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
!  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.

Content Strategy & SEO
Process
Jake Aull | Zen Fires Digital Marketing | SEO & Websites | Social Media & Branding

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

Example: Meta Description
Zen Fires Digital Marketing | jake@zenfires.com

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

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

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

!  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

!  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!

Hands-on Keyword & SEO Research for Content Strategy

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