Rebecca Brown, Head of Content at Builtvisible, challenges the prevailing approach to content strategy by refocusing marketers on what matters: return on investment. Content is not a channel, and we need to stop treating it as one. At its most valuable, content production should be tied to our channel based strategies, but somewhere along the way we’ve become a little confused about the role content has to play. This presentation will demystify how to attribute value to content, and how to allocate your budgets with ROI in mind.

1. Rebecca Brown
Builtvisible
Why you Should Scrap your ‘Content’ Budget Line
@rebeccagraceb
https://www.slideshare.net/builtvisible

2. © Copyright 2017 Builtvisible. All rights reserved. Private and Confidential
Rebecca Brown | Head of Content | rebeccab@builtvisible.com | @RebeccaGraceB
Are we paying too much or too little
for the content we’re producing and
is it converting in the way we need it to?

3. Too much
theory around
measurement
Not enough
tangible advice
on how exactly to
forecast content
spend

4. © Copyright 2017 Builtvisible. All rights reserved. Private and Confidential
Rebecca Brown | Head of Content | rebeccab@builtvisible.com | @RebeccaGraceB
Measuring Content: You’re Doing it Wrong

5. © Copyright 2017 Builtvisible. All rights reserved. Private and Confidential
During this talk we will…
Rebecca Brown | Head of Content | rebeccab@builtvisible.com | @RebeccaGraceB
Too much theoryDefine why you should scrap your content budget line
And…
Talk you through the process that we use
to decide when to invest in content

6. © Copyright 2017 Builtvisible. All rights reserved. Private and Confidential
Rebecca Brown | Head of Content | rebeccab@builtvisible.com | @RebeccaGraceB
So to start, why do I think you need
to scrap your budget line for content?

7. © Copyright 2017 Builtvisible. All rights reserved. Private and Confidential
This is what the best minds in our industry are suggesting in terms
of measuring content marketing:
• CTR
• Visibility
• Whitepaper downloads
• Links
• Shares
• Likes
• Dwell time
• Scroll depth
• Views
Rebecca Brown | Head of Content | rebeccab@builtvisible.com | @RebeccaGraceB
• Keyword ranking
• Open rate
• Mailing list subscribers
• Sign ups
• Follower share
• Branded mentions
• Social mentions
• KW ranking
• Traffic
• Revenue
• On-page engagement
• Referrals
• Reach
• LTV
• New users
• Share of voice
• AVE
• Sentiment

8. © Copyright 2017 Builtvisible. All rights reserved. Private and Confidential
Rebecca Brown | Head of Content | rebeccab@builtvisible.com | @RebeccaGraceB
And that’s just a handful of what’s being suggested…
It’s a lot to ask of a 400 word blog post, right?

9. © Copyright 2017 Builtvisible. All rights reserved. Private and Confidential
Rebecca Brown | Head of Content | rebeccab@builtvisible.com | @RebeccaGraceB
We are so desperate for our content to work,
we’re tailoring convoluted measurement plans
to individual pieces of content

10. © Copyright 2017 Builtvisible. All rights reserved. Private and Confidential
Rebecca Brown | Head of Content | rebeccab@builtvisible.com | @RebeccaGraceB
We’re picking and choosing how to measure

11. © Copyright 2017 Builtvisible. All rights reserved. Private and Confidential
We cannot create coherent and valuable
strategies, with that level of subjectivity when it
comes to measurement
Rebecca Brown | Head of Content | rebeccab@builtvisible.com | @RebeccaGraceB

12. © Copyright 2017 Builtvisible. All rights reserved. Private and Confidential
Rebecca Brown | Head of Content | rebeccab@builtvisible.com | @RebeccaGraceB
We have started allocating budget to content in its
own right, completely unrelated to the channels
it’s supposed to service

13. © Copyright 2017 Builtvisible. All rights reserved. Private and Confidential
Rebecca Brown | Head of Content | rebeccab@builtvisible.com | @RebeccaGraceB
Let’s take a look at why that might not work…

14. © Copyright 2017 Builtvisible. All rights reserved. Private and Confidential
Again…here’s what I found when searching for industry advice on
‘how to measure content marketing’
• CTR
• Visibility
• Whitepaper downloads
• Links
• Shares
• Likes
• Dwell time
• Scroll depth
• Views
Rebecca Brown | Head of Content | rebeccab@builtvisible.com | @RebeccaGraceB
• Keyword ranking
• Open rate
• Mailing list subscribers
• Sign ups
• Follower share
• Branded mentions
• Social mentions
• KW ranking
• Traffic
• Revenue
• On-page engagement
• Referrals
• Reach
• LTV
• New users
• Share of voice
• AVE
• Sentiment

