In the post-Panda, post-Penguin world (as an Aussie, I’m hoping the next Google update will be Platypus), anyone remotely interested in search engine optimisation will have twigged that SEO success is all about quality content, building a focused brand and maintaining a consistent voice across all marketing channels, including online.
To my mind, this is easier said than done given that the majority of companies are still lumbering along with a division of marketing responsibilities that makes this consistency extremely difficult, if not nigh on impossible.
With the PR department often still releasing unoptimised press releases down traditional channels, the ATL marketing department managing media purchasing, the eCommerce or online marketing team managing search and email, and potentially a branding team looking at customer engagement via social channels, it’s no wonder that disparate messaging and a confused content strategy can often result.
The key to really gaining the most traction from any content marketing is amplification – taking a piece of content, adapting it for each audience and channel, and then ensuring it obtains the widest reach possible via an integrated approach to distribution.
But with disparate marketing and PR divisions all fighting for budget and the right to claim success via allocation of a sale or action to their activities (rather than a multichannel view which truly understands the multiple touchpoints that led to the sale), marketing divisions are under the gun to defend their turf rather than taking a cohesive approach.
It’s time for a rethink of organisational structures that enables a tightly integrated content strategy to develop. In my mind, there’s no such thing as ‘nonline’ marketing any more where the call to action across all channels is invariably a website address or social media presence. In the brave new world of SEO every facet of the marketing team needs to be contributing towards online brand building in some way.
How ready is your team?
