Search engine optimization (SEO) and content marketing have been mentioned together so often that many non-technical folks started believing that they were one and the same. While this is far from the truth, there is no doubt that both Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and content marketing have formed a deep and profitable relationship that prevents one from succeeding without the other. What use is your content if it can’t attract organic traffic from search engines? Similarly, why would anyone by interested in your SEO efforts if they don’t learn something new from an article, blog or even status update?

And these aren’t the only reasons why content marketing and SEO gel so well. To understand why you can’t carry one without the other, here are three reasons.

Reason #1) Google Panda Algorithm

Google has been the reigning king of search engines for so long, which is why any updates it comes up with send SEO specialists in a frenzy. The 2011 Panda update abolished many practices websites used to reach the top of Google’s list of search results. It also established that content is king, penalizing websites that offered weak, plagiarized or duplicate content. Therefore, for SEO practitioners to successfully boost their clients’ page rankings, they needed (and still do!) to tweak their content to make it of value to the reader.

Reason #2) The True Role of Content

Unfortunately, SEO specialists don’t understand that content marketing isn’t limited to article marketing, social media posts, and blog articles. This form of marketing allows companies to project their brand and attract new visitors to both their sites and social media pages. It engages new leads, boosts traffic to URLs, naturally creates back-links, and allows a more natural use of keywords. Isn’t that what SEO is all about? With content complementing SEO, imagine the amount of traffic you’ll receive and the quick fame you’ll achieve in the cyber world.

Reason #3) SEO Can Help Fine Tune Content

For content marketing experts, SEO may be the last aspect on their minds. However, by interacting with the SEO team, they can fine tune their own work. Their content can contain the right set of keywords and key terms that complement their clients’ PPC campaigns. SEO can also identify visitor spikes in search strings, allowing content marketers to know when and where they should post their content to maximize its effect. In addition, it will uncover more data about the target audience, such as their geographical area.

The bottom line is: if you want to boost your qualified search traffic, combining your SEO with content marketing is a must. Therefore, make sure that both departments come together to ensure the visibility (and ultimately the success) of your website or social media page.