KEYWORD-FOCUSED CONTENT VS. LINKABLE CONTENT: WHICH IS RIGHT FOR YOUR SEO STRATEGY?

By: Danika Olsen

In the vast digital landscape of the internet, websites and online businesses continuously vie for attention, and standing out becomes increasingly challenging. A primary means of achieving online visibility is through content that is both relevant to the searcher’s intent and also deemed valuable enough by peers to be shared and referenced. This brings us to two critical concepts in the realm of SEO and digital marketing: Keyword-focused content and linkable content.

While both strategies cater to the intricate algorithms of search engines, they serve distinct functions and cater to different aspects of audience behavior. This comprehensive guide will delve deep into the nuances of both content types, discerning their differences and illustrating how they play pivotal roles in a holistic SEO strategy. Let’s dive in.

What is Keyword-focused Content?

Keyword-focused content is a type of digital content that is specifically designed and crafted around certain targeted keywords or phrases. These keywords are terms that potential customers or visitors are likely to type into a search engine when looking for information, products, or services related to the content’s topic. The primary goal of keyword-focused content is to rank highly in search engine results for those specific terms, thereby drawing traffic to a website or page.

Keyword-focused content is narrow in scope, serving a very specific audience. The specificity that keyword-focused content is its strength and what gives your website a competitive advantage in the SERPs, allowing you to delve deep into a particular topic that best answers a user’s query.

Graphic of a man in his office reading a book and doing research

A keyword-focused approach to content creation requires a thorough understanding of SEO best practices. A successful keyword-focused content campaign begins with keyword research, which involves identifying the specific words and phrases that are relevant to the business or topic at hand and that potential customers are likely to search for. Once these queries are identified, keywords are strategically incorporated into various parts of the content, including the title, headings, subheadings, body text, image alt text, and meta descriptions.

However, keyword-focused content isn’t just about stuffing a page with specific terms. Search engines have become increasingly sophisticated and now prioritize content that is not only rich in relevant keywords but is also high-quality, informative, and provides real value to the reader. This means that successful keyword-focused content must strike a balance—it must be written in a way that is engaging and helpful for the human reader while also being optimized for search engine algorithms.

In summary, keyword-focused content is a strategic approach to content creation that centers around the use of specific, targeted keywords with the aim of attracting organic search engine traffic. It is a foundational aspect of SEO strategy that, when executed well, can significantly increase a website’s visibility and attract a more targeted audience.

What is Linkable Content?

On the other hand, linkable content, also known as link-worthy content or shareable content, is any page that is created for the express purpose of acquiring backlinks to your website. Linkable content can take many forms, but generally refers to the type of content that is so valuable, informative, engaging, or entertaining that other website owners naturally want to link to it.

In essence, it’s the kind of content that people find so useful that they feel compelled to share it with their own audience, thereby giving it a vote of confidence via a hyperlink. These backlinks are invaluable in the world of SEO, as they signal to search engines that the content, and by proxy, your website, is authoritative and trustworthy.

Here are a few key attributes that often define linkable content:

Quality and Depth: Linkable content is typically well-researched, thorough, and detailed. It provides insights or information that aren’t readily available elsewhere.
Practical Value: “How-to” guides, tutorials, and resources that solve a specific problem or answer a specific question are prime examples of linkable content. People love to share content that helped them and might help others.
Visual Appeal: High-quality images, infographics, videos, and other visual elements often play a significant role in making content linkable. These visuals break up text and provide information in an engaging and easily digestible format.
Emotional Engagement: Content that tells a compelling story, evokes emotion, or is highly relatable tends to be more linkable. This could be content that inspires, amuses, shocks, or resonates with people on a personal level.

Originality and Uniqueness: Whether it’s a fresh perspective on a hot topic, original research or data, or a new way of explaining a complex issue, linkable content stands out from the crowd.
Credibility and Authority: Linkable content is often backed up with credible data and authoritative sources. It is well-written and comes from a place of expertise or deep understanding, which boosts its trustworthiness.
Timeliness and Relevance: Content that is tied to current events, trends, or discussions can become highly linkable when it provides valuable insights or information on a topic that people are actively talking about.
Informational and Educational: Linkable content is NOT created to lead to sales or conversions. Rather, it casts a broad net, aiming to inform and provide value to an audience or searcher.

