Content strategy is the cornerstone of any website’s success. In today’s digital landscape, having quality content is indispensable. However, the type of content you publish will largely depend on the nature of your website.

For instance, if you operate an e-commerce website, your primary focus should be on creating engaging product pages, well-crafted category pages, and supplementary blog articles that enhance the visibility of your products and categories in Google’s search rankings.

This emphasis on content is crucial because many companies, individuals, and businesses struggle with determining what to publish when launching a new website or maintaining an existing one. Knowing what to publish is essential, particularly if you aim to generate leads, attract traffic, and convert visitors into customers. Precision in content selection is paramount.

That’s where Rank Vision comes in. Rank Vision helps you identify the most suitable content for your website and determines the optimal publishing frequency and order. The order of content publication matters greatly. Taking the e-commerce website example further, it’s imperative to establish categories before diving into product pages. But how should you approach categorization? Should you rely on traditional industry categories or delve into Google’s search data to identify what potential customers are searching for when looking for products similar to yours? This brings us to our first and most crucial step in the content strategy.

Keyword Research (KWR)

The first step in Content Strategy is to conduct keyword research. But what makes keyword research so important in SEO? Well, it helps you identify the specific terms and phrases that you should target when creating and publishing content.

Let’s say you’re selling a product, such as artificial grass. You want to know which keywords are commonly used by people searching for artificial grass online. It could be keywords like “cheap artificial grass,” “best artificial grass,” or “longest lasting artificial grass.” There can be various variations of these keywords, especially when considering seasonal factors like winter. As an artificial grass seller, it’s crucial to be aware of these keywords to attract a wide range of potential clients interested in artificial grass.

On the other hand, if you have a publishing website and aim to drive traffic through your blog content, keyword research is equally vital. For instance, if your website is new and you immediately target a highly competitive keyword like “best computer monitor under $200” for a blog post, it’s unlikely to rank well. Established websites already dominate such keywords. Therefore, keyword research helps you identify keywords that you can realistically rank for and bring traffic and visibility to your website.

Ahrefs for KWR

Now, let’s discuss my keyword research process. The primary tool I use for keyword research is Ahrefs. If you have a brand new website that isn’t ranking or receiving any traffic, Ahrefs is an excellent resource for determining what to publish. I simply enter a seed keyword, such as “artificial grass,” and Ahrefs provides me with valuable keyword suggestions. For example, I might discover keywords like “best artificial grass,” “best artificial grass for winter,” or “best artificial grass for cold areas with freezing temperatures.” These are the variations that the artificial grass seller should target to drive as much traffic and leads as possible.

The next step involves finding blog keywords or informational keywords that support the website and demonstrate expertise to both Google and potential customers. For instance, an artificial grass seller might focus on topics like “How to Take Care of Artificial Grass” or “Artificial Grass Maintenance” to provide valuable information and build authority in the eyes of both search engines and visitors.

Google Search Console for KWR

Another important aspect of keyword research, especially if you already have a website that’s been around for a year or two, is to utilize Google Search Console. Assuming you already have Google Search Console set up, accessing the “Queries” section can provide you with valuable contextual keywords. These keywords might not have crossed your mind before, but Google is ranking your website for them because it considers them relevant.

The information you gather from Google Search Console can be leveraged to optimize your existing pages and include those keywords. Google will provide you with a plethora of keywords that you can start optimizing for. This allows you to refine your content and align it more closely with what users are searching for.

Keyword research plays a critical role in shaping your content strategy. It helps you understand what keywords to target and optimize your website for, whether you’re selling products or generating traffic through blog content. By covering different facets of relevant keywords, you establish trust and authority, positioning yourself favorably in the eyes of Google and potential customers.

Content Planning

The next step in a content strategy is content planning or creating a content calendar. It’s crucial to know what to publish and when to publish it. If you’ve just launched a website, the best approach is to focus on publishing content with keywords that are relatively easy to rank for.

One way to assess the ease of ranking for a keyword is by checking the metric of Domain Rating (DR) on Ahrefs. If you find that many high DR websites are already ranking for a particular keyword, it’s generally not advisable to target that keyword.

Additionally, Ahrefs provides a metric called Keyword Difficulty (KD), which gives you a better idea of how difficult a keyword is. For new or struggling websites, I typically aim for keywords with a difficulty score between zero and 10. Keep in mind that the KD metric ranges from zero to 100, so zero to 10 is usually a safe range for most cases.

Another aspect to consider is the search volume of the keyword. Low-volume keywords are less likely to be targeted by every website, while high-volume keywords often attract competition from larger websites. A low-volume keyword typically ranges from 10 to 40, whereas high-volume keywords typically start at 200 or more. When starting a website, it’s advisable to focus on low-volume keywords to improve your chances of ranking and gaining visibility.

Publishing Frequency

The next step in content strategy is creating a content calendar or determining the publishing schedule. It’s essential to plan when and how often you’ll publish content. For new websites, I generally recommend publishing a new piece of content or a blog post every week. As for landing pages, they can be published right at the start of the website, showcasing each service or product offered.

To drive traffic and establish your website’s online presence, it’s crucial to have a dedicated blog section. I typically recommend publishing at least one blog post per week to generate consistent traffic and gain traction on Google.

By maintaining a regular publishing schedule, you can provide fresh and valuable content to your audience while improving your website’s search engine visibility.

Performance Analysis

The final step in content strategy is to assess the performance of your published content. You can’t simply leave your content untouched after publishing it; you need to monitor how it’s performing. One effective way to track your content’s performance is by using Ahrefs. Alternatively, you can manually search for the keyword on Google to see how your page ranks.

While Ahrefs is a valuable tool for tracking and analyzing your content, it can be expensive. If you’re working with an agency, I recommend requesting them to track the keyword for you. If your page isn’t ranking well for the targeted keyword and is buried on page five or six of Google’s search results, you can take action to improve it. Consider optimizing the page by adding more relevant content, images, videos, and other enhancements. There are various techniques to optimize a page effectively.

If your page is on the verge of ranking, meaning it’s on page two and you’ve already optimized it, added images, and ensured fast loading times, you can explore link building as a strategy. However, it’s important to note that link building is a separate topic and typically involves financial investment. For the purpose of this guide, I’ll leave discussing link building for a separate article.

Let the Pros Handle It!

Ready to take your website’s success to the next level? Don’t leave your content strategy to chance. Let the experts at RankVision guide you towards impactful results. Our team of experienced professionals understands the intricacies of content strategy and can help you unlock its true potential.

Whether you’re a new website looking to establish a strong online presence or an existing one seeking to optimize your content for better rankings, RankVision is here to support you every step of the way. We offer tailored content strategy services that align with your goals and target audience.

Contact us today to schedule a consultation and discover how our expertise in keyword research, content planning, and performance analysis can transform your website’s performance. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to maximize your online visibility, attract valuable traffic, and boost your business growth.