hands-on keyword & seo research for content strategy

Search Engine Optimization for Your Website or Blog

Find the following presentation & others referenced here on www.slideshare.net/jakeaull

Jake Aull has written WordPress SEO Success for Pearson Prentice-Hall – their first book of its kind (http://bit.ly/1fxIQzu). He has also been GSU’s first Social Media Marketing and SEO course writer and instructor since 2010, directing students to create new social channels driving measurable traffic to major brands. He was a reviewer of, and wrote the instructor’s manual for, Pearson-Prentice Hall’s first social media marketing text book.

Hands-On Keyword Research, SEO Strategy & Content Plans !  TOC: 1.  Keywords & keyword phrases; The long & short tail of it all 2.  It's not just about your brand name, & it's not just "software." 3.  The best tools for keyword research 4.  Hands-on keyword research 5.  Fitting keywords to your marketing objectives & positioning 6.  SEO strategy: What can you do, what can't you? 7.  Using Google Search Console (webmaster tools) 8.  Creating a sitemap.xml file 9.  Canonicalization 10. What is SEO blogging & should I do it? 11.  Content is king: Your overall digital content for SEO 12. Specifying your digital content assets 13. Content plan tactics, themes & schedules 14. Writing your keyword-based content plan

Keywords & Phrases


Keywords & Recommendations

! 

Keywords & Recommendations

!  Even your search engine gives you keyword “recommendations.”

!  Shorter keyword phrases = “head” or short-tail keywords.

!  Everyone competes for head words (& the biggest websites with most traffic or longest history win).

!  So start niche; with “long-tail” keyword phrases.

Niche or “long tail” keywords


!  Keyword search results (&

search engine recommendations) are served based on:

!  Search history, cookies, sign-in info, location, context/semantics, etc.

!  And Bing has access to different personal history/data than Google.


!  The big question is: What

problem is your audience searching online that your product solves?

!  So build your content starting from the long-tail keywords that are easier to compete for, and that you know represent your audience and your business.

!  (because you should come up for your brand name automatically)

Hands-on Keyword Research & Tools


Easy research with KeywordSpy

! 

Easy research with KeywordSpy

!  1 of many “spy” tools !  Analyze domain names

(URLs) or keywords !  Free, quick & easy !  Analyze both organic

(SEO) & paid (PPC) !  Also: keyword

recommendations

!  BUT: different data than Google – not as good.

!  Other spy tools include: SpyFu, SEMrush, MOZ, Compete (can be seen on SEO Book Tools)

Google AdWords Keyword Planner

! 


! 

Note keywords listed in “Your product or service” and “Targeting” set to Atlanta, US.


! 

After clicking “Get Ideas,” then this data appears. I typically go straight to “Keyword Ideas” (right tab).


!  To see the keyword ideas’ results, I go to my browser menu and view no “Toolbars” (navigation, bookmark, SEO Book, etc.), as shown. Note the search volume results. Note I can click “Add All” (top right tab) to save to my “plan.” Beside that, I click “Download” to save my results as an Excel .csv file. I can also now re-sort data by clicking “Avg. Monthly searches,” or other options. I can also re-test specific keyword phrases that have appeared from the mix such as ‘garden inspiration.’


!  After previous research to start new keyword research, go to top menu and select “Tools” and “Keyword Planner.” Or select the button to the right for “Search for Keywords.”


!  Many of the settings there exist for Google to promote advertising; since we’re not advertising, we can ignore them to get raw keyword search results.


!  Next, we can temporarily ignore the “Ad Group Ideas” to click on “Keyword Ideas.”


!  Once we get the keyword data we want, we can export, open in Excel, re-sort data based on search volume or anything we wish. (Note that Google’s data itself gives us options to re-sort data based on criteria; it defaults to sorting by keyword relevance).

Fitting Keywords to your Marketing Positioning


Marketing Strategy Questions

! You know your target audience – or do you?

! Your existing primary customer base may not be your best target for new online searches.

! So who doesn’t know you but is searching online for the problem you solve?


!  Primary Online Target Audience (new searchers):

Target definition: Target characteristics:

Current Target Behavior: When & where for online search:

Secondary Online Target Audience:

Target definition: Target characteristics: When & where for online search:

Marketing Objectives: Drivers/Problem (the “why”): Primary Message (USP): Key Selling Points:


! Now… Get your mind OFF your company. ! Using what you’ve identified about your primary online target: ! What words would they search for?

!  (&/or ask your friends, customers, etc.) ! Now create a list and use that as a starting point to do your

keyword research based on.

