Content marketing is without doubt one of the best ways to drive traffic, improve search engine results and get people talking about your brand. People love new and stimulating original content, and what better way to show that love, or hate for that matter, than by getting involved in an online conversation on it, whether it be on social media, forums or even your own comments section.
Comments are content, and fresh content is far more likely to aid your Search Engine Optimisation efforts, which in turn should help increase conversation through the extra search exposure.
However, the big question is how do you consolidate this chatter about your top quality content onto your own site? We outline some of the key areas to look at in order to create a strategy that will drive the conversation over to your website.
Listen
- Make sure that you know what is going on in the world of social media. By keeping your ear to the ground and knowing what’s trending on Twitter and what people are talking about on Facebook you can create relevant content that fits with the current online chatter. If people are already talking about an issue they are far more likely to want to read more content based on it, so the likelihood of them coming to your site is far greater.
- Use tools to track Twitter and Facebook trending topics and find out what people are looking for on search engines to create interesting, timely content.
Participate
- Make sure you participate in conversations with other people’s content and not just your own. By answering questions and posting insightful comments you boost your own credibility, and there’s always room to get a cheeky plug and back link in there.
- Make sure that your comments and links are relevant; no one will waste their time with anyone who has a reputation for spamming.
- When commenting on your own content remember to thank people who have taken the time to read and comment on your content. Try to build a relationship with users to ensure that they come back.
Ask
- Try to drive conversation by asking questions. You want your users’ opinion and by asking open ended questions with multiple answers you can try to start a debate amongst your users. Debates are great ways of adding fresh content to your posts and offer new points of view on your chosen topic.
- Ensure that you finish your posts by asking a question so your users feel that their opinions are appreciated and respected.
Cause Controversy
- While it can be risky, people love to respond to things they don’t agree with. If they agreed with the whole post then the likelihood of them commenting is low and chances of starting a debate are lower- what’s there to argue about when you’re all on the same side?
- Negative comments aren’t always a bad thing, as long as you respond in a proper and dignified manner and don’t turn it into a damaging mud slinging match.
- Ignoring or deleting bad comments is just a form of denial, plus people do notice when comments disappear. This can damage your reputation as much if not more than the comment, so don’t lose your online trust through not being able to take constructive criticism.
So remember- comments are content! Make sure you engage with your audience and keep in mind that people are more likely to respond to content that has already gained plenty of interest.
Image By @Scott McLeod on Flickr
There are other ways to drive traffic to your site and improve its SEO. So why not come and learn them straight from the experts at Brighton based Silicon Beach Training, where you can book yourself on one of our comprehensive and highly targeted courses such as Search Engine Optimisation Training and Android App Training courses.
