If you stay current on technology trends, you’ve probably heard of a few that are defining the future of the web, email marketing, and search.
These Big Three are HTTPS, voice search, and AMP for email.
Here are some wow-worthy facts about each:
If this is all news to you, or you haven’t been keeping tabs on tech trends, you probably have some questions.
What are these technologies, and/or where are they headed? What might “the future of the web” mean for your online marketing?
Let’s take a peek at the implications as all three gain ground in the industry.
HTTPS: Secure Browsing as a Google Ranking Factor
“HTTPS” stands for “Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure.”
It probably looks familiar; you’ll see this acronym at the beginning of URLs. Just take a gander at your browser bar and see if the web address starts with HTTP or HTTPS. Here’s what a secured site looks like (yes, that’s ours ;-)):
What’s the Difference Between HTTP and HTTPS?
HTTPS is the secure version of HTTP. It simply means that all data sent between your browser and the website you’re surfing is encrypted.
This encrypted data is unintelligible to anyone who may try to intercept it and steal it.
A great example:
The personal data you send when you make transactions online (like a purchase or a bank transfer) could be stolen by hackers if it wasn’t encrypted.
Why You Should Care: HTTPS Is a Google Ranking Factor That Will Increase in Importance Going Forward
Google has adopted the mantra of “HTTPS everywhere” regarding web browsing.
This means sites that use HTTPS/secure browsing will be prioritized in the rankings over sites that remain unsecured. And, according to Google, this will hold true into the future as sites continue to make the switch from HTTP to HTTPS:
Bottom line: If your website doesn’t use HTTPS yet, it’s time to get on that – yesterday.
Voice Search: The Future of Internet Search
In 2018 and beyond, voice search is bigger than ever – and growing.
The factors influencing this trend include:
Better technology, getting better all the time (voice assistants understand what you want and provide more accurate results)
New products make jumping into using voice searches easier for us humans, like integration with TVs and smart speakers
On-the-go voice search is becoming normalized, as it’s an easier alternative to fumbling with your smartphone’s keyboard and browser
Here’s a crazy fact related to just how good voice search technology is getting:
According to the Internet Trends Report for 2018, Google’s speech recognition accuracy is on par with that of a human.
[bctt tweet=”The Internet Trends Report for 2018 says that Google’s speech recognition accuracy is on par with that of a human. @JuliaEMcCoy” via=”@ExpWriters”]
Crazy, right?
Still more incredible: This technology is going to keep getting better.
Why You Should Care: Targeting Voice Search Is Different from Text-Based Search
So, what does the advent of accurate, easy-to-use voice search mean for you as a digital marketer or business owner?
First off, Google says that voice search users frame their queries differently than text search users.
This means using long tail keywords in your content, framed in natural language, will be more important as we head into the future. Bottom line: If you want to grab traffic coming from voice search, you have to target the keywords people are using to ask their voice assistants for information.
Search Engine Journal has some other good ideas to help you prepare for the advent of voice search:
AMP for Email: Complete Basic Web Tasks Inside Your Email Messages
Another technology getting a lot of buzz is AMP (accelerated mobile pages) for email.
Whoa, Back Up – What Is AMP?
AMP is an open-source initiative that helps web pages load much, much faster across all devices. It helps you browse the web on your phone as fast as if you were using a desktop computer.
Essentially, it helps your device bypass information and code you don’t need for mobile browsing. That way, you’re not stuck waiting for unwieldy pages to load.
In short, AMP helps create better mobile web experiences for everybody.
Accelerated Mobile Pages + Email = ???
So, what happens when you mash up AMP technology with email? Something pretty darn amazing.
According to Google, AMP has evolved from its original purpose. Now, developers are starting to use it to create rich web pages – ones that are more interactive, easier to use, AND faster.
Enter email.
Google and other entities like Pinterest, Doodle, and Booking.com are experimenting with providing a web-like experience within email messages. Check out the gifs below to see it in action:
Via Google
Needless to say, in the email experience you’re used to, things look a lot different.
Right now, you have to click a link inside your emails to do any of this. Those links may or may not:
Take you to an in-app browser, which gets confusing (I have regularly forgotten which app I’m using because I’m stuck inside an in-app browser – cue frustration)
Open an outside app, taking you away from the app you were originally using (which can also be super annoying)
In contrast to these possibilities, AMP for email lets you stay inside your email message while carrying out common actions you would normally need a browser to complete.
Photo from Google
Really cool, right?
Why You Should Care: With This Tech, Email Marketing Could Get Even Better
Email marketing is still one of the most powerful ways to connect with your audience. It’s one of the only avenues left where your organic reach is virtually untouched.
