Data analysis is the process of discovering information from a collection of data. It helps you optimize your content as well as generate new ideas for things to sell and more. Here are 4 ways it can help you in 2018
Business analytics is a method of gathering data to help you make decisions and optimize your content. The 4 ways that business analytics can help you generate new ideas and optimize your content are by analyzing the customer journey, using predictive analysis, understanding how much time people spend on your website and what they’re doing while they’re there, and measuring the success of campaigns. Read more in detail here: what is business analytics.
As a brand blog or website becomes older, coming up with fresh content ideas might be tough. While many search marketers currently use keyword tools to determine what sort of content their audiences want, going a step further and analyzing what people are asking, as well as your rivals’ material, may help you uncover new themes.
Ashley Segura, co-founder of TopHatContent, spoke at SMX Next on how she utilizes data analysis to come up with content ideas, find methods to enhance current material, and figure out why your rivals are outranking you so you can narrow the gap.
Conduct a gap analysis of the material.
“By looking at a competitor, you’ll be able to see where your present material is truly missing the point,” Segura said. While there are a variety of tools that may be utilized to do this, Segura used Semrush’s keyword gap tool in her examples.
To begin, marketers should enter three to five rivals into their preferred keyword/content gap tool to discover what their competitors are ranking for that they might possibly rank for as well, or to uncover content that they are presently overlooking.
Ashley Segura is the photographer for this image.
You may filter out data you don’t need (like branded keywords) and focus in on more important elements, like search traffic, by exporting this data to a Google Sheet.
“We’re really looking for keywords that the rivals are ranking for in the top two to five pages of SERPs [search engine results pages], because those are the ones where you can come in with a fresh piece of content and outrank them,” she said.
When looking for content possibilities in this manner, marketers should remember that “the optimum blend is high [search] volume with a low term density score,” according to Segura.
Investigate your content subjects in light of the questions that visitors are asking.
“Using the data to come up with subject ideas is a wonderful place to start,” Segura said, “but then you need to utilize the data to make sure you’re covering all there is to know about that issue.”
Marketers may discover angles to approach the content using a subject research tool (Segura utilized Semrush’s tool for her examples).
Ashley Segura is the photographer for this image.
The subject research tool will generate cards with related terms to your topic. The “Questions” part of the card in Semrush’s tool displays what people are asking about the term in question.
Ashley Segura is the photographer for this image.
“This [information] is fantastic when you’re trying to figure out what information you need to put in this new piece of content,” Segura said, adding that these questions may also provide you with other content ideas.
The second step is to look at what’s already out there. The Headlines part of Semrush’s tool may show you the top 10 articles that are ranking for your term. You may also do a search (for example, on Google or Bing) and study the results pages.
Examining the headlines might show trends that you can use in your own material. “There’s a reason it’s ranking high if three out of ten of the headlines have this adjective, ‘juicy,’ added to it,” she said. “So, by include this precise adjective in your piece of content, people will be more inclined to click on it, and it’s reasonable to believe that it worked for these top-ten items.”
It’s also a good idea to assess rivals’ layout, usage of pictures and videos, and structure in addition to their headlines. You may then apply what you’ve learned to improve your own content and optimizations.
Analyze the content of your competitors.
A rival content analysis may assist you understand their content success beyond what’s on their sites.
Ashley Segura is the photographer for this image.
Segura suggests extracting data from your rivals’ top 10 to 15 pieces of content using the tool of your choice and then putting it into a separate spreadsheet to aggregate the important data.
“You’re looking at the URL [and] page title of a rival.” What is the keyword that is being targeted? What is the volume of keywords? What was the length of the content? “What type of backlinks did they get?” she said, advising marketers to create separate columns in their spreadsheet to track this data.
“One of the most essential things is whether there is a comparable URL,” she said, “basically, is there already a similar piece of material published on our client or brand site?” Is there anything about this issue where we’re actually competing with them?”
Create a suggestions column in your spreadsheet using the information you’ve gathered, and then add actionable insights to it so that you and your stakeholders know how to proceed with that specific piece of content. This might assist you fill up your editorial schedule by looking at the material of your rivals.
Make your material more structured by using data.
Keyword research tools may also help you improve your content by identifying themes that your audience might be interested in. These issues might sometimes warrant their own page, but if they’re not quite complex enough, Segura suggests using headers inside your related material to cover them.
Ashley Segura is the photographer for this image.
“You also want to find top keywords and often used terms that are important to [your subject],” she added, adding that this should only be done when secondary keywords complement the primary keyword. Jump links may also help you enhance your UX by enabling visitors to go straight to the portions that are most relevant to them, according to her.
The advantages of your rivals may also be advantageous to you.
“There’s a reason why your rivals are outranking you, why they’re receiving a lot of traffic for [their material], and it may be because you’re missing critical bits of information,” Segura said. Examining their material to determine what components are lacking may help you bridge the gap, and conducting these audits on a regular basis can help you keep your content current.
Here’s where you can see the whole SMX Next presentation (free registration required).
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Author Biography
SagaReach Marketing’s George Nguyen is an editor who focuses on organic search, podcasting, and e-commerce. He has a journalistic and content marketing background. He worked as a radio presenter, writer, podcast host, and public school teacher before joining the sector.
Related Tags
- marketing analytics
- predictive analytics