15. © Copyright 2017 Builtvisible. All rights reserved. Private and Confidential
These are SEO KPIs…..not content KPIs
• CTR
• Visibility
• Whitepaper downloads
• Links
• Shares
• Likes
• Dwell time
• Scroll depth
• Views
Rebecca Brown | Head of Content | rebeccab@builtvisible.com | @RebeccaGraceB
• Keyword ranking
• Open rate
• Mailing list subscribers
• Sign ups
• Follower share
• Branded mentions
• Social mentions
• Unbranded visibility
• Traffic
• Revenue
• On-page engagement
• Referrals
• Reach
• LTV
• New users
• Share of voice
• AVE
• Sentiment

16. © Copyright 2017 Builtvisible. All rights reserved. Private and Confidential
These are PR KPIs:
• CTR
• Visibility
• Whitepaper downloads
• Links
• Shares
• Likes
• Dwell time
• Scroll depth
• Views
Rebecca Brown | Head of Content | rebeccab@builtvisible.com | @RebeccaGraceB
• Keyword ranking
• Open rate
• Mailing list subscribers
• Sign ups
• Follower share
• Branded mentions
• Social mentions
• KW ranking
• Traffic
• Revenue
• On-page engagement
• Referrals
• Reach
• LTV
• New users
• Share of voice
• AVE
• Sentiment

17. © Copyright 2017 Builtvisible. All rights reserved. Private and Confidential
These are social KPIs:
• CTR
• Visibility
• Whitepaper downloads
• Links
• Shares
• Likes
• Dwell time
• Scroll depth
• Views
Rebecca Brown | Head of Content | rebeccab@builtvisible.com | @RebeccaGraceB
• Keyword ranking
• Open rate
• Mailing list subscribers
• Sign ups
• Follower share
• Branded mentions
• Social mentions
• KW ranking
• Traffic
• Revenue
• On-page engagement
• Referrals
• Reach
• LTV
• New users
• Share of voice
• AVE
• Sentiment

18. © Copyright 2017 Builtvisible. All rights reserved. Private and Confidential
Rebecca Brown | Head of Content | rebeccab@builtvisible.com | @RebeccaGraceB
None of these KPIs are specific or original

19. © Copyright 2017 Builtvisible. All rights reserved. Private and Confidential
Rebecca Brown | Head of Content | rebeccab@builtvisible.com | @RebeccaGraceB
So what’s the solution?

20. © Copyright 2017 Builtvisible. All rights reserved. Private and Confidential
Rebecca Brown | Head of Content | rebeccab@builtvisible.com | @RebeccaGraceB
There is a place for content...

21. © Copyright 2017 Builtvisible. All rights reserved. Private and Confidential
Rebecca Brown | Head of Content | rebeccab@builtvisible.com | @RebeccaGraceB
It should be designed to service a channel, and budget should only
be allocated for content when your forecasting and strategy proves
there is a need within one of these channels

22. © Copyright 2017 Builtvisible. All rights reserved. Private and Confidential
Rebecca Brown | Head of Content | rebeccab@builtvisible.com | @RebeccaGraceB
This should tie that piece of content, directly to the performance
metrics of the channel that it sits in
So if your content doesn’t impact any of those metrics,
it doesn’t deserve to exist

23. © Copyright 2017 Builtvisible. All rights reserved. Private and Confidential
Rebecca Brown | Head of Content | rebeccab@builtvisible.com | @RebeccaGraceB
Content isn’t a strategy…

24. © Copyright 2017 Builtvisible. All rights reserved. Private and Confidential
Rebecca Brown | Head of Content | rebeccab@builtvisible.com | @RebeccaGraceB
It’s a tactic

25. © Copyright 2017 Builtvisible. All rights reserved. Private and Confidential
Rebecca Brown | Head of Content | rebeccab@builtvisible.com | @RebeccaGraceB
Create content for the right reasons,
within the right channels and only if there
is a proven need for it as a tactic

26. © Copyright 2017 Builtvisible. All rights reserved. Private and Confidential
How exactly do you decide which channels need
content, and how much they need?
Rebecca Brown | Head of Content | rebeccab@builtvisible.com | @RebeccaGraceB

27. © Copyright 2017 Builtvisible. All rights reserved. Private and Confidential
Rebecca Brown | Head of Content | rebeccab@builtvisible.com | @RebeccaGraceB
“How much do I need to forecast for
content within my SEO budget, to see
an increase in visibility & revenue?”

