Inbound marketing is often mixed with content marketing or search engine optimization. It is a long on going debate since decades. You will see a lot of face off and comparisons stating;
- Which is better SEO vs Inbound Marketing?
- What is the difference between inbound marketing and SEO?
- Is Inbound marketing Part of SEO?
- What type of marketing is inbound?
Being a SEO Consultant, we thought it is our duty to share some light on this. Today we are going to talk about SEO vs Inbound Marketing. We will share some insights and try to answer commonly asked questions about Inbound vs SEO.
Before we get into the details, let’s understand what is the basic definitions of SEO and Inbound.
What is Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Search engine optimization (SEO) is a method of increasing visibility of a business. You can follow guidelines and apply methods to improve your brand presence. It is important for a business to gain visibility on non-brand terms and brand terms. Non brand terms are those terms which includes the product or services instead of brand name. For example TheSEOGuy is an SEO agency and we would like to rank for “SEO Services“. Because this term is talking about business. There are many similar terms which can describe business. All these terms are called non brand searches or keywords.
On the other hand brand terms are those which is all about the brand name. For example, we are an SEO agency but our brand name is so popular people search “TheSEOGuy” for SEO work. All the brand keywords contain the brand name.
Aspects of SEO
- On page SEO
- Off Page SEO
Search engine optimization is ocean of marketing methods which includes so many elements. But majorly we talk about on page SEO and Off page SEO. Let’s understand bit more about both the aspects of SEO.
On Page SEO
On page SEO or onsite SEO is a practice of optimizing website pages according to users and search engine crawlers. There are several elements of on page SEO such as keyword research, content optimization, technical SEO, linking, core web vitals, meta data, structured data, html elements, header tags, page tile and description, fixing errors, first input delay, cumulative layout shift, largest contentful paint and much more.
You can achieve maximum output by doing the right on page SEO. On page strategies contains website best practices and also includes search engine guidelines. Every search engine has its own SEO guidelines for website owners. Checkout Google SEO Guidelines.
Off Page SEO
Off Page SEO is a method of improving website visibility but all the actions taken out side the website. It includes creating referrals using different domains, media posting, web2.0 and more. All the actions for Off Page SEO included building trust and authority of website. Local citations, linking building, social bookmarking and content syndication plays an important role. An Off Page SEO strategy is important to support website in ranking better in SERP. It helps the website to gain page and domain authority.
Now that we know little bit about SEO, let’s talk about Inbound Marketing
What is Inbound Marketing
Inbound marketing is a digital marketing method which is based on three aspects.
- Attraction
- Engagement
- Conversions
All three aspects forms a great inbound marketing strategy. The purpose of inbound marketing is to keep the website attractive, engaging and generate more conversions, sale or business.
Attraction
Inbound marketing is focused on generating interesting content which attract customers. You might have seen a lot of websites talking about interesting topics, offers and events. This is a method to attract new customers towards the website content. Attraction plays an important role in inbound marketing. If you are looking to increase number of customers you need to have some attraction points.
Customer should get something attractive to come on your website. Any customer will find the content interesting if you have attractive offers. It is a habit of users to scroll faster and read attractive points only. We all do it when we read content online. In this situation inbound marketing comes into the picture. An expert inbound marketing consultant will create a attractive content marketing strategy.
At TheSEOGuy, our inbound marketing experts are veterans of this field. We have developed great inbound marketing strategies for national and international businesses.
Engagement
Engagement is the part of inbound marketing. It is completely based on driving user engagement. Imagine having a website with millions of users and great foot fall. But users are not engaging, instead they are landing on page and closing it. It is not at all good for SEO as it creates a huge bounce rate. To handle this situation, we need a great inbound marketing strategy. Engaging content with attractive graphics, buttons, offers and events can help in this. You need an experienced inbound marketing team to develop engagement strategies.
For example, you might have seen ecommerce websites such as amazon, ebay, alibaba and more. All the websites has something engaging on their product pages. They put the right amount of CTAs, images, infographics and content. It enable users to keep the engagement and continue clicking on given options. If you do it right with Inbound Marketing Experts, the engagement will always go high.
Conversions
At the end, the purpose of all the inbound marketing is to improve conversions. Conversions are typically the sale or business of the website. In case of services websites leads, enquiries and phone calls are considered conversions. On product website or ecommerce, product sale and enquiries are conversions. It can only improve if you do the inbound marketing right. You need to attract more users and keep them busy by giving them options to click. If the users get what they are looking for they will convert and give you better conversions. Conversion Rate Optimization. Check our conversion rate optimization guide for better insights.
Commonly asked SEO vs Inbound Marketing Questions
Search engine optimization and inbound marketing works together. If you have better search visibility, you can generate more value and business. Similarly the website engagement drives better visibility. According to your business need, you can pick the right marketing strategy.
The basic difference between inbound marketing and SEO is the strategy. Inbound marketing includes SEO strategy and sometimes goes beyond it. SEO focus on generating traffic and inbound marketing is all about conversions.
Technically speaking, SEO is part of inbound marketing. It includes optimizing on page elements and content which is part of Inbound marketing.
Inbound marketing is conversion based on page SEO method. It is a strategic approach to creating valuable content and attract more customers.
Hope this guide will help you to decide what is better SEO vs Inbound Marketing. Keep exploring TheSEOGuy for more latest SEO tips and insights.
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