Serving Content SEO & Content Strategy Lynn Leitte, Michael Barnwell, Adam Whippy

Content Strategy & Search Engine Optimization — Overview

Why SEO & Content Strategy? Hand-in-glove SEO & Content Strategy drives your… conversion rate brand trust customer satisfaction Content is your most powerful asset in the quest to reach and engage your consumers. An integrated search engine optimization and content strategy can show you how to effectively use that asset.

Hand-in-glove SEO & Content Strategy drives your…

conversion rate

brand trust

customer satisfaction

Content is your most powerful asset in the quest to reach and engage your consumers.

An integrated search engine optimization and content strategy can show you how to effectively use that asset.

Advantages Knowing how users search . Integrating Content Strategy and SEO will ensure that site designers and content developers have up-to-date knowledge about who is searching, how they are searching, and how they are “talking.” Reaching the right people . Search engine optimization will help you drive qualified visitors, talking with them in a manner that resonates, and giving them the content that fulfills their objective and keeps them coming back (or converting). Optimizing with an agile strategy . Your SEO efforts will grasp the true value of the content you’re providing. With your SEO and content aligned, you’ll be able to make adjustments and enhancements to ensure your content remains on target.

Knowing how users search . Integrating Content Strategy and SEO will ensure that site designers and content developers have up-to-date knowledge about who is searching, how they are searching, and how they are “talking.”

Reaching the right people . Search engine optimization will help you drive qualified visitors, talking with them in a manner that resonates, and giving them the content that fulfills their objective and keeps them coming back (or converting).

Optimizing with an agile strategy . Your SEO efforts will grasp the true value of the content you’re providing. With your SEO and content aligned, you’ll be able to make adjustments and enhancements to ensure your content remains on target.

Collaboration Process

Content Strategy & SEO The process for integrating Content Strategy and SEO Planning Designing Building Implementing

The process for integrating Content Strategy and SEO

Planning

Designing

Building

Implementing

PLAN (Discover) What do we want to learn about the site? Who searches and/or consumes the site’s content Who is really coming to the site What are the consuming How important will search be to driving goals How are they searching (organic & internal) Channels/Keywords Other online behaviors Where are they entering the site (from organic search) How well does the site deliver on the organic search results e.g., dropped on the Home page, a Landing page, a Detail page. How well supported internal search & seek behavior is Analysis of the navigational that supports browsing & seeking Messaging elements

What do we want to learn about the site?

Who searches and/or consumes the site’s content

Who is really coming to the site

What are the consuming

How important will search be to driving goals

How are they searching (organic & internal)

Channels/Keywords

Other online behaviors

Where are they entering the site (from organic search)

How well does the site deliver on the organic search results e.g., dropped on the Home page, a Landing page, a Detail page.

How well supported internal search & seek behavior is

Analysis of the navigational that supports browsing & seeking

Messaging elements

PLAN (Discover) Questions to the business? Who do you want to reach? Segments/verticals Existing customers and brand loyal Brand unaware Brand averse What content are you choosing to serve? Marketing copy Product specific Assistive and/or instructive content Support content Downloads, multi-media other interactive

Questions to the business?

Who do you want to reach?

Segments/verticals

Existing customers and brand loyal

Brand unaware

Brand averse

What content are you choosing to serve?

Marketing copy

Product specific

Assistive and/or instructive content

Support content

Downloads, multi-media other interactive

Task Integration Points — Discovery Phase

Design What we ask during design? What content is needed to recruit & satisfy your target audience? Position what you have (drivers into the site & within the site) Provide what they are looking for Describe what they are looking for Which words to use? Brand, tone, accuracy Balance words used by searchers with marketing language Where are the best places to apply user keywords? Page title Search appliance (synonyms, terms, misspellings) Navigation & labeling In-text copy

What we ask during design?

What content is needed to recruit & satisfy your target audience?

Position what you have (drivers into the site & within the site)

Provide what they are looking for

Describe what they are looking for

Which words to use?