According to a 2016 study from eMarketer, the ROI of email marketing was a whopping 122%:
Now, imagine the power of email combined with this new AMP technology.
You could offer a richer email experience for your list, and they’d never have to leave your original message.
For those of us who champion email, that’s exciting to think about. Bottom line: Keep your eye on AMP for email – it’s looking like it will be the next big thing to hit email marketing.
The Future of the Web Looks Good for Digital Marketers
As technology improves, the digital marketing landscape is looking more and more exciting.
This industry is changing at lightning speed, and it can be hard to keep up – but, overall, these changes are a great thing.
They’ll give us more opportunities to connect with and reach our target audiences, not to mention provide value in fresh and fun ways.
The future is looking bright.
When you’re a small business owner and trying to save a buck, writing your own content can seem like a good idea.
“It can’t be that hard! I’ll save lots of money!
Right?
…Right??”
Well…
I hate to break it to you, but writing content is not as simple as sitting down in front of a word processor and scrounging up 800 words off the top of your head.
To be blunt, writing content isn’t even as simple as plain writing.
To earn return-on-investment, to be profitable, content needs so much more:
Time
Planning
Effort
Research
SEO smarts
Can you ostensibly create this kind of content on your own – not to mention consistently, at the highest levels of quality – and still have time to run your business?
Maybe if you’re a super-human or a wizard with magical powers.
Maybe if you give up a social life, relaxation time, and sleep.
Enter the case for hiring a writer and outsourcing content.
It’s not only for the health of your business and your content’s ROI-potential; it’s also for your sanity.
That’s why we’re discussing:
When to outsource your content
Why you should outsource
And the real numbers involved, including the dollars and time you’ll save by hiring a writer (because time = money)
To begin, here’s the first question we’ll answer: When should you start outsourcing your content?
Spoiler alert: The answer is right now.
Allow me to prove that to you.
[bctt tweet=”When should you start outsourcing your content? @JuliaEMcCoy asks this tough question in today’s blog, complete with an infographic. ” username=”ExpWriters”]
Exploring the Hidden Costs & Risks of NOT Outsourcing Content (Infographic Case Study)
What will it cost you, in minutes and hours & dollars and cents, NOT to hire a writer with expertise in content marketing?
Time = money.
What is your time worth to you?
Let’s estimate exactly how much time it takes to plan, research, write, and edit a high-quality, high-ROI content piece, like an in-depth blog post. Then we’ll compare it to the time and cost of hiring an expert.
1. Time Required for DIY Content (100 Hours/Month: Equivalent of a Part-Time Job)
To create DIY content that actually gets results, the work you put in must include the following (assuming you’ve already researched your audience). The estimated time it takes to complete each step is included.
Keyword research – Finding keyword opportunities to scoop up high-potential traffic (15-20 minutes)
Planning – Ironing out a post topic that appeals to your target niche and uses your target keywords (5-10 minutes)
Researching – Gathering relevant facts, stats, and supporting information you can link to and reference in your post (20-30 minutes)
Outlining – Planning your argument, organizing your thoughts, laying out main points, and drafting headers and subheaders (10-15 minutes)
Writing – Writing up the post, citing sources and linking to them, using SEO best-practices, adding visuals as needed, and finalizing your headers and subheaders (4-8 hours [dependent on MANY factors, including inspiration, the quality of your research, and your motivation – could take much less or much more time])
Editing – Checking your work for accuracy, proofreading for flow and tone of voice, checking for spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors (20-40 minutes)
Estimated time needed to craft ONE in-depth blog post: about 10 hours
Estimated time needed monthly to publish 2x/week: 100 hours/month
You read that right: It takes nearly an entire day to crank out a blog post worthy of ROI.
To publish these types of posts two times a week, it will take about 20 hours per week, and 100 hours per month.
That’s like having a part-time job.
And those numbers are just an estimate!
It could take much longer if you run into problems like writer’s block, or research fails such as coming up short for solid, recent studies to back up points in your content.
It will take EVEN LONGER if you haven’t researched your audience, or if you don’t have a workflow and plan in place for strategizing your blogs.
It takes a lot of work. Look at all the activities that top-performing content marketers commit to, from that same CMI benchmark survey we already mentioned. Top performers:
Value craft and creativity in their content (88%)
Have excellent/very good project management flow (70%)
Deliver content consistently (75%)
Use high-quality content to build their audiences (92%)
For businesses who out-perform the rest, content quality and consistency is prioritized.
If you DIY, that WILL take a huge chunk of time, effort, and resources that can add up to hundreds of hours over a few months.
