Last Updated on October 7, 2024 by Admin
You’ve worked hard on your content, posting it on your blog and social media and ensuring it’s ready for search engines. But the number of views and subscribers you’re getting isn’t what you hoped for.
This is a common issue for many marketers. Several strategies can improve these numbers, and one of the most cost-effective is content syndication. This method can increase your brand visibility and help with search engine optimization (SEO).
However, it’s crucial to execute content syndication correctly. If done poorly, you might find other sites outperforming yours with your own content. Additionally, partnering with the wrong websites can negatively impact your SEO.
So, how should you use this strategy and avoid the downsides?
In this blog post, we’ll explain content syndication, show you the best ways to use it, and help you avoid common mistakes. Let’s begin!
What is Content Syndication?
Content syndication helps you to spread your content across multiple websites. It can increase your brand visibility, get you more visitors or customers, and even result in additional sales. Sometimes, other websites may republish your article, either in full or in part. It’s important that these sites must acknowledge you as the original author and then give a direct link back to your website. This helps ensure that your content benefits your brand rather than harms it.
Contrary to what many people believe, content syndication is not the same as guest blogging. A guest post is written only for one particular publication and is unique. On the other hand, syndicated content involves republishing existing articles on any number of different platforms with permission from the original publisher.
From a reader’s perspective, it’s usually easy to distinguish between syndicated content and a guest post. Pages with syndicated articles often include a note about the content’s origin, typically phrased like:
- “This article was originally published in [Original publication + Link].”
- “This article first appeared in [Original publication + Link] and is republished here with permission.”
How Does Content Syndication Work?
Content syndication marketing is effective when you produce high-quality content that other publications are eager to distribute.
You can develop content specifically for syndication or select content from your existing portfolio for this purpose. Various content formats, including blog posts, infographics, and videos, are suitable for syndication.
To initiate content syndication, follow these steps:
1. Start with Guest Posting
Before you can even consider content syndication as a possibility, you first need to establish yourself as an expert on the subject you write about. An innovative way of doing this is by guest blogging. You not only enhance your visibility by contributing to prestigious blogs but also gather a portfolio of published work that indicates your know-how. To find blogs within your niche that accept guest posts, use search queries tailored specifically for this purpose.
For example, type the primary topic, followed by variations, such as “write for us” or “how to guest post.” If you have a particular interest in SEO, one way to phrase it would be to search for “SEO + ‘write for us’. This will help you discover leading blogs interested in your content type.
By guest posting on popular blogs in your industry, you gain access to their audience, which can significantly boost your credibility and exposure. This experience is invaluable and provides concrete examples of your work when you approach larger sites for syndication.
2. Work with Content Syndication Partners
Content syndication partners are websites that welcome content from external sources. This strategy is an effective and often economical way to reach their audience.
There are two primary types of content syndication partners: syndication networks and noncompetitors.
Syndication Networks are groups of related sites that collectively distribute the same content. For instance, Gannett owns numerous local media outlets. When one of these outlets publishes a syndicated article, it often appears across several other platforms within the network. Approaching a site within such a network can be a strategic move to gain exposure across multiple platforms simultaneously.
Noncompetitors are the sites that are not your direct competitors but share a target audience. For instance, if you run a site supplying kids’ toys, your noncompetitors may include parenting blogs, kids’ clothing stores, and kid’s educational sites. Therefore, by partnering with the sites focused on similar products or services, you can reach your common audience and avoid potential competition.
To locate sites that might syndicate your content, use specific search queries on Google. Include phrases like:
- “republished with permission” + [your keyword]
- “republished from” + [your keyword]
- “originally appeared on” + [your keyword]
- “syndicated from” + [your keyword]
Using quotation marks around your search terms will direct Google to search for that exact phrase, enhancing the accuracy of your search results.
3. Republish on Social Media and Other Platforms
Although you probably already know that sharing your content links on social media can work well, you might not have considered republishing your content entirely or partially. Many content-sharing platforms prefer native content, which appears on the website rather than sending users to a link.
Users are more likely to stay on the platform if no such need exists. The self-publication platform can also help you with content syndication and increase your audience. Here is a list of the most popular platforms for content syndication, where you can publish or republish your content.
- Medium: A well-known platform for writers to publish articles that can also be used to republish blog posts to reach a new audience.
- Quora: By answering questions related to your niche, you can repurpose blog content into answers, thus driving traffic back to your site.
- LinkedIn: Ideal for professional and business-related content, LinkedIn allows you to post articles directly on your profile or in groups.
- Reddit: This platform has dedicated communities or ‘subreddits’ where you can share content relevant to the interests of specific groups.
- Pinterest: Best for visual content, Pinterest lets you create pins that link back to your articles, ideal for driving traffic to visually oriented posts or articles.
4. Try Paid Content Syndication
Paid content syndication involves paying to have your content published on other platforms.
Historically, large brands have utilized paid syndication to collaborate with major publishers, ensuring their content reaches a vast audience. This option, however, was less accessible for smaller brands with tighter budgets.
Today, platforms like Outbrain and Taboola have made it easier for smaller brands to access large audiences. These tools enable smaller brands to feature as recommended content on prestigious sites such as CNN, BBC, or The Guardian.
Operating similarly to PPC (pay-per-click) campaigns, these platforms allow you to set a budget cap, determine a cost-per-click, and specify a target audience. Your content is then promoted as a recommended article, complete with an engaging image, a concise title, and a link back to your website.
It’s important to note that the links provided through these services do not enhance SEO authority since search engines classify them as “sponsored content” and may perceive them similarly to readers.
Costs are incurred based on reader clicks, varying according to the audience targeted and other campaign specifics.
Wrapping Up!
Content syndication can be a drastic strategy to expand your content pipeline, make it more visible, and reach new audiences. Sharing your content on other websites (even if you have to pay for the privilege) can help improve engagement metrics, bring clicks back into your web property, and solidify a brand’s authority within its niche.
If you need assistance, AlgoSaga experts can guide you by offering the best content writing services and pinpointing the best platforms and partners that are beneficial as per your brand’s goals. Contact them today!