Brand, tone, accuracy

Balance words used by searchers with marketing language

Where are the best places to apply user keywords?

Page title

Search appliance (synonyms, terms, misspellings)

Navigation & labeling

In-text copy

Task Integration Points — Design Phase

Build (Develop) What’s needed to execute the vision? Ensure that the content is optimized for search Headers/headlines Labels, links, body copy Page titles, alt tags, multi-media Identify technical considerations Content indexation issues Flash/JavaScript/Image use Duplicate content Integrate SEO review into content development process During or after copy deck generation Preview, pre-sign off by client

What’s needed to execute the vision?

Ensure that the content is optimized for search

Headers/headlines

Labels, links, body copy

Page titles, alt tags, multi-media

Identify technical considerations

Content indexation issues

Flash/JavaScript/Image use

Duplicate content

Integrate SEO review into content development process

During or after copy deck generation

Preview, pre-sign off by client

Task Integration Points — Build Phase

Maintenance & Optimization (Deploy) What to ask after launch & during maintenance? Is the published content being indexed? Are the crawlers finding it? If not, where to tweak – links, content, technical implementation Are legacy pages being properly redirected? Does the visibility & traffic meet expectations? How is content performing? How well does it fulfill user & business goals? Does it keep the consumer engaged?

What to ask after launch & during maintenance?

Is the published content being indexed?

Are the crawlers finding it?

If not, where to tweak – links, content, technical implementation

Are legacy pages being properly redirected?

Does the visibility & traffic meet expectations?

How is content performing?

How well does it fulfill user & business goals?

Does it keep the consumer engaged?

Task Integration Points — Maintenance & Optimization Phase

Task Descriptions

Task Descriptions — Discovery Keyword Research Identify relevant keywords expressed by searchers, prioritized and semantically categorized Competitive Analysis Establish organic search competitors, insight into strengths and weaknesses of their content strategies Messaging Strategy Determine how to express the personality of the brand, what specific messages to deliver, and to whom those messages will be addressed. Content, Features, & Functionality Determine what content, formats, and delivery modes will best serve business objectives and user goals.

Keyword Research Identify relevant keywords expressed by searchers, prioritized and semantically categorized

Competitive Analysis Establish organic search competitors, insight into strengths and weaknesses of their content strategies

Messaging Strategy Determine how to express the personality of the brand, what specific messages to deliver, and to whom those messages will be addressed.

Content, Features, & Functionality Determine what content, formats, and delivery modes will best serve business objectives and user goals.

Task Descriptions — Discovery Research (primary & secondary) Gather information to inform the experience vision and execution, based on stakeholder interviews, user research, and industry research Experience Brief Unify all research and vision work to establish a governing direction and executable plan to deliver on the strategic objectives of the project.

Research (primary & secondary) Gather information to inform the experience vision and execution, based on stakeholder interviews, user research, and industry research

Experience Brief Unify all research and vision work to establish a governing direction and executable plan to deliver on the strategic objectives of the project.

Task Descriptions — Design Creative & Wireframe Review Identify high level design issues that may affect or enhance organic performance of available content Content Creation Guidelines Conventions on how best to leverage content units structurally and methods for automation Nomenclature & Labeling Create and document the terms used in navigation, tools, and features Metadata Create and document the data descriptors for individual content types, for use by both internal and external systems (internal, organic, functionality)

Creative & Wireframe Review Identify high level design issues that may affect or enhance organic performance of available content

Content Creation Guidelines Conventions on how best to leverage content units structurally and methods for automation

Nomenclature & Labeling Create and document the terms used in navigation, tools, and features

Metadata Create and document the data descriptors for individual content types, for use by both internal and external systems (internal, organic, functionality)

Task Descriptions — Design Content presented in pages Determining what content will populate pages or areas and where it should be displayed Design Page details delivered through wireframes

Content presented in pages Determining what content will populate pages or areas and where it should be displayed

Design Page details delivered through wireframes

Task Descriptions — Build Technical Guidelines Recommendations on technical aspects to ensure content may be optimally indexed SEO Content Optimization & Review Process Providing optimized HTML metadata and Content changes that incorporates a balance of brand, messaging and keyword relevance Content Creation Producing and/or accounting for content for site features, tools, etc.

