Find top content marketing agencies to craft engaging brand stories that drive tangible business outcomes. Select experts from our vetted list of content marketing companies that specialize in copywriting, social media, and SEO.
After carefully considering each agency’s client reviews, pricing, range of content marketing services, portfolios, and industry reputation, we handpicked the finest content marketing companies. Below, you’ll discover what sets each of these agencies apart, as well as our ranking criteria.
The Number 1 Content Marketing Agency as Selected by DesignRush Is:
Notable Clients: Warner Brothers, eBay, Caliber Collision, and more
HigherVisibility produces content marketing that drives profitable business growth through its proprietary Targeted Growth System (TGS). Its steps involve custom strategy development, precise audience targeting, data-driven execution, and continuous optimization. With it, the content marketing company has helped clients increase organic leads by 191% and achieved a 124% return on ad spend. Moreover, it has won multiple awards and recognitions, including the Search Engine Land Awards and the US Agency Awards.
Despite its established reputation, Allied Van Lines fell behind competitors. It struggled with low-quality content, leading to lower site authority, poor search visibility, reduced organic traffic and lead generation, and disavowed quality links.
To resolve these issues, it partnered with HigherVisibility. The content marketing agency used historic data to identify valuable keywords, develop relevant and engaging content, optimize on-page elements, and implement link building and conversion rate optimization (CRO) tactics. As a result, Allied Van Lines increased year-on-year (YoY) organic traffic by 2.6%, month-on-month (MoM) leads by 800%, and YoY organic conversions by 9.4%.
Notable Clients: Nextiva, Casper, TripAdvisor, Norton, Airbnb, and more
Siege Media offers a unique approach to enhancing your website's authority through passive link building. As a collective of creatives, marketers, and SEO experts, Siege Media has generated content valued at approximately $12,387,175 per month in client traffic, which equates to $148,646,100 per year.
Zendesk approached Siege Media with the realization that its outdated content failed to generate desired traffic levels. It needed experts who could implement SEO best practices, conduct comprehensive keyword research, and create high-quality and strategic content to enhance its search engine ranking, drive traffic growth, and increase conversions.
The agency then revamped Zendesk’s existing content, focusing on technical SEO and design optimization. It also implemented a bottom-funnel strategy on their blog and service pages, featuring content that showcased the client’s expertise in software, customer service, and technology. These content pieces effectively combined informational and transactional elements and utilized high-quality imagery and user-friendly charts. The result was a surge in traffic: 37% growth to Zendesk’s blog, $731,924 in overall traffic value growth, 94% growth in organic traffic, and 10,675+ passive links.
Notable Clients: Miner, Stanford University, Rubbermaid Commercial, Canva, Cisco Systems, and more
Brafton's mission is to help businesses succeed through content marketing services and technology solutions worldwide. Its creative and consulting teams write for any industry, from technically complex niches to B2B and B2C brands, utilizing data-led digital content to resonate with the audience and generate results.
The strategy for their client, Quench USA, was to increase brand awareness by enhancing the company’s presence on search. With this in mind, Brafton crafted an SEO strategy that targeted not just consumers but also executives, small-business owners, and office administrators. Using a mix of general terms, such as “hydration facts,” and commercial-intent terms, like “water cooler service for office,” the agency ensured that the website ranked on Page 1 for the right keywords. Consequently, Quench achieved 37 new Page 1 keywords, with 21 being in positions 1 to 5, a $55,377 boost in monthly traffic value, and an increase of 443% in monthly traffic.
Notable Clients: Adobe, Amazon, Asana, Dropbox, eBay, Facebook, Fiverr, and more
Since its establishment in 2009, Column Five has been a leading creative agency specializing in B2B ventures. The agency harnesses the incredible power of storytelling as the ultimate differentiator, transforming ideas into successful campaigns for Fortune 500 companies, startups, and SMEs. It empowers brands to connect with their lifelong customers, foster meaningful relationships, and make conscious decisions that benefit individuals, profitability, and our shared planet.
Dropbox wanted to enhance its Talent Brand by introducing its brand to potential employees, attracting new talent, and engaging with the community. To provide an honest and genuine glimpse into #LifeInsideDropbox, Column Five created a series of videos featuring employees from around the world sharing their career journeys at Dropbox. This series aimed to humanize the brand, generate enthusiasm, and inspire viewers by recounting an authentic view of life within the organization.
