Generate 3X as many leads as traditional outbound marketing for 62% less cost

Quality content has always been a key driver of marketing success. But in a time of AI-created copy and search engines prioritizing human-written content, the importance of high-value digital marketing content is accentuated.  

Today’s customers expect superior, consistent content from brands they are considering supporting. And while content should generally aim to benefit people more than search engines, it needs to strike a delicate balance that appeals to both. It is possible to attain thought leadership status, build relationships and increase search rankings at the same time. 

So how can you be sure your content is hitting the mark in a way that drives more leads and conversions? Use our guide below to audit the value of your existing content. 

What does high-quality digital marketing content accomplish? 

The purpose of content marketing is to attract and retain your audience in a way that generates profits. It improves brand awareness, increases demand for your products and/or services, establishes your subject matter expertise and shifts buyers along in their purchasing process. 

Consider the following statistics: 

• Content marketing generates three times as many leads as traditional marketing but costs 62% less 
• 62% of B2B purchasers rely on a brand’s content to research and make decisions 
• 56% of consumers have made a purchase after reading a company’s blog post 
• Blogs, social media shopping tools and influencer marketing are all tied for generating the highest ROI of any marketing channel 
• Almost half of buyers view 3-5 pieces of content before engaging with a sales rep 

Quality content doesn’t just engage, entertain and inform your audience – it sets up a long-term lead generation strategy that directly impacts your revenue. 

Characteristics of high-value digital marketing content 

Google states that its automated search engine ranking system is designed to push helpful, reliable content that is primarily created to benefit people to the top of its search engine results page (SERP). But what makes digital marketing content helpful and reliable?  

Consider the following recommendations. 

Provide information or tools that are genuinely helpful 

It’s not hard to tell the difference between content that is created solely for the purpose of search engine optimization (SEO) and that which is designed to be useful.  

For example, if you are creating a blog to tap into the long-tail keyword “What is SEO,” a blog designed primarily for search engines would likely skim the surface of the topic by providing:  

• A very general definition 
• A brief description of why SEO is important  
• A call to action (CTA) to speak with an SEO content agency 

Meanwhile, a blog that is designed to be helpful to humans while still signaling its relevance to search engines may dive deeper into details like:  

• The highly technical process behind SEO, including how advanced targeted keywords are identified  
• The differences between search engine crawling, indexing and optimizing 
• The importance of your site’s architecture and page speed 
• Coverage of digital tools that are available to help you improve your SEO 

The second example provides much more in-depth information and instructions that the reader can actually use to both understand the process and improve their results, whereas the first simply answers the question of what SEO is. 

Take a “tell, don’t sell” approach 

Users are looking for information that is either helpful, entertaining or engaging – not overly promotional. There is a huge tone difference between the below blog titles: 

1. 6 proven ways that SEO can increase your ROI 
2. 6 ways TruStar Marketing uses its SEO expertise to help customers generate a higher ROI 

Which article would you rather read? 

Content should be customer-centric, meaning it should speak directly to your customers and touch on their specific motivations. This typically requires an in-depth understanding of their pain points and how your products or services can solve them. 

Add value by being original 

Originality is a major difference between content created by tools like ChatGPT and content created by experienced writers. Artificial intelligence (AI) content generators lack the ability to: 

• Account for your unique brand voice 
• Draw new conclusions 
• Add unique insight 
• Understand emotion or broader context 

If you simply publish content created by AI bots, you’re essentially summarizing information that already exists. Why should your customers turn to your content if they can also find it on ten of your competitors’ websites? 

Provide clear and enticing follow-through 

Great content should never stand alone. Offer your readers resources to dive deeper into a topic by linking related articles, credible sources and strategic landing pages that will entice them into your sales funnel. 

For example, the above blog topic example of “what is SEO” could link to other content you create, such as: 

• Other blog posts relevant to SEO, such as how to identify keywords, understand your audience through qualitative research and improve your site’s user experience (UX) 
• A landing page that explains your process for improving SEO results with a CTA to get a free preliminary SEO audit 
• A video explaining the consequences of poor SEO 
• A case study demonstrating a successful SEO approach 
• An infographic explaining the difference between SEO and SEM (search engine marketing) 

These resources not only inform your audience but keep readers on your site longer and encourage action. 

Checklist: How to evaluate your content’s quality 

When assessing the value of your content, ask yourself these questions: 

• Did I make a point and take a position of value and interest that will help set my brand apart?  
• Is the content deep enough to answer key questions our readers/decision makers have? 
• Do I have an existing or intended audience that would find this information useful enough to achieve their goals? 
• Is this the kind of content I would bookmark, cite or recommend to a friend? 
• Is the content written in a way that makes me want to trust it as having authority on the topic? 

Increase your ROI by partnering with an SEO content strategy agency 

Valuable content creation requires a deep knowledge of your audience personas, digital marketing trends, content best practices and analytics that can measure its success. TruStar Marketing has the expertise and tools needed to produce content that generates a return on the time and investments you put in. 

Need a no-obligation starting point? Contact us for your free preliminary content audit. 

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