I think from a marketing perspective it is always important to know your market’s need and contrastingly, the benefit your business provides to assuage that need. My post presupposes this idea. I would never advocate simply spinning your way to good site content. In other words, if there’s no “there” there, nevermind SEO or SCO… forget the website altogether – and for that matter, the business.

In my experience, content marketing addresses your first point definition-ally. The content should always focus on the customer’s highest priority need, to use your term. But I would disagree that crappy content is somehow limited to that which focuses on the product. Depending on the way in which the content is produced, it might focus squarely on the needs of your clientele, yet still be justly categorized as crap.

This is where SEO and web development meets marketing and quality copy writing. And there is a HUGE difference between effective messaging and simply listing the benefits of your product offerings.

This content marketing thing is just a way that marcom and PR people can hang on to to say they are producing great content. But are they? Likely not if they don't take the time to understand the market and the solution.