First, so-called experts need to stop saying that content is dead. It has always been the foundation of search queries and is likely to hang around for more years unless Google considers it a more important metric.
This also means that search engine optimization (SEO) is very much alive. However, because Google algorithms change and consumers evolve, SEO content marketing strategies also need to innovate.
SEO experts in Singapore, one of the leading tech-driven countries, always keep themselves up-to-date with the latest trends. But marketers also need to know these strategies for more effective content planning and management:
1. Long-Form Content Will Dominate
Gone are the days of writing 300- or even 500-word blogs. More studies suggest that Google—and the Internet audience—prefer long-form content. These are articles whose length ranges from 700 to around 3,000 words (very rarely beyond that).
This type of content is effective for a variety of reasons:
• It encourages marketers to add more value to the content — You can expound on concepts, present yourselves as the authority in the topic, and provide fresh, comprehensive data.
• It is so SEO-friendly — Writing long-form content allows writers to add different keywords: short tail, targeted, related, and long tail. This strategy helps lower the risks of keyword stuffing while establishing the relevancy of your keywords to the chosen topic and niche.
• It keeps the readers on the page — In a study by Medium, a blogging platform, the researchers found a direct correlation between the length of the article and the amount of time the readers spend on the page. For a 1,600-word post, for example, the audience stayed for about 7 minutes. Why does this matter? The longer the reader stays, the more likely they will click the inbound links or go deeper into the sales funnel.
2. Writing for User Experience Is a Must
Often, many marketers still find themselves debating whether they should write for Google or their target audience. As Google releases more information about their algorithms and tips, the answer becomes clearer: the users come first.
How does this translate to effective SEO techniques? Shifting one’s focus to your audience doesn’t mean classic SEO strategies like inbound linking and keyword research won’t matter. They are still vital, but you need to do them with the readers in mind.
In a February 2021 discussion, Google SEO advocate John Mueller revealed that the quality, not the quantity, of links, is what matters. A page with one or two high-quality inbound links, most likely from reputable publications or experts, is likely to perform better in search engine rankings than content with hundreds of poor-quality links (think of link farms or pages with thin content).
Putting customer experience first also means writing not only for desktop but also for mobile. This is especially essential these days as Google has completely transitioned to mobile-first indexing.
3. Content Becomes More Dynamic
A long time ago, content referred to text-only articles. Today, it has become more dynamic. The most successful articles often come with other forms of content such as infographics, potentially increasing traffic to the site by as much as 12%.
Meanwhile, in a survey among B2B marketers, about 50% said that e-books and white papers are the most effective type of content. They are especially helpful in e-mail list building.
Case studies come in second place at 47%. However, for this year, experts forecast the growing popularity of live webinars and video.
Webinars offer a lot of benefits to your content marketing strategy:
- The average number of attendees is about 148 people. If you can convert even 5% of them into customers, that’s about 7 or 8 new acquisitions for an hour’s work that you can also record and rehash for future sessions.
- You can embed webinars into your content, such as blog posts. This helps drive more traffic and increases engagement. It also strengthens your credibility in the industry. That’s a plus point if you want to impress Google.
Meanwhile, many factors influence the growing demand for videos. Many mobile devices now run on 5G networks, which provide faster speeds and lower latency and bandwidth traffic. Users can now play and even download high-resolution videos with greater ease.
Social media further supports the theory that most humans are visual learners. Research also shows they can outperform other types of content. About 70% of marketers, for example, shared that videos provide a better return on investment (ROI) than a static image.
The general message of the 2021 content marketing trends is clear: marketers need to expand their beliefs or concepts about SEO. The strategies have to be as ever-changing and as dynamic as the minds and behaviors of Internet users and search engine algorithms.