Content Marketing
Content is arguably the biggest topic related to SEO. It takes a long time to do and there are many factors that make it a complex topic for beginners.
With that being said, it’s very doable and it’s something that can help your website succeed. Understanding a little about the process can help you and your company when you decide to make an SEO hire.
Let’s start with keyword research.
Keyword research
Keyword research involves finding the best keywords to target. We go into more depth here but here’s the gist.
Find keywords that are?
- Frequently searched
- Not too competitive
- Relevant to your products or services
That’s it! Pretty simple, right?
How to pick the right keywords to target
Finding keywords is important, picking the right ones is arguably more important. Creating content takes considerable time. Targeting the wrong keyword can be an utter waste of time. Picking the right one? Voila-la! You’re in business!
Take a closer look at your keyword research. Look at the search engine results page (SERP) for your potential targets. Use MozBar to examine a keyword’s competition.
- What are the domain authorities (DAs) for websites that rank for your target?
- How do their DA’s compare to your yours?
- How relevant is your keyword target? Where is this user in the sales funnel?
- Are they ready to buy? Or are they searching something informational about your products or services?
Score each of our three factors (search volume, competition, and relevance) and pick keywords that you legitimately think could help your business.
Learn more about keyword research and selecting the best keywords to target.
Determine the page type
This step is easy.
- What pages rank for your target?
- What content is on those pages?
- Are they blogs? Product pages? Product category pages?
If all websites on the SERP have the same content (e.g. they are all product category pages) then you likely need a product category page to rank.
A product page likely won’t satisfy the user experience because the SERP is telling us that users want to browse products (not look at one).
A blog won’t work because people are clearly interested in products!
Regardless of the keyword you’re targeting, examine the content on pages that rank for your target. If they are all the same, you likely need a similar page type and structure.
If they are different, you may have some options. Use the option that 1) is easiest for you to create and 2) seems to be most helpful and gives you the best opportunity to rank.
Sometimes you can even do a combination of both (e.g. a product category page with informational content at the top of the page).
Delivering quality content
Make the page easy to use. There are two types of people browsing your content.
- People who skim.
- People who read everything.
PLUS, everyone in between. Make sure your content is navigable so that people can find relevant information quickly. But include enough information so that it’s helpful for people who want more depth.
To satisfy both people, use links to help people who want to learn more.
Here are some other tips:
- Use headers.
- Keep paragraphs short.
- Write lists.
- Be concise.
- Satisfy all aspects of a keyword’s search intent.
Search engine indexing and timeline
After you’ve posted your content, send it to Google. Some sites are indexed all the time. If your site is new, make sure Google indexes your latest content.
Why?
Because rankings take time. Google has a million factors that go into their algorithm. And they like to test content over time.
Sure, some pages may rank quickly. But in our experience, the vast majority of new pages take months to rank.
They start out barely showing up. Over time (sometimes years), they pick up steam and start to settle in the rankings.
Be ready for this timeline. If you aren’t, you’ll write off what you’ve done and assume SEO doesn’t work. It’s possible your strategy needs to improve but it’s also possible you haven’t given it enough time.
Rinse and repeat. Repeat and repeat.
The more content you create, the more opportunity you have. Each page Google indexes represents one more page that could rank for your target keyword.
Keep writing. Keep trying new types of content. Test creative strategies to satisfying the search intent.
Good luck.