What’s your time worth? What is 100 hours/month worth to you?
What could you do for your business in that time besides pulling your hair out over content creation?
More importantly, could you repeat this exact same routine, ad-nauseum, to produce consistent results?
2. Time Needed to Hire a Writer and Hand Off the Dirty Work (Potentially 25 Minutes / $90)
We know how long it takes to produce a high-quality, amazing blog that wins ROI.
In contrast, how much time and money do you need to hire a writer to take care of it all for you?
Let’s break it down:
Finding and vetting a writer – At Express Writers, we handle writer vetting and match you with an expert who can write with authority about your industry topics. (0 minutes)
Relaying keywords, topics, and strategy – With us, all you have to do is order the content you need (either fill out our guided order forms or talk to a content specialist). One of our content strategists can also do keyword and topic research for you. (5-10 minutes + $90 for an expert blog)
Reviewing the completed content – All the creative work happens behind-the-scenes. All you have to do is wait for your completed content, review it, and, if needed, ask for any revisions. (10-15 minutes review time)
Estimated time/cost for outsourcing content: 25 minutes, $90
What’s the Better Investment?
About 25 minutes is all it takes to hire a writer to create a high-ROI content piece, plus an investment of $90.
Compare that to the 10 hours you might spend trying to do it all yourself, not to mention the estimated 20 hours/week and 100 hours/month needed to keep it up ON TOP of your other tasks/projects for growing your business.
It would be like having a part-time job on top of your full-time job.
It’s Time to Outsource Your Content When…
1. Your Knowledge of ROI Content & SEO Is Hazy, At Best
Pop quiz:
What are the major factors that contribute to high-ROI content?
If you can’t immediately reel off a few answers to this question, you might want to take a step back.
Of course, that’s not to say you don’t understand the value of quality content.
You just might not be clear on what has to happen to create those types of assets.
If this describes you to a tee, you shouldn’t be writing your own content – you just don’t have the expertise to create the stuff that leads to results and business growth.
There’s nothing wrong with that, either.
Instead, delegating this task will free you up to focus on what you ARE good at, where your true expertise lies.
Check out the most common success factors for content, according to CMI’s 2018 benchmark survey:
B2Bs that were MORE successful overwhelmingly attributed their success to better, more efficient content creation. Also notable: They spent more time on content, and many relied on outside expertise.
They did not settle for “good enough,” and if they didn’t have the chops, they got help.
2. You Don’t Have Time to Create Your Best Work Day In & Day Out
Growing a fledgling business is a full-time job. If you have to take care of the content creation, too, where does that leave you?
It leaves you hassled, stressed, and exhausted. It means you’ll be doing lots of tasks but not excelling at any of them.
Unfortunately, the type of content that’s profitable requires your best work, consistently. So, even if you understand what it takes to create that type of content, if you don’t have the time to devote to it, it won’t matter.
3. You’re Spending Too MuchTime on Lackluster Content
Here’s where thinking you can “do it all” snowballs into wasted time with zero ROI.
Writing half-assed, lackluster content gets you half-assed, lackluster results – not because you’re incompetent, but because you don’t have the time or expertise to craft pieces that are truly GREAT.
Instead, you’re expending the little time you DO have on content that just doesn’t cut the mustard.
What do you end up with?
Wasted time, and content that staggers along for a while before dissolving into internet obscurity.
You’ll never get that time back.
That’s time you could have spent actually growing your business in ways in which you excel.
It may hurt to hear it, but it’s the plain truth.
[bctt tweet=”How do you know when it’s time to outsource your #content creation? This post has three signs to watch out for!” username=”ExpWriters”]
Outsourcing Content: What Does That Investment Look Like Over Time?
If you choose to outsource your content, you’re in good company.
A U.K.-based digital marketing agency, Marketing Labs works with clients to increase their online growth, including traffic and conversions.
Though they had a team of experts, including two copywriters on staff, their business was getting more writing work than they could handle alone.
Rather than stretch their in-house writers thin, they hired us at Express Writers to handle their content strategy and blogging, and to step in for one of their clients with improved, optimized product descriptions.
SEO can be a tangled web to navigate.
Google updates its algorithm every single day, while regulations for data-sharing and best-practices for ranking change as quickly as the weather.
Who has time to keep track of all that?
Lucky for you, there are credible SEO’ers out there keeping their finger on that pulse, tweeting helpful resources and news articles regularly, and talking about SEO in a down-to-earth way.
It can be immensely helpful (and entertaining, and informative) to follow the top SEO digital marketers.
That way, you’ll know what’s happening in the search engine world – and get real-time updates (guides, trend alerts, Google changes) on Twitter.