28. © Copyright 2017 Builtvisible. All rights reserved. Private and Confidential
A common approach…
Rebecca Brown | Head of Content | rebeccab@builtvisible.com | @RebeccaGraceB
Build KW list Expand Categorize Prioritize

29. © Copyright 2017 Builtvisible. All rights reserved. Private and Confidential
Rebecca Brown | Head of Content | rebeccab@builtvisible.com | @RebeccaGraceB
KW research is a brilliant tool, but this
alone cannot build search strategies

30. What you are getting:
Volume
What you need:
Opportunity

31. © Copyright 2017 Builtvisible. All rights reserved. Private and Confidential
Rebecca Brown | Head of Content | rebeccab@builtvisible.com | @RebeccaGraceB
These are not the same thing

32. © Copyright 2017 Builtvisible. All rights reserved. Private and Confidential
Rebecca Brown | Head of Content | rebeccab@builtvisible.com | @RebeccaGraceB
Volume tells you the potential for any brand

33. © Copyright 2017 Builtvisible. All rights reserved. Private and Confidential
Rebecca Brown | Head of Content | rebeccab@builtvisible.com | @RebeccaGraceB
Volume means
you’re just going
after numbers
Numbers mean
nothing unless they
are realistic
A realistic
opportunity is
nothing unless
it’s profitable

34. © Copyright 2017 Builtvisible. All rights reserved. Private and Confidential
Rebecca Brown | Head of Content | rebeccab@builtvisible.com | @RebeccaGraceB
Opportunity tells you where the specific, realistic
and profitable opportunities are for your brand only

35. © Copyright 2017 Builtvisible. All rights reserved. Private and Confidential
Rebecca Brown | Head of Content | rebeccab@builtvisible.com | @RebeccaGraceB
Most importantly, opportunity tells you about the
effort required and this is where budgets come in

36. © Copyright 2017 Builtvisible. All rights reserved. Private and Confidential
Rebecca Brown | Head of Content | rebeccab@builtvisible.com | @RebeccaGraceB
“How do I know where the opportunities are,
and how much should I spend on them?”

37. © Copyright 2017 Builtvisible. All rights reserved. Private and Confidential
Start with your foundational research
Foundation
• Search behaviour
• User intent
• Consumer journey
Rebecca Brown | Head of Content | rebeccab@builtvisible.com | @RebeccaGraceB

38. © Copyright 2017 Builtvisible. All rights reserved. Private and Confidential
Build your knowledge of the SERPs
Foundation SERP Analysis
• Search behaviour
• User intent
• Consumer journey
• What is ranking?
• Why are things ranking?
Rebecca Brown | Head of Content | rebeccab@builtvisible.com | @RebeccaGraceB

39. © Copyright 2017 Builtvisible. All rights reserved. Private and Confidential
What is ranking?
Rebecca Brown | Head of Content | rebeccab@builtvisible.com | @RebeccaGraceB
Brand
Publisher
Community
SocialInfluencer
Aggregate

40. © Copyright 2017 Builtvisible. All rights reserved. Private and Confidential
Rebecca Brown | Head of Content | rebeccab@builtvisible.com | @RebeccaGraceB
Let’s look at an example from
the financial services industry…

41. © Copyright 2017 Builtvisible. All rights reserved. Private and Confidential
Rebecca Brown | Head of Content | rebeccab@builtvisible.com | @RebeccaGraceB

42. © Copyright 2017 Builtvisible. All rights reserved. Private and Confidential
Rebecca Brown | Head of Content | rebeccab@builtvisible.com | @RebeccaGraceB
This is just one circumstance where KW research
alone would indicate that content marketing is right
for you and your brand

43. © Copyright 2017 Builtvisible. All rights reserved. Private and Confidential
Rebecca Brown | Head of Content | rebeccab@builtvisible.com | @RebeccaGraceB
But it isn’t

44. © Copyright 2017 Builtvisible. All rights reserved. Private and Confidential
Rebecca Brown | Head of Content | rebeccab@builtvisible.com | @RebeccaGraceB
Many awareness terms
deliver
brand-less SERPS

45. © Copyright 2017 Builtvisible. All rights reserved. Private and Confidential
Rebecca Brown | Head of Content | rebeccab@builtvisible.com | @RebeccaGraceB
This might look like an opportunity to rank,
but often it isn’t the most realistic opportunity

46. © Copyright 2017 Builtvisible. All rights reserved. Private and Confidential
Rebecca Brown | Head of Content | rebeccab@builtvisible.com | @RebeccaGraceB
If the intent of the searcher isn’t aligned with a brand,
or if they are looking for an impartial view you may
have a hard time ranking

47. © Copyright 2017 Builtvisible. All rights reserved. Private and Confidential
Rebecca Brown | Head of Content | rebeccab@builtvisible.com | @RebeccaGraceB
Collaborating with those already dominating
the SERPs may deliver you the highest ROI

48. © Copyright 2017 Builtvisible. All rights reserved. Private and Confidential
Rebecca Brown | Head of Content | rebeccab@builtvisible.com | @RebeccaGraceB
Old content on the 1st page!
Is there an opportunity for
you
to work with the publisher to
update this?