SEO Strategy: What Can & Can’t You Do?


SEO Strategy: What Can & Can’t You Do? ! Watch your online reputation (reviews and responses). ! Watch your “page not found” errors. ! Ensure no duplicate content. ! Want new customers? Use keywords relevant to them. ! Want more retention? Keep using social media, and new

product offerings keywords, to come up for existing customers.

! Want to be known as the “experts?” Create expert-level content (videos, white papers) and make available to Google.

SEO Strategy: What Can & Can’t You Do? ! More tech/programming savvy? Rely on your developer for SEO

code implementations ! More content generators? (copywriters, social media posters,

videographers). Integrate keywords into content – and output online content all the time (just not duplicate).

! More PR? Integrate keywords into press releases along with backlinks to your website.

! More presentation/event based? Create videos of events, upload to YouTube and website & ensure events have backlinks to your website.

! More email marketing? Integrate keywords and post newsletters to your website to come up in Google and email newsletter backlinks to specific pages of your website.

! DO NOT resort to black-hat SEO tricks to hurt other websites and attempt to boost your own.

Google Tools


Google Analytics Dashboard Overview (after Google Analytics code snippet is installed within your home page code & verified)

!  When you build your website, or add pages, or whenever you desire a Google “boost,” generate a sitemap.xml file. Then upload it on your server. And notify/submit to Google in Search Console. Xml-sitemaps.com is one option as a free sitemap file generator (it reads your live website).

Overview of Google Search Console (after code snippet is installed within your home page code & verified)

! 

Google Search Console is an additional tool to tell you more important data, from an SEO perspective, about your site. Such as crawl errors, sitemap.xml file recognition, keywords people click on to access your website, etc. If you are actively doing SEO for your website, you want to use Search Console. (Note that Bing’s comparable tool is Bing Webmaster).

Sitemap.xml Files


Generating Sitemap Files

!  When you build your website, or add pages, or whenever you desire a Google “boost,” generate a sitemap.xml file. Then upload it on your server. And notify/submit to Google in Search Console. Xml-sitemaps.com is one option as a free sitemap file generator (it reads your live website).

More vital SEO points – These are NOT all the same: ! 

It’s called “canonicalization” – you want it set correctly for your website and entered into Google Search Console.

The importance of good Keyword drivers

•  Good copywriting is vital – and can be used in conjunction with good keywords!

•  Copywriting can be built on primary keywords for a page/post.

•  Find the junction of readability, SEO, copy hooks and website usability

•  Link bait: •  Good writing intrigues readers

to read on and share your link •  CTAs:

•  You need good calls-to-action – ensure your reader takes the next step and links to where you drive them!

! Web page titles and relevant copy (semantic content) !  You can search for your blog phrase in search engine…

! Web writing with keywords ! Writing for audience or writing for search engines? !  Tone and positiveness ! No stealth blogging !  Target 500 words/page or post (minimum 350)

! Clickstream and customer journey ! Why Blog?

!  “Blogging” for both search engines and purchase decisions !  Social media content and relevance

Writing & Keywords

SEO Web Page Plan

Example: Meta Description

Zen Fires Digital Marketing | [email protected]

Where to Get Content? Identifying Your Digital

Content Assets


Brandname (or Keyword) Search via SocialMention.com

What are your digital properties? ! 

Where to Get Inspiration? Content Curation


SEO Strategies for Content Generation

! What is Content Curation & How does it help?

! Rationale and Strategies for Content Curation !  Blogging and inspiration !  Press Releases !  Social sharing

! Traditional channels:

!  RSS

!  Digg !  Paper.li !  RebelMouse !  Reblog

SEO Strategies for Content Generation

Blog Search via Digg.com

More Blog Search Resources ! Google blog search

http://www.google.com/blogsearch ! Sphinn ! Technorati

! Also search trade pubs and forum activity

Social Bookmarking Site Delicious.com

Content Subscription Channel Reddit

Additional Bookmarking Resources

! Xmarks ! Google Bookmarks ! Bit.ly

Content Aggregator Paper.li

Paper.li

RSS Reader NetVibes.com

SEO Blog/Content Plan


Sample SEO Blog/Content Plan

CALENDAR ‐ TACTICS (LIST SPECIFIC CHANNELS/SITES; BELOW ARE EXAMPLES ONLY):

Hours Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Blogging Social Sharing PR/Press Releases Bookmarking/Backlinks Content Curation/Research Online Video Photo sharing/Google Images Mobile/Local/Directories (Yelp/YP/Maps) Advertising Website revisions e-newsletter Search Engine Tools monitoring/tweaking

Sample SEO Blog/Content Plan !  TACTICAL APPROACH !  Below are various content concept themes for writing an SEO blog, social channels and article

publishing. !  OBJECTIVES: Build consumer readership and following and engagement/commenting (and

eventual purchasing). Build content participation and re-posting by B2B content partners, such as vendors, interior decorators, architects, etc.

