Intelligent SME.tech Issue 53 | Page 35

// EXPERT PROFILE //
2 . Working in silos
Many businesses – small or large – take a siloed approach to their digital marketing operations . The SEO and PPC teams may never speak , and the PR strategy is misaligned with the overall marketing plan . This lack of synergy between different services is likely to result in inefficiencies , wasted budget and suboptimal results ; as the famous saying goes ‘ teamwork makes the dream work ’!
One specific example of where collaboration is super important is when a company is investing in digital PR . With backlinks still considered an influential ranking factor , SEOs can help digital PRs to understand the areas of the site which will benefit the most from a boost in high-quality links . PRs can then use this knowledge to prioritise their efforts , creating highly targeted campaigns that have a good chance of receiving coverage on reputable and relevant publications / websites .
3 . Producing thin content – or worse , no content at all
While there is no magic number of words that guarantees high-quality content , there is a misconception that if content is too long , it ’ ll put users off – but this isn ’ t true , providing the copy is engaging and valuable .
In the SEO world , we call sparse , shallow copy ‘ thin content ’. Often , it ’ s made even worse by being stuffed with keywords in a bid to rank better . But that just makes it look like it ’ s been written for Google bots , not for humans , and this can have negative consequences , such as :
• Lower search engine rankings
• SEO penalties
• Poor user experience
• Reduced crawl efficiency
• Low conversion rates
And then there are businesses that won ’ t be producing content at all , other than what ’ s on their core landing pages . This is a costly mistake as a content strategy plan which encompasses new website pages , blogs , whitepapers , reports , case studies and social media ( to give a few examples ) will help to drive new users to your site while nurturing existing customers / clients .
4 . Underestimating the power of social
Whether you like social media , or you don ’ t – it ’ s here to stay , and with platforms such as Bluesky becoming increasingly popular , it makes sense for your brand to leverage this as part of its marketing strategy . The issue is a lot of businesses aren ’ t – and yet it ’ s one of the first places potential customers / clients might go to learn more about your business , products or services . Showing you ’ re active on social media also invites people to contact you there ( which may be their preferred method of contact ) and know they ’ ll get a swift reply .
It can be difficult to plan social content months in advance , so don ’ t worry about this . Aim for a consistent stream of relevant content at least two weeks in advance , enhanced with interesting brand consistent visuals or videos which keep people engaged .
5 . Paying for backlinks
Backlinks are links from websites ( i . e . publications ) that point to your site . They are considered to be an important ranking
Becca Tee , Digital PR Lead , Repeat Digital

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WHILE THERE IS NO MAGIC NUMBER OF WORDS THAT GUARANTEES HIGH-QUALITY CONTENT , THERE IS A MISCONCEPTION THAT IF CONTENT IS TOO LONG , IT ’ LL PUT USERS OFF .
Intelligent SME . tech
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