Notable Clients: Twenty 20, Nextiva, Harris Teeter, Intuit, and more
Single Grain is a team of passionate professionals who use cutting-edge tools and technology, and personalized marketing strategies to generate leads, drive sales, and foster genuine connections. The agency’s remote-first approach allows them to work with talented creatives regardless of location.
One of their clients, Intuit, a well-known name in tax and personal finance services, recognized an opportunity to provide easy-to-use tools for other business aspects, such as website creation. While Intuit developed and launched the Intuit Website Builder, it needed help to gain traction and visibility in a new and different marketplace dominated by more established competitors. To tackle this challenge, it enlisted the services of Single Grain to create high-quality content and solidify its reputation as a powerful website-building solution.
The firm conducted an in-depth competitive analysis and increased efforts in blogging and social media to engage the existing user community and connect with new users. Within only seven months, the collaboration significantly increased Intuit's visibility in a highly competitive keyword environment across a wide range of common search terms.
Notable Clients: Sodexo, Adobe, Cisco, Salesforce, Autodesk, and more
Tendo is a comprehensive B2B content agency with expertise in crafting, implementing, and optimizing integrated content experiences that drive toward ambitious business objectives. It is a collective of seasoned strategists and creative minds with the knack for transforming a distinctive value proposition into a captivating narrative that resonates with the client’s key audiences.
When the existing Cisco.com needed to revamp its outdated content, Tendo conducted in-depth research to develop a content framework that could be expanded and maintained easily throughout the site. After evaluating the site’s current state, reviewing competitors, and interviewing key stakeholders, they created a content architecture and scalable content models, including organization, prioritization, and copy specifications for key page types.
Following this redesign, unique visitors to Cisco.com increased by 15%, task completion rose by 13%, and the click-through rate skyrocketed to 68%. Additionally, "contact us" clicks saw a remarkable 32% increase. The success was further validated through metrics, prompting Cisco to develop a design system based on Tendo’s content framework and apply it across all business units.
Notable Clients: Semrush, BigCommerce, SpyFu, Sprout Social, Influencer Marketing Hubb, and more
Attrock is a results-driven digital marketing company with an impressive track record of helping clients achieve remarkable milestones, including ranking for over 5,000 keywords on Google's first page and driving a 128% increase in leads and conversions.
It also played a vital role in scaling agencies from five to seven-figure incomes within two years by providing digital marketing services like content marketing, SEO, influencer Marketing, PR, lead Generation, and more.
Its content marketing campaign for ShaneBarker.com was aimed at increasing backlinks, building a strong social media presence, improving SERPs rankings, and boosting site traffic. By optimizing the web content and implementing SEO measures, its blog posts started to rank on the first page of Google search results without the need for link building. High-quality social media content also helped nurture its robust social media presence, with the number of sessions from LinkedIn growing from 686 to 16,000 in two years.
Notable Clients: Las Vegas Tourism, Miami Beach Pride, Midmark, BurgerFi, and more
S&G is a renowned content marketing agency consisting of experienced experts with diverse backgrounds, from prestigious newspapers, renowned magazines, Fortune 500 companies, and innovative technology firms. Its expertise has earned them recognition, making it among the top 50 global content marketing agencies by The Content Marketing Institute.
S&G collaborated with JW Aluminum to position the brand as a disruptor in the traditional metals manufacturing industry; it launched a new app to reduce lead times for procurement professionals and streamline supply chains for customers.
The firm created a comprehensive white paper exploring supply chain logistics in the metals industry and how technology could improve efficiency and boost revenue. The white paper generated over 200 new leads in only six months and served as a landing page for JWA's PR campaign, resulting in feature stories in Forbes, Supply Chain Brain, and other relevant industry publications.
Notable Clients: PayPal, NetApp, Sofinnova, and more
The Content Bureau is a fully remote, majority-female team dedicated to ensuring client success by balancing corporate marketing and branding protocols with trusted partnerships to provide maximum value over time. Its specialty is crafting B2B marketing assets, including copywriting, editing, and layout solutions for articles, banner ads, blog posts, and webinars.
The firm produced authentic and unscripted thought leadership videos for their client, SAP, to help partners and marketing staff understand the company's software business model. The challenge was to create engaging and authentic content while adhering to SAP brand guidelines.
