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The cries for innovation amongst SEO specialists can be heard for miles in every direction. It’s no wonder given how competitive an industry SEO Marketing is, but how do we move forward while attempting to step farther away from the tried-and-true methods that have made the business what it is?

One approach being batted back and forth is the prospect of taking the business of SEO into Viral territories. Where in the old days the business relied heavily on merely writing content that coaxed search engine rank based upon appealing to an ambivalent algorithm, the drive to go right to the source (potential readers and clients) has been growing steadily in recent years.

It’s no wonder, as viral marketing is proving to be a valuable tool for heavy hitters (take, for instance, Hollywood movie studios like Warner Bros.) and lightweights alike (think: all of the users on youtube who amass millions of hits). These companies and independents are both gaining traffic to their respective sites/blogs by creating viral entertainment that supplements their offerings. What they create – as well as how far they’re willing to go – varies upon their resources.

So the question stands: How can Viral Marketing enhance your SEO strategy?

Viral on a Small Scale

Odds are you don’t have the budget of a media giant like Warner Bros., so don’t look to them for short-term guidance in your viral marketing strategy. Instead, look at the smaller guys. Don’t be ashamed to look to youtube for ways to incorporate viral materials to your site.

Many companies of varying industries are enjoying high search engine rankings by simply investing in video content for their sites. Several SEO analysts, in fact, are reporting an increase in sites that incorporate videos that also enjoy high page rankings. With this information at the ready, why would any one want to ignore such a useful tool?

Viral Content is Written Copy Evolved

As we’re all aware, the average browser on the Internet is not blessed with the most vital of attention spans. As we are also aware, browsers have a tendency to follow a “scent” when searching for information online. Why not take your SEO strategy in a direction that plays upon both facts?

While written content has always relied upon getting the relevant information front and center, it is also limited in that it is no longer an engaging activity for browsers. Viral videos and campaigns can manage to both inform and engage the viewers, so long as they’re executed well. In this instance it is probably a good idea to look at the campaigns of companies like Warner Bros.

When Warner Bros. released The Dark Knight, they provided engaging viral marketing by encouraging user participation. There were games, activities, and puzzles used to make their target audience feel like an integral part of the process. They felt less like they were being sold something (in this case, a movie), and more like a driving force behind the property.

While this is still a stretch to compare such marketing to what most of us can achieve in order to drive SEO, the point still stands. If you can use viral marketing to engage your clients or readers, you will be leading a much-needed charge towards progressing the means to your end. You will also be replying to the frenzied calls to innovate by those who cannot do it for themselves.

After all: It never hurts to be a step ahead of the rest.

Jordan Siron is a freelance writer, blogger, and tech enthusiast. He urges SEO companies to make use of online printers in order to take their content viral.