Adam is writing about MarketingSherpa 2012 Search Marketing Benchmark Report – SEO Edition.
There is a massive amount of analysis in this book, but one theme immediately jumped out at me: SEO thrives on content, and content does not come easily.
… let’s look at a chart ranking the top SEO tactics used today.
As you can see, content creation sits comfortably on the top with 92% of SEO marketers saying it is at least somewhat effective and 50% saying it is very effective. Keyword research comes in second with 87% saying it’s at least somewhat effective.
I don’t know about you but I have always known that content creation is what it takes to not only get your site ranked well, but also to drive traffic. The problem has always been getting enough great content created, either by myself or someone else.
The other side of the content-coin is that it is also one of the most difficult tactics to execute. Here are the three most-difficult SEO tactics:
1. External link building
2. Content creation
3. Blogging.
There are no surprises here, all of these take an enormous amount of time. The first (External link building) is not very creative work and can be outsourced. The second two require more care. They can be outsourced but there should be supervision of the material being created to make sure that it meets the standards that you want for your business.
These three tactics are as intertwined as DNA. Nothing I know of will generate more high-quality links on a consistent basis than good content that is published regularly.
Those three items executed well along with a good promotional plan can take a site from so-so traffic to excellent traffic.
The article goes on to suggest the three tactics for establishing traffic and credibility with your prospective customer.
- Always answer prospects questions
- Really answer their questions
- Two posts per week for six months
In the first two items he is trying to point out that the most important thing when dealing with someone who doesn’t know who you are and whether they can trust you is being as open as you can be about answering potential objections. This will help build some trust that you are not evading the tough questions.
Lay it all out, the good, the bad and the ugly. You know what the most common objections (questions) that your prospects have, don’t avoid them, they won’t go away.
An excellent piece well worth reading.
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