It’s undeniable: Internet marketing trends are moving at the speed of light, leaving many well-meaning small business owners disoriented and confused about how to ensure they can keep up. After all, in the early days of search engines, algorithmic scores according to sentence structure and word sequences were the stuff of science fiction. Google, in its early days, was more like the Wild West than a curated, sophisticated library of optimized and relevant content.
The Value of Search Engine – Optimization
Even in the past few years, the content marketing industry has changed dramatically. Almost overnight, search engine optimization has become one of the most promising fields for young professionals. According to the 2018 Marketing Jobs and Salary Guide, SEO experts and content marketers (a diverse group ranging from creative writing graduates to former political campaign strategists) had more job opportunities than ever before.
There is an obvious reason why this is such a high-demand occupation. It’s necessary. With more people shopping online in 2019 than ever before, and millennials largely preferring to rely on influencer marketing to make their purchasing decisions than more conventional forms of advertising, it’s easy to see why SEO is crucial to the growth and long-term success of a business, particularly if it has any element of e-commerce involved.
Another notable thing to keep in mind is that content strategy is a deeply intuitive and creative field. It is not as simple as integrating a few keywords and watching your website climb steadily higher. Those who work in this sphere are acutely aware of rapidly shifting trends, such as mobile searches, and stay on top of things that you, the business owner, may overlook.
How Content Marketing is Changing
In 2019, content marketing is already changing to adapt to the a new demographic: Generation Z, the post-millennial generation born after 1995 with a skeptical eye on trends but tremendous purchasing power. The Gen Zs are currently on track to make up 40% of all American consumers by next year.
The fact that so many content marketers fall into their fields accidentally (most with some form of writing experience, many with no formal education in computer science) proves that search engine optimization is about more than simple analytics. It is an art more than a science. It involves a unique blend of research, creativity, and forward-thinking innovation.
How to Credibly Boost Your Ranking
Perhaps you have, like many small business owners, attempted to self-promote. Maybe you’ve even taught yourself some tricks of the trade in order to boost your ranking. While plenty of site hosts can learn the basics of SEO independently, it is not recommended for the long term. Not if one hopes to substantially grow their engagement. It is worthwhile to budget for an SEO professional to take the reins and help you market yourself effectively.
Unfortunately, for every legitimate engagement, there are ten more self-proclaimed entrepreneurs flooding your inbox with promises to “boost your ranking organically” and “improve your SEO.” How trustworthy are these influencers, despite their own high numbers? It can be difficult to say, but Forbes Business warns against trusting SEO scammers, who target small businesses with low numbers due to the assumption that they can be more easily swayed to invest. At times, even large-scale enterprises are scammed, such as J.C. Penney, after hiring a shady black hat content marketing team that toed the line between legal and illegal advertising on Google.
Fortunately, with highly skilled content marketers staffing agencies globally, you can be sure that many reputable companies exist. You will know them by their fruits: if a company reaches out to you with outrageous claims, such as the fact they have secured a “partnership” with Google, you can be sure they are swindling you, as Google does not and has never formed any such partnership with SEO companies, such as the full-service linkgraph.io.