Search engine optimization (SEO) is one of the main pillars of digital marketing. And when it comes to this, content is king. Learn from Angela Petulla, the online marketing director of Altline (a B2B financial firm).
Angela is the creative force behind Altline’s online marketing endeavors. She began her SEO career at an award-winning digital marketing agency and worked in different businesses (of all sizes) across various industries.
In our latest episode of TL; DR by Jolly SEO, Angela shared valuable content SEO insights. Read on to learn some strategies for your startup or big company. Also, find out what SEO skills, tools, resources, and communities to employ for your business.
Or listen to the podcast here:
Content: The Heart of SEO
We might have heard of the famous phrase, ‘Content is king in the digital world.’ Angela proves this idea holds true to this day.
When asked what role content plays in SEO, she quickly answered, “It is the heart of SEO.” Before you optimize your site and promote your brand offsite, you must produce valuable and relevant content first.
Angela underscored the importance of establishing topical authority and expertise. By that, she means creating content by starting with a broad subject and covering multiple levels of topics. As she puts it, you must ‘go broad and dig deep.’
Implementing Content Strategies for Startups
Morgan Taylor (the host of this episode) also focused the podcast discussion on startup mentality. He asked what content strategies Angela could suggest for those just starting. Here are some recommendations:
- Leverage free tools like Google Search Consoles (GSC) for gathering data and tracking insights.
- Perform competitive research to discover two things: SERP competitors and business competitors.
- Creating content pieces around these keywords regularly.
Angela and her sister have just started a hot sauce business called Not too Hot Sauce & as a startup with a limited budget, she shared the SEO strategies they have implemented to get results without spending a fortune on it.
However, Angela stressed that SEO is a long-term investment. As it doesn’t happen overnight, it requires patience and hard work. But if implemented correctly, it will pay off in the long run.
Scaling Content SEO for Big Companies
Morgan also talked about content strategies for big companies. He asked what digital marketers can do to scale their content SEO strategies.
First, Angela suggested expanding the topical areas. For example, if you’re working on your SEO for your hot sauce business, go beyond discussing heat levels and related topics. Instead, start covering subjects like how to make your food flavorful, for example, in this blog, Angella covers the topic ‘Does Buffalo sauce have dairy?’
Angela also recommended implementing an online PR strategy for linking. For instance, you can survey hot sauces and pitch this to journalists. Once mentioned in online publications, you’ll earn quality backlinks to establish your authority and increase brand awareness.
Finally, she tackled the ‘Hub and Spoke’ model by generating various content pieces around a broad topic. However, she emphasized the need to:
- Conduct keyword research,
- Incorporate short and long-tail keywords; and,
- Add internal links to these content pieces to build link equity.
SEO Recommendations for Content Creation
Content SEO: Do’s and Don’ts
The podcast discussion also touch-based the do’s and don’ts of content creation. Angela suggested the following:
- Don’t be overly creative and flowery with your H1 tag. Instead, balance it with keyword optimization.
- Don’t always update your URLs like 301 redirects. Instead, employ evergreen URLs. Understand why you’re doing it and how it impacts your SEO.
Content SEO: Skills and Attributes
Big companies eventually build digital marketing teams in time. When asked what SEO skills and attributes to look for, Angela stressed the value of critical thinking. Of course, she mentioned the minimum requirements, such as:
- Detail orientation
- Good content writing
- SEO skills
- Keyword research
However, she emphasized how critical thinking can go a long way in your SEO career. Even without experience, the ability to search for data points, analyze data sets, and learn from them will make a difference in your SEO strategies.
Content SEO: Tools and Resources
When it comes to content SEO, using tools and resources is necessary. When asked what to recommend, Angela named the following:
Tools:
- Rank Math – easy to use with a modern user interface (UI)
- Calculated Field forms – fun content ideas with templates to use
Resources:
- Tracy Walllace’s content newsletter
- Content Curated newsletter
Content SEO: Communities
To expand SEO knowledge and skills, Angela also suggested joining the following groups or platforms:
Final Words
The podcast concluded with this question: If you ask a Genie for a wish, what change would you like to see in the SEO community?
Angela envisions that Google and other search engines will level the SEO playing field. She hopes they will allow smaller, authoritative websites to rank higher in SERP. Not only will this benefit these sites, but it will also provide users with valuable and relevant content.
