Industry: Commercial security
Content: News and blogs
Highlights: More organic traffic, longer visits
Content marketing provides the best results when companies approach it like a long-term investment. It takes some time to build traction around keywords and topics, but that momentum will continue long after articles and blog content goes live. However, an ongoing strategy doesn’t mean a stagnant one, and marketers can’t be afraid to try new approaches to improve results.
One Brafton client learned the value of agility after switching gears from evergreen articles to news content, and saw a number of search and on-site metrics improve, including more organic search traffic and visitors spending more time on the site.
Strategy evolution is not to be feared – it’s natural
The customer’s initial strategy focused on information-rich evergreen pieces that primarily reported on its products and how businesses use them to improve security. However, the editorial team and content marketing strategists found this direction led to something of a dead end. Eventually, the client’s content writers needed more material and new directions to pursue after covering the majority of relevant topics for daily blog posts.
As a solution, the strategists recommended another content format: News-led articles. There were untapped opportunities to talk about commercial security solutions if the client’s content took on a soft news approach. Using ledes about businesses with actual security issues or compliance updates, writers brought fresh information to the daily content while still covering topics related to the niche industry.
Take risks to see content ROI results
It was easy to recognize the new strategy was proving successful. The client started ranking No. 1 in Google search results for a lower-competition keyword that was drawing in a highly qualified audience – business owners looking for information about how prevent security breaches.
Within seven months of starting the original strategy and implementing the updates, the company had nearly reached its target goal for organic search traffic, which it had hoped to hit within a year. Overall, the website was generating 42 percent more new visits and the news content was bringing in 81 percent new sessions.
Refined content strategies deliver what qualified leads want
One benefit of taking the content strategy back to the drawing board is that the team now had a tighter grasp on what the client’s audience wanted to learn, and used that information to produce more valuable content. People coming to the site to read the brand’s news content were staying on the site two minutes longer on average, and visiting two more pages than visitors who landed on the domain through any other content.
The revised content strategy reflected a natural behavioral progression. People who are searching for information about problems will most likely be interested in solutions, too. By providing helpful information first, and making additional product information available to interested readers, the client was successfully taking an organic approach. It compelled its audience to do what content strategies are designed to do: Dive deeper into the site until they’re ready to convert.