Check out these SEOers and follow them so your Twitter feed is more powerful and helpful than ever:
31 Must-Follow SEOers on Twitter (In No Particular Order)
Eric Enge heads up the award-winning marketing agency, Stone Temple. Why you should follow: Eric regularly tweets interesting SEO news, articles, and updates under his personal handle and Stone Temple’s account. That includes studies and articles from his own brand, complete with goofy-yet-fun header images starring himself.
Rand Fishkin is pretty well-known in the marketing and SEO communities – he co-founded Moz (and now headlines SparkToro) and shared his know-how on Moz’s Whiteboard Fridays. Why you should follow: Rand regularly tweets about SEO hot topics, but also has dived into entrepreneurship/start-ups, the psychology of web users, and even nerdy-fun topics like his secret passion for Dungeons & Dragons.
I wrote a new blog post about shame, failure, and… yeah, the Dungeons & Dragons game: https://t.co/7Xd6MQuqLb
Jeff Deutsch is a HubSpot/Inbound.org contributor and has worked in digital marketing for over 10 years. Why you should follow: Jeff shares slices of SEO along with interesting tips, tidbits, and resources that are pertinent for any marketer (plus a joke or two).
Olga Andrienko is the head of global marketing at SEMrush, which is one of the top SEO tools on the web. Why you should follow: It’s readily apparent that Olga is super-passionate about SEO and helping people optimize their websites and content. She also posts lots of behind-the-scenes glimpses from SEMrush and notes from SEO conferences.
Danny Goodwin is SEJ’s own Executive Editor. He has over 10 years of experience in marketing and has been an editor for Search Engine Watch and Momentology. Why you should follow: Danny tweets a ton of timely, high-quality articles about SEO and search marketing from around the web. Follow him and get ready to add to your daily reading list.
Michael King is the founder of iPullRank, a digital marketing agency and consultancy. He’s also an influencer, keynote speaker, and marketing consultant to major brands. Why you should follow: Michael regularly opens up his twitter posts to chat and answer your most burning questions. He also tweets about hot SEO topics and adds his professional two cents, which makes for interesting reading.
Casey Markee is an SEO writer, speaker, trainer, and marketer. He writes for Search Engine News and is the founder of Media Wyse, an SEO firm. Why you should follow: If you’d like some SEO smarts with a big side dish of humor, Casey is your guy.
Very nice deck here. The BEST slide is the one on Sliders. As in DON’T USE THEM. Sliders cause ? and kill kittens ?. It’s science #SlidersAreEvilhttps://t.co/ixdZSMiSZc
Marie Haynes is an SEO consultant and an expert on the Google algorithm and its related penalties. Why you should follow: Since Marie is a self-professed algorithm obsessive, her Twitter feed is chock-full of advice, articles, news, and updates that are ultra-helpful if you want a better understanding of Google search.
Bill Slawski is the Director of SEO Research at Go Fish Digital, a digital marketing agency. He also runs SEObytheSea.com, a blog for learning absolutely everything about SEO. Why you should follow: Bill tweets about fresh SEO topics, SEO job opportunities, and engages in conversations with other top SEOers. You’ll learn a ton just by following along.
Jenny Halasz is an SEO strategist, the President of JLH Marketing, and a regular speaker at events like Pubcon, SEJSummit, and SMX. Why you should follow: Jenny isn’t afraid to share her opinions on everything from basic SEO to ranking factors to politics.
Nik Ranger isn’t an SEOer – rather, she’s a self-described SEO nerd (she’s also a front-woman and electric violinist for her band, Dada Ono). Why you should follow: If “electric violinist” and “front-woman” weren’t enough for you, Nik also geeks out about SEO regularly, which is fun to follow.
Barry Schwartz is the CEO of RustyBrick, a custom web software and digital marketing company. He’s also the founder of the reknowned Search Engine Roundtable and is the News Editor at Search Engine Land. Why you should follow: Barry keeps tabs on all things Google so you don’t have to – including the latest algorithm updates.
John Mueller is Google’s Webmaster Trends Analyst. As such, he’s often an important point-of-contact and go-between for Google’s engineers and SEO marketers. Why you should follow: John is incredibly active on Twitter and what he says is taken very, very seriously concerning Google’s inner-workings. Follow to hear directly from the horse’s mouth (though answers to SEO questions are often notoriously round-about).
Danny Sullivan is Google’s official search liaison go-to – that means he’s always working to help people understand search. Why you should follow: Danny’s tweets @searchliaison continually debunk myths, announce updates, and clear up misinformation concerning Google search.
