How to Craft Killer Content Strategy to Earn Links and Visibility Stop building links and start earning them by creating and curating content that is worthy of being shared. A successful content strategy is the fulcrum of your business. To succeed, your content plan must be diverse and creative, providing solutions and including hot topics that resonate with your target audience. But how do you start creating and curating the type of content readers and publishers can't stay away from? In this session, you will learn: * How to craft a content strategy that completely supports SEO, PR, social, and partnering strategies. * What it takes to curate fresh, useful content that will be consumed, shared, and linked to.

1. How to Craft Killer Content Strategy
to Earn Links and Visibility
Alok Jain
eZdia Inc
Co-CEO & CMO
Chicago • November 4–7, 2013 • #SESCHI @SESConf

2. Chicago | November 4–7, 2013 | #SESCHI | @SESConf
Why Are We All Talking About It Now?
“Content Marketing” is the new “Link Building”
Link building
Backlinks
Content Marketing
Content Strategy
eZdia quality content @ scale
© 2013 eZdia.com - All Rights Reserved.
@alokkjain
2

3. Chicago | November 4–7, 2013 | #SESCHI | @SESConf
It’s Mind Boggling!
$118.4 Billion will be spent on
content marketing, video marketing,
and social media in 2013
(eMarketer).
90% of consumers find custom content
useful (TMG Custom).
Companies with less than 10
employees allocate 42% of
marketing budget to content (CMI).
Content
Channels
Companies with active blogs
Receives 97% more leads (Content+).
78% of CMOs think custom content is the
future of marketing (HW Media).
eZdia quality content @ scale
© 2013 eZdia.com - All Rights Reserved.
@alokkjain
3

4. Chicago | November 4–7, 2013 | #SESCHI | @SESConf
It’s Indeed Mind Boggling!
“This blog post has been commented on 12 times, tweeted
22 times, and actually read 3 times!
Image credit: http://www.andertoons.com/cartoon-blog/2011/01/cartoons-for-content-marketing.html
eZdia quality content @ scale
@alokkjain

5. Chicago | November 4–7, 2013 | #SESCHI | @SESConf
Do the Current Initiatives Add Up?
Content strategies exist for some B2C & B2B marketers
91% of B2B and 86% of B2C
marketers use content marketing
(content marketing institute)
But NOT as many think they're all that
successful in executing the plan.
According to CMI’s latest report on benchmarks, budgets and trends
eZdia quality content @ scale
© 2013 eZdia.com - All Rights Reserved.
@alokkjain
5

6. Chicago | November 4–7, 2013 | #SESCHI | @SESConf
Biggest Hurdle of a Content Strategy?
goals
-Budget
-ROI
how?
-Resources
-Scale
-Internal vs.
External
what & when
-Objective
-Audience
-Type
-Marketing channel
eZdia quality content @ scale
© 2013 eZdia.com - All Rights Reserved.
@alokkjain
6

7. Chicago | November 4–7, 2013 | #SESCHI | @SESConf
What to create: Understand objective, audience, type of
content & marketing channel
When
Objective, audience
Daily, short form
Content types, marketing channel
Blogs, ad banners, social
media posts, infographics,
short how-to’s
Weekly, long form
Buyer’s guides, gift guides,
white paper, forums
On customer
interaction
Top 10/best of editorial lists,
product reviews, finders
On purchase and
just after
Product use guides, product
reviews, free trials,
testimonials
Customer
type/purchased
items
Product/accessories updates,
how-to’s, blogs, community
forums
eZdia quality content @ scale
© 2013 eZdia.com - All Rights Reserved.
@alokkjain
7

8. Chicago | November 4–7, 2013 | #SESCHI | @SESConf
What to Create: An example of eCommerce via search
channel
Search Query
Customer Stage
“gifts”, “gift ideas”
Awareness
“gifts for girls”
Research
“gift ideas for girls”
Content types
Compare
Decide
“gift ideas for tween girls”
“fashion sketch portfolio
book”
Action
eZdia quality content @ scale
© 2013 eZdia.com - All Rights Reserved.
@alokkjain
8