According to the client, the collaboration between them and the agency resulted in fun, painless, and on-brand videos. It successfully delivered work quickly and professionally, reaching thousands of viewers and earning positive feedback from field sales representatives. Overall, the authenticity behind the videos proved to be a successful sales tool that effectively communicated the message to their target audience.
Notable Clients: monday.com, Freshworks, ActiveCampaign, AdEspresso, Zapier, and more
Codeless produces hundreds of long-form articles each month for some of the internet's biggest SaaS, service, and affiliate brands. Its process begins with SEO experts identifying content categories that resonate with the target market. The dedicated account managers then facilitate the production process, from keyword identification to uploading the finished product to your CMS.
The agency helped monday.com increase monthly blog traffic from 12,586 to more than 304,000 within 18 months. Despite the hyper-competitive nature of B2B and SaaS niches, Codeless helped them expand its business and secure significant clients such as Coca-Cola, Hulu, and Universal.
Its strategy involved creating content at scale to produce 950+ articles (2,000 words each). This enabled the client to rank for 140,000+ organic keywords with 25,626 first-page rankings on SERPs and amass backlinks from 6,500+ domains, adding to their traffic numbers.
How We Picked the Best Content Marketing Companies
To curate the list of the top content marketing companies, we examined the agencies’ client roster, testimonials, case studies, industry reputation, team expertise, and executive management. Our team of agency experts created a scoring system to gauge their overall performance based on metrics such as:
Relevant content marketing service catalog
Coverage of content marketing topics on their website and other channels
The number of content marketing projects delivered
The quality and diversity of portfolio, and success stories
Notable clients and well-known brands
Their online reputation on DesignRush, Google, and other platforms
This qualitative process helped us narrow down the cream of the crop content marketing providers you can work with on your upcoming project.
10 Most Popular Content Marketing Agencies Compared
Agency Name
Location
Hourly Rate
Size
Best For
HigherVisibility
Memphis, TN
Inquire
50-99
Overall
Siege Media
San Diego, CA
$100
100-249
Conversion-Focused Content
Brafton
Boston, MA
$150
100-249
SEO
Column Five Media
Orange County, CA
$145
Under 49
SaaS Companies
Single Grain
Los Angeles, CA
Inquire
Under 49
B2C Enterprises
Tendo Communications
San Francisco, CA
Inquire
Under 49
B2B Brands
Attrock
Miami, FL
$49
Under 49
Content Analysis
S&G
Miami, FL
$175
Under 49
Branded Content
The Content Bureau
Orinda, FL
Inquire
Under 49
Internal Marketing
Codeless
Lone Tree, CO
Inquire
50-99
Long-Form Content
Best Content Marketing Companies
5,106 Companies-Rankings updated: August 20, 2026
DesignRush assesses content marketing companies for their expertise and verified client experiences to help you make better decisions. Certain agencies have paid placements.
Let us help you create a buzz and make a lasting impression on your audience.
Let us help you create a buzz and make a lasting impression on your audience.
LK Productions is a Melbourne-based boutique production agency that uses the power of storytelling to create high-impact, authentic video and photography that engages your audience and helps you achieve your marketing objectives...
Building enterprise grade websites and develop custom marketing campaigns.
Building enterprise grade websites and develop custom marketing campaigns.
Established in 2013, 321 Web Marketing emerged with a mission to redefine the norms within the digital marketing industry. Jonathan Gessert, the visionary founder, recognized the untapped potential in revolutionizing digital marketing strategies through a technical lens, challenging conventional practices and...
Heywood & Beaudry is a distinguished communications design firm with a specialized focus on early-stage brand development. Utilizing our Conceive, Produce & Deploy process framework, we meticulously craft brand identities rooted in powerful messaging, encompassing compelling content, captivating storytelling...
Gitsul Group is a distinguished marketing agency renowned for its expertise in digital strategy, branding, user experience (UX), and web design. With a focus on delivering innovative solutions, Gitsul Group ensures clients receive unparalleled service and exceptional results...
Digital Marketing Tailored For Real Business Growth.
Digital Marketing Tailored For Real Business Growth.
We are your dedicated growth partner, and what sets us apart is our team: comprised exclusively of senior experts who make all key strategic decisions. This ensures we deliver a level of experience and strategic insight that is unmatched...
