An introduction to the art and science behind the process of moving beyond keyword research into keyword mapping, strategic topic planning, and general content strategy. These slides will serve as a visual guide into what's involved and how the process works.

1. INTRO TO CONTENT STRATEGY

2. INTRO TO CONTENT STRATEGY
Great content drives
sharing, which
drives higher
rankings, which
ultimately results in
more traffic to the
Mitchell website.

3. INTRO TO CONTENT STRATEGY
OPPORTUNITY
Keyword
Strategy
Content
Strategy
Site & Device
Strategy
Trafficking &
Integration
Strategy
Ongoing SEO Targeting Strategy
Ongoing Research &
Market Insights (SEO)
User Testing &
Intent Research
Understanding the Searcher (Problem, Solution, Intent)

4. INTRO TO CONTENT STRATEGY
Understanding the Searcher (Who, What, When, Where):
• The Searcher Journey – “The Who”
• Strategic Targeting – “The What”
• Demystify: Truly understand services and offerings (and the Mitchell difference)
• Inspire: Feel good about using the product/services
• Elevate: A more premium product/service, and the feeling of belonging to something special
• Seasonal factors – “The When”
• Geographic factors – “The Where”

5. 1. Select Focus Terms (Keyword Research)
2. Page Mapping (Existing vs. New/Location) -
Leveraging microsites, promotional pieces of
content, and key partnerships
3. Content Architecture & Type -
Infographics/Podcasts/Interactive
maps/Videos & Images/Blogging & Guest
blogging/Live streaming
4. Content Amount (Single vs. Multi-content)
5. Publishing “Windows”
6. Intent-based and real-time content strategy
The 6 Key Elements of SEO Content Strategy:
Select Focus
Terms
Page Mapping
Content
Architecture
Content Amount
Publishing
Windows
INTRO TO CONTENT STRATEGY

6. The main use of keyword research tools:
• To build lists of keywords/phrases (all)
• To check popularity (SEM Rush, Google
Keyword Tool)
• To check trends (Google Trends)
• To check geography popularity (Google
Keyword Tool)
• To check device popularity (Google
Keyword Tool)
INTRO TO CONTENT STRATEGY
1. Select Target Phrases via Keyword Research

7. 1. Seed Keywords
2. Expand Long-tail
3. Build Semantic Cloud
4. Add Data
5. Filter & Select
Step 1: Build a Seed List Step 2: Build a Master Long-tail list
INTRO TO CONTENT STRATEGY
1. Select Target Phrases via Keyword Research

8. INTRO TO CONTENT STRATEGY
2. Page Mapping (Existing vs. New)
New Content Optimization
Some SEO content strategies will
require a new page of content to be
created and added to the site.
Existing Content Optimization
Some SEO content strategies will compliment
existing content well, and only require some
modification to the existing page content.
Enhance Create

9. Including page elements such as internal links, related articles, and in-depth text and multimedia content can
all assist the page in ranking for its target keywords.
2. Page Mapping (Existing vs. New)
INTRO TO CONTENT STRATEGY
Related
Related
Related
Tool
Add Sitelinks
Add
Quick
Links
Add
Imagery
Add Paragraph

10. INTRO TO CONTENT STRATEGY
2. Page Mapping (Existing vs. New)
Blog
External (e.g. YouTube)
Links

11. What images or
other multimedia
to use
What pages
to link to?
What to write about (led by SEO
research) and how to make content
compelling?
How can content be
written to add semantic
value?
What social icons to
add and how to make
more shareable?
What keywords
to include in
content?
Is the headline punchy and
likely something that will be
shared or linked to?
INTRO TO CONTENT STRATEGY
3. Content Architecture & Type

12. Short form Long form QA/Glossary Infographic Image gallery Video Guide
Below are a few examples of the various types of content that could be created per key phrase
INTRO TO CONTENT STRATEGY
3. Content Architecture & Type

13. Single Piece
Some SEO content strategies will only
require one piece of content
Multi-Piece
While other content strategies may require a variety
of pages connected together via internal links
speed
price
tech
reviews
For
public
safety
version
trial
Add critical pages
targeting “stems” of
original root keyword
INTRO TO CONTENT STRATEGY
4. Content Amount (Single vs. Multi-content)

14. 5. Publishing Windows
INTRO TO CONTENT STRATEGY
Publishing window
Each keyword has a unique moment in which it’s
popularity takes a temporary dip, and the
competition gets very light. It’s precisely in these
moments that content should be created so it has
time to bake and grow in value over time, before the
next big rush of searches/popularity kicks in.

15. Query: “collision estimating manuals”
Stage 1– I have a general business need and need help clarifying and solving
Query: “collision estimating digital manuals”
Stage 2 – I now have a very specific business need I need to solve
Query: “collision estimating software”
Stage 3- I now have a possible solution (software) to this need
Query: “collision estimating SAAS”
Stage 4- I now know specifically how to call name the thing I need
Query: “Mitchell collision estimating software”
Stage 5- I’m ready to go with Mitchell, sign me up!
INTRO TO KEYWORD STRATEGY
Awareness
Interest
Desire
Action

16. INTRO TO KEYWORD STRATEGY
“collision estimating
manuals”
“collision estimating
digital manuals”
“collision estimating
software”
1
2
3
“collision estimating
SAAS”
4
“Mitchell collision
estimating software”
5
The Searcher’s Journey

17. INTRO TO KEYWORD STRATEGY
The Strategic Process for:
• Researching and selecting keywords
• Optimizing existing content with keywords
• Optimizing new content with keywords
Gather
keywords
Categorize
Keywords
Evaluate
Keywords
Filter
Keywords
Create Word Clouds for
other key business units
Send lists to editorial & CS
teams
Keyword Research & Selection Process
Select Target
Terms
A
n
a
l
y
z
e
d
R
a
w
Keywords worked
into new content
Keywords worked
into existing
content
Page
Mapping
Content design, development,
and copywriting
Content
Mapping
&
Optimization/Creation

18. THE (ONGOING) WHEEL OF CONTENT STRATEGY
1. Analyze
• Defining Audience Intent
• Site Opportunities
• Content Discovery
• Finding Gaps
2. Create
• Gathering assets
• Leveraging resources
3. Publish
• Timed vs. at-will
4. Promote
• Marketing & PR
• Backlinks
5. Monitor
1
2
3
4
5
2

19. What our
audience wants
What we
have
What others
have
Competitive
Advantage
Competitive
Threat
1. ANALYZE
2

20. 1. ANALYZE
1. Audience Intent
• Discovery of who our
audience is and what their
true needs are
2. Site Opportunities
• Content Audit – the discovery
of strengths and weaknesses
of the site’s content
• Keyword Research – the
discovery of topics and key
phrases used to find
products/services
2. Content Discovery
• Keyword Research – the
discovery of topics and key
phrases used to find
products/services
3. Finding Gaps
• Content Gap Analysis –
uncovering the gap between
what people want and what
we have
4 Areas of Content Analysis & Planning
2