In the early days of online marketing and SEO, quality was secondary. Garbage writing used as a filler to cover up rampant keyword stuffing in every nook and cranny of every page was the rule of the dark days of Internet marketing. Accordingly, that was how your work got high marks in the search engine results pages (SERPS). Life was good until it wasn't.

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After the Google Gods swept the floor and finally (almost) got rid of the junk sites with the Penguin and Panda algorithm updates, excellent writing that informed readers suddenly became important again, sans keywords.

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Matt Cutts from Google in 2009 decided to stop looking at keyword optimization to rank pages in the SERPS. So, the metadata didn't matter anymore, maybe? But, that's not the point. Google stopped looking at keyword metadata and changed its focus to learning about the topic of the writing.

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Keywords will remain a factor in ranking because of one big reason. If a search engine can't use them to understand what you're looking for, they're out of business. That said, a page full of keywords to understand the intent is not necessary. Too many keywords don't help produce a quality piece worth reading.

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Instead, LSI words, which are not keywords at all, are semantically related words that inform the search engine spiders of the writing topic. Keywords for ranking? No way, that's so pre-Penguin and Panda.

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How is Content King?

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‍Good quality writing gets ranked based on relevancy to the searcher's question or intent. The post's popularity is determined mainly by social signals, comments, and interaction with the content. It's still possible for some excellent writing to go viral across social media, but that's not the reason to write.

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The real reason to write anything worth sharing is to inform your readers first, and the search engines can catch up when they can, and yes, they will. Your priority is to educate your readers by over-delivering the best information available anywhere, directly from you.

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At some point, your useful and engaging writing shared through your content marketing efforts will gradually demonstrate that you are an authority in your niche. It doesn't happen quickly, but as your brand builds over time because of your knowledge and willingness to share what you know, people start looking to you for information.

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As your brand builds over time, let your customers know that you are the quintessential brand ambassador for your company. Don't pull punches and command respect because your competition will be glad to fill the void you create if you don't.

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Build Your Brand‍

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Although you spend the necessary time creating shareable and engaging content your readers expect from you, it's time to go beyond your content marketing channels. Start telling the story of your brand in such a way as to bring out emotions that define your company and the reasons why people buy your product or service.

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Brand storytelling brings together the parts of your brand and purpose that touch customers deeper than a simple transaction. Your customers need to know from you the reasons why they should buy your product or service. Share your brand's reason for existence, why it matters to them, and join it all together into one voice heard across the entire company.

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Storytelling is a must-have in today's business. It's what will differentiate yours from the others and ultimately increase your company's profit and impact. You cannot be like something or someone else. You need to be unforgettable. Leave a lasting impression.

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Brand storytelling fulfills the need to be different; to stand out. No longer throw numbers and testimonials at customers. Instead, be memorable through your story, create a time and place that's relatable, real, and, most of all, reach your customer on an emotional level. Remember, your brand is unique, and no other brand comes close.

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Your content marketing efforts always play an essential part in building and keeping your brand fresh and new, but it's the storytelling behind the brand that ultimately tips the scales in your favor.

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Build that lasting relationship with your customers. You already know that when your customer likes you and trusts you, they buy from you. The relationships with people built over the years always stand the test of time.

#fromsunnycreateswithlove