Hey, it’s the middle of March already. Is it just me or is this year speeding by way too fast? Or maybe not fast enough, depending on who you’re asking. Whatever your feelings, it’s springtime. Yeah, snow may still stick to the sidewalk, but that calendar doesn’t lie: the first quarter is just about done, so it’s time for some spring cleaning, reassessment of goals, and fresh content. We already know SEO and content marketing go together like so many delicious sandwich ingredients, but in the spirit of the warmer weather (hopefully) arriving soon, here are some SEO content marketing tips for springtime:
Reevaluate Your Keywords
One of the fundamental aspects of SEO is the almighty keyword. Researching and using them as part of your content should be the foundation of your content creation. Spring is a good time to evaluate whether your targeted keywords and content are working in harmony or not. Are you using relevant, high-impression keywords? Is your content well-optimized so it ranks high in search results? Are you meeting traffic goals? Whatever your answers might be, they’ll steer you in the direction you need to take.
Optimize Your Content
Keywords are a key component of creating content that’s optimized for search. But if you aren’t using them correctly in your content, you’re seriously hindering your SEO efforts. Basically, you want to make sure your keywords are used in page titles and headlines, as well as the content (but don’t keyword stuff – that’s a black hat tactic from years ago).
Create Killer Content and Backlinks at a Consistent Pace
Alright, you got keywords in hand. Time to make the donuts! Or, ah, content. High-quality content is still king, as they say, because it’s what search engines like Google pick up. Building backlinks by publishing your content as guest content on other high authority sites will attract more visitors to your site. And building solid internal links to other content on your site will create a smooth navigation experience for users. Creating high-quality content at a consistent pace will be a major boon for your content marketing plan and your SEO. For some ideas on what to create for the spring, look no further…
It’s (almost) Springtime, So Try Observing Some Spring-y Holidays
Incorporating holidays into your SEO content marketing plan is usually a good idea for trendy, time-sensitive material. (Of course, you should balance timely content with evergreen content, too.) There are several to toy with for the coming months, including Pi Day (March 14), St. Patrick’s Day (March 17), the March Equinox (March 20), Easter Sunday (April 1), Tax Day (April 17), Mother’s Day (May 13), Father’s Day (June 17), and June Solstice, a.k.a. the first day of Summer (June 21).
Also, brands have taken over random days and turned them into holidays, so if it makes sense for you, maybe honor Star Wars Day (May 4, May the Fourth, get it?) or for a more bizarre option, April 26, or Alien Day, named after the planet LV-426, a.k.a. the planetoid where Sigourney Weaver and crew first encounter those creepy eggs in Alien. Yeah.
Reassess That Editorial Calendar
Once you have all those new content ideas, it’s time to perform the SEO content marketing equivalent of spring-cleaning and organize them into a tidy calendar, complete with targeted keywords, deadlines, and everything you need for content creation. Once it’s all set and the goals are clear, you should be ready for a healthy spring season. See you in the summer!