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Content Marketing Trends

by Christiana Minga •

The world of digital marketing is ever-evolving and sometimes it can be tough to stay in the know. But to be a successful digital marketer, it is critical to keep on top of trends while continuously drawing traffic to your content. Luckily, we are here to help!

In this article, we will dive into a couple of today’s most popular content marketing trends, their benefits, and how you can use them to further your company’s goals.

Content Clusters 

One trend that has taken the internet (or at least us marketers) by storm is the content cluster.

In basic terms, a content cluster refers to a variety of articles about the same focal topic that all link to each other. It may sound redundant, but each article covers a different piece of a greater overarching topic. So, although each article is under the same umbrella, they all answer different questions about the topic at hand.

Content Cluster Webinar

If you would like to see an example of a content cluster, look no further than the article you are reading right now! This blog post is just one of many that we at Power Digital Marketing have created using the content cluster strategy. In fact, it is part of a content cluster about content clusters – talk about inception! The articles linked below are also focused on the same general topic, but each provides different information for Google to crawl and for readers to benefit from.

Tips on Creating a Content Cluster

Getting started on a content cluster is not as difficult as you may think. Here are some quick pointers (and of course, feel free to refer to our “How To Create a Content Cluster” article mentioned above for more in-depth information):

  • Do your keyword research. Look into what people are searching for and what keywords you may be able to rank for.
  • Think of a single topic that is relevant to your audience. Be sure the topic is somewhat broad, as you will want to be able to create a variety of sub-topics off of it.
  • Consider questions your audience may have about the overarching topic. It can be great to also look at content provided by competitors – there is likely something their articles left hanging that you can answer!
  • Don’t limit yourself. You have the potential to become an expert on a subject matter and there is no real limit to the amount of information you can provide.  We recommend creating at least five articles — but the more, the better!
  • Keep quality in mind. Readers will only engage with information that is relevant and useful to them. Be sure that you keep your content strong and engaging.

Benefits of a Content Cluster

Content clusters can provide a variety of benefits for your digital marketing efforts.

  • They improve SEO. The more quality content you can provide on a topic, the more likely you are to show up in search results when a potential reader is seeking information.
  • They help you become an expert on the topic. Having multiple pieces of engaging content related to a single topic can turn you into a trusted authority on it.
  • They can lead to revenue growth. Content clusters can be focused around products or services, drawing more organic traffic and eventually more revenue.
  • They grow top-of-funnel traffic. The top of the marketing funnel is all about awareness. Use your content cluster to get a potential customer’s attention, spread information, or create a buzz.

Double Optimization 

Another trend we roll out in conjunction with the content cluster is double optimization. That is, optimizing content for both SEO and for Google’s algorithm. This two-pronged approach to optimization is highly effective and helps to squeeze as much juice as possible out of each article.

How Double-Optimization Works

  1. Search Engine Optimization

Considering the power, a quick web search can have when it comes to whether or not your ideal audience sees your content, it is crucial to optimize for search engines using keywords.
First, you will want to do some keyword research. This is to ensure the content topic has related keywords that generate a high monthly search volume.

Once you have identified those keywords, you will then want to make sure they are within your competitive range. We like to do this by using Moz’s Keyword Explorer to look at keyword difficulty. This online tool qualifies how competitive each keyword is. In other words, it provides some insights into how difficult it is to compete with search engine results for the particular keyword that are already high-ranking. Anything within 10 points of your domain authority is considered within your competitive range. Finally, you’ll want to scatter these keywords in your meta data and throughout your article.

  1. Topic-Level Optimization

Google’s algorithm continues to evolve, and it now looks at much more than just keywords to provide relevant search results. High-quality content on a topic has become a very important factor when it comes to how Google ranks results. A large part of how topic-level optimization is integrated into Google has to do with semantic search, which looks at context and quality when generating search results.

To help rank on a topic level, we like to use Market Muse, which is a semantic search software that looks at your content through the eyes of Google. Market Muse grades your content against the top 10 competitors currently ranking in search engine results pages (SERPs). It then provides suggestions for areas to improve your content from a topic level. As you implement the suggestions, your content score goes up. The higher your score, the more likely you are to out-rank your competition on Google.

Benefits of Double-Optimization

Both SEO and topic-level optimization come with benefits that make them worth your while. Here are just a few of the key benefits of using a double-optimization strategy:

  • It improves search rankings. The better your SEO and content optimization, the higher you will rank on search engine results pages.
  • It draws more traffic and sales. If you are ranking high in searches, you will see more visitors — and in turn, more revenue.
  • It encourages the creation of rich, valuable content. With today’s Google algorithms, you can’t afford to create sub-par content if you want to get noticed.
  • It promotes customer engagement. The stronger and more relevant your content is, the more engagement you will see from your ideal audience.
  • It raises brand awareness. If your name pops up a lot in relevant searches, users will begin recognizing your company.
  • It increases your credibility. The more consistently you show up in search results, the better your clout will become, leading to higher consumer trust.
  • It saves you money. Search engine and topic-level optimization are much less expensive than other digital marketing avenues such as PPC or AdWords.
  • It promotes return visits. If you are consistently providing rich content, it gives your audience many reasons to come back to your website or blog.
  • It can help you better target your ideal consumer. Both SEO and content-level optimization are trackable, meaning you can get audience insights on ROI, then use the information to improve your strategies.
  • It keeps you competitive. Having strong search results means keeping up with trends and algorithm changes, making you a solid competitor in the online space.

Wrapping Up

There are many content marketing trends on the rise and understanding them can make a huge impact on how your brand performs in today’s ever-evolving online market. Content clusters and double-optimization are just two of the most relevant trends we are seeing today that are worth considering for your company. By using the strategies outlined above, you can begin to create stronger content that ranks higher for your target audience. Be sure to check back for even more tips and trends!