Manufacturing businesses across industries trust Factur to deliver results. With tailored strategies and a deep understanding of your market, we help businesses like your achieve lasting growth...
Marketing events for the right response to every occasion
Marketing events for the right response to every occasion
We inspire people with unconventional ideas, unorthodox approaches and surprising productions. With sensitivity, clear structures and great attention to detail, we give every mood the right echo - be it in live marketing, event marketing or sales consulting...
Achieving genuine, proven success is the cornerstone of Digitrio, an SEO agency dedicated to more than just rankings. Through their unique KARA SEO framework, they prioritize driving meaningful traffic and fostering online growth...
Pure Junk Media is a full-service digital marketing agency specializing in SEO, web design, social media management, branding, and online advertising. With more than 25 years of experience, we help businesses improve visibility, attract leads, and achieve measurable growth. Our services include SEO audits...
Essentiate offers digital transformation services to businesses, serving as a trusted and experienced partner in their journey towards accelerated growth. With a focus on leveraging technology and innovation, we empower companies to thrive in today's dynamic market landscape...
Arvech is your premier partner in B2B growth marketing, committed to enhancing your brand reputation and increasing revenue through effective strategies that drive acquisition, retention, and revenue funnels. With a focus on maximizing ROI and delivering measurable results, we leverage innovative techniques...
Made Right Media focuses on doing things that actually move the needle. Services include research and strategy, branding and creative, website design and development, SEO, and Google Ads. Made Right Media has a long list of clients from a broad range of industries, and have deep expertise in anything...
A Melbourne Based Digital Marketing Agency That Cares
A Melbourne Based Digital Marketing Agency That Cares
Melbourne performance marketing agency for established businesses. Google Ads, Meta Ads , LinkedIn Ads and AI SEO built on our Trust-Led Growth Engine...
PressRoom is a US-based, boutique digital marketing agency. We use AI & ML to identify high-value SEO opportunities to improve your Google search rankings, driving lasting increases in your organic traffic and revenue...
We Operate At The Intersection Of Brand, Creative and Performance Based Media.
We Operate At The Intersection Of Brand, Creative and Performance Based Media.
At Vonnimedia, we are a premier Social led, Full service marketing agency driven by a relentless pursuit of results. Our team brings strategy, creative and media buying together to help brands tell their stories that actually move the needle on growing their business...
Fine Pearls Media empowers brands to revolutionize their digital marketing with a comprehensive suite of services, from copywriting to content creation. Our expert team is dedicated to crafting impactful strategies that ensure your brand stands out in the digital landscape...
Red Wagon Growth Marketing Agency is your ideal partner, having successfully collaborated with small, medium, and enterprise businesses to achieve their desired results through comprehensive and cohesive marketing campaigns. Youve come to the right place for strategic growth and impactful marketing solutions...
Years of combined experience in automotive website design and digital marketing.
Years of combined experience in automotive website design and digital marketing.
At Montarev, we build cutting-edge automotive websites and deliver innovative marketing solutions that help your business stand out. Our team specializes in creating custom, user-friendly websites optimized for lead generation and customer engagement. While we excel in the automotive sector, our expertise...
Your business is unique. You've dedicated countless hours to perfecting your craft, so why settle for marketing that doesn't represent you well? Based in Lancaster, PA, we specialize in personalized digital marketing to help you reach new customers and grow your business. Through custom web design and...
At Lure Digital, we specialize in creating compelling commercials, corporate videos, and engaging social media content. Our focus is on delivering high-quality visual storytelling that effectively communicates your brand's message and resonates with your audience...
Your Complete Marketing Partner for Home Service Contractors.
Your Complete Marketing Partner for Home Service Contractors.
We deliver all-inclusive digital marketing services for restoration, abatement, and home service companies in the US and Canada. You run the business, we'll handle the marketing strategy and execution...
Helping B2B Tech Brands Grow Revenue Without Paid Ads.
Helping B2B Tech Brands Grow Revenue Without Paid Ads.
We primarily work with B2B brands. If you need guidance on your SEO strategy or fractional services, we can help, Im a revenue-focused SEO partner that helps SaaS companies grow signups, SQLs, and demos. My services are 100% SEO-focused, and I only work with B2B SaaS brands...
10spring builds fast, credible websites for pre-seed and recently funded startups. Fixed scope. Transparent pricing. Live in 10 business days. Guaranteed. Copywriting is included on every build. We conduct a 60-minute kickoff interview, write the site copy from the transcript, and deliver a draft for your...