Technical Guidelines Recommendations on technical aspects to ensure content may be optimally indexed

SEO Content Optimization & Review Process Providing optimized HTML metadata and Content changes that incorporates a balance of brand, messaging and keyword relevance

Content Creation Producing and/or accounting for content for site features, tools, etc.

Task Descriptions — Build Context Matrix or Copy Deck Documenting the content that will populate the site pages in the case of a matrix, and for a copy deck writing the actual content Metadata Schema A mapping of the structural elements of each type of content

Context Matrix or Copy Deck Documenting the content that will populate the site pages in the case of a matrix, and for a copy deck writing the actual content

Metadata Schema A mapping of the structural elements of each type of content

Task Descriptions — Implement Migration Strategy Strategy for an effective migration of content to its implemented location On-going Content Optimization & Reporting A review and analysis of the effectiveness of site content and recommendations for enhancements/optimization Support documentation A hand-off guide to client for maintaining content, includes publishing and archiving schedule

Migration Strategy Strategy for an effective migration of content to its implemented location

On-going Content Optimization & Reporting A review and analysis of the effectiveness of site content and recommendations for enhancements/optimization

Support documentation A hand-off guide to client for maintaining content, includes publishing and archiving schedule

Client Engagement Types for Content Strategy & SEO

Engagement Types for CS & SEO Marketing & Advertising Brand-immersive campaigns, Flash-based microsites (Mercedes AMG, Nutritioniste) CS effort: light SEO effort: medium Direct/ Transactional Heavy content/ functional sites that support the entire customer lifecycle, might include ecommerce; RIA's (Maybelline, EMC, Merrill Lynch) CS effort: heavy SEO effort: heavy Enterprise Solutions Sites requiring a log in, including employee intranets and partner extranets (Ford Dealer Portal, Smith Barney FA Portal, EMC KnowledgeBase) CS effort: heavy SEO effort: medium

Marketing & Advertising Brand-immersive campaigns, Flash-based microsites (Mercedes AMG, Nutritioniste) CS effort: light SEO effort: medium

Direct/ Transactional Heavy content/ functional sites that support the entire customer lifecycle, might include ecommerce; RIA's (Maybelline, EMC, Merrill Lynch) CS effort: heavy SEO effort: heavy

Enterprise Solutions Sites requiring a log in, including employee intranets and partner extranets (Ford Dealer Portal, Smith Barney FA Portal, EMC KnowledgeBase) CS effort: heavy SEO effort: medium

Engagement Types for CS & SEO Content Development & Management Sites aggregating large amounts of content, generally consumer-focused (NY Times, ESPN, CNN, Conde Nast, Hulu) CS effort: heavy SEO effort: heavy User Assistance and Customer Support Projects with a large component of Help content as well as pre- and post- purchase customer support (Ford Sync, Panasonic Support Pursuit, TIAA-CREF) CS effort: heavy SEO effort: medium Social Networking, Communities and User Generated Projects with a large component of social networking and/or communities and other forms of user generated content (Terra, Sheraton, Pangea Day) CS effort: medium SEO effort: medium

Content Development & Management Sites aggregating large amounts of content, generally consumer-focused (NY Times, ESPN, CNN, Conde Nast, Hulu) CS effort: heavy SEO effort: heavy

User Assistance and Customer Support Projects with a large component of Help content as well as pre- and post- purchase customer support (Ford Sync, Panasonic Support Pursuit, TIAA-CREF) CS effort: heavy SEO effort: medium

Social Networking, Communities and User Generated Projects with a large component of social networking and/or communities and other forms of user generated content (Terra, Sheraton, Pangea Day) CS effort: medium SEO effort: medium

Thank You