How To Win At SEO & Content Marketing In 2015

Good news, content marketers: SEO hasn’t really changed! Columnist Nate Dame explains how to get the most bang from your SEO buck in 2015.

The year 2015 is nearly upon us, and every marketing department is forecasting and planning how to make a new splash next year. How is your SEO strategy looking?

Now is a good time to dust off your (possibly outdated) SEO strategy and get it ready for the new year. Make sure it’s pointed at the right goal, and make sure that goal is understood and adopted across the entire organization: Google says the user is in charge, so — yep, you guessed it — the user is in charge!

Google’s Destination Hasn’t Changed
Many content marketers are confused about what SEO actually is today among seemingly endless changes.

Yes, SEO has changed over the years, but Google has not. Google has always been interested in providing the best results for its users. Period. SEO has only “changed” because too many internet marketers have been looking for the short-term win.

When Is a Blog the Right Form of Content Marketing?

You've heard the wisdom:

"Your business should have a blog."

"Blogging helps your SEO."

"Why aren't you blogging yet?"

According to the experts, a blog will solve all your Internet woes. Blogging will increase your traffic, expand your audience, improve your engagement, position you as an authority, and allow you to shape the message in your space.

In fact, blogging is so hyped as a panacea, you'd think that simply adding a blog to your site would also help you find the perfect spouse, cure the common cold, and even turn lead into gold.

While I won't deny the power of a good blog on the right site (seriously, as a writer, I'm pro-blog in general) to do all of those good things and more, you should always question anything that's touted as the right answer for everyone (and everything). So should you blog?

When a blog is NOT necessarily the right form of content marketing