A capabilities deck that promotes why Content Strategy and SEO efforts are most effective for a project when there is overlap between the two disciplines.
3. October 2008
Why SEO & Content Strategy?
Hand-in-glove SEO & Content Strategy drives your…
• conversion rate
• brand trust
• customer satisfaction
Content is your most powerful asset in the quest to reach
and engage your consumers.
An integrated search engine optimization and content
strategy can show you how to effectively use that
asset.
4. October 2008
Advantages
• Knowing how users search. Integrating Content Strategy and SEO will
ensure that site designers and content developers have up-to-date knowledge
about who is searching, how they are searching, and how they are “talking.”
• Reaching the right people. Search engine optimization will help you drive
qualified visitors, talking with them in a manner that resonates, and giving them
the content that fulfills their objective and keeps them coming back (or
converting).
• Optimizing with an agile strategy. Your SEO efforts will grasp the true value
of the content you’re providing. With your SEO and content aligned, you’ll be
able to make adjustments and enhancements to ensure your content remains
on target.
6. October 2008
Content Strategy & SEO
The process for integrating Content Strategy and SEO
• Planning
• Designing
• Building
• Implementing
7. October 2008
PLAN (Discover)
What do we want to learn about the site?
• Who searches and/or consumes the site’s content
• Who is really coming to the site
• What are the consuming
• How important will search be to driving goals
• How are they searching (organic & internal)
• Channels/Keywords
• Other online behaviors
• Where are they entering the site (from organic search)
• How well does the site deliver on the organic search results e.g.,
dropped on the Home page, a Landing page, a Detail page.
• How well supported internal search & seek behavior is
• Analysis of the navigational that supports browsing & seeking
• Messaging elements
8. October 2008
PLAN (Discover)
Questions to the business?
• Who do you want to reach?
• Segments/verticals
• Existing customers and brand loyal
• Brand unaware
• Brand averse
• What content are you choosing to serve?
• Marketing copy
• Product specific
• Assistive and/or instructive content
• Support content
• Downloads, multi-media other interactive
9. October 2008
Task Integration Points — Discovery Phase
• Keyword
Research
• Competitive
Research
SEO
• Research
(primary &
secondary)
• Content,
Features, &
Functionality
• Messaging
Strategy
CS
• Experience Brief
(includes)
• Personae
• User Experience
Goals
• Business Goals
• UX Vision
• SEO Strategy Brief
• Content Strategy
Brief
End of
Discovery Phase
10. October 2008
Design
What we ask during design?
• What content is needed to recruit & satisfy your target audience?
• Position what you have (drivers into the site & within the site)
• Provide what they are looking for
• Describe what they are looking for
• Which words to use?
• Brand, tone, accuracy
• Balance words used by searchers with marketing language
• Where are the best places to apply user keywords?
• Page title
• Search appliance (synonyms, terms, misspellings)
• Navigation & labeling
• In-text copy
12. October 2008
Build (Develop)
What’s needed to execute the vision?
• Ensure that the content is optimized for search
• Headers/headlines
• Labels, links, body copy
• Page titles, alt tags, multi-media
• Identify technical considerations
• Content indexation issues
• Flash/JavaScript/Image use
• Duplicate content
• Integrate SEO review into content development process
• During or after copy deck generation
• Preview, pre-sign off by client
13. October 2008
Task Integration Points — Build Phase
• Content Creation
• Planning
• Creating
• Reuse scoping
• Context Matrix or
Copy Deck
• Metadata Schema
CS
• SEO Content
Optimization &
Review Process
• Technical
Guidelines
SEO
• Content Matrix
or Copy Deck
• Technical
considerations –
Best Practices
End of Build
Phase
14. October 2008
Maintenance & Optimization (Deploy)
What to ask after launch & during maintenance?
• Is the published content being indexed?
• Are the crawlers finding it?
• If not, where to tweak – links, content, technical implementation
• Are legacy pages being properly redirected?
• Does the visibility & traffic meet expectations?
• How is content performing?