Remember, if you want to learn more about how Google Search works from a searcher perspective, our How Search Works guide is offered in around 40 languages. https://t.co/XVYVK5dzutpic.twitter.com/ZDuJxws1YJ
— Google SearchLiaison (@searchliaison) May 11, 2018
Lisa Barone is the Chief Marketing Officer at Overit, a digital marketing agency with high-profile clients. Why you should follow: Lisa heads up marketing, SEO, social media, content, and more at an extremely successful agency, and her wit and insights are worth adding to your Twitter feed.
Jono Alderson is a leader in the SEO world, a keynote speaker, and recently joined the team at Yoast. Why you should follow: Jono often tweets his expert thoughts and opinions about news in tech and SEO, and they’re worth your attention.
If you’re a business of any scale, and your website isn’t yet on HTTPS, then your business is dead. 100% dead. Completely dead. Bankrupt. Insolvent. It’s too late. And it’s not even necessarily that you didn’t adopt HTTPS; it’s that you’re the kind of org who’s *that* decrepit.
Brian Dean is an SEO expert who throws down his advice at Backlinko, which is one of the most popular, informative SEO hubs on the web. Why you should follow: Brian’s M.O. is “teach[ing] people to get higher rankings in Google.” Follow him to get updates on new blog posts and to read his tips and tricks.
Mike Blumenthal is an expert on local search marketing. He shares his know-how at Local University, which is an organization that teaches 4-hour local SEO seminars and holds SEO events. Why you should follow: If you need to understand local search marketing better, Mike should be on your “following” list.
Mike Blumenthal’s counterpart at LocalU is Mary Bowling. Together, they run the “Last Week in Local” video series and podcast. She’s also the co-founder of Ignitor Digital and is a local search expert. Why you should follow: Mary shares and retweets all things local SEO – follow her to add lots of great articles to your daily industry reading.
As the former Director of SEO at Moz, Cyrus is an absolute wealth of SEO knowledge. His tagline is “Hard SEO made easy.” He blogs and speaks on SEO. Why you should follow: Cyrus shares blogs and articles that are comprehensive guides on SEO tactics, trends, and best practices.
Glenn Gabe is the founder and president of G-Squared Interactive. He’s an expert in SEO, search engine marketing, social media marketing, and more, and has over 20 years of experience in the industry. Why you should follow: Glenn often takes the time to analyze Google algorithm changes with real-time stats. He’s also one to follow for tweaks to make your SEO better.
Part 2 of my series went live this morning -> The March 7 and April 16, 2018 Google Algorithm Updates [Part 2] – Analysis and Findings From The 4/16 Update.
Joy Hawkins is a contributor for Moz and Google My Business, is a speaker and SEO educator, and runs Sterling Sky, a local SEO agency. Why you should follow: Want tips to make sure you’re making the most of Google My Business? Follow Joy.
Colan Nielsen is a local search expert and the Vice President of the SEO agency, Sterling Sky. Why you should follow: Colan shares news and articles related to all-things local search – great if you’re a small business depending on SEO to help local customers find you.
Darren Shaw is the founder of Whitespark, a local SEO services and software company. He also fronted the local search ranking factors survey, where over 40 SEOers weighed in about how to rank in local search. Why you should follow: Darren is a top voice in the local SEO community, and regularly shares his expertise.
Michelle Robbins is the Editor-in-Chief at Search Engine Land, MarTech Today, and Marketing Land. She also heads Third Door Media, and is a keynote speaker who often throws down knowledge at industry events and conferences. Why you should follow: Michelle tweets news and articles straight from the SEO front lines. Plus, she’s an inspiring leader in the tech and SEO worlds.
Anna Crowe is an SEO consultant and a writer at SEJ. She also heads her own SEO and digital marketing business, Anna Branding & Co. Why you should follow: Anna is another great example of a savvy woman in SEO land. Besides SEO news and info, she also tweets funny and relatable slices of life.
Christine Churchill is an online marketing and SEO guru who knows her way around keyword research. She’s also the President of KeyRelevance, a search engine marketing agency. Why you should follow: Along with SEO insights, Christine also tweets dispatches straight from industry events, conferences, and meet-ups.
John Doherty is the CEO of both Credo and Single Geared, and is an SEO consultant who works with big clients Like The New York Times and Hired. Why you should follow: John tweets tips and advice from his place in the SEO hot seat, and frequently lets loose an expert opinion or two about the search marketing industry.
James Finlayson is a former lawyer-turned-SEO expert. He’s the Head of Search at Verve Search with regular speaking gigs. Why you should follow: James is knowledgeable and involved with the SEO community, and his posts and tweets reflect that perfectly.
