Creating Credibility and Authority through Content Marketing
Content marketing is a key component to building brand authority. Whether It’s on-site for SEO purposes, sharing information to help educate consumers. The path to credibility and authority is with Content Marketing in the mix.
If you’re not familiar with content marketing as a strategy. Checking out this article where I discuss it in more detail. You can find it here. For those with a handle on it already. Feel free to get up to speed and then come back to this article. Learn more about strategies and building brand authority.
Brand credibility and authority are built by sharing relevant information with target audiences. Addressing the 3 pillars of a successful business. Identifying a problem, creating a solution, and delivering consistency with the results.
Why is quality content more important than technical SEO strategies?
Think of the 48 Laws of Power. Learn to keep people dependent on you! Google has achieved these results. That’s what makes them a go-to choice when people have questions.
When your content answers FAQs it has value to the search engines. Search engines have one job. Delivering the best results to search queries. The better the results they provide. The more reliable they become to users. Building their level of credibility.
By creating quality content you’re not only helping the consumer. You’re helping yourself. The search engines are taking stock of time spent on websites. When they provide your content as the result of a query. It is a way of gauging whether your content serves as a useful resource.
End of the day that is going to trump someone that has learned how to craft content to juke the system. They can get the ranking and the click. But if the content isn’t providing the solution. The ranking won’t last. SERP strategies are useful. The real success comes when they’re paired with quality content.
Quality content builds up “Search equity”. Search equity is what evens the playing field. It allows small to mid-size businesses to compete against larger brands. Search engines care more about the quality of the content than the size of a business.
Content Marketing is a partnership with search engines and consumers. A partnership with search engines that they have the audience. An audience that your brand wants access to. If you want to borrow that audience and gain exposure. You have to make it worthwhile to the search engines by making them look good.
A partnership with consumers where you’re providing answers, and educating them. Helping to ease their path through the customer journey. The reward is their consideration during the buyer’s decision-making moment.
How to identify and create quality content that is in demand
Paid strategies and research that can be done. As well as free methods that need more effort but can deliver similar results. As a brand developer and marketer. My partnerships with clients are based on education.
By educating the clients on what to look for and how it pertains to their business. It makes the process and the work a lot easier. We are making educated decisions. It isn’t based on recommendations without understanding the why.
One of the best and smartest places to start looking is at your business. What are the questions that you get asked? FAQs are a solid starting point for deciding what to write about or share with a target audience.
Where is the disconnect between knowing what the issue is and how to solve it? Becoming the authority that can bridge that gap you’re building your credibility. Building trust and consideration.
Looking at where competitors are falling short. Checking the industry standards and expectations of the target audience. Addressing these expectations and shortcomings. Addressing them with your brands’ content is a way of adding value. Acknowledging the concerns, questions, and expectations shows empathy.
That empathy is a way of resonating with the audience. Providing them with reasons to spend more time reading. Learning about your brand and offerings. Which goes back to spending more time on site. Prompting search engines to view your content as higher quality and share it more often.
The reality is people don’t know what they don’t know. Once they find out they can ask better questions. When your brand keeps coming up in the results of those queries as a resource with answers. You are officially competing in your respective market.
