When it comes to the world of SEO, there’s only one constant: change.

A lot of the major ones have already happened with Google’s new algorithm in 2011 and again in 2012, but it appears that there are Panda updates a few times every year. So although the last refresh may not have affected you, why run the risk of lowering your page rank or hurting the credibility of your site?

Old SEO practices like creating thin content, anchor text over-use, and ignoring social signals won’t fly in 2013. Google has gotten much smarter and knows when to call your bluff.

Google can tell when content adds real value and when content has been posted just for SEO purposes.

So how can you improve your site’s SEO and appease Google? Turn to content marketing.

Content marketing attracts backlinks and adds value for your readers. And the best part is, to make content marketing work for your company, you can modify or improve some of the old tricks you already know.

Here are three ways to help you get the most out of the new SEO.

1. Create quality content

Creating high-quality content can give your site the SEO boost it needs. Great content will undoubtedly make your readers happy and coming back for more, but it also adds to the value of your site. Google has been pretty clear on what quality means to them, so it’s about time you update your definition. Quality content means unique articles and ones that are resourceful and information rich. Be thoughtful, and give your readers content they’d want to bookmark or share with a friend, which leads me to…

2. Work on your social signal

Content marketing gives you the opportunity to beef up your social signal. Google+ (and other social networks) has become more important in ranking search results and it’s even become accepted as a valid ranking factor. Google’s CEO, Larry Page, had this to say:

“For the first time, the search box isn’t really searching a string…it’s actually searching for that person that I know. Having real feedback from users…is very useful for search…we have a lot of those signals already, but we can always use more…we can always use better relevance and we can always use more data to generate that.”

Social media is longer around for the sole purpose of connecting with friends (or uploading some pictures from your recent vacation). It’s for tailoring search to give you the best results possible.

3. Gain thought leadership

In a world where people are exposed to thousands of ads per day, content marketing can be the edge you need to break through the clutter and reach your end reader. In fact, 80% of business decision makers prefer to get company information in a series of articles versus an advertisement. Capturing your audience’s attention organically through smart content adds more value than an ad could. Developing content that’s of interest to your readers before others in your industry do, not only makes you the leader of the pack, but can really help your search results as you index more pages in Google and become the authority on a topic.

So get out there and start strategizing your next content marketing move.

Don’t let 2013 be an SEO bust.

Has your company already capitalized on the new (old) SEO?

Bonus: Now you know what you should be doing; here are some resources to show you how:

• More Guidance on Building High-Quality Sites (via Google)
• Your Guide to Social Signals for SEO (via SEOmoz)
• Thought Leadership “Links” to SEO: Gain Powerful Natural Links Through Respect & Reputation (via Vistage)

This post originally appeared on Engage.