Content strategy is the piece of your marketing plan that continuously demonstrates the company as a brand and the expertise it brings to the industry. In its most basic form, it is any content you produce that results in an increase of organic search traffic. The strategy portion is the intentional content you create to achieve this purpose.
The Brain Traffic Model from the Content Strategy for the Web breaks content strategy into five components:
Core. How do we intend to use content?
Substance. What content is needed?
Structure. How is content organized?
Workflow. How is content created?
Governance. How do we decide what to do?
Among these components, you will want to give an answer to “What content is needed” to optimize your site and gain search engine traffic. If any of the terminology in this article is unfamiliar, check out our SEO 101: Glossary of Terms.
Content Strategy and Keyword Research
Before creating your SEO Content Strategy, it’s important to familiarize yourself with your keyword search. Keyword Research is an essential part of any SEO strategy, take it from the experts - we would know.
Keyword research is defined as the process of analyzing and finding a list of valuable keywords for the purpose of SEO copywriting. The keywords, or search terms, often become a guide for the direction of your content and marketing strategy, and have an impact that reaches far and wide when it comes to connected potential consumers with your brand.
Keyword research is the process of finding and analyzing actual search terms that people enter into search engines. The insight you can get into these actual search terms can help inform content strategy, as well as your larger marketing strategy.
Creating high-quality content is critical to content marketing success. With thousands of blog posts published every day, you need a way to make your content stand out. Creating content not only helps your leads get to know your business, but it also helps your business improve your SEO ranking. As an SEO content creator, you’ll be on the fast track to boosting your website’s ranking in the search results and driving more traffic to your page.
SEO content comes in many forms including product pages, videos, infographics, blog posts, and guides. Blogs are the most common format of content for SEO content creators. It’s one of the most accessible formats for creating a large quantity of material. Blog posts are engaging and allow you to share valuable information with your audience.
With blogs, you can engage your audience by sharing valuable information with them. It’s a great way to attract links and traffic, as well as build your website’s authority.
Importance of Brand Voice
It is important to define your brand voice to be able to write successful content. A consistent brand voice and vocabulary is essential to implementing localized content and intelligent content strategies effectively. This can be the type of words you use (academic vs. casual) or your overall tone of voice (educational vs. conversational.) A simple way to identify your specific brand voice is:
Gather a representative sample of your content.
Describe your brand voice in three words
Create a brand voice chart (see below)
Ensure you understand how to put your brand voice into action
Revisit and revise the brand voice chart from time to time
Content has to be targeted and timely in order to generate qualified leads as part of your inbound sales strategy or in content marketing. Content, whatever its purpose, should always be timely, buyer-centric, improve your lead generation strategy, and positively impact sales.
Building a content strategy is more than considering what type of content you want to create. You first need to know who you’re speaking to, how you want to speak to them, and where to find them. Your buyer persona is the person that you want to reach with your content. This semi-fictional character serves as a representation of your target audience
You want to connect with your buyer’s persona and pinpoint the issues they encounter so you could provide solutions that they need. Each of your prospects follows a path to a solution — that path involves awareness, consideration, and decision stages. By creating content for each stage of the buyer’s journey, you’re ensuring that no visitors fall through the cracks and that every individual that comes to your site feels like they are receiving relevant, useful information.
Basically, the goal is to begin with identifying blog post title suggestions based on keyword research with sufficient supporting data on why you need to create this content, why you need it on your site, what are the recommended components of the content, and how it will help you grow. Most of the time, we only recommend informational content and therefore use keywords with informational intent. This is because you’ll want these topics to be written as blog posts which you can also use in link building.
SEO Content Strategy Essentials
Make sure the intent of your keyword matches the intent of your title. A good tip is to try and figure out what the people who are searching for this particular keyword want to know. Once you have that figured out, you can craft your topic/title to answer their question/give them the information they’re looking for.
It’s also important that you understand what the keyword actually is so that you’ll be able to provide the best title/angle that would revolve around that topic. If you’re not sure what it means, you can always check how other sites are talking about it so you get a better idea.
Be careful about using transactional keywords as the target keywords for informational pages. Those are mainly to inform things like product page copy and backlink anchor text. You can still use those keywords for blog posts, but you should individually investigate them and make sure that Google is actually ranking informational content for that keyword in the top 5 or so positions, and you also don’t want to inadvertently outrank your own product pages for those keywords.
