Although SEO strategy is multi-faceted, content optimization is a big-hitter when it comes to successful marketing. Like other methods that bring traffic to a website, ups and downs are common in content marketing. Unfortunately, many companies using best practices still find that their content underperforms or that it is not reaching as many people as they would like.

If you find this happening with your content, don’t simply chalk it up to a natural waning in your marketing. Content that isn’t performing or working to increase the success of your business demands your attention. It’s a wake-up call that something needs to change. You should start by reevaluating your content to detect what contributed to its poor performance.

Who Is Your Target Audience?

No matter the business, it makes sense that you want content that will reel in the most user traffic. However, having your content geared towards an audience that matches your company’s brand is imperative. Carefully select content topics, ensuring that they will reach and interest the audience you need to attract. Your content should establish your knowledge and expertise within your field. Furthermore, headlines are a significant piece of garnering traffic—they should grab the readers’ attention and draw them in.

Additionally, you should consider the type of promotion and your desired audience when determining the length of your content. For example, individuals who dive deep into scientific journals will be more than willing to read longer content than someone who browses blogs. Using email newsletters or websites as a platform for content advertising won’t reach as many people as social media platforms. While newsletters and websites may give you more digital real estate to publish content than social media platforms, the priority should be quality over quantity.

Deciding on a Topic and Avoiding Duplications

If you have a built-out SEO strategy, you may have already published numerous blogs and other pieces of content. Although this is usually a good thing, it can create duplicate and overlapping topics within the content. It’s critical that you are mindful of your previous publications so that you can avoid repeating topics and significant overlap.

Suppose you already have a well-performing page or blog with the same predominant topic. It could be receiving more of an audience than a newly published one. In that case, reconsider your current content, reframe it, or focus just on the original piece itself.

Overdone topics also lead to underperforming content. It’s crucial to recognize that readers can locate hundreds of versions of one single topic. It can all blend together and, honestly, might bore your readership. Content marketers should pivot from these old habits and instead utilize a unique and fresh perspective when approaching their content marketing strategies.

For example, search for holes in competitor content. Use those weak spots to target where there will be little, if any, competition. Another strategy would be to integrate attention-catching components into your blogs—such as:

• Altering the headline
• Adding certain keywords like “free” or “instantly”
• Using visuals and an easy-to-read format

Changing underperforming content to successful content is often a challenging task. However, organizations can attain substantial improvements in their reach and conversion rates by:

• Reevaluating their marketing strategies
• Working towards more effective SEO practices

If you aren’t quite sure what your next steps should be when it comes to SEO and content marketing or if you are simply ready to let someone else take the reins, our attorney-led team of legal writers is here to help. Join the many law firms and digital marketing agencies with legal clients that rely on us to create highly effective and visible content marketing campaigns. We promptly provide ethics-compliant content that establishes your authority in your niche. Our team will focus on your content while you focus on serving the needs of your clients. Call our office today at 877-488-8123 or contact us online to discuss your content needs with one of our marketing experts.