Content Syndication in 2023: A Game-Changer for Marketers Seeking Wider Audiences

Generating organic website traffic has been noted to be the topmost significant challenge for marketers in 2023, and as a marketer yourself, you understand that, even if you put a lot of effort into writing quality content, you can still struggle to reach a wider audience.

However, there is a strategy that has emerged as a potential solution for this: content syndication. When done right, syndicating your content across different platforms can provide an opportunity to amplify your reach and connect with new audiences.

In this article, we’ll explore the core concept of content syndication, its benefits, and how it can be a game-changer if you want to reach, attract and generate high-quality leads for your own site.

What is Content Syndication and Is it Worth it?

Content syndication is the practice of distributing your content across various platforms to extend its reach and engage with a broader audience.

By syndicating your content, you can leverage the established readership and audience of these platforms, tapping into new audiences that may be difficult to reach solely through your own channels.

So… it’s like Guest Posting, right?

Not exactly!

A guest blog post is a completely original piece of content that is specifically crafted for a particular third-party website. On the other hand, content syndication simply involves republishing an existing piece of content, with proper permission obtained, on multiple platforms.

Unlike guest posting where you create unique content for external websites, syndicated articles involve republishing or licensing your existing content on third-party platforms.

To further illustrate the difference, here are 4 factors:

Content Ownership: When you guest post, you create unique content specifically for an external website, granting them exclusive rights to publish it. In contrast, content syndication involves republishing or licensing your existing content on third-party platforms while retaining ownership of the content.
Repurposing vs. Original Creation: Guest posting requires creating fresh, unique content for each platform where you contribute. On the other hand, content syndication involves repurposing your already published content, allowing you to reach a wider audience without the need to create entirely new content. This can save time and resources while still expanding your reach.
Reach and Audience Exposure: Guest posting allows you to tap into a new audience on a specific external website. However, the reach is limited to the readership of that particular site. Content syndication, on the other hand, enables you to leverage the established readership and audience of multiple third-party platforms, potentially reaching a much larger and diverse audience.
Control and Branding: Guest posting usually involves adhering to the guidelines and preferences of the external website, including their formatting, tone, and style. While you may have some control over the content, it needs to align with the host website’s standards. With content syndication, you have more control over how your content is presented and can maintain consistent branding across various platforms.

Both approaches have their advantages and should be considered as part of a comprehensive content marketing strategy. The decision between guest posting and content syndication depends on factors such as your marketing goals, target audience, available resources, and the specific objectives you aim to achieve with each piece of content.

The Impact of Content Syndication on SEO

The impact of content syndication on SEO can be both beneficial and challenging. On one hand, content syndication allows you to reach a wider audience, increase brand visibility, and attract more traffic to your website. This exposure can result in more backlinks, social shares, and engagement, which in turn can positively impact your website’s SEO performance.

However, it’s important to be mindful of potential issues related to duplicate content. When the same content is syndicated across multiple platforms without proper precautions, it can be flagged as duplicate content—which search engines, especially Google, hates!

Google Hates Duplicated Content

While Google’s algorithms strive to provide users with the most relevant search experience, they also prioritize original and unique content.

When multiple websites or platforms syndicate the exact same content, it can create confusion and dilute the user experience on other sites. As a result, Google may penalize or devalue duplicate content, affecting your website’s rankings and visibility in search engine results pages (SERPs).

Given how Google hates duplicate content, understanding when and how to handle duplicate content is essential. If you’re interested in learning more about treating duplicate content and the different approaches like canonicalization, using “no index” tags, or taking no action, check out this article we created.

3 Effective Strategies to Syndicate Your Content

1. Identify and Work with Content Syndication Partners:

An effective content syndication strategy that many are familiar with is partnering up with syndication partners. These partners are reputable websites that possess consistent traffic and a substantial audience base that aligns with your target demographic.

There are generally 3 types of partners:

Media Outlets: These partners include established media outlets such as newspapers, magazines, and online publications. Collaborating with these third party sites can provide you with significant exposure, reaching a wide audience and potentially attracting the attention of journalists or influencers who may further amplify your message.
Niche Influencers and Bloggers: These are influential content creators who have built a dedicated following within a specific niche or industry. While most partner up with influencers in the same niche, you may also collaborate with someone from a different industry. given that they have the audience base that you’re targeting.
Content Aggregators and Platforms: These content syndication platforms specialize in curating and distributing content from various sources. Examples include content recommendation platforms, social bookmarking sites, and industry-specific content aggregators.

To maximize the impact of your content syndication, it’s essential to identify and collaborate with syndication partners.

