12 Field-Tested Content Marketing Tactics

In this guide, we’re diving into twelve content marketing tactics we’ve tested and continue to use with some decent results. We know they work, and we’re excited to show you the proof.

1. Target low-competition keywords to rank faster

Generally speaking, low-competition keywords are search terms where you likely don’t need many backlinks to rank on the first page of Google (backlinks are one of the most important ranking factors).

By focusing on these less competitive terms, you can achieve higher search engine rankings faster and with less effort; and the higher the rankings, generally the more traffic lands on your site. This makes low-competition keywords a perfect SEO tactic for new sites and sites without a strong backlink profile.

To illustrate our results, here’s a heatmap showing the relationship between keyword difficulty and Google rankings for nearly 200 pages from our SEO glossary content project.

The number of keywords in the top 10 goes dramatically down with each keyword difficulty bucket.

We were able to rank in the top ten with few links and a templated content approach. But that wasn’t enough for mid to high KD keywords; these would require more comprehensive content and additional backlinks.

How to get started

Use a tool like Ahrefs’ Keywords Explorer to quickly find keywords that need fewer backlinks to rank.

- Enter a seed keyword (or multiple seed keywords).

- Go to the Matching terms report.

- Use the KD (Keyword Difficulty) metric to show keywords with up to 20 KD. This will show you easy keywords based on the backlink profile.

- Pick a relevant keyword and open the SERP panel to see what kinds of pages rank. If you see popular brands dominating, those keywords may be hard to rank despite the low KD (here’s why). SERPs without brands like that should be easier to target.

- Repeat step #3 for every relevant keyword on the list.

- Novelty: An article about “A cat learned to use sign language” will attract more attention than “Cats can meow.”

- Belief reinforcement: A report linking organic food to better health will be shared by those who already support organic farming.

- Fear: A headline like “New disease spreading rapidly” will get more shares than “Health improvements in 2024.”

- Controversy: Debates over “Climate change policies” attract more engagement than consensus articles.

- Define your goals. Clearly outline what you aim to achieve with influencer marketing, such as increasing brand awareness, driving engagement, or boosting sign-ups.

- Figure out your budget. You can use average influencer earnings data like this one to estimate the budget.

- Identify potential influencers. Here are a few ideas: - Start by considering your own employees and customers who might already be fans of your brand and have a following .

- Use social media platforms and specialized tools like Ahrefs’ Content Explorer, Sparktoro, Social Blade, and Followerwonk to find relevant influencers based on your niche and keywords.

- Seek recommendations from your audience.

- Evaluate influencers. Ensure that the influencers align with your brand values and have genuine engagement. Look beyond follower counts to assess their influence and audience interaction.

- Monitor and measure. Ask the creator to share reports with you (including content output and engagement metrics).

- Open Ahrefs’ Keywords Explorer and enter a broad seed keyword, for instance “marketing”.

- Go to the Matching terms report.

- Open the Terms tab and browse through keyword categories.

- We started sharing useful stuff from other brands and creators.

- We stopped sharing “every” blog post; only the ones with a true FOMO value.

- We group news by topic and write a quick blurb for each to save people time.

- We made it fun. Every Ahrefs’ Digest kicks off with a meme:

- Provide valuable, relevant, and unique content that addresses your audience’s needs and interests. It doesn’t have to be 100% your original content. Curating all the stuff that gets published online every week is a value on its own. If you’re not sure where to start with this, simply make this newsletter something you’d like to see in your inbox every week.

- Include things that people wouldn’t want to miss out on.

- Offer original insights, perspectives, or data that can’t be found elsewhere.

- Seek feedback and refine.

- Stick to a consistent publishing schedule, whether it’s weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly.

- Enter broad terms describing the functionality of your product (e.g., keywords, backlinks, traffic).

- Go to the Matching terms report.

- Use the Include filter with keyword modifiers pointing to tools, for example: “tool, check, checker, finder, analyzer, builder, free.” Set to “Any word.”

- Topical authority: Connecting your hub page and subpages with relevant internal links helps establish your site as an authority on a particular topic in Google’s eyes. Internal anchor text provides additional context to Google about the page content.

- Link authority: Strategically linking pages within a hub allows them to benefit from each other’s backlinks. This enhances the overall link authority of the hub, which can positively impact search rankings.

- Engagement: Hubs encourage visitors to explore multiple pages of content.

- Perceived value: Well-organized, comprehensive resources on a topic increase perceived value for visitors, often resulting in more backlinks as people prefer to link to the best, most useful resources.

- Identify the hub topic. Choose a broad topic with informational intent, search traffic potential, and enough subtopics. Use tools like Ahrefs’ Keywords Explorer to brainstorm ideas.

- Create subpages. Develop detailed guides on subtopics related to the main topic. Ensure each subpage links back to the hub page, which links to all subpages.

- Internal linking. Use hyperlinks to connect the hub page with subpages, building a cohesive structure. This boosts topical and link authority and enhances user engagement.

- Enter your site into Ahrefs’ Site Explorer.

- Open the Opportunities report.

- Click on the Low-hanging fruit keywords to see keywords that potentially need a relatively small update to rank higher.

- Or click on the Content with declining traffic to see all pages that could use a revamp.

- Content that has already performed well on social media. For instance, a well-received tweet thread can be expanded into a detailed article or a video script.

- Content on topics with search potential. Use a tool like Ahrefs’s Keywords Explorer to gauge traffic potential for topics you already covered.

- Evergreen topics. For example, a topic like “how to lose weight” will get attention no matter the time, platform, and format.

- Search engines like Google and YouTube personalize search results based on language.

- Most people simply prefer content in their native language, regardless of how well they speak other languages.

- Content localization works like content repurposing — it gives you more mileage from the same content.

- Organize regular brainstorming sessions with a few people. These sessions should encourage open, uninhibited discussions where everyone can contribute their thoughts and suggestions.

- Try a few courses. Enroll in courses that focus on content creation, digital marketing, or any specific area relevant to your field. These courses can provide fresh perspectives, new skills, and innovative techniques that you can incorporate into your content strategy.

- Book a consultation with a pro. Seek advice from professionals or mentors who have successfully navigated the path you’re aiming to take.

- Use new tools to source ideas. Try tools like Ahrefs Keywords Explorer, Sparktoro, Buzzsumo, or Glimpse.

- Embrace a mindset of experimentation. Trying out new content formats and topics involves taking risks, but big rewards too.