Specifically, you’ll need informational keywords when doing content strategy for blog posts. Content strategy in general can encompass all types of pages including product pages, landing pages, listing pages, and others. So informational and transactional keywords both have their place.
Consider the site’s authority. When choosing keywords from your keyword research, consider the authority of your site. If the site is new or has very little authority, choose keywords with the lowest difficulty instead of targeting KW with high volume search but with high difficulty, as it would be hard to compete with already established sites.
Google the keywords. This will allow you to get an idea on what other sites are talking about, and try to come up with a way to make your content better than the rest. If other sites, for example, have 5 Tips, Make ours 8-10. Or if others are just talking about “how,” make ours what, how, where, etc.
Keywords don’t need to be an exact match. You don’t want to sacrifice natural-sounding titles in order to force in an exact match keyword. Let the keywords inform the overall idea of the title, but they don’t necessarily need to be an exact match. For example, Google can make the connection between an “e-learning developer” and a “developer for your e-learning platform.” Exact match isn’t strictly necessary to have in the title. It’s nice if you can include it, but the most important factor for the title is drawing in viewers, and the creative copy can accomplish this better in many cases than just repeating the query. Do make sure that the title is clearly relevant to the query, and for ranking/featured-snippet purposes it would be good to have the exact match as a heading or subheading in the article content.
Same title as another article is sometimes OK. It should also be worth mentioning, though, that having the same title as another article from another site isn’t necessarily a bad thing either, as long you make your content better than theirs. If the first page is saturated with exact-match long-tail keywords, though, then standing out might be a better strategy than conforming exactly to the keyword.
Speak to the buyer’s journey. Usually, when working on a high-level marketing strategy, it requires that you speak to the buyer’s journey. You want to make sure to touch on how that keyword phrase ties back to the buyer’s journey of your product or service.
For example, say you’re a company that appraises homes. You could structure your content as follows:
Suggested Title: Does A Messy House Affect An Appraisal?
Target KW: does a messy house affect an appraisal
Search Volume: 200
While low search volume, this keyword touches on a topic very much on the mind of a hot lead. This is a direct query that’s linked to appraisals, which are part of the home-buying process.. And as a result, you would need to rank for that term.
Use a content explorer tool. At Galactic Fed, we like to use Ahrefs. You can also run the keyword in Ahrefs’ “Content Explorer” for more topic ideas and to check which topics generate more traffic that could also bring traffic to your site.
Overview. For each blog post title recommendation, it’s best practice that each article must be thoroughly explained, keyword-justified (using both main topic keywords and keywords for subtopics of the article), and well thought out within the context of your brand and content direction.
Cross-check against existing material. When you do content creation it’s recommended to add internal links. The internal links are a good way of cross-checking against existing material and establishing potential in-article backlinks for content syndication.
A perfect SEO content strategy seamlessly marries the science behind ranking higher in search, with the various compelling pieces of content a reader can consume. It’s using the content you produce not only to educate, entertain and inform, but to make sure people are able to find your business and brand right when they need it. The best type of SEO content addresses your buyer’s journey and solves real problems, so when they are asking a search bar the questions, you are the answer.
Become your own SEO guru by reading all the articles in our SEO 101 Series.
The global pandemic has decimated many industries worldwide. Hospitality, entertainment, sports, and retail have all suffered enormously from reduced customer numbers and government restrictions. But several businesses have escaped unscathed, and in some cases, even thrived throughout this difficult time. The e-commerce industry has benefited from the increase in online shopping, and the need to entertain ourselves at home has provided a lot of business for the streaming giants.
If you are considering starting your own business from home in 2021, you need to be sure that it can survive these turbulent times. It’s harder than ever to get a business off the ground, and uncertainty about the future makes it even more of a challenge. It will require a lot of hard work and motivation to make your dream a reality.
If you are determined to launch your home business, here are four tips to help you succeed.
Make a business plan
If you don’t have a business plan, you will find it very difficult to succeed. This plan is essentially a roadmap for success, outlining your specific business goals and the strategies you will employ to reach them. This will enable you to keep track of your progress and analyze how well your business is performing at any one time. It will provide extra motivation to work hard and achieve results, as well as informing all your decisions and guiding you on the best actions to take.
