It’s no secret that the world of SEO is constantly changing and evolving, and with that ever-changing nature there are bound to be some debates along the way. One issue that’s been a hot topic of discussion among optimizers and online marketers at large is the convergence of link building and content marketing in a new age of Pandas and Penguins. This “new age of SEO” is largely a result of Google’s search algorithm update (called the Panda update and Penguin update), which places an emphasis on quality references rather than the quantity of links. So, what does this have to do with link building and content marketing?
Link Building vs. Content Marketing
Link building is an integral part of classic SEO practice — that is, the kind that revolves around keyword targeting and getting links to increase those keywords’ rankings. While some SEO marketers will claim that link building is a thing of the past, it does still serve a purpose. The way I see it, link building is a valuable asset to strong content marketing. When used simultaneously (and properly), link building and content marketing can both engage a target audience and drive traffic to a site. Content marketing without link building is, essentially, printed content. However, there is no reason SEO marketers can’t build links into compelling content that appeals to their target audience. This could include such content as guest blogs, industry articles, and infographics.
The Takeaway
In a new age of SEO, marketers should strive to find an effective balance between traditional link building and content marketing, rather than link building versus content marketing. Think quality links over quantity of links.
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