In many SEO strategies, informational content – whether in the form of a blog, guide, or magazine – is barely considered. We want to explain the strategic opportunities and positive side effects that can be achieved with this type of content, with a particular focus on using informational content for link building strategy.
In this article we will discuss the following topics:
- AIDA Model
- Building authority
- Avoiding "fingerprints"
- Branding
The AIDA Model
The AIDA model describes the advertising effect of marketing in four different phases. Derived from this, the model also describes the states in which a potential customer can find themselves.
- AttentionIn this early phase, the customer is still "searching" and does not yet know exactly what they need. They know their problem but have not yet found the right product or partner. Websites try to attract the customer\
- InterestHere the shop or product has already attracted the customer's interest. The goal is now to use this to inspire them about the product and prepare them for a purchase.
- DesireIn this phase, the customer's interest transforms into the desire to own the product.
- Action (Purchase)Now comes the call to action, which encourages the customer to make a purchase.
We bring up this model because most SEOs and website operators focus primarily on the last two phases of the AIDA model. Optimization is mainly done for transactional keywords where the purchase intent is already clear.
However, increasing reach must be an additional goal by trying to address customers with good content as early as the information phase (Attention). Especially for websites that have already exhausted the full spectrum of transactional keywords, keywords further up the AIDA model often offer great potential. But even for websites that have no chance against stronger competition on highly competitive keywords, this segment offers an opportunity to rank in search results.
Building Authority
There are also other good reasons to create comprehensive informational content. If your site covers a topic in full and answers all the questions that potential customers have, you have the chance of being recognized by Google as an authority in that area. With such a status, it is significantly easier to achieve good rankings for transactional keywords.
Avoiding "Fingerprints"
In SEO, a "fingerprint" describes a particularly conspicuous link pattern on a website. This refers mainly to individual landing pages for which an unusually high number of links have been built. These pages have a disproportionately high number of links compared to all other landing pages on the website – a fingerprint.
Such a link pattern can quickly develop, as every shop has particularly competitive and high-converting pages that it most wants to strengthen with links. However, you risk receiving a penalty from Google if you overdo it. A conflict of interest!
This can be solved with "indirect link marketing" through guide content. Here is how to proceed:
- You choose a main landing page that you want to strengthen without risking a penalty from Google.
- Create 4–5 articles in your guide section that deal with the topic of the main landing page you want to strengthen.
- From the guide articles, place an internal link to the landing page you want to strengthen. This linking will channel the link power to your main page. As anchor text, you should choose the main keyword of the transactional target page you want to strengthen.
From now on, you not only build links to your main page, but also to the guide articles. These transport the link power via internal linking to your transactional main landing page as well. This way you can build many links without creating a conspicuous "fingerprint" in your link profile. If you want to build even more links, simply create more guide articles and boost those with additional links too. This way, no page receives an unnaturally high number of links and your link profile remains inconspicuous.
The Branding Effect
Finally, informational content also has a very strong branding effect. A potential customer searching for the right partner or product will be drawn in by your good content. Several positive things can then happen:
- They bookmark your site to return for future questions on this topic
- Your brand name stays in their memory and they later search specifically for your brand
- Or they convert directly and make a purchase on your site
In all cases, this is a positive outcome that not only affects your sales and your brand, but is also a positive signal for Google, which in turn can give you advantages for good rankings.
Summary
A guide section can serve many positive purposes and should be part of every well-maintained website:
- Potential buyers are reached as early as the information phase
- Greater reach
- Building authority
- Branding effect
- Indirect link marketing without a "fingerprint"
