How to Create an SEO Content Strategy That Actually Works

In 2022, your SEO strategy should no longer focus on keywords. The SEO landscape has changed drastically in the past few years, and it will only continue to change. As Google gets better at understanding searcher intent, keywords are becoming less important, and you’ll need to create helpful, engaging content that meets your audience's needs.

Why Creating an SEO Content Strategy Is Important

The main reason that a content strategy is so important for SEO is that it can help you drive more targeted traffic to your website. When you create content that is relevant to the keywords your target audience is searching for, you are more likely to rank in Google's search results. When you rank in Google's search results, you'll get more traffic.

However, a content strategy can help you build relationships with your target audience. When you create content that is helpful and engaging, SEO can help you build your brand. They'll be more likely to share your content with their friends and followers, and they'll be more likely to link to it when they write about topics related to your industry. If you invest in great content, the traffic that you get from organic search and shares across the web will be more likely to convert into leads and customers.

Creating a Content Strategy That Works

To create an effective content strategy, you'll need more than just a list of topics that you want to write about. You'll need to understand your target audience, what they're searching for, and what type of content will help them achieve their goals. You'll also need to create a process for creating and promoting your content, so that it gets seen by as many people as possible. Here are the five steps you need to take to build an effective SEO content strategy:

1. Determine what your audience is looking for.

The most important thing you'll need to do when creating your content strategy is to understand what your target audience is looking for. Their search intent will guide you to the topics and keywords that you should be targeting.

To understand your audience's search intent, start by brainstorming a list of topics that are central to your business. This list should include things like your products, services, industry news, and miscellaneous topics that are related to your business. For example, a CRM software provider would create content around the following topics:

• Best CRM Software for (Industry)
• Best (Competitor) Alternatives for (Product)
• How to Use (Product) for (Purpose)
• X Tips for Getting the Most Out of (Product)
• How to Implement a CRM Strategy in Your Business
• What is CRM?
• The Benefits of CRM Software

To find out what your audience is looking for, there are a few things you could do:

• Use Google's Keyword Planner: Google Keyword Planner is a great tool for finding out what people are searching for on Google. Simply enter in some seed keywords related to your business, and Google will return a list of related keywords and phrases, along with their average monthly search volume.
• Check out your competitor's content: Take a look at the blog posts and articles that your competitors are creating. Are they covering similar topics to what you want to write about? Are they targeting any keywords that you're not targeting?
• Use a keyword research tool: Keyword research tools like Ahrefs, Moz, and Semrush can help you find keywords that you're not targeting but should be. Simply enter your website's URL, and these tools will return a list of related keywords and phrases, along with their average monthly search volume.
• Talk to your sales and marketing teams: Your sales and marketing teams are on the front lines, talking to your target audience daily. They're a great resource for understanding what people are looking for, and they can give you insights into the problems that your target audience is trying to solve.

Once you have an idea of the topics and keywords that you want to target, you can start creating a process for creating and promoting your content.

2. Form a distribution strategy.

Posting your content on the web isn't enough. If you want to get traffic to your content, you need to have a distribution strategy. Your distribution strategy should include things like:

• The channels you'll use to promote your content (e.g., social media, email marketing, paid advertising, link building)
• Who will be responsible for promoting your content
• How often you'll promote each piece of content
• What kind of budget you'll allocate to promoting your content

Your distribution strategy will be different for every piece of content you create. For example, a blog post might be promoted on social media and in your email newsletter, while an e-book could be promoted through paid advertising and guest blogging.

The important thing is that you have a plan for how you will promote your content so that it gets seen by as many people as possible. You'll also want to set up the systems to track your distribution strategy across channels. This will help you understand what's working and what's not, so that you can adjust your strategy as needed. There are a few things you should track:

• The number of views, clicks, and shares for each piece of content
• The channels that generate the most traffic to your website
• The conversion rate for each piece of content
• The number of leads and customers generated from each piece of content

By tracking these metrics, you'll be able to see which pieces of content are performing well and which ones need to be improved.

To track emails, you could use Outlook inbox analytics software to help your sales, marketing, and customer success teams respond to emails and get the most out of their distribution. You could use a tool like Sprout Social or Hootsuite Insights for social media analytics.

There are several different tools that you can use to track your website's analytics. Google Analytics is a free tool that you can use to track things like website traffic, time on site, and bounce rate. If you're using paid advertising to promote your content, you'll want to track the number of leads and customers generated from each campaign.

3. Create a content calendar.

Once you have a plan for creating and promoting your content, you need to plan out your posting schedule. The best way to do this is by creating a content calendar. A content calendar is a document that outlines the topics, formats, and dates of the pieces of content that you will create and publish.

Creating a content calendar will help you stay organized and on track with your content strategy. It will also make it easier to measure the results of your efforts over time. To create a content calendar, start by listing out all of the topics that you want to write about. Then, decide on the format (blog post, e-book, infographic) and the date that you want to publish each piece of content.

Once you have a list of all the content that you want to create, you can start scheduling it. Unlike social media, posting on your website doesn't require specific posting times for algorithms. Instead, a content calendar can help you stay organized and on-track with your content strategy.

There are a few different ways to create a content calendar. You can use a tool like Google Calendar or Trello, or you can create a spreadsheet in Excel or Google Sheets. HubSpot has a free content calendar template that you can use to plan and track your content strategy. CoSchedule also has a free template that you can use to create a content calendar.

4. Implement your content strategy.

Now that you have a plan for creating and promoting your content, it's time to start putting it into action. Start by creating the first piece of content on your calendar. Once it's published, promote it using your chosen distribution channels. Repeat this process for each piece of content that you create. As you publish new pieces of content, be sure to share them on social media and in your email newsletter.

Over time, you should start to see an increase in website traffic and leads. These people are most interested in what you have to say and are more likely to become customers or clients. By regularly creating and promoting high-quality content, you'll be able to build a following of people who are interested in what you do. As your following grows, so will your business.

5. Continuously monitor and adjust your strategy.

Your content strategy is not a set-it-and-forget-it type of plan. Instead, it should be a living document that you continuously monitor and adjust as needed. As you track your website's analytics, you'll notice patterns and trends emerging. Use these insights to adjust your content strategy accordingly.

For example, if you notice that a particular blog post is generating a lot of traffic and leads, consider creating more content on that topic. Alternatively, if you see that an article isn't performing as well as you'd hoped, you may have to improve the quality of your blog content. By continuously monitoring and adjusting your content strategy, you'll be able to maximize your results and get the most out of your content marketing efforts.

Endnote

Creating a successful content strategy is essential for any business that wants to attract and retain customers. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can create a content strategy that will help you achieve your business goals.