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A whopping 6 million blog posts are published daily, according to the latest stats — a number exponentially growing with the rise of AI-based tools such as ChatGPT.
The big question is, how do you differentiate yourself in an internet overflowing with a sea of unabated content thanks to automation?
And how do you continue to do so by leveraging content marketing?
Content marketing is a tough nut to crack.
A winning content marketing strategy comprises an effective content plan, detailed competitive research, and an SEO strategy resilient to Google updates.
Not to mention the importance of keeping up with the ever-changing landscape of SEO, social media, and content creation.
Regardless, it’s one of the most effective tools digital marketers have used since marketing entered the digital realm. But you may know that already.
If so, an eagerness to find experienced professionals that offer content marketing consulting is probably what brought you here.
And if this article managed to grab your attention and a subsequent click out of the gazillions on this topic, let’s see if I can help you tackle the intricacies of content marketing consultancy.
Are you ready to learn how a content marketing consultant can help grow your business?”
3 ways a content marketing consultant can help you catapult your SEO
The best content marketing experts understand the need to cut through the noise to reach your target audience and have the expertise to help you do that while driving growth for your business through content marketing.
Here are some of the ways they can help by developing and executing a content marketing plan in coordination with you to drive results.
1. Create a growth-driven content marketing plan
With budget-friendly tools that produce just about any type of content in a breeze, most businesses spam content creation while failing to consider their target audience.
Critical factors like whether the content supports defined business objectives risk getting ignored eventually.
Does this content reach people looking to buy now or when they’re just researching the topic?
Subpar content makes it difficult for your audience to distinguish you from your competitors. Additionally, producing content that fails to generate results is a waste of both money and time.
I’m sure you want to avoid that.
An experienced content marketing consultant can help resolve issues like these by developing a results-oriented content marketing plan which:
- Identifies your target audience (their search intent, pain points, goals, and online behaviour).
- Outlines the specific types of topical clusters that can effectively support the audience’s needs and make them aware of the business.
Based on the insights, the consultant identifies content types and formats that can help achieve the desired bottom line.
Instead of repeating content marketing mistakes made by other businesses or producing content and saying a prayer in hopes that it would rank, consider hiring a consultant.
2. Boost awareness and website traffic to expand your reach
75% of searchers never move beyond the first page of Google search results.
Your business’s overall growth depends on the level of awareness it has among your prospects. For people to even consider visiting your website, they first need to know that it exists.
I generate thousands of high-purchase-intent visitors to my blog each month, despite not personally knowing even a percentage of those who visit.
How do I achieve this?
You guessed it right: Content marketing.
For example, you may not know me or typed in the exact URL to view this page. Yet you found your way to it.
An experienced content marketing expert can do the same for you.
They can do so by creating relevant content visible on platforms your target audience is using.
Your customers could be avid social media users or long-time Googlers. It’s all the same.
Consultants who know what they are doing can boost your website’s numbers on the most relevant platforms. By using data-driven strategies and up-to-date techniques, they can help you increase your online presence and reach your target audience more effectively.
3. Climb SEO rankings through strategically placed content
Creating high-quality, reliable content is crucial to improving your search engine rankings. There is no alternative to good content when it comes to SEO marketing. Producing unique, high-quality content tailored to your target audience helps boost visits to your website and enhances its authority in your space.
While SEO involves multiple components, SEO remains a crucial element in improving your website’s visibility and ranking in search engines.
Websites that win the content game also win the SEO game.
Let’s explore two key ways a consultant leverages content:
Keywords
A consultant identifies and targets keyword phrases for each authoritative or “pillar” page on your website.
For instance, you may have come across this page with search terms such as:
- Content marketing consultation
- Outsource content marketing
- What is content marketing strategy?
- What is content marketing?
- Why is content marketing important?
Ranking a single webpage in the Search Engine Results Page (SERP) for multiple keyword phrases can be difficult, especially if they differ.
Each keyword phrase has a unique competition and search volume, and the ranking factors influencing one keyword may not be the same for another. Search engines like Google use complex algorithms to determine the relevance and quality of each webpage for specific keywords.
Optimising a page for multiple keyword phrases requires a well-thought-out strategy to ensure the content is relevant for each keyword while maintaining a high-quality user experience.
A single page could rank for “Content marketing consultation” and “Content marketing plan.”
Both of these terms are semantically related. In other words, Google’s algorithms might consider these terms conceptually identical. It would then rank a webpage that discusses either of these terms against both.
But ranking for phrases that are not as closely related, like “Content marketing budget” and “SEO optimisation,” would require creating separate webpages for each keyword (a.k.a topical hub pages).
