Compelling Content and Igniting Consumer Motivation; Essentials for Business Websites and Social Presence

By Webimax Company | March 13 2012 3:22 PM

Content has been extremely important for SEO for years now. Internet marketing and search engine optimization practices have advanced beyond early methods of simply writing content that is laden with keywords. This content would bring little value to readers but would push websites to the top of search engine ranking pages for certain keywords. Search engine crawlers, the robotic mechanisms that scan content and rank pages for certain keywords, and the associated algorithms are now much more advanced. Although reputable SEO companies never engaged in such practices, they did exist. Now the algorithms penalize such poor practices making them obsolete. Creating quality content that is both informative and helpful to web searchers and readers was always important, but now is essential.

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Whether a business is newly shaping their online presence or is a seasoned online veteran, they need to have rich content that is updated continuously. Having pages on the site that are updated with fresh content regularly is now very important as well. Search engine algorithms look for this to establish relevance and authority. Having on-site blogs is one strategy for creating fresh content on a continuous basis that also offers value for readers while building up authority, social followers, and providing SEO gain.

Social Media PresenceSpecifically in terms of social media, creating compelling content on social platforms can be more impactful than another form of popular engagement: promotions. Content geared towards sweepstakes-style promotions can be effective in creating buzz and attention in the short-term, however the positive impact is usually short-lived. Depending on the promotion itself, they usually do little to create a deep, lasting connection with potential customers. Promotions may spur people to action by providing additional motivation to act; however, the optimal approach is to find ways to engage that ignite interest and internal motivation by customers to act.

One way of doing this is through creating compelling content that is informative, timely, relevant, and genuinely interesting for the target audience (friends, followers, etc.). Content written to and tailored specifically for customers will not only display an organized and knowledgeable outside image, but will keep audience members coming back. This also allows the possibility for a deeper connection to be established, one that customers are more likely to consistently act on. Consistent action comes not because the customers have a chance at a 50% discount for example, like in promotions, but because they respect the perspective of the company and value the information given. This affords the opportunity for customers to be inspired and the company is rewarded with brand loyalty. As such, spurring a person to action overtly is one thing, but providing compelling content that ignites an internal motivation to act, is much more valuable for businesses and a strategy that can apply across cultures with ISEO efforts.