Content Marketing Strategy Powered by Data and On-Page SEO Tools
A marketer’s dream is to develop meaningful connections with their audience. As we’ve examined in previous blog posts, connections can be established through good quality content and smart SEO integration. Like every other field in the world today, content marketing also relies on one, often forgotten aspect of decision making: data.
Data driven decisions are just that: decisions that incorporate proven methods and tools to leverage your content to the right audience at the perfect time. According to writer Viola Eva, “it’s time to leverage the latest SEO tools for your content creation” and make smart, informed decisions.1 It’s worth taking a second look at your knowledge of competitive analysis and keywords, and how you can relearn some best practices to increase the relevancy of your site.
The Do-Re-Me of SEO
Before you can start making data driven decisions, it’s important to know the basics of SEO. As a marketer, your goal is to have your site appear on Page 1 of a search engine’s results. According to Marketshare, 75% of people will never scroll past the first page on a Google search.2 This is because the first page of a search is usually filled with the options most relevant to a consumer’s interest or search.
Statistical relevance is an aspect of SEO that has become increasingly important to the success of content online. Tools can identify the common elements among sites featured on the first page of search results. According to Eva, “SEO tools use statistical analysis to understand what all those websites on Page 1 have in common – and for which ranking factors your website is deficient.” This is different from other web crawlers, like Screaming Frog, who only present one-size-fits-all recommendations for your site.
Let’s Get On-Page
In recent months, on-page SEO has become a crucial part of SEO best practices. According to Moz, a popular SEO blog, “on-page SEO is the practice of optimizing individual web pages in order to rank higher and earn more relevant traffic in search engines.”3 While off-page SEO relies on links and external signals, the on-page counterpart optimizes the source code of a page itself.
Several tools such as CORA, Page Optimizer Pro and SurferSEO, simplify the on-page SEO process for marketers. While all the tools provide review and analysis of your search results, the tools differ on what exactly they measure, from LSI keywords to ranking factors.
Upgrade Your SEO Toolkit
According to Viola Eva, there are three important things to consider when implementing any new SEO tools to your content strategy.
- Data and Transparency: It’s important that your new tool is able to provide analysis along with its review. CORA is well regarded by industry professionals for providing the most in-depth review of any SEO tools. It searches the first 100 results on a query and analyses 600 ranking factors.
- Recommendation Quality: No tools will ever return the same recommendations. That’s because they focus on measuring different things, like the source code of a website vs. the front-end we see as users. However, comparing successfully ranked pages with similar fields of interest will allow you to see correlations of successful optimization.
- Usability: While many tools are browser applications, a better test of usability may come from a desktop application. It’s also important to see where your competitors are ranked and what gives their site their ranking position.
In addition, it’s important to ask yourself what you’re looking for from your SEO tools. Are you looking for detailed data or a summary? Do you prefer general practices or hyper-specific recommendations? Depending on what you’re looking for, different tools can better serve your needs. The biggest takeaway is an appreciation for data, and how new SEO tools can give data the wheels to your SEO marketing.
Search marketing can be challenging and confusing. Our team at MintCopy is comprised of experts in SEO and content marketing. Our writers follow digital copywriting best practices to enhance your marketing strategy and help you achieve greater business success online.
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2https://www.marketshare.hitslink.com. October 2010
Sheetal Pinto is the founder of MintCopy, a content agency that has been helping businesses communicate effectively since 2008. With a passion for words and a knack for SEO, she’s worked with companies around the world to craft copy that not only engages but ranks. Whether it’s blog posts, website content, or social media updates, Sheetal has a talent for turning complex ideas into compelling stories. When she’s not optimizing content or editing for clarity, she’s probably daydreaming about the perfect headline or debating the Oxford comma. With over 16 years in the business, she’s seen the digital marketing and SEO content landscape evolve and grow. Sheetal’s mantra? Fresh copy, refreshing results!