Create your workspace
When you are working from home, you will need a dedicated workspace in which to carry out your day-to-day tasks. With the freedom that comes from home-working, it might be tempting to sometimes work from your bed or sprawled on the sofa, but this won't get you in the business mindset. Whether you have your own office or are just using the dining room table, an organized, fully-equipped workspace will make it easier to get things done. Fill it with all the technology and stationery you require and make yourself more comfortable with an ergonomic desk chair.
Have a schedule
When you run your own business, no one is forcing you to start working at 9 am and clock out at 5. You have the freedom to manage your workload according to your own schedule. But what’s important is not letting your work and personal life blur into one. When your office and your home are the same place, you can end up working well into the early hours and not giving yourself a break. It’s important you create a work schedule. This doesn't have to be the same every day, but it should provide clear guidance for when to close the laptop and give yourself a break.
Grow your network
Getting ahead in business is all about how you know, and when you’re working from home, it’s hard to grow your network. Make an effort to meet people, whether through conferences, trade events, or asking people to introduce you to their contacts. The more people you know, the more likely you’ll be to find new opportunities and customers.
Marketing is an essential part of your business and will help you spread the word about your products and what you’re selling. You risk getting lost in a sea of information if you fail to focus on the right elements.
If you missed the mark last year, then be glad to know you have the opportunity to start again and perform better in 2021. Learn about what you can do to improve your marketing and get off on a better foot this year. Now is the time to make changes that will have a positive impact on your business and help you have a successful future.
1.Create A Plan & Strategy
Improve your marketing in 2021 by creating a plan and strategy for what you want to achieve. No longer is it acceptable or helpful to wing it and simply hope for the best. Take the time to document your strategy, goals, and how you’ll achieve each one in detail. If you choose not to invest in your marketing then you’ll likely find that your competitors are successful in stealing away customers and surpassing you by making a name for themselves in the industry. Not only come up with and follow a plan but also keep a close eye on your metrics and results.
2.Use Unique & Better Product Packaging
Another way to improve your marketing in 2021 is to use unique and better product packaging. You want to ensure that people see your product first and that you’re keeping up with the latest innovations. It’ll help you to set your items apart from the rest and quickly catch the attention of shoppers as they look around for what they need. This year, consider Shrink Sleeve Labels for better aesthetics and if you need or want to sell multi-packs of an item. This type of packaging can also improve your brand and reputation because it enhances safety and makes any tampering obvious.
3.Hire A Skilled & Dedicated Team
You can improve your marketing this year by hiring a skilled and dedicated marketing team to assist you. If you were a one-person show last year then you may have found that you were very busy and didn’t reach many of your goals. However, when you have a committed team of talented employees on your side then you can meet and exceed your marketing objectives quicker and focus on ways to be more creative and innovative in the future.
It’s also worth choosing a team that specializes in a certain area. For instance, if you are working on your SEO strategy it makes sense to choose an agency that focuses on small business SEO as a service. They’ll help give you your best shot at page one of the SERPs.
4.Focus on High-Quality Content
Content continues to be king and plays a significant role in marketing. Therefore, focus your efforts on creating high-quality content that gets you noticed by customers online. Now might be the time to engage more frequently on social media or launch a business blog and release more timely and relevant articles that set you up as the experts in your field. Spend some time improving your and your employee’s writing skills so your content is always professional and well-written. Factor SEO into your online and content marketing approach and you’ll have a better chance of showing up first in the search engine results.
You’ve worked hard and provided key products or services to a dedicated group of clients, and your small business is booming. It’s time to expand — so what are the considerations you need to make before taking the next big step? Do you have an optimized, accessible website for your business? Do you know what your goals are, as far as numbers? Let’s take a look at a few ways you can prepare to expand your company without stressing out:
Point 1: Strategize about your KPIs.
Key performance indicators (KPIs) are the backbone of any successful business. A KPI, put simply, is a value that measures progress toward achieving critical business goals. Once you have your goals mapped out, you need to make sure you are achieving them in a measurable fashion, and that’s where KPIs come in. Your KPIs should be determined based on how they contribute to one specific, strategic objective: What are your sales goals? How much money do you want to spend on marketing? After you determine these things, you can start mapping out what “performance” looks like in these categories.
