One of our favorite content development approaches to drive results is to use Ahrefs’ Content Gap tool. Within this data, you also can learn: Where your competitors rank for a given query How many people search for that query each month How difficult it would be for you to rank for that query With this information, we prioritize each content gap opportunity based on its keyword score (calculated through the keyword analysis tool). Write to stand above the noise Most writers jump into the writing process and look back once they complete their article. To accomplish this, we: Use our experience Research the topic through outside sources Read articles on variants of our content theme ranking well on Google Look at the comments section of the SERP-found articles to identify questions or content requests that haven’t been met For example, we found the following comment in Brian Dean’s Ecommerce SEO: The Definitive Guide: (To Brian’s credit, he chimed in with a short response to each of these three statements.) We look at the content outline and ask, “If I typed this phrase into Google and found this article, would I be satisfied?” Unless the answer is clearly “yes,” we go back to the outline and identify what else we need to add. Optimize for UX and SEO With your draft complete, the next step is to edit your article. Our team breaks editing into two core components: (1) readability and (2) semantic search optimization. And both paragraphs have the same text – readability, in this case, was only based on a visual perception. Here are a few of our favorite tricks: Ensure that paragraphs aren’t more than two to three sentences. (It also can calculate a readability score so you can understand the grade level required for a reader to clearly understand your content.)
In marketing, developing ideas and creating content can’t be accomplished successfully without deliberately incorporating both user and SEO experience.
From finding the topics where you can craft in-demand content to optimizing your finished article, you need a detailed process. Here’s how our agency does it.
Use data to find your topic angles
Why rely solely on your gut and your team’s familiarity with your industry for content topics when you can use data to make informed choices?
One of our favorite content development approaches to drive results is to use Ahrefs’ Content Gap tool. Plug in your website and your two biggest competitors’ sites and the Content Gap tool will reveal a list of search queries where your competitors rank well and your site doesn’t rank.
Within this data, you also can learn:
- Where your competitors rank for a given query
- How many people search for that query each month
- How difficult it would be for you to rank for that query
With this information, we prioritize each content gap opportunity based on its keyword score (calculated through the keyword analysis tool). The score is based on monthly search volume and competition for the query.
We brainstorm for articles based on queries with the highest keyword score.
Write to stand above the noise
Most writers jump into the writing process and look back once they complete their article.
We start by asking ourselves: “Who is our target reader?” In other words, what type of person are we writing this article for? For example, what constitutes a “great” article for a chief marketing officer likely is not the same for a marketing coordinator. While each may search using the same keywords, their different roles indicate they likely are not seeking the same angle for that content.
We then outline the most essential items to cover in the article based on the target audience. To accomplish this, we:
- Use our experience
- Research the topic through outside sources
- Read articles on variants of our content theme ranking well on Google
- Look at the comments section of the SERP-found articles to identify questions or content requests that haven’t been met
For example, we found the following comment in Brian Dean’s Ecommerce SEO: The Definitive Guide:
(To Brian’s credit, he chimed in with a short response to each of these three statements.) We could add each…
COMMENTS