Along with her role as the Features Editor at Search Engine Land, Debra Mastaler is also a link-building consultant at her company, Alliance-Link. Why you should follow: Debra shares lots of timely SEO articles and keeps her followers updated with her industry speaking engagements.
Julie Joyce is the owner of her own link building company, Link Fish Media. She also co-founded SEO Chicks and regularly contributes to Search Engine Land. Why you should follow: Lots of link building humor (yes, it’s a thing), plus witty commentary and sharing of SEO link building articles and resources.
Or, more specifically, consistent, strategic content marketing.
Online content strategy, a real, firm strategy, became my best friend to get to the “serious growth” phase.
The thing is, it took YEARS to figure out and perfect.
All the pieces had to come together, and I had to test, re-test, and test again to find out what worked (and, what didn’t).
When I figured it out, things snowballed.
Our income from Express Writers boomed to six-figures, and then to seven-figures ARR, inside just two years.
Here’s the story, and how I used my experience to get clear on EXACTLY what I needed to reach bigger, better, bolder success.
After that, I’m going to share the 6 steps I used to hone my online content strategy to a razor-sharp edge: the exact same system you can use to get crystal-clear on your own content and start seeing real results.
(What you’re about to read is a sneak peek into the six pillars of content success that I discuss and teach at length in my intensive content strategy & marketing book and course.)
Online Content Strategy Clarity Equals Success: From Near-Failure to Six-Figures after Getting Strategic
I started my business, Express Writers, from basically nothing – I was a college dropout with a dream and a mere $75 of pocket cash.
The beginning was hard. Here’s what that looked like, 2 years into the game:
By that time I had published 215 blogs, had 141 keywords ranking on Google, about 500 visitors/day to my site from organic traffic, and was earning around $29K/month.
I was creating content, but the results were lackluster.
I was doing a few things wrong:
My content quality wasn’t consistently high
I often published content just to “get it out there”
I was trying to push out TOO MUCH content (at least one blog post a day)
I was doing cold outreach to get more clients – and not earning any ROI for my time spent (read: the cold emails I sent out turned up nothing but crickets chirping)
I was trying to boost growth on every channel possible
In short, growth from content marketing was slow. I was hustling every day, snatching at leads wherever I could. And, the leads I did get from my content weren’t that good.
And, all of this was happening while I was a wife, a mom of a two-year-old, and had an understandably busy family life.
Bottom line: I was overworked and not seeing the results I dreamed of from my content.
The Turning Point: Enter Content Strategy
The turning point came in 2016. Our low-profit, high-expense months were not sustainable. We were making an average of $65K/month, but were lucky to take home 35% of that total.
Then, in May 2016, I discovered my two managers had been embezzling from the company for months.
I fired them. After that, some reassessing happened. I had to rebuild my business and my team.
It wasn’t until a few months later, while we were still slowly recovering, that I finally started implementing a content strategy.
With the combination of that strategy and better members on the EW team, we started seeing returns, slowly but surely.
We even started setting records for our monthly gross income.
Before using content strategy, I was publishing an average of 4 blogs/week. We had about 3,900 keywords indexed on Google, and we were making $65K/month, with some lower months after the embezzling fiasco.
One year later, and only a few months after implementing a content strategy, we hit our first $71K month in income. We also reached 6,000 keywords indexed on Google, which was nearly double the amount from the previous year.
And that momentum kept building as I refined my content strategy.
We continued having record months. Our Google presence kept building, and our online visibility skyrocketed. We started ranking #1 for hot keywords, and our traffic jumped to thousands of visitors per day.
Today, our content marketing continues to work and build on itself.
Without the strategy, though, none of it would be possible.
By now, you’re probably dying to know what that strategy looks like.
Listen up, because I’m sharing the 6 steps to my content strategy framework next. These steps build out the foundation of a rock-solid strategy.
6 Steps to Build an Unstoppable Content Strategy Framework
This is how you do content marketing that wins.
1. Understand the Basic Fundamentals of a Content Strategy
Content strategy defines as:
If you don’t understand what a content strategy is, go back and get clear on this. It’s the only way you’ll also understand how content strategy fits into content marketing, and why the two cannot exist without each other.
Think of it this way: It’s impossible to succeed at any activity without a thorough base knowledge to guide you. Content strategy is no different.
You should also know what you’re talking about, and how to branch out into topics your audience wants to hear about. Finding your topic area is a fundamental first step in a content strategy.
Along with that, know your CDF – your Content Differentiation Factor. What makes you different than all the other content voices out there?
2. Know Your Audience and How to Lead Them to a Sale (Bridge the Gap)
Knowing your audience is one thing, but knowing how to turn your audience into customers is another.
