C is for Content

I recently had a lengthy discussion with some friends about the importance of Content with regards to Search Engine Optimization.

The conversation centered around the ease with which you can generate inbound links, Google PageRank, and organic search traffic, all simply by creating interesting and human-readable content. With a blog, no matter what the topic, there are bound to be people somewhere, interested in reading it. Whether or not they will convert in some way is another story, but if you have interesting content, people will eventually find it.

The topic we were using as our 'niche' example for content creation revolved around the Executive Search industry, and specifically, the accounting and finance sector. This is a great niche. You have a very specific, regulated, certified audience, as well as the random people just interested in the topic, and you can create copy and content that is both timely and relevant. It's a win-win.

So is it just that easy? Write a blog, fill it with interesting stuff, and people will come? Yes and no. I think that you can get traffic this way, but making sure it's the right traffic will depend on the quality of the content, and how well a job one does of tieing it back to the desired conversion action-- in this case-- candidates in the finance sector, interested in finding a new job. Once you have the great content, there are a few things you'll want to do to get it out there. I like StumbleUpon the best. Digg! is getting gamed lately, and the consistent long-tail for referrals originating from a Stumble are awesome.