49. © Copyright 2017 Builtvisible. All rights reserved. Private and Confidential
Rebecca Brown | Head of Content | rebeccab@builtvisible.com | @RebeccaGraceB
Could you get a quick
awareness win by getting
a financial advisor to
contribute to this
content?

50. © Copyright 2017 Builtvisible. All rights reserved. Private and Confidential
Rebecca Brown | Head of Content | rebeccab@builtvisible.com | @RebeccaGraceB
Sometimes it just won’t be relevant for you to rank, whether you
have a blog or not!
Content marketing isn’t always the answer

51. © Copyright 2017 Builtvisible. All rights reserved. Private and Confidential
Rebecca Brown | Head of Content | rebeccab@builtvisible.com | @RebeccaGraceB
But that doesn’t mean that there aren’t specific,
realistic and profitable opportunities for your
brand within the SERPs

52. © Copyright 2017 Builtvisible. All rights reserved. Private and Confidential
Why are these ranking?
Rebecca Brown | Head of Content | rebeccab@builtvisible.com | @RebeccaGraceB
Brand
Strength
Links
On Page
Engagement
Impartial
View
Strong DA
Depth of
Content

53. © Copyright 2017 Builtvisible. All rights reserved. Private and Confidential
Rebecca Brown | Head of Content | rebeccab@builtvisible.com | @RebeccaGraceB
Let’s look at a hospitality industry example…

54. © Copyright 2017 Builtvisible. All rights reserved. Private and Confidential
Rebecca Brown | Head of Content | rebeccab@builtvisible.com | @RebeccaGraceB

55. © Copyright 2017 Builtvisible. All rights reserved. Private and Confidential
Rebecca Brown | Head of Content | rebeccab@builtvisible.com | @RebeccaGraceB

56. © Copyright 2017 Builtvisible. All rights reserved. Private and Confidential
Rebecca Brown | Head of Content | rebeccab@builtvisible.com | @RebeccaGraceB

57. © Copyright 2017 Builtvisible. All rights reserved. Private and Confidential
Rebecca Brown | Head of Content | rebeccab@builtvisible.com | @RebeccaGraceB
Maybe there just isn’t an opportunity for SEO?

58. © Copyright 2017 Builtvisible. All rights reserved. Private and Confidential
Rebecca Brown | Head of Content | rebeccab@builtvisible.com | @RebeccaGraceB
SEO doesn’t = Google

59. © Copyright 2017 Builtvisible. All rights reserved. Private and Confidential
Rebecca Brown | Head of Content | rebeccab@builtvisible.com | @RebeccaGraceB
Each of these aggregates
should
be seen as another
opportunity to rank,
another search
engine to explore
and optimise

60. © Copyright 2017 Builtvisible. All rights reserved. Private and Confidential
Rebecca Brown | Head of Content | rebeccab@builtvisible.com | @RebeccaGraceB
But it isn’t all bad for content production…

61. © Copyright 2017 Builtvisible. All rights reserved. Private and Confidential
Rebecca Brown | Head of Content | rebeccab@builtvisible.com | @RebeccaGraceB
SERP analysis isn’t about disproving the
need for content. Not only will you
find opportunities to use other tactics,
you will find opportunities for content creation

62. © Copyright 2017 Builtvisible. All rights reserved. Private and Confidential
Rebecca Brown | Head of Content | rebeccab@builtvisible.com | @RebeccaGraceB

63. © Copyright 2017 Builtvisible. All rights reserved. Private and Confidential
Rebecca Brown | Head of Content | rebeccab@builtvisible.com | @RebeccaGraceB
We’re hit by another competitive
view

64. © Copyright 2017 Builtvisible. All rights reserved. Private and Confidential
Perhaps the SERPs
for these terms are
slightly weaker?
Rebecca Brown | Head of Content | rebeccab@builtvisible.com | @RebeccaGraceB