If you don’t understand how to bridge that gap, you’re missing out on one of the biggest first steps involved in putting your content strategy in place.
Of course, before you can connect the dots, you must know who your REAL audience is – not your imagined audience (only research and having actual conversations can tell you this!).
Once you know your persona, you can create content that matches the lifecycle stages of awareness, in the sales cycle. Example:
3. Use SEO (and Understand Its Importance)
Want to get found online? Including SEO in your content strategy is a foolproof way to do it organically, without paying a cent for ads.
Using SEO to get all its associated benefits means:
Knowing how to find keywords that will bring you profitable traffic (people with buying intent)
Knowing which tools to use to do keyword research
Understanding Google’s ranking factors and making sure your content hits them
You need to know the right tools and methodologies to use when you’re working on improving your search engine rankings. Keyword research plays a big part in this.
4. Build Your Gravitas Online (Be an Authority)
Building your authority online can have a few different meanings.
It can mean:
Building your brand as a trusted source of information
Building your brand as an authority website by Google’s standards
Both are valuable to your content strategy, and you should do things that help boost your gravitas in both scenarios.
Just one way to build your domain as an authority in Google’s eyes is to focus on publishing content on YOUR platform, i.e. a domain that YOU own – not proprietary ones like Facebook, Instagram, or HuffingtonPost (which sadly discontinued their guest blogging platform not too long ago–I, along with many others, lost my content profile and login).
[bctt tweet=”Focus on your ‘content house’ to get better online results, says @JuliaEMcCoy. #ContentMarketing #SEOContent ” username=”ExpWriters”]
5. Create Content Strategically
When the times comes to create content, guess what?
This is what your content strategy is FOR.
Every previous step should lead you in the right direction for creating the right kind of content for your audience and brand.
Of course, there are a few extra steps involved, like putting a workable process in place for content creation (research, writing, editing, publishing); understanding what kind of formatting, tone of voice, and topics lead to high-ROI; and placing quality above quantity.
6. Maintain + Build Your Content Momentum (Budget, Audit, and Promote)
To maintain your forward progress with content marketing and strategy, you must budget wisely, audit strategically, and promote faithfully.
These three activities will keep your content marketing going. Instead of drifting aimlessly in a boat with no paddles, you’ll be riding the next wave with a motor at your back.
Budgeting content is about planning your expenses wisely and knowing where your dollars are going. I.e., know how much outsourcing content costs, and budget for high-quality.
Google loves fresh content. Do content audits of old posts and update anything outdated or thin.
Content promotion gets more eyes on your content assets, which can result in more leads + sales. Promotion doesn’t have to cost much, either.
Remember, a content strategy needs constant work to keep moving. Update, budget, plan, and promote so your content marketing never goes stale.
This 6-Step Content Strategy Framework Is Just the Beginning (Join My In-Depth 60-Minute Class for More)
Once you have the 6 steps down for building a profitable content strategy framework, your content marketing can grow, and grow, and grow…
But only because you’ve taken the time to lay a rock-solid foundation to stand on.
If you rush these steps or skip one or two, you’ll find yourself back at square one. The whole thing will collapse.
Don’t let that happen.
Know the framework inside-out, build your strategy with steel instead of straw, and you’ll be far more likely to succeed.
In short, make sure you have this stuff down!
Get a deeper explanation of each step, plus tips and advice, when you join my 60-minute 6-Step Framework to a Profitable Content Strategy masterclass that covers this framework from front-to-back. This is a FREE, on-demand webinar that dives into each step to a profitable content strategy in one, information-packed hour. Choose a time that fits your busy schedule, and ask your burning questions live. Don’t miss it!
What’s one way to make sure your content gets search engine-indexed, ranked, and, ultimately, discovered by users in your target niche?
I’m sure you already know the answer from the headline – you need SEO keywords.
More importantly, you need to know how to find SEO keywords.
Why? Because the benefits are incredible.
When you target the right keywords and use them to optimize your amazing content:
You’ll start ranking for those keywords.
You’ll hit desirable top spots in the SERPS.
You’ll drive much more profitable traffic to your website.
Take a look at this chart from Ignite Visibility that shows how much your click-through rate increases as you climb into the top 5 spots on Google for a keyword. When you hit #1, your CTR makes a huge leap from 13.32% to 20.5%.
More clicks and more profitable traffic will lead to:
Leads
Conversions
Followers
Sales
Unicorns and rainbows (not literally, but you’ll FEEL just as magical as these things – like you’re an SEO wizard)
In essence, you’re building content people want to find.
