In the past we’ve written about the increasing popularity of content marketing and its benefits, like the fact that it typically costs over 60% less than traditional marketing. And, as pointed out in the comments by reader Rhona Wilkins, “Content style ad formats are already replacing typical banner ads. Orgs like Outbrain, Adblade, Google, Kontera and others have changed how ads look. “
As content marketing rises in popularity, much has been written about the practice and there is no shortage of books on the subject. One such yet-to-be-published book is being authored by Bruce Clay and Murray Newlands.
Bruce Clay is an online marketing guru who spends 9 months a year traveling around the world as a keynote speaker and teacher of SEO, and also runs a number of agencies across five continents.
Murray Newlands is an AFFY award winning reporter and the founder and editor of TheMail.com, an online publication that covers digital marketing. He recently authored Online Marketing: A User’s Manual. We asked the authors a couple of questions.
Murray, why should brands and agencies care about content marketing?
“If brands aren’t already utilizing content marketing as part of their digital advertising strategy, they should start as soon as possible. Content marketing is quickly becoming one of the most effective means of not only generating clicks and conversions, but also spreading brand awareness. Plus, if brands are able to create and implement a great content marketing strategy, they can greatly reduce their digital ad spend, and ultimately cut costs while increasing revenue.”
Bruce, why is content marketing news in the SEO industry?
“We know that Google focuses on delivering relevant, useful and unique content at the top of its search results. However, the search engine is using more signals than ever to determine content quality, including social buzz, author authority, content freshness, backlinks and indicators of searchers’ personal preferences. As a result of this complexity, a content marketing strategy for creating engaging, useful and shareable content is a significant component of SEO.”
The book will be released in several weeks. There’s more info here.