!  EXECUTION: The goal would be to have a new content theme started twice a month or so. Each content theme centers around primary and secondary keyword phrases. For each content theme, here are the ideal specific tactical channels for publishing over the duration: !  3 different blog posts !  Each re-spun and posted on separate Tumblr blog and primary blog !  Each re-spun on content sites such as trade publications and reddit. !  Each blog post/article should provide a link to an applicable page on the website (e.g., with that software

product or brand or even just About Us) !  Publish 2 (from all above) in the same week !  Imagery/photos/video (if available) included for above from architecture websites and Creative Commons/

GoogleImages/Flickr (or any sites that allow copyright-free usage of their images and/or video). !  Photos/video of actual software products screenshots included !  1 post, for each above blog post and article, in each social media channel; maximum of 3 posts (on this

theme) on each social channel within week days of the same week, and 2 on weekends. !  Paper.li collections built for each theme based on external content (e.g. from vendors and/or architecture

sites, etc.) !  Collaborate on others’ relevant social media communities, blogs, forums (e.g., vendors’ or tourist towns’

social sites; comment on their sites, promote them via your own blog/posts, pull visitor traffic back to blog) !  And/or comment on consumer/tourist social site posts of these topics (e.g., their posts in Pinterest) !  FUTURE CONSIDERATIONS:

!  Partner (vendor) link sharing/link building !  PPC advertising (tie into below campaigns/imagery/CTAs) !  Architecture news/directories article/ad placement

Sample SEO Blog/Content Plan !  MONTH 1/THEME 1: WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE HOUSE FOR ARCHITECTURE? !  CONTENT CONCEPT:

Write about touring/driving areas with homes, architecture styles, sites and towns along the way, etc. Also, request followers’ stories or suggestions on their favorite architecture or cities to visit. And/or find other online forums/blogs on this topic, pull ideas, blog and collaborate on these social communities. !  Actual events can include: Architecture Day, The Home Festival, Northern Design Festival, etc. !  Common CTA for external commenting, articles and posts: “What was your favorite touring vacation? Please

comment, and submit stories and photos on our blog” !  TARGET AUDIENCE: Architects, interior designers, architecture design lovers and publications who will interact

with or re-post this content. !  KEYWORDS TO FOCUS ON (PATIOS/OUTDOOR LIVING): !  PRIMARY: Hobby wood design

SECONDARY: architectural furniture !  PRIMARY: Self designed table

SECONDARY: Self designed garden furniture SECONDARY: Self designed patio furnishings

!  PRIMARY: Hobby design furniture SECONDARY: Hobby design garden furniture

!  !  MONTH 2/THEME 2: VENDOR SPOTLIGHTS !  CONTENT CONCEPT:

This week is a spotlight on the extraordinary craftsmanship and quality of designing with software !  Collaborate on vendor’s social media sites (comment on their sites, promote them via your own blog/posts, pull visitor

traffic back to blog) !  And/or collaborate on consumer social site posts of their furniture designs from software (e.g., their posts in Pinterest) !  Common CTA for external commenting, articles and posts: “Do you like Furniture Design Software? To see more of

their work please visit our blog post ” !  TARGET AUDIENCE: Fans of design software brands, and the vendors themselves (for re-posting your

content) !  KEYWORDS TO FOCUS ON:

!  Vendor brand names and products

Review


Hands-On Keyword Research, SEO Strategy & Content Plans !  Review: 1.  Keywords & keyword phrases; The long & short tail of it all 2.  It's not just about your brand name, & it's not just "software." 3.  The best tools for keyword research 4.  Hands-on keyword research 5.  Fitting keywords to your marketing objectives & positioning 6.  SEO strategy: What can you do, what can't you? 7.  Using Google Search Console (webmaster tools) 8.  Creating a sitemap.xml file 9.  Canonicalization 10. What is SEO blogging & should I do it? 11.  Content is king: Your overall digital content for SEO 12. Specifying your digital content assets 13. Content plan tactics, themes & schedules 14. Writing your keyword-based content plan

Thank You!
