The Business Case for SEO Content Development: Turn Words Into ACTION! Heather Lloyd-Martin, SuccessWorks Ulli Muenker, BusinessWeek

- Pioneers in SEO content since 1999 - Train clients in SEO copywriting best practices Develop strategy, new content and edited content Founders of SEOCopywriting.com SuccessWorks overview

- Pioneers in SEO content since 1999

- Train clients in SEO copywriting best practices

Develop strategy, new content and edited content

Founders of SEOCopywriting.com

- SEO content through the sales cycle - Why build content – AmsterdamEscape case study - Why focus on content – BusinessWeek case study - In-house or outsource - Justifying the budget What we’ll discuss today

Why care about content?

SEO content across the sales cycle Purchase Research Awareness General overarching keyphrases Digital camera reviews, blog posts, brand/features comparison Make/model search

Plethora of “consideration” keyphrases

Everyone’s doing it! Articles on CircuitCity.com

Everyone’s doing it: Zappos.com blog

Case study – Amsterdam Escape

- #1 Specialty Lodging – Trip Advisor - “Bad” SEO created duplicate content, which… - Caused AmsterdamEscape to be banned from Google - Was paying $4,000 per much in PPC to fill the gap Past issues

Travel to Amsterdam Hotels in Amsterdam Amsterdam vacation rental dam square things to do in Amsterdam Amsterdamrestaurants what’s the currency in Amsterdam Amsterdam nightlife Amsterdam shopping Amsterdam apartments vacation rental rembrandtplein Travel packages Amsterdam Creating content across the sales cycle

Content page example

Ranking examples - “Amsterdam nightlife” - #7 in Google - “Amsterdam shopping” - #16 in Google - “Amsterdam red light district” - #13 in Google - “Amsterdam apartments” - #2 in Google - “Amsterdam Nieuwmarkt” - #11 in Google - “Vacation rentals Amsterdam” - #7 in Google Plus, scads of rankings for long-tail keyphrases!

Cost savings through content development $48,000

BusinessWeek.com - Overview Overview: Online since 1995 Majority of content is available for free Advertising based model: more page views => more revenue Site receives high traffic referral from search, above industry average

Overview:

Online since 1995

Majority of content is available for free

Advertising based model: more page views => more revenue

Site receives high traffic referral from search, above industry average

SEO Role for Publisher Site Since 2006, BusinessWeek focuses on more traffic from search Goal: Traffic increase from search engines: More page views = more advertising revenue Initiatives: Evangelize SEO concepts by: Optimizing templates & customized pages Publishing more free content pages – accessible to SE Conducting regular SEO training for Editorial team Results: More than doubled traffic from SE over the last two years

Since 2006, BusinessWeek focuses on more traffic from search

Goal:

Traffic increase from search engines: More page views = more advertising revenue

Initiatives:

Evangelize SEO concepts by:

Optimizing templates & customized pages

Publishing more free content pages – accessible to SE

Conducting regular SEO training for Editorial team

Results:

More than doubled traffic from SE over the last two years

Importance of SEO Copywriting for Publishers Template pages Articles Blog/Forum posts Job listings Profile pages How to optimize: Set up template to include keywords in metadata Summary Short-lived content Very newsy Opportunity due to high page volume Customized pages “ Best of …” / “Top …” pages Overview pages about specific topics Special collection pages How to optimize: Research strong keywords and spread these words on the page & in metadata Summary Evergreen content Regular feature Opportunity due to targeted SEO copywriting Majority of pages can be separated into template and customized pages Majority of pages can be separated into template and customized pages

Template pages

Articles

Blog/Forum posts

Job listings

Profile pages

How to optimize:

Set up template to include keywords in metadata

Summary

Short-lived content

Very newsy

Opportunity due to high page volume

Customized pages

“ Best of …” / “Top …” pages

Overview pages about specific topics

Special collection pages

How to optimize:

Research strong keywords and spread these words on the page & in metadata

Summary

Evergreen content

Regular feature

Opportunity due to targeted SEO copywriting

SEO Copywriting: In-house or Outsource Template pages In-house: Create SEO awareness on how to write keyword rich headlines Outsource: Get recommendations on template format Example: Article Page title => uses article headline Customized pages In-house: Generate basic keyword research with tools & internal search engine Outsource: Determine best keywords Example: “Game Room” overview page Page name => customized keywords

SEO Copywriting Outsourced: Results Examples – pages optimized in 11/07 “ Economy” Overview page “ Game Room” Overview page => 1,150% traffic increase from SE Customized keywords: Customized keywords: => 405% traffic increase from SE

Outsourcing SEO Copywriting: Pros & Cons Pros: Allows staff to focus on prioritizing overall SEO initiatives Level of expertise & specialization “ External consultant” status Fewer full time staff Cons: Time for consultant training on brand & website content Agencies often have high staff turnover Less control over project turn-around time

Pros:

Allows staff to focus on prioritizing overall SEO initiatives

Level of expertise & specialization

“ External consultant” status

Fewer full time staff

Cons:

Time for consultant training on brand & website content

Agencies often have high staff turnover

Less control over project turn-around time

In-house or outsourced? “ Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.”

SEO copywriting – the real scoop

What SEO copywriting is NOT

SEO copywriting basics Keyphrases in headlines and subheadlines Keyphrases in hyperlinks Keyphrases throughout the content Keyphrase-rich Title “ Longer” copy (250 words is a rule of thumb, but it depends on page content and the page templates.)

Keyphrases in headlines and subheadlines

Keyphrases in hyperlinks

Keyphrases throughout the content

Keyphrase-rich Title

“ Longer” copy (250 words is a rule of thumb, but it depends on page content and the page templates.)

Whether in-house or outsourced If your copywriter is writing sales-related copy, look for direct response copywriting experience… If your copywriter is writing informational copy, look for journalism experience Either way, the writing – and how it flows on the page – is crucial. Don’t pay low dollar for bad writing!

Content and conversion Q: What’s your first conversion opportunity?

In-house or outsourced? Partnership approach Outsourced

In-house or outsourced? Outsourced No writing staff No time No editorial calendar No clue Solution: outsource the work to build content Cons: Expensive Finding the “right” firm Training writers in your tone and feel

No writing staff

No time

No editorial calendar

No clue

Solution: outsource the work to build content

Cons: Expensive

Finding the “right” firm

Training writers in your tone and feel

How to decide? Partnership approach - Have existing writers on staff - The writing team has time for SEO content development Solution: SEO copywriting training OR Writers create content, and outsource keyphrase editing Cons: Explaining tone, feel and parameters to the training/content strategy

Justifying budget Review current positions and do keyphrase research. Where are the positioning “holes.” Review current conversion rates. Well-written content converts at a higher rate than so-so copy. Are the PPC keyphrases represented in the organic campaign? Can you baby step the budget/process? Can you show success with long tail keyphrase? Remember, organic doesn’t necessarily replace paid – they can both work together.

Review current positions and do keyphrase research. Where are the positioning “holes.”

Review current conversion rates. Well-written content converts at a higher rate than so-so copy.

Are the PPC keyphrases represented in the organic campaign?

Can you baby step the budget/process?

Can you show success with long tail keyphrase?

Remember, organic doesn’t necessarily replace paid – they can both work together.

Thank you! Heather Lloyd-Martin SearchEngineWriting.com [email_address] Blog: SEOCopywriting.com