• How well does it fulfill user & business goals?
• Does it keep the consumer engaged?
15. October 2008
Task Integration Points — Maintenance & Optimization Phase
• Redirect
Strategy
• On-going
Content
Optimization &
Reporting
SEO
• Process for content
production,
maintenance,
review,
enhancement
• Benchmarks for
content engaging
the user
CS
• Support
documentation
End of Design
Phase
17. October 2008
Task Descriptions — Discovery
• Keyword Research
Identify relevant keywords expressed by searchers, prioritized and
semantically categorized
• Competitive Analysis
Establish organic search competitors, insight into strengths and
weaknesses of their content strategies
• Messaging Strategy
Determine how to express the personality of the brand, what specific
messages to deliver, and to whom those messages will be addressed.
• Content, Features, & Functionality
Determine what content, formats, and delivery modes will best serve
business objectives and user goals.
18. October 2008
Task Descriptions — Discovery
• Research (primary & secondary)
Gather information to inform the experience vision and execution, based on
stakeholder interviews, user research, and industry research
• Experience Brief
Unify all research and vision work to establish a governing direction and
executable plan to deliver on the strategic objectives of the project.
19. October 2008
Task Descriptions — Design
• Creative & Wireframe Review
Identify high level design issues that may affect or enhance organic
performance of available content
• Content Creation Guidelines
Conventions on how best to leverage content units structurally and methods
for automation
• Nomenclature & Labeling
Create and document the terms used in navigation, tools, and features
• Metadata
Create and document the data descriptors for individual content types, for
use by both internal and external systems (internal, organic, functionality)
20. October 2008
Task Descriptions — Design
• Content presented in pages
Determining what content will populate pages or areas and where it should
be displayed
• Design
Page details delivered through wireframes
21. October 2008
Task Descriptions — Build
• Technical Guidelines
Recommendations on technical aspects to ensure content may be optimally
indexed
• SEO Content Optimization & Review Process
Providing optimized HTML metadata and Content changes that incorporates
a balance of brand, messaging and keyword relevance
• Content Creation
Producing and/or accounting for content for site features, tools, etc.
22. October 2008
Task Descriptions — Build
• Context Matrix or Copy Deck
Documenting the content that will populate the site pages in the case of a
matrix, and for a copy deck writing the actual content
• Metadata Schema
A mapping of the structural elements of each type of content
23. October 2008
Task Descriptions — Implement
• Migration Strategy
Strategy for an effective migration of content to its implemented location
• On-going Content Optimization & Reporting
A review and analysis of the effectiveness of site content and
recommendations for enhancements/optimization
• Support documentation
A hand-off guide to client for maintaining content, includes publishing and
archiving schedule
25. October 2008
Engagement Types for CS & SEO
• Marketing & Advertising
Brand-immersive campaigns, Flash-based microsites (Mercedes AMG,
Nutritioniste)
CS effort: light
SEO effort: medium
• Direct/ Transactional
Heavy content/ functional sites that support the entire customer lifecycle,
might include ecommerce; RIA's (Maybelline, EMC, Merrill Lynch)
CS effort: heavy
SEO effort: heavy
• Enterprise Solutions
Sites requiring a log in, including employee intranets and partner extranets
(Ford Dealer Portal, Smith Barney FA Portal, EMC KnowledgeBase)
CS effort: heavy
SEO effort: medium
26. October 2008
Engagement Types for CS & SEO
• Content Development & Management
Sites aggregating large amounts of content, generally consumer-focused
(NY Times, ESPN, CNN, Conde Nast, Hulu)
CS effort: heavy
SEO effort: heavy
• User Assistance and Customer Support
Projects with a large component of Help content as well as pre- and post-
purchase customer support (Ford Sync, Panasonic Support Pursuit, TIAA-
CREF)
CS effort: heavy
SEO effort: medium
• Social Networking, Communities and User Generated
Projects with a large component of social networking and/or communities
and other forms of user generated content (Terra, Sheraton, Pangea Day)
CS effort: medium
SEO effort: medium