For instance, you may decide you want to expand your business and fulfill overseas orders. You will first need to determine what the marketing KPIs are for breaking into international markets — how will you determine success? Make sure you do marketing research in this step because different audiences require different strategies. You can conduct informal surveys, in-person research, or collect data from national agencies. All of these things take you a step closer to writing and then achieving your KPIs.
Point 2: Get your documents in order.
As you’re making plans to take your business to the next level, you should consider forming a limited liability corporation (LLC). This basically gives your business several tax and liability benefits while keeping your management flexibility. The most well-known benefit of forming an LLC is that if your business were to be sued or go under, your personal assets would not be liable. Filing for an LLC also means less paperwork because it doesn’t require as many documents as a corporation would.
According to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), there are several types of businesses that cannot claim the LLC status, including banks and insurance companies. Please make sure to check what the particular regulations are in your state, as these rules vary across the country. You can even do the legwork yourself by filing online instead of investing your hard-earned money in lawyer fees.
Point 3: Invest your money (or time) in technologies.
Technology is the small-business owner’s best friend, quite literally. Tools like social media, data science solutions, and digital ads are all critical for today’s successful businesses. Utilizing these tools will improve your business acumen and give you better brand exposure, among other key metrics. Accounting programs can help you keep your budget straight; customer relationship management tools can assist with client retention and resource allocation. There are various software suites that provide out-of-the-box solutions for all of these necessities.
This doesn’t mean you have to invest just money in these kinds of tools. A time investment is sometimes all you need to delve into the technology and find use in it. For instance, starting a social media page and interacting with clients takes time and personalized care, but the return on customer relationships is worth the investment of your day.
In addition to engaging with customers on social media sites like Twitter and Facebook, in today’s online-dominated business environment, a well-designed website is critical to acquiring and keeping clients — especially as you expand your business and branch out into more markets (even the aforementioned international scene). A website can allow your company to break through geographical barriers. So before you take your next step toward expanding your business, ensure you have a reliable, optimized web presence. Contact the experts at Throlson Web Design today for a consultation.
Whether you’re a social media fan or roll your eyes at the mention of Facebook or Twitter, all businesses and entrepreneurs can benefit from having a presence on these platforms. When you factor in the number of social media users, which is in the billions, it makes complete sense to use the tool for marketing your brand.
While some business owners have a good grasp on social media already, others aren’t sure how to get the most out of it. To help, here are some tips that will make you a social media pro in no time.
Begin with a Plan
Before you dive into the social media world, you need to have a plan in place on what you want to achieve. Conducting a social media audit, creating goals that follow the SMART framework, and looking into what competitors do will give you inspiration on how to conduct yourself on social media. If you need help coming up with a social media strategy, companies like JBD Agency can help. You should also create a social media calendar that adds structure and ensures you’re posting the right content to your pages at the right time.
Choose the Right Platforms
You may not realize it, but the social media platform you use for business purposes can have a huge impact on your revenue. For example, if you want to target Gen Z, many of them use platforms like Snapchat and TikTok. If you want to appeal to millennials and generation X, you’re likely to find them on Facebook. There are pros and cons to all social media platforms, so you need to decide which platform will benefit you the most.
Know Your Target Audience
If you don’t have your target audience established, you’ll have great difficulty maintaining a social media presence. For instance, if your products or services appeal to stay-at-home moms, you should post content and updates during the morning and afternoon where they are more likely to see them. Make sure you begin with your current customers and start compiling data, before digging deeper into social media analytics. As you do more research, you will get a better idea of who is visiting your pages and buying into your brand.
Focus on Quality
Many business owners make the mistake of focusing on quantity, rather than quantity on social media. While you may believe posting constant updates will benefit your brand, users don’t want their feed to be completely filled with your output. Instead, you should focus on creating quality content that is short and sweet and gets the message across. Once a consumer subscribes to your page, try not to lose their custom by spamming them.
Stay Consistent
Building and maintaining a successful social media business page takes time and effort. As your page grows in popularity, you need to remain consistent, otherwise users may not have faith and trust in your brand. It may be wise to have a social media team designated to keeping your pages updated, but only if you can afford to do so.
If you know how to use social media to your advantage, your business will benefit enormously. Creating business pages on platforms like Facebook can be a fantastic way to build your audience, keep connected with customers, and create a reputable brand.
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