In summary, linkable content is content created with the intention of attracting a high number of backlinks from other websites. It plays a crucial role in SEO, as these backlinks can significantly boost a site’s authority and its rankings in search engine results. Crafting linkable content involves a deep understanding of one’s audience and what they find valuable, interesting, and worthy of sharing.

Graphic of a draft of an article with three chain links overlayed on top of the article

What is the Difference Between Linkable Content and Keyword-Focused Content?

While both linkable content and keyword-focused content are strategies aimed at improving a website’s visibility and performance, they serve different primary purposes and are crafted with different priorities in mind. Below, we cover the main distinctions between the two types of content.

Primary Objective

Linkable content aims to create content so compelling, informative, or entertaining that other websites will naturally want to link to it. Its primary purpose is to earn backlinks, which are essential for building a website’s authority.
Keyword-focused content is created with the main goal of ranking highly in search engine results for specific, targeted keywords or phrases, thereby drawing more organic traffic to a website.

Content Approach

Linkable content is top-of-the-funnel marketing content that often includes unique insights, in-depth research, engaging storytelling, or exceptional visual elements, making it interesting and share-worthy.
Keyword-focused content can exist anywhere in the marketing funnel. It is structured and written to incorporate specific keywords at strategic places, making it easier for search engines to identify and rank the content for those terms.

Audience Targeting

Linkable content is created to appeal to other content creators, influencers, blog owners, journalists, or industry leaders who might link back to it, as well as to the general public who might share it on social media or other platforms.
Keyword-focused content is crafted to appeal directly to the user who is searching for specific information, solutions, or products related to the targeted keywords.

Longevity

Linkable content often aims to be evergreen, maintaining its relevance and value over a long period and encouraging ongoing backlinks and shares.
Keyword-focused content may require more frequent updates to stay aligned with current search trends and keyword relevance.

Performance Metrics

The success of linkable content is often measured by the number of backlinks it earns, the diversity of sites linking to it, and the quality of sites linking to it.
The success of keyword-focused content is typically evaluated based on its search engine rankings for targeted keywords, organic traffic volume, and click-through rate (CTR).

Examples

Linkable content might include comprehensive guides, infographics, original research or surveys, compelling stories, and visually stunning pieces.
Keyword-focused content often takes the form of blog posts, product pages, service descriptions, or FAQ pages that are optimized for specific search queries.

Keyword-Focused Content or Linkable Content: Which Should You Choose for Your SEO Strategy?

Before making a decision on which to pursue, it’s important to understand your ultimate goals when it comes to SEO.

Keyword-focused content can drive target organic traffic and help you rank for search queries that are topically relevant to your product, service, and niche. Linkable content, by contrast, serves a broader purpose in helping your site earn relevant backlinks, helping to boost your domain’s authoritativeness in your niche over time. So which do you choose?

In the wise words of Mia Agraviador, “Porque no los dos!”

In an ideal campaign, the best approach is not an ‘either/or’ situation. Crafting a content strategy that has both keyword-focused and linkable content is the golden standard of a modern, comprehensive SEO strategy. This harmonious approach ensures that you are consistently driving targeted traffic to your site while also building the authority necessary to pay dividends in the long run.

Remember that SEO is not static. By incorporating both types of content into your content strategy, you are better equipped to adapt to changes in search engine algorithms and user behavior.

FAQs

Is Keyword-Focused Content still important with evolving SEO algorithms?

Yes, as search engines will always rely on keywords to understand the context of a page.

Can Linkable Content also rank well for specific keywords?

Absolutely! High-quality linkable content can naturally include relevant keywords and rank highly for them.

How often should I update my Keyword-Focused Content?

As with anything in SEO, the answer to this depends on a variety of factors. Regular updates, perhaps annually or bi-annually, are a good idea and allows you to maintain the relevance and ranking of your content.

What type of content is most likely to be ‘linkable’?

Original research, comprehensive guides, compelling visuals, and thought-leadership pieces are often highly linkable. Product-pages or pages designed to convert do not make great linkable content.

Is it expensive to produce Linkable Content?

Not necessarily. The cost can vary, but creativity and insight can be just as valuable as a big budget.