Download - Better measurement of content marketing
1@DavidIwanow
How to better measure content marketing
2@DavidIwanow
Who am I?I’ve been doing SEO for over 10 years and I’m currently the Director of Strategy at BlueGlass, a London-based digital
marketing agency with a focus on SEO and Content Marketing.
We also have BlueGlass offices in Zurich and Tallinn.
3@DavidIwanow
The Drum 2016 Content Marketing
Agency of the Year
5 x Search Awards winner
4@DavidIwanow
1. Measuring links acquired (Majestic)
2. Measuring shares (BuzzSumo)
3. Measuring estimated reach (CoverageBook)
4. Measuring referral traffic (Google Analytics)
5. Measuring organic traffic (Google Analytics)
6. Measuring uplift in impressions or average rank (GSC)
7. Measuring number of search terms driving traffic to page (GSC)
8. Keyword ranking uplift (SEOmonitor)
9. Automated measuring (SEOmonitor)
How can you measure content marketing?There is always a way to measure impacts if you plan ahead...
5@DavidIwanow
Bad ways to measureWhat are some horrible ways you can measure content marketing?
6@DavidIwanow
▪ Based on number of links opens it up to manipulation
▪ Targets may limit the opportunity to build more links
▪ Measuring links without considering TF/CF ends in tears
▪ Articles created without a reason should cause concern
▪ Set expectations of what you want at the end
Focus on the right aspects
7@DavidIwanow
Measurement is keyWhy do I need to better measure what we’ve done?
8@DavidIwanow
▪ Should be possible to calculate a ROI on all content
▪ Marketers will be held more accountable on spend
▪ You have to fight against PPC for budget
▪ You want to learn what impacts the business metrics
▪ How else can you learn from your mistakes?
Why is it important to measure?
9@DavidIwanow
Measuring linksDid you generate more links? Were they quality links?
10@DavidIwanow
Try to improve TF over CF
11@DavidIwanow
Measuring changesDid you acquire links or social shares?
12@DavidIwanow
Any content being shared?
13@DavidIwanow
Links acquired by content
14@DavidIwanow
Estimated reachHow many eyeballs might have seen your off-site content?
15@DavidIwanow
Top level content insights
16@DavidIwanow
Referral trafficDid you drive clicks from your off-site content back to your site?
17@DavidIwanow
Don’t try and track via UTM tags
18@DavidIwanow
Filter out the bots in Analytics
19@DavidIwanow
Can track via Google Analytics
20@DavidIwanow
Organic trafficDid your onsite or target content acquire more organic traffic?
21@DavidIwanow
Onpage content can lift traffic
22@DavidIwanow
Any SERP changes?Did Google Search Console show you a positive uplift?
23@DavidIwanow
Clicks and impressions uplift?
24@DavidIwanow
Did average rank change?
25@DavidIwanow
Number of keywordsDid the number of non-brand search terms driving traffic increase?
26@DavidIwanow
How many terms driving clicks?
27@DavidIwanow
Improved rankingsDid the rank of the target terms increase?
29@DavidIwanow
Automated insightsDid the content performance report highlight any impacts?
31@DavidIwanow
ForecastingWhat might be the impact of content marketing?
32@DavidIwanow
▪ How established are the competitors?
▪ What is the SEO difficulty score on target terms?
▪ Average links per piece of existing content?
▪ Average number of links competitors are building?
▪ Referral traffic to content pieces?
▪ Organic traffic to current pieces?
Forecast potential impacts
33@DavidIwanow
How much content?Work backwards from your goals to estimate resources needed
34@DavidIwanow
■ How much additional organic traffic is needed?
■ How many terms are being targeted?
■ How much referral traffic is needed?
■ How many quality links are you behind?
■ How much content do you currently have?
■ How does the content fit in with the purchase cycle
Honestly how much do you need?
35@DavidIwanow
Tracking successContent marketing should have a goal or KPI that is influential
36@DavidIwanow
▪ SEOmonitor can help (try it here)
▪ Dashboards in Majestic can help track competitors
▪ CoverageBook can track reach of content
▪ YoY comparison to avoid factoring in seasonal trends
▪ Compare target pages against a control group
How to report you results
37@DavidIwanow
Thank You!