You’ve been executing flawless marketing plans for years. But now, you’ve got a sneaking suspicion that there could be a better way to engage with your customers. One approach can elevate your marketing function and bring in new customers while maintaining existing ones — quality content.
Some organizations have regularly produced content as a part of their blogging activities. Others maintain a digital newsletter, while some focus on product overviews and manuals. No matter what your current content approach is, the odds are good that fine-tuning it can pay dividends.
However, the task of creating a new content library can be daunting, which often halts well-intended plans before they begin. But there is good news for organizations with hopes of leveraging their content — much of what you already have is valuable. To reveal the hidden potential of your current content, you first need to dig into your existing resources.
1. Analyze the Content You’ve Already Created
It’s likely that your current online content gives your team enough to kick off a SEO content analysis project. Conducting an inventory of your content allows you to identify unrealized potential laying dormant on your site. Frequently, websites begin with the basics but quickly become a digital hairball that’s tough to unravel. And getting started with a review can easily leave you puzzled about how to do it and what to look for.
Meet with your team to discuss the scope of your analysis project. Then you should identify goals and make assignments. Establish reasonable deadlines, taking into account other workloads and the potential impact this completed project can have on your business. Consider the amount of effort required to analyze each section. This can help you determine what to work on now and later.
Leverage your team’s collaboration tools, shared workspaces, and other ways you centralize information. This can help you make sense of what’s sure to be a complex accounting of your content. Some tools have been created to help you through this process. It might be worth shopping around to find an option that works for your team.
2. Identify Potential Keywords to Prioritize
You may have a short list of keywords that you consider important to your business. If you’re selling modern office equipment for companies with hybrid workforces, you occupy a unique space online. The keyword “portable laptop dock” may resonate with purchasing officers, but conduct a keyword search to determine its competition. Repeat this effort with keywords you suspect to be important, and take note of new ones with potential.
Then determine which of these keywords relates to your company’s authority on the topic and its current web performance. While keyword dominance is a reasonable goal, what matters most is its efficacy. Review back-end performance to guide your decision-making process. Meet with your organization’s data experts to determine what you already have and what you need. This can reduce duplication and identify efficiencies as you build your data set.
Keep in mind the multiple iterations of these keywords and determine how far-reaching your project goes. If you find that one keyword requires multiple page updates, the extra effort will take more time. Analyze the lift required to make improvements against their potential payoff to determine what to work on, if anything at all. The smarter you can be with your time and priorities, the sooner you can begin to see results.
3. Trim Unnecessary Distractions
If your original website was created to establish the purpose of your business, you likely have unproductive content. Even if the external appearance of these pages may not be unsightly, the data may unveil some lagging performers. But an inoffensive appearance doesn’t mean they are safe from digital execution. Draft a short list of pages and content to cut, logging the URL and category. If it’s not bringing you leads, it’s wasting valuable space that your company can otherwise use for growth.
Analyze web traffic reports to guide your list creation, setting aside passion in exchange for hard facts. Some pages may hold a special place in your team’s hearts. However, it’s important to convey that every page and paragraph needs to have a purpose. Store your cut content for potential future use, which can offer future value.
Eliminate unnecessary duplication of content while reducing wasteful repetition. The more efficient your site is, the better experience your potential customer’s visits will be. Review time on the page and click through history to monitor the flow of visits. This can help you see where customers are getting stuck and find opportunities for providing clarity.
Integrate Content Creation as Part of Your Growth Plans
As the media and marketing landscape changes, staying connected with your customer base is essential. Owned resources like your website can stand up to the changing popularity, acceptance, and even availability of social sites. Plus with a well-referenced, far-reaching content library, your keywords can reach customers across the globe.
Work with your team to develop a strategy that helps you create a strong foundation. With a long-term growth plan aligned with your goals, you can serve more customers and generate more revenue. Build a framework that optimizes your content creation, monitoring, and analysis for years to come.