It’s an investment for your future.
So, how do you find the right ones that will amount to traffic boosts, lead boosts, and conversion boosts?
I’m going to show you, step-by-step, using two of my favorite tools for keyword research and discovery (KWFinder by Mangools, and SEMrush).
Let’s do this.
How to Find the Right SEO Keywords for Your Online Content in SEMrush
The right keywords are ones that give you opportunities to break into the rankings – and maybe even climb past all the other results to hit that coveted #1 position.
These high-opportunity keywords all follow a specific formula. Usually, they:
Are specific (A.K.A. long tail keywords)
Have low search competition (don’t confuse this metric with keyword difficulty – competition shows how many advertisers are bidding to show up in paid spots in results for the keyword)
Have relatively high search volume (people are actually typing them into Google)
Have low keyword difficulty (a score that rates how hard it is to rank for a keyword)
Most keyword tools have their own method for calculating difficulty scores. For example, here’s how KWFinder does it:
If this is a lot to take in, I get it. These criteria seem like a lot to juggle at first.
But that’s what I’m sharing today – I’m answering the ultimate question:
How do you find SEO keywords that fit ALL of these factors?
Let’s see what that process looks like in SEMrush.
1. Start with a Relevant, Broad Search Term with Potential
To narrow down keywords in SEMrush, start by searching for a keyword you think has potential.
For example, if I sell graphic t-shirts in my online store, I would research the term “graphic t-shirts.”
As you can see, this keyword has an average organic search volume of 6.6K searches per month. But, check out the competition.
We’re looking at .93.
That’s almost 100% competition, which means you’re up against tough luck.
Another thing to consider is that even though you may net many of these numbers in search volume, few will be qualified to buy. The search term is too broad: They’re probably at the early stages in the buying cycle, and haven’t made a decision on what to buy yet. So, this traffic potential is useless for your bottom line.
For even more proof, when I plug “graphic t-shirts” into Keyword Explorer, it rates 44 on a difficulty scale of 1-100. In general, scoring 50 or above means it’s impossible to rank for the phrase.
While this ranks below 50, it’s a best practice to only use keywords that rank at 40 or below. Lower difficulty = lower competition = higher ROI.
So, we’ve ruled out using this keyword in our SEO. We need to get more specific to find a better option.
We need a long-tail keyword.
2. Use Your Broad Term as a Root, and Go Long Tail
“Graphic t shirts” is too broad. How do we make this root keyword more specific?
We add to it.
Let’s try “women’s graphic t shirts.”
The search volume is 5.4K for this one. That’s better but still too high. Let’s look at the “related keywords” to see if there’s an option with lower competition.
“Women’s graphic tee shirts” has an average monthly search volume of 210. I would need to do a little more research on keyword difficulty and brand competition, but this could be a good option for SEO.
3. Dig Deeper – Check Keyword Difficulty and Search Volume
To dig deeper, I could click on “View full report” to view all the related keyword possibilities. Then I could sort them by keyword difficulty and search volume to find my sweet spot.
The sweet spot, where a keyword is balanced between low keyword difficulty, low competition, and high search volume, is ultimately what you’re looking for.
Tip: Use More Than One Tool to Find Great SEO Keywords (How to Use KWFinder)
One of my number one tips for how to find SEO keywords is to NEVER rely on one tool exclusively.
Instead, use multiple tools to double-check your research and compare how each tool rates keyword difficulty, measures search volume, and more.
Here’s what I mean:
In SEMrush, “women’s graphic tee shirts” looks like a solid SEO keyword option with high potential.
To make sure I’m on the right track, I’m going to turn to another one of my favorite SEO tools, KWFinder, to double-check.
As you can see, KWFinder gives this keyword a difficulty rating of 37, or “still easy.”
Plus, the search volume is 260/month, but many of those searchers could be in a later stage of the buyer’s journey.
There’s definitely potential here.
Now that I’ve double-checked the results for this keyword, I’m 101% confident I can use it in my content advantageously.
How to Find SEO Keywords: Research, Research, Research
To find profitable, high-ROI keywords that can net you fantastic results, you need to dig in and do the research.
These keywords are not going to fall out of the sky and into your lap. You won’t magically come up with them through brainstorming, either.
For the best results, you have to make sure the keywords you use are backed up with data.
Look at the numbers (keyword difficulty, search volume, and competition) and try to find the best balance of all three metrics for every keyword you go after.
This is the road to help your content not only hit the SERPs but also climb to the top of page one.
It’s not magic; it’s just smart, consistent, and sometimes grueling research.
Do the work, learn as you go, and that SERP mountain won’t seem so daunting anymore.