9. Chicago | November 4–7, 2013 | #SESCHI | @SESConf
Collect Data
start by identifying keywords/topics/themes to create content around
Start with a group of keywords
1. from your inbound search terms
2. borrowed from your competitor
3. keywords in your taxonomy
4. social trends
5. events & holidays
6. customer questions/reviews
7. contests/innovations
8. get creative! (Black Friday in July)
plug these terms into Google
Adwords keyword planner to get
keyword ideas
eZdia quality content @ scale
© 2013 eZdia.com - All Rights Reserved.
@alokkjain
9

10. Chicago | November 4–7, 2013 | #SESCHI | @SESConf
Take Inventory of Keywords/Topics
1. Eliminate any keywords that don’t fit
brand voice or campaign goals
2. Group keywords in specific buckets
and collect respective search engine
rankings & monthly search volume.
3. Apply Organic CTR to keyword
position & monthly search volume and
identify traffic.
eZdia quality content @ scale
© 2013 eZdia.com - All Rights Reserved.
@alokkjain
10

11. Chicago | November 4–7, 2013 | #SESCHI | @SESConf
Identify Content Gaps & Share of Voice (SOV)
Chart your SOV by keyword group
Define Groups
3 key categories & 5
tier I events for Q4
Find SERP
Apply Organic CTR
keyword group: tween girl gifts
vs
SOV
keyword group: gifts for kids
12%
30%
eZdia quality content @ scale
@alokkjain

12. Chicago | November 4–7, 2013 | #SESCHI | @SESConf
Create Content Plan
Editorial calendar depends on keyword/topic, content types, share of voice, etc..
Focus
3 key categories & 5
tier I events for Q4
Channel & ROI
Type of content
Onsite & offsite,
infrastructure/resourc
es readiness
Plan Outreach
Re-purpose content
for channels
Keep it Fresh
Content curation/
refreshment plan
eZdia quality content @ scale
@alokkjain

13. Chicago | November 4–7, 2013 | #SESCHI | @SESConf
How to create : Content creation is challenging!
62% of companies outsource their content marketing. (Mashable)
Content creators:
•Your content team
•Your marketing/product team
•User (& curation)
•Vendors
eZdia quality content @ scale
© 2013 eZdia.com - All Rights Reserved.
@alokkjain

14. Chicago | November 4–7, 2013 | #SESCHI | @SESConf
Content Marketing/SEO Forecasting, Investment & ROI
Scenarios
eZdia quality content @ scale
@alokkjain

15. Chicago | November 4–7, 2013 | #SESCHI | @SESConf
When you look good, NO need to be desperate for link LOVE!
Before we
continue,
please like us
on Facebook!
Image credits: http://blog.tailwindapp.com/importance-of-social-media-differences/
eZdia quality content @ scale
@alokkjain

16. Chicago | November 4–7, 2013 | #SESCHI | @SESConf
Links & Promotion
Internal & External link strategy
Internal links
External links
34MM+ likes
400K+
CPM based
Links (Zemanta)
eZdia quality content @ scale
@alokkjain

17. Chicago | November 4–7, 2013 | #SESCHI | @SESConf
Case Studies
Walmart: Black Friday
•2011 : was not ranking even for
“walmart black Friday” on Google
•2013 : #5 for “black Friday”
Walmart: Get on the Shelf
•“American Idol” for Products
•Over 5000 entries in 2012
•1MM+ votes
•Huge PR!
eZdia quality content @ scale
© 2013 eZdia.com - All Rights Reserved.
@alokkjain
17

18. Chicago | November 4–7, 2013 | #SESCHI | @SESConf
Thank
You !
Alok Jain
Co-CEO & CMO
eZdia Inc
Alok.j@ezdia.com
www.eZdia.com
@alokkjain, @ezdia
eZdia quality content @ scale
Image credits:
http://www.blastam.com/blog/index.php/2010/11/online-holidaymarketing-tips/
@alokkjain