We're here to help your small business grow sustainably. Let us take online presence management off your plate and generate leads through SEO, social media, email marketing, and more. We also offer branding, new website builds, rebrands, and big-picture marketing strategy consultations...
SeriesX Marketing is a team of experts who specialize in helping SaaS businesses get high-quality content. We've assisted many global startups, including Aryaka, Webscale, Joveo, and Gallabox, to increase their content production in a cost-effective way. Get U.S.grade content developed in India!...
Fantestimonial is a trust strategy and video marketing consultancy that helps businesses turn their existing reputation into a visible competitive advantage. Rather than focusing solely on generating more leads, the company helps organizations bridge the gap between initial interest and purchase by...
We Deliver Customized Strategies to Boost Your Online Presence
We Deliver Customized Strategies to Boost Your Online Presence
Creative SEO Hub is a leading digital marketing agency specializing in SEO, PPC, and web design. We deliver customized strategies to boost your online presence and drive business growth...
Titaja is a go-to-market (GTM) consultancy that helps startups and growth-stage companies turn product value into revenue through integrated positioning, messaging, launch execution, and product marketing systems. Rather than operating as a traditional marketing agency, Titaja builds and embeds GTM frameworks...
WONDERLINGS is a creative collective on the Surf Coast in Victoria, Australia. We offer organic search engine optimization (SEO), responsive web design, and WordPress development. WordPress maintenance & support and photography are the other cool things we do...
Spark Climb is the only growth hacking agency that enables brands to leverage cutting-edge technology in their social media branding and growth strategies...
At Pajno Films, we tackle every video project like its an impossible mission. Were here to shake up the advertising game with a shot of adrenaline and a hint of irony. If you love a good challenge as much as we do, check out our showreel. We cant promise your jaw will stay in place...
Neon42: Fast Growth for Challenger Brands
Neon42 is an indie consultancy driving measurable growth for challenger brands through strategic facilitation, tailored workshops, and proprietary methodologies.
With 40+ global clients, Neon42 delivers impact by optimising strategies, enhancing customer...
DigitalScouts helps B2B companies scale smarter with connected marketing, sales, and RevOps systems. We specialise in HubSpot implementation, automation, and AI-powered workflows that turn data into predictable revenue growth. From CRM optimisation to full-funnel content and campaign strategy, we align...
Digital agency for solutions with substance: We design what makes an impact.
Digital agency for solutions with substance: We design what makes an impact.
We combine strategy, design and technology with world-class content production to give your company a strong market-leading presence in just 30 days. With our unique design coding method, we turn your vision into reality in record time, ensuring you an impressive digital presence and efficiency that no other...
We engineer digital products that engage customers, drive adoption, and boost revenue. We have a simple goal: To empower you to craft, launch, and optimize digital experiences that connect with your audience and propel your business forward...
A Web Agency for Interior Designers, Architects, and Luxury Builders.
A Web Agency for Interior Designers, Architects, and Luxury Builders.
Rally Frog helps interior designers, architects, and luxury builders win more of the right projects. We turn portfolios into pipelines that book consultations, lift average project value, and build local authority. Arizona based. Serving clients nationwide...
Elegant Web Design, Marketing, & Seamless Technology Integration that elevates your brands professionalism and drives tangible ROI. We combine strategic Web Design, Digital Marketing, and Smart Technology to build online growth engines for businesses like yours...
LA's Top WordPress, Webflow, and Shopify Digital Agency
LA's Top WordPress, Webflow, and Shopify Digital Agency
Mouche is a digital agency blending human creativity with AI efficiency. We specialize in eCommerce, Shopify, SEO, and user-centric websites built on WordPress, Webflow, and Wix. Based in Los Angeles, we help brands grow by driving traffic, boosting conversions, and creating smarter digital experiences...
Lunara Digital helps startups and small businesses grow through strategic marketing, compelling content, and conversion-driven campaigns tailored to your brand...
For 20 + years we have been creating beautiful websites and delivering proven digital marketing campaigns that take care of the whole customer journey. We ensure you're easily found online, present a wonderful first impression, provide immense value, build a great relationship, secures leads and sales and...
