 2015”.

Mr. Fishkin’s advice resonated with me because it was simple, direct, and insightful. In short, it was useful.

SEO: Proven Workhorse that Can’t Be Matched

Without a lot of hoopla, Mr. Fishkin observed that SEO remains a powerful and increasingly under-used tool. Specifically, he cited facts showing search’s sheer strength and capacity.

Did you know that Facebook only sends out one-tenth the traffic of Google?

I don’t know about you but that got my attention.  And remember we’re talking about B2B marketing, not B2C where Facebook rules.

  

Another clincher for me was Mr. Fishkin’s comment that SEO excels at:

• Helping solve prospects’ problems
• Making conversions
• Increasing exposure

This underscores the usefulness of SEO.  When prospects search, they are searching with something specific in mind. This makes searchers more likely to convert than social media.

He also suggested that mobile search further fuels the use of SEO. As people become more addicted to searching on mobile devices, they form a habit that reinforces the use and growth of SEO.

Content Marketing Gone Wild: Quantity vs. Quality

Fishkin makes another key point. He said content marketers have fallen prey to the pressures of creating content to generate more leads and sales. In the mad rush to publish marketing content,quantity trumps quality.

Consequently, keyword-stuffed content gets created frequently, while content marketers ignore SEO best practices. 

And content marketers wonder why their content falls flat.

Making SEO and Content Marketing Work

There is no substitute for sticking to the basics. 

When writing SEO copy, you should write content for humans, not search machines. Of course, you should employ keyword search strategy, but follow SEO best practices and use keywords without stuffing.

As Mr. Fishkin points out, you want to publish the “right content” for the “right audience”. That means paying attention to where your prospect is in the buying process. Understanding your prospect’s persona is basic, yet it remains essential. 

Once you've identified your various buying personas, align them with the different stages of the buying cycle.  To help you with this, see Barbra Gago’s content mapping process.

Why You Should Focus on SEO and Content Marketing in 2015

Many marketers have been distracted by the latest fads, trends and cool tools. In closing, I want to make one final point: “Don’t let shiny objects hypnotize you”. 

Two reasons should compel you to focus on the basics:  (1) The focus on proven best practices of SEO and content marketing gets results; and (2) You’ll achieve greater success competing in a less crowded space.

Leave a comment below. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to comment on my blog. 

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Next week, I’m planning on writing more about content marketing. If you have a particular question you’d like me to address on content marketing, please let me know.

Have a great week!

Alex Milo

B2B Copywriter and Consultant

“Helping Transportation and Logistics Companies Generate Leads with Compelling Content”

Phone: 256-886-4684
Email: amilo@b2bcopywriting-alexmilo.com

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