How to find Syndication partners

Find Syndication Networks: Comprehensive SEO software tools like Ahrefs and SEMRush offer features to help you find syndication partners.

However, one of the simplest methods is to perform a Google search using specific query strings. Here are a few examples you can try:

[keyword/topic] “originally published in”
[keyword/topic] “syndicated from”
[keyword/topic] “republished with permission”
[keyword/topic] “originally appeared on”

For instance, if your content focuses on technology, you could search for “technology news + originally published in” to find websites that have syndicated content related to technology news.

Once potential partners are identified, reach out to them and propose content syndication collaborations. Clearly establish agreements regarding content usage, attribution, and syndication frequency to avoid misunderstandings. Provide partners with high-quality, engaging content that aligns with their audience and content creator’s interests.

Finally, monitor and evaluate the performance of your syndicated page and content, tracking metrics like page views, engagement, and conversions to assess the effectiveness of partnerships and make informed decisions for future syndication strategies.

2. Utilize Forums, Communities, and Social Media:

If you’ve been publishing content for a while now, it might have already become second nature to you to post and share your content on your social media handles. But while this on its own is a great practice, there’s a powerful strategy you can employ to take it a step further.

Instead of merely linking back to your original content, consider leveraging social media platforms to republish your content in its entirety. Here’s what you can do:

Join relevant forums and communities where your target audience is active.
Engage in discussions and establish your expertise by contributing valuable insights.
Share excerpts or summaries of your content, accompanied by a link to the full article, to generate interest and drive traffic to your website.
Utilize social media platforms to promote and syndicate your content, leveraging features like hashtags, mentions, and sharing options. Interact with your audience, respond to comments, and encourage social sharing to boost engagement.

3. Syndicate Your Own Guest Posts on Your Website:

This might sound like reverse engineering but syndicating your own guest blog posts on your website can help increase visibility and engagement. This also highlights another benefit of actively running a guest post campaign.

Here’s what you can follow:

Of course, the first thing you need is an already-published guest post. Create content for these third party websites and external publications that target your desired audience.
Contact and obtain permission from external publications to republish the guest posts on your own website.
Add a canonical tag to the syndicated post to signal to search engines that the original version resides on the external publication.
After that, you can be creative in optimizing the syndicated post on your website by adding internal links, relevant visuals, and engaging calls to action.
Promote the syndicated guest post on your website through your regular marketing channels, such as newsletters, social media, and email campaigns.

How Does Syndicated Content Fit with Your Overall Marketing Strategy

By now, you already know how powerful content is in the marketing funnel—it has the ability to attract new customers and nurture leads in your database. This is why CMOs and market leaders allocate 25-30% of their marketing budget for content marketing, this includes syndication, of course.

As you shape your successful B2B marketing strategy, content syndication emerges as a vital component. By syndicating your content, you can build a strong brand reputation, educate potential customers, and directly generate valuable new leads. This positions you as a trusted authority in your industry, boosting your credibility and influence.

Expanded Reach: Syndicating your content allows you to tap into the existing audience and reach of syndication partners. By leveraging their established platforms and readership, you can amplify the exposure of your content to a wider audience that may not have discovered it otherwise. This expanded reach helps you connect with new potential customers and expand your brand’s visibility.
Increased Brand Authority: When your content is syndicated on reputable platforms, it enhances your brand’s authority and credibility. It demonstrates that your content is valuable and trustworthy, as it is being shared and distributed by respected industry players. This increased brand authority contributes to building trust with your target audience, positioning you as a thought leader, and attracting more engagement and conversions.
Traffic Generation: Syndicating your content can drive significant traffic to your website or other digital channels. When readers come across your syndicated content and find it valuable, they are likely to click through to your website to explore more of your offerings. This influx of targeted traffic can lead to increased conversions, whether it’s signing up for a newsletter, making a purchase, or engaging in other desired actions.

Integrating syndicated content seamlessly into your marketing strategy enables you to expand your reach, enhance brand visibility, and achieve your marketing goals effectively. With its ability to attract new customers, nurture leads, and drive conversions, syndicated content is a key driver of success in the dynamic landscape of modern marketing.

Syndicating Content to Reach Your Target Audience

Content syndication serves as a powerful tool for reaching a wider audience, increasing brand visibility, and driving traffic to your digital platforms. Consider your goals, resources, and overall marketing strategy to determine if content syndication aligns with your business objectives.

By strategically incorporating content syndication into their overall marketing strategy, businesses can unlock the true potential of their content, effectively engage with their target audience, and thrive in the competitive digital space.