Understanding how to optimize content for best SEO results.

1. SEO Best Practices for
Writers and Editors

2. Why Incorporate SEO Into Content?
• Measurability = Showing Success
• We Think < We Know
• Real Understanding of Customers (Helps
Guide Clients)

3. Imagination Rankings Growth
September 2013 February 2015
Content marketing agency Not in top 50 2
Marketing agencies
Chicago
Not in top 50 5
Content marketing firm Not in top 50 8
Chicago content marketing
agencies
Not in top 50 1
Content marketing Chicago Not in top 50 1

4. Finding Topics
• Understanding Business Goals
• Where to find topics
• Has this been written about?
– Using BuzzSumo

5. Understanding Business Goals
• What is their primary business goal for this
content?
• What audience does the client need to reach?
• Is it a local or national business?
• What kinds of topics would reach this audience
and achieve these goals?

6. Where to Find Good Topics
• Answer sites
– Yahoo Answers, Quora
• Google Analytics
• Listening

7. Has This Been Written About?
• Using BuzzSumo
• Site:website “topic”

8. Finding Keywords
• Thinking like a human
• Knowing domain authority
• Using Keyword Planner

9. Thinking Like a Human

10. Domain Authority
– A website’s trust ranking
– Maximum of 100
– Sites with higher authority win keyword battles
– Good search rankings = free web traffic
– Links to your site + unique content + reader engagement =
domain authority
– Exploit your domain authority by creating content around
competitive keywords.

11. Example
We’ll look at an example using Lowe’s for Pros,
which has a domain authority of 51.

13. Using Keyword Planner
• Combining keyword planner with Google
search.
• Be more specific and long tail
– “Black leather dog leash” vs. “dog leash”

14. How You Can Find Domain Authority

15. Finding Subject Matter Experts
• Helps Distribute Content
• Use BuzzSumo

16. Writing Headlines That Work
• Don’t get cute
• Headlines that get clicked
and shared

17. Don’t Get Cute
• Demonstrate value: “What’s in it for me?”
• Competing with the whole universe of web
content.
– Good Headline: Making Donuts at Home: Three
Easy Steps to a Delicious Treat
– Bad Headline: Go Nuts for Donuts
• Extend to subheads

18. Headlines That Get Clicked and Shared
• Emotions that get shared: anxiety, anger and awe. Sadness does not
get shared.
• Try running your headline through the Emotional Marketing Value
Headline Analyzer to see what emotions it evokes.
• Use numbers in your headline.
– Numbers in the headline help set reader expectation about length of
article.
– Odd numbers get 20% more clicks.
• Headlines with colons and hyphens get more clicks.
– Use colons or hyphens to string two headlines together.
– Example: “How to write a headline the won’t get ignored: 10 tips to
getting clicked”.
– This headline is optimized for search rank (search term at beginning of
headline), but also has two shots at getting clicked.

19. Formatting Content for Readability
• One idea per page or
article
• Internal linking
• Paragraph length
• Word choices
• Meta content
• Images

20. Applying Keyword to Content
• Meta title
• Meta description
• Headline
• Deck
• Alt text

21. Imagination SEO process
• SEO strategist may suggest keywords for quarter.
Otherwise, focus keywords are determined by managing
editors.
• IP strategists and editors outline story pitches by finding
unique storylines that also have a good chance of
succeeding in search.
• After determining headline, keyword and influencer
recommendations, strategists send story concepts and
keywords to writers.
• Afterreceiving story, editors confirm that keywords have
been used correctly.
• Stories are uploaded to CMS by Imagination editor using
SEO checklist.

22. Content Distribution
• All interview subjects should be notified when
article goes live and provided a link (editor or
designate).
• Ensure that content has internal links to and
from it (editor or designate).
• For every piece you create, think about some
places where you could distribute it.

23. Next Steps for You
• Download the MOZ plugin into your Chrome
browser.
• Learn to use BuzzSumo and Keyword Planner
• Learn the domain authority for your clients and
their top three competitors.
• Start using the SEO checklist.