We fuse human-centered design with senior-level engineering and data-driven marketing to build WordPress, SaaS and e-commerce experiences that scale. From UI/UX and DevOps to SEO, PPC and social, every solution is mapped to clear ROIhelping startups and enterprises convert visitors into loyal customers...
Accelerate growth through effective and scalable marketing strategies provided by our dedicated grou
Accelerate growth through effective and scalable marketing strategies provided by our dedicated grou
Unlock top-tier marketing expertise without the full-time cost! Fractional Marketing Team gives you access to experienced marketing leaders and specialists exactly when you need them. Whether you need a CMO, Head of Marketing, or a specialist in PPC, SEO, or branding, weve got you covered...
7 Frequently Asked Questions About Content Marketing Agencies
What do content marketing companies do?
Content marketing companies create and distribute digital content intended to inform, attract, engage, retain, and inspire action across target audiences. The main goal of their produced work is to drive greater brand awareness, boost organic traffic and SEO rankings, and guide prospects through the buyer's journey to ultimately increase leads and sales.
What services do they provide?
Key services provided by content marketing agencies include:
Content strategy development: Curating bespoke plans to align content with business objectives, ideal customer profile (ICP) intent, and industry trends.
SEO copywriting and keyword research: Optimizing content to rank higher in search engine result pages (SERPs) and improve visibility to potential customers.
Editorial management and publishing: Sourcing writers, editing content, managing content calendars, and handling the publishing process.
Distribution and promotion: Making sure the content reaches the target audience through social media, email campaigns, and paid advertising.
Performance analysis: Monitoring how content performs and tracking traffic, engagement, and conversion rate metrics to refine strategies.
How much does a content marketing company cost to hire?
Across the US, a content marketing company usually charges between $100 to $500 per 1000-word post.For social media content, the price usually goes between $50 and $150 per post.
The final price can vary based on a combination of factors:
Length and topic complexity: Shorter, simpler posts cost less compared to in-depth, longer articles.
Expertise: Posts requiring niche knowledge or specific writing style entail higher fees.
SEO adjustments: Extending the service with SEO services like keyword research and integration can also raise the price.
Additional services: Content promotion, social media sharing, and visual add-ons count as an addition to the base fee.
How long do different content pieces take to write?
Short, standard articles can take an experienced writer 1 to 3 hours to write, while research-heavy pieces may require over 10 hours. Same as with pricing, the topic complexity and research requirements affect the writing time as well.
In general, seasoned writers can produce 500 words in 30 to 60 minutes, while for the same work, a beginner might need 2 to 3 hours or more.
Here are some average time estimates by content type:
Social media posts/short content (75 to 300 words): 30 minutes to an hour
Standard blog post/article (500 to 1000 words): 1 to 3 hours (assuming moderate research)
1,500-word piece: 3 to 6 hours, depending on depth
Long-form, 2,000-word content piece: 6 to 10+ hours
Technical content piece: Up to 10 hours per 500 words, given the need for extensive research and citations
Full website content coverage (20 pages): 11 to 40 days, depending on the complexity of the brand voice and required research
What types of businesses benefit most from working with a content marketing agency?
Small businesses, startups, expanding brands, and companies looking to set or correct a brand image benefit the most from a content marketing collaboration.
Businesses starting from the ground up benefit a lot from a content marketing agency as it maps out a clear strategy and builds an audience from day one. Companies dealing with a bad reputation or a complex rebranding phase also see considerable returns, as a good agency can use honest storytelling to fix misconceptions and win back trust.
At the same time, if a brand is entering a new market or launching a unique product line, specialized content helps them spread the message more easily by producing pieces in the local language.
How long does it take to see results from content marketing services?
Content marketing follows a more extended trajectory as it takes time for search engines to recognize and rank the content. As the content library expands and gains credibility, brands start to see incremental growth in 3 to 6 months.
The same goes for social media: as content compounds and reaches more people, the organic traffic gets steadier and lead generation efforts start gaining more traction.
How is content marketing different than SEO?
Content marketing is the substance, i.e., the strategy of creating value to build a relationship with the intended audience. SEO is the visibility or the technical process of making that value discoverable by search engines.
Essentially, they are two sides of the same coin: SEO makes demands (keywords, structure), and content marketing fulfills them.
Across both practices, quality comes first. Namely, if the piece is optimized for a search engine but fails against the intent of the reader, the content will eventually lose its rank because it lacks topical authority.
Proposals