66. © Copyright 2017 Builtvisible. All rights reserved. Private and Confidential
Rebecca Brown | Head of Content | rebeccab@builtvisible.com | @RebeccaGraceB
Much of the ranking content
isn’t on https…

67. © Copyright 2017 Builtvisible. All rights reserved. Private and Confidential
Rebecca Brown | Head of Content | rebeccab@builtvisible.com | @RebeccaGraceB
It’s also pretty text
light, and hasn’t driven
many links

68. © Copyright 2017 Builtvisible. All rights reserved. Private and Confidential
Rebecca Brown | Head of Content | rebeccab@builtvisible.com | @RebeccaGraceB
The titles often don’t address
the query precisely

69. © Copyright 2017 Builtvisible. All rights reserved. Private and Confidential
Rebecca Brown | Head of Content | rebeccab@builtvisible.com | @RebeccaGraceB
There are definitely weaknesses we can
realistically exploit, by creating better content

70. © Copyright 2017 Builtvisible. All rights reserved. Private and Confidential
Rebecca Brown | Head of Content | rebeccab@builtvisible.com | @RebeccaGraceB
So now you understand why,
when and how a user is searching

71. © Copyright 2017 Builtvisible. All rights reserved. Private and Confidential
Rebecca Brown | Head of Content | rebeccab@builtvisible.com | @RebeccaGraceB
You also understand what is
ranking, and why it is ranking

72. © Copyright 2017 Builtvisible. All rights reserved. Private and Confidential
Rebecca Brown | Head of Content | rebeccab@builtvisible.com | @RebeccaGraceB
But we’re not quite ready to plan our budget yet!

73. © Copyright 2017 Builtvisible. All rights reserved. Private and Confidential
Understand the effort required
Foundation SERP Analysis Effort & Tactics
Rebecca Brown | Head of Content | rebeccab@builtvisible.com | @RebeccaGraceB
• Search behaviour
• User intent
• What is ranking?
• Why are things
ranking?
• Potential gain
• Proposed tactics
• Time & effort required

74. © Copyright 2017 Builtvisible. All rights reserved. Private and Confidential
Rebecca Brown | Head of Content | rebeccab@builtvisible.com | @RebeccaGraceB
Until you and your agency can answer
each of these questions, you’re not ready
to allocate budget to search

75. © Copyright 2017 Builtvisible. All rights reserved. Private and Confidential
How much traffic would this content send me?
Rebecca Brown | Head of Content | rebeccab@builtvisible.com | @RebeccaGraceB

76. © Copyright 2017 Builtvisible. All rights reserved. Private and Confidential
How much traffic would this content send me?
How will traffic convert?
Rebecca Brown | Head of Content | rebeccab@builtvisible.com | @RebeccaGraceB

77. © Copyright 2017 Builtvisible. All rights reserved. Private and Confidential
How much traffic would this content send me?
How will traffic convert?
What is a feasible ranking for my site?
Rebecca Brown | Head of Content | rebeccab@builtvisible.com | @RebeccaGraceB

78. © Copyright 2017 Builtvisible. All rights reserved. Private and Confidential
How much traffic would this content send me?
How will traffic convert?
What is a feasible ranking for my site?
How many links will my content need?
Rebecca Brown | Head of Content | rebeccab@builtvisible.com | @RebeccaGraceB

79. © Copyright 2017 Builtvisible. All rights reserved. Private and Confidential
How much traffic would this content send me?
How will traffic convert?
What is a feasible ranking for my site?
How many links will my content need?
What are the onsite changes required for me to rank?
Rebecca Brown | Head of Content | rebeccab@builtvisible.com | @RebeccaGraceB

80. © Copyright 2017 Builtvisible. All rights reserved. Private and Confidential
Understand the effort required
Foundation SERP Analysis Effort & Tactics Budgeting
Rebecca Brown | Head of Content | rebeccab@builtvisible.com | @RebeccaGraceB
• Search behaviour
• User intent
• Potential gain
• Proposed tactics
• Time & effort
required
• What is ranking?
• Why are things
ranking?
• Prioritisation
• ROI
• Budget proposals

81. © Copyright 2017 Builtvisible. All rights reserved. Private and Confidential
Rebecca Brown | Head of Content | rebeccab@builtvisible.com | @RebeccaGraceB
To conclude…
Define the size of the opportunity, define the user intent, align this
with the most relevant tactic and
then allocate content spend within your channel

82. © Copyright 2017 Builtvisible. All rights reserved. Private and Confidential
Thank you!
Enjoy the rest of BrightonSEO.
Rebecca Brown | Head of Content | rebeccab@builtvisible.com | @RebeccaGraceB