Digital marketing has as many specializations as there are ways to interact with digital media. So here are a few:

• SEO
• Content marketing
• Online marketing
• Pay-per-click marketing
• Affiliate marketing

SEO

SEO (search engine optimization) is a marketing tool that makes web pages appealing to search engines, as defined by The Balance.

The “art and science” of SEO is crucial. To achieve the highest ranking, SEO is a science that requires research and weighing various factors. Today’s top factors to consider when optimizing a web page are:

• Content quality
• User engagement
• Mobile-friendliness
• Inbound link count and quality

SEO is both a science and an art due to the unpredictable nature of these factors.

There is no quantifiable or consistent ranking criteria in SEO. Google’s algorithm is constantly changing, making exact predictions impossible. You can tweak your page’s performance by closely monitoring it.

Content marketing

Content marketing is a strategy that involves distributing relevant and valuable content to a target audience.

The goal of content marketing, like any marketing strategy, is to generate leads that become customers. But not like traditional advertising. To entice prospects, it provides free written content instead of a product or service.

Content marketing works, and the data shows it:

• 84% of consumers expect companies to create entertaining and useful content
• 62 percent of companies with 5,000+ employees produce daily content
• 92 percent of marketers believe content is a valuable asset.

Content marketing is effective but difficult. In order to rank well in search engines, content marketing writers must engage readers, share content, and interact with brands. Relevant content can build strong pipeline relationships.

Online marketing

Social media marketing is a way to increase traffic and brand awareness online. With Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram as the most popular platforms, LinkedIn and YouTube are close behind.

Because social media marketing involves audience participation, it has gained popularity. It’s the most popular content medium for B2C marketers (96%) and it’s gaining traction in B2B. The Content Marketing Institute reports that 61% of B2B content marketers used social media more this year.

Social media marketing includes built-in engagement metrics that can help you gauge your audience’s response. You decide how many shares, comments, or total website clicks mean the most to you.

Your social media marketing strategy may not even include direct sales. Many brands use social media marketing to engage with audiences rather than immediately soliciting money. Affecting older audiences or offering products and services not suitable for impulse purchases. Whatever your company’s goals are.

See how Mailchimp stacks up against other free social media management tools.

Pay-per-click marketing

Pay-per-click (PPC) is when you place an ad on a platform and pay for each click.

It’s a little more complicated than that. When a SERP spot becomes available, the engine fills it with an instant auction. An algorithm ranks each available ad based on factors such as:

• Landing page quality
• Bid amount

Everyone knows that when you click on an ad, you’re supposed to do something. Conversions are actions that can be transactional or non-transactional. A conversion can be a purchase, a newsletter signup, or a phone call to your office.

Your chosen platform will allow you to track your campaign’s conversions.

Affiliate marketing

Affiliate marketing pays people to promote other people’s businesses. The process is the same whether you are the promoter or the business that works with the promoter.

It works on a revenue share basis. Every time someone buys something you promoted, you get a commission. For every sale you make, you pay the affiliate.

Some affiliate marketers review only one company’s products on a blog or other third-party site. Others work with multiple merchants.

The first step to becoming or finding an affiliate is to connect with the other party. You can use an affiliate platform or start or join a single-retailer program.

For retailers who choose to work directly with affiliates, there are many ways to attract potential promoters. You’ll need to equip those affiliates to succeed. Includes rewards for great results, marketing support, and ready-made materials.