TL;DR
Content marketing is creating valuable content that attracts and engages audiences. SEO content is content optimized for search engines. Combining both is a powerful tool for generating traffic and leads. Here's how to do it in 2026.
Who this is for
- Marketers creating content
- Blog and website owners
- Companies wanting to generate traffic from content
Keyword (SEO)
content marketing, seo content, content strategy, seo copywriting, how to write content
What is content marketing?
Content marketing is:
- Creating valuable content – articles, guides, case studies
- Sharing knowledge – educating audiences
- Building trust – positioning as expert
- Generating leads – conversions from content
What is SEO content?
SEO content is:
- Content optimized for SEO – keywords, meta tags
- Answering questions – long-tail keywords
- Valuable information – solving user problems
- SEO structure – H1-H6 headings, internal linking
Content marketing strategy
1. Define goal
Content marketing goals:
- Generate organic traffic
- Build brand
- Generate leads
- Educate audiences
How to define:
- What do you want to achieve?
- Who is your audience?
- What problems do you solve?
2. Know your audience
Persona:
- Who is your ideal client?
- What problems do they have?
- Where do they look for information?
- What content interests them?
How to know:
- Surveys and interviews
- Comments and questions analysis
- Google Analytics (demographics, interests)
- Social media insights
3. Content plan
Content types:
- Blog articles
- Guides
- Case studies
- Infographics
- Videos
- Podcasts
Content calendar:
- How often do you publish? (weekly, monthly)
- When do you publish? (days, hours)
- What topics? (list of topics for month)
4. SEO optimization
Keywords:
- Main keywords (short-tail)
- Long-tail keywords
- Question keywords (how, why, what)
- Local keywords (for local business)
SEO structure:
- Title tag (50-60 characters)
- Meta description (150-160 characters)
- H1 (one per page)
- H2-H6 (content structure)
- Alt text for images
How to write valuable content?
1. Start with problem
Identify problem:
- What problem do you solve?
- Why is it important?
- Who does it affect?
Example:
- "How to choose web development agency?" → problem: difficult choice
- "MVP vs full app" → problem: uncertainty what to choose
2. Give practical solutions
Not just theory:
- Concrete steps
- Real-life examples
- Case studies
- Checklists
Example:
- Not: "Use SEO"
- Yes: "5 steps to SEO optimization: 1) Research keywords, 2) Optimize title..."
3. Use structure
Headings:
- H1: main title
- H2: main sections
- H3: subsections
- H4-H6: details
Formatting:
- Bullet lists
- Numbered lists
- Emphasis (bold, italic)
- Quotes
4. Add CTA
Call-to-action:
- At end of article
- In middle (if long article)
- In sidebar
- In popup (carefully)
CTA examples:
- "Contact us"
- "Download free guide"
- "Subscribe to newsletter"
- "See our implementations"
SEO copywriting
1. Keywords
Where to use:
- Title tag
- H1
- First paragraph
- H2-H3
- Alt text
- URL
How to use:
- Naturally (no keyword stuffing)
- In context
- Different keyword variants
2. Long-tail keywords
What they are:
- Long, specific phrases
- Less competition
- Higher conversion
Examples:
- "how to choose web development agency in 2026"
- "mvp vs full app when to choose what"
- "responsive design mobile-first best practices"
3. Internal linking
Why important:
- Helps Google understand structure
- Increases time on site
- Distributes PageRank
How to do:
- Link to related articles
- Use anchor text with keyword
- Don't overdo (2-5 links per article)
4. External linking
Why important:
- Builds trust (links to authorities)
- Adds value (sources, research)
- Google likes quality outbound links
How to do:
- Link to credible sources
- Link to research and statistics
- Open in new tab (target="_blank")
Content marketing metrics
1. Traffic
- Organic traffic from Google
- Traffic from social media
- Direct traffic
- Referral traffic
2. Engagement
- Time on page
- Bounce rate
- Pages per session
- Scroll depth
3. Conversions
- Contact forms
- Newsletter subscriptions
- Downloads (ebooks, guides)
- Purchases (if e-commerce)
4. SEO
- Google positions
- Impressions
- CTR
- Backlinks
Best practices
1. Regularity
- Publish regularly (weekly, monthly)
- Maintain content calendar
- Don't interrupt publishing
2. Quality > quantity
- Better 1 good article than 5 weak ones
- Long articles (1000+ words) often better
- Valuable content > keyword stuffing
3. Update old content
- Update dates
- Add new information
- Improve SEO
- Add new links
4. Promote content
- Social media (LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook)
- Email newsletter
- SEO (optimization)
- Guest posting
Summary
Content marketing and SEO content are powerful tools for generating traffic and leads. Define goal, know your audience, create content plan and optimize for SEO. Write valuable content that solves user problems. Measure results and iterate based on data.
Want to implement content marketing?
- Contact – tell us about your project
- See our implementations – examples of content
- Check our blog – our articles