Creating content that appeals to your customers is one thing – but there is a whole other level of understanding required in order to create content that appeals to the search engines. Your goal is to convince the search engines that when someone searches for what you offer, you are a perfect match.

The more active you are in creating and using profiles for your company on reputable sites, and the more content you produce for others to view, the more seriously the search engines are going to take your business when it comes to ranking how relevant what you offer is to your ideal customers. In other words, your content is a key way to extend your online reach and signal to the search engines that

1. You are active online and
2. You are worth finding

So, to a large extent, your online content drives your online rankings and the more organized and effective you are in developing your content, the more people know about you, and the more you can grow your audience and get more online attention. There are a lot of other issues involved in online marketing as well but when it comes to content, more is always better.

You don’t have to do it all at once. Your content creation efforts are a cumulative process and we all have to start somewhere, which is typically with almost nothing! What’s fun for me in working with my clients is watching their online garden grow – it takes time and effort but there’s something very satisfying about watching a business’s online footprint increase over time.

It’s not usually an accident that a company occupies the Number One position in search rankings, especially if they are in a highly competitive field. It’s a coveted position and it can take a great deal of dedication. If you aren’t creating any content related to what you do and how you do it, you probably are not going to show up on the first or second page of search engine results when people search for the problems you solve or the product you sell. I’ve worked with some clients who didn’t show up in the first 20 pages of search when we first started working together. But if you have an active content marketing strategy that focuses on the issues and concerns of your audience, you will increase your online search position. Do it well and do it consistently, and you have a chance of getting to Number One.

As we saw earlier, “content” really relates to the content of your online real estate – all the words, images and videos you post to the internet that talk about the needs and problems of your ideal customers or clients. It positions you and your business as experts in your field. Your online “real estate holdings” are potentially unlimited but, unfortunately, most of us have limitations on the amount of time, money and energy we can spend looking after all that property. So even though you could put details about your business up on hundreds of profile sites, you probably won’t, at least in the beginning.

However much you can gracefully manage is the right amount.

Would like some guidance around the development of your online content? I’d love to lend a hand! Email me and let’s start a conversation about how you can make your content work more productively for your business.