The “hub and spoke” strategy involves a main, comprehensive page (the hub) that acts as the central source of information for a specific topic, with other pages (the spokes) linking to it. The structure helps improve the overall search engine optimisation (SEO) of a website by organising content into a logical and coherent structure.
This is where a content marketing consultant would leverage their expertise by developing a comprehensive content plan, overseeing content development, and optimising the hub and spoke pages for SEO.
Linkable Assets
Backlinks are the second most important Google ranking factor.
Linkable assets generate backlinks or social shares because they have features people would like to reference or link back to.
You may think of linkable assets as SEO gold. These can range from data-based content to infographics and resources such as calculators, website statistics, quizzes, or templates.
The consultancy also works toward developing linkable assets by researching your industry to identify the most shared and linked content.
For instance, a case study offering insight into the most common accounting mistakes and how to avoid those could be valuable for small business owners. If you run an accounting firm, they may find your services helpful too.
The goal I am trying to achieve with this article is all the same.
Additionally, a consultant may review your existing content to identify areas where you can create new linkable assets.
This could involve repurposing or updating old content, creating new content based on popular topics, or developing original content that addresses a gap in the market.
Conducting original research and publishing the findings is another time-tested tactic of creating pages that attract links from high-authority websites.
In the example below, Ranktracker.com has linked to my blog post, “How to Create a Marketing Persona in 5 Steps”, because they found an aspect of the content valuable to their readers.
A content marketing consultant helps drive your business growth by leveraging multiple link-building strategies.
Think of the three discussed above as only the tip of the iceberg. Google has over 200 ranking factors.
Do you find any of these closer to what you are trying to achieve?
If so, it might be time to take the next step.
How to start your journey with the right content marketing consultant
The process begins with asking questions, two from yourself:
- What online challenges am I dealing with (e.g., low traffic, declining rankings, qualified traffic not converting into buyers)
- What are my expectations for the results and ROI from content marketing?
Answering these can smoothen the process for both you and the consultant and set the stage for the questions you should ask them.
After finishing up with a discovery call, if you decide to proceed with the consultant, they will conduct a thorough, research-based analysis and propose an effective content marketing strategy to help grow your business.
Can you provide examples of successful campaigns you have executed in the past?
You can’t pour from an empty cup.
The same is true when it comes to content marketing consultants.
Before settling with a consultant, always verify if they have a proven track record of delivering tangible results through content marketing.
For instance, I have used content marketing to drive a 116% increase in leads for one of my clients. Other cases have seen even more results, but they’re mostly traffic increases.
An impressive portfolio with client testimonials speaks volumes about their impact and gives an idea of what you can expect.
What kind of ongoing support and communication can we expect from you?
A communications plan or service agreement highlighting how the consultant will ensure continued support can include regular check-ins, updates on progress, strategy adjustments based on performance data, and expert advice on areas that still need improvement.
An efficient consultant proactively discusses how they plan to communicate as the project progresses.
Beware of consultants that take 3-4+ days to get back to you.
What is your process for creating and implementing a content marketing plan?
A well-oiled process or system for executing the campaign is like a compass that guides the consultant towards campaign goals.
It can differentiate between a successful campaign and one that flops.
They should be able to explain how their tested process helps them cover all their bases, stay on track, and execute their content marketing strategy with precision.
Evaluating the effectiveness of a content marketing consultation
The consultant helps you measure and analyse the results by providing data on website traffic, social media engagement, and other key metrics after the campaign’s conclusion.
Although specific goals can vary from business to business, revenue generation is a shared one.
But, this can take time to achieve even with the most experienced content marketing consultant.
So, how do you tell if your consultant is giving you the best bang for your buck?
Key performance indicators (KPIs) are metrics used to measure the success of a content marketing strategy. Some of the most important content marketing KPIs include
Traffic: the number of visitors to your website can be measured through tools such as Google Analytics.
Engagement: this includes metrics like time on site, pages per session, and bounce rate. These metrics give an idea of the users’ engagement with the content.
Lead generation: the number of leads generated from the content marketing efforts, such as email sign-ups or form submissions.
Conversion rate: Conversion rate is the ratio of site visitors who take a desired action, such as making a purchase, completing a form, or clicking a link.
So, why would you need a content marketing consultation?
I discussed the complexity of content marketing in the beginning.
Adding to it, the right content marketing consultants cost an arm and leg.
For a good reason, though.
These experts don’t settle without a positive ROI for each cent you invest.
But how do you verify a consultant’s worth without hiring them if they’re too expensive?
Looking at their past customer testimonials could be a good place to start.
Do you want to elevate your content marketing game without being held back by its complexity?
Contact me today to schedule your content marketing consultation. Let’s make content marketing work for you.
