Blog and content strategies with Stephen Turcotte of Backbone Media
October meeting of Boston SEO Meetup
Food sponsor CookieOutlet.com, coupon offer code: BostonSEO
Backbone Media, started 1996, didn’t realize were doing content strategies
Content strategy
Taking something you already have, know about, that your customers are interested in and make it useful to them
Every strategy starts with a goal
- Who are your customers
- What are they looking for?
- Solutions?
The Balsams.com resort in NH
- What else could be done to drive new people?
- Campaign: Take your family to get your kids off the wii
- Keywords
- Audience that you want to reach: i.e. Mothers concerned about “kids spending too much time …”
Tibco: biz intel software
- Write about trends in software space
- Find experts who bloggers
- Use diff angles, leverage content already out there in Forbes, Biz Journal, summarize and then add your angle
- ID keywords, which ones are you not hitting
Creating content
Best when company can write its own content, but it’s hard to do, takes so much time to find something to write about, publish it, and follow upon the comments
Great bloggers tend to peter out after time
Thanks for further clarification from Stephen Turcotte:
“Lots of companies think they have people who could be great bloggers, but they tend to peter out after time” it would be more accurate to what I was trying to say. In contrast, a common trait in successful bloggers is that they maintain a strong commitment to listening, writing posts, and commenting regularly; month after month,year after year. It takes a special commitment to doing that.
Editor’s note: That is what he said, but my fingers couldn’t keep up. Back to our program …
Have someone relevant in-house, but clients know don’t have time to do it
Tie into Twitter and FB, get active on Twitter, push clients
Should be posting 2-4 times a week for difficult keywords, less if you’re in a niche
Planning
- Where see best bang for the buck?
- What topics can’t cover in the site but that are of interest to your customers?
- What’s relevant to customer in past 2 weeks, 6 months, 2 years: Example: Swine flu
Execution
- Think a little outside the box
- Have quality and be useful
- Don’t do what everyone else is doing, building content over time
- Be relevant to audience, even if you’re regulated, there’s areas of interest
- Talk about topics that affect your targets
Tracking conversions
- Help the company by creating a strong call to action, convert a visitor into a lead
- Get them into the blog: Can be tracked organically based on keyword
- Convert them to someplace: Really strong call to action: Go to form and fill it out, that’s a conversion
- 10-20 articles in second month, start measuring in months 3-5
Results
- Create a footprint for the business, goal isn’t to be the best blogger
- Publish where it’ll stick, get into architecture that will last, won’t disappear, going to keep it for 2-3 years
- Think of how much traffic can this content send to my company for the next 1-2 years
Previous SEO Meetups
About Suzanne McDonald
Hi Suzanne, thanks for the great summary. I think it’s all correct except for this one point that says “Great bloggers tend to peter out after time”. If you could modify that to say “Lots of companies think they have people who could be great bloggers but they tend to peter out after time” it would be more accurate to what I was trying to say. In contrast, a common trait in successful bloggers is that they maintain a strong commitment to listening, writing posts, and commenting regularly; month after month, year after year. It takes a special commitment to doing that.
Hi Stephen,
All set! Thanks for clarifying! Also, that IS what you said, just I couldn’t keep up!
Thanks again,
Suzanne
“Great content isn’t great unless people see it” How social is search and search is social with Stuart Foster of The Lost Jacket scout agency for Mullen Advertising
How social is search and search is social
“Great content isn’t great unless people see it” How social is search and search is social with Stuart Foster of The Lost Jacket scout agency for Mullen Advertising
How social is search and search is social
“Great content isn’t great unless people see it” How social is search and search is social with Stuart Foster of The Lost Jacket scout agency for Mullen Advertising
How social is search and search is social
That was an inspiring post,
Keep up the good work,
Thanks for writing, most people don’t bother.
Thanks for writing as well. Do subscribe so you won’t miss any future posts! Thanks again, Suzanne
It’s great to have an SEO meetup in Mumbai at last. I am looking forwar to joining your next meeting.
Hi there,
Just to clarify: The SEO Meetup I generally attend is in Cambridge. Do share what’s doing in Mumbia, would love to hear about it!
Thanks for taking the time to comment,
Suzanne
Yeah when you first start blogging you have tons of ideas and are really motivated, but over time like anything else you start putting it off more and more or running out of ideas and before you know it your last blog post was 3 months ago. 🙂
Thanks for contributing such a great point. It is tough to keep up the flow. Actually, this is a great blog topic. Please subscribe so as not to miss it.
Consider an editorial calendar
Doesn’t have to be fancy but a calendar with concepts jotted down can help.
Consider making your posts shorter
Try to stick to one concept, helps reader comprehension and is less likely to overwhelm them.
Keep an idea log
Nothing fancy, just a notebook or leave yourself voicemails if you can get to a handheld device.
Ask others to guest post
Perhaps a supplier of a product you use or would recommend. Also helps build links.
Please let me know if some of these ideas are helpful.
Thanks again,
Suzanne
I think your approach is very interesting. One thing we grapple with is how to measure the value of a corporate blog (in terms of ROI).Some blogs are for traffic. Others, for PR.Have you grappled with this issue of helping company’s measure the ROI for their blogging investment?
Nice post,
Great introduction to content strategies,
Keep up the good work
Hi and thanks so much for your comment. Currently most of our clients are primarily interested in traffic, but they realize it’s possible to build traffic and effective PR with blogs.
At this time, much of our client base comprises SEO professionals who engage Designated Editor on behalf of their clients because
1. the link strategy is already fully built out or
2. the link strategy effectiveness is diminishing.
This leads me to believe quality content is becoming a higher priority to achieve optimal SEO results. Organic results get more clicks, no?
Designated Editor doesn’t currently provide analytics/tracking to directly show ROI, primarily because our clients are already accessing that data elsewhere. To me, content and analytics is a right/left brain scenario: Firms that specialize in metrics aren’t so great at content and vice versa … unless you have the budget to hire a large firm, in which case, rock on!
We’re happy to build metrics consulting into our packaging, just no one has asked for it yet … hesitation reflecting tightened budgetary belts perhaps? Either you’re embracing new media doing a lot yourself or you’re observing and looking for best practices when you feel more comfortable to invest.
I’d love to hear other perspectives on this, so please chime in!
Hi and thanks so much for commenting. It’s so encouraging, especially on days when I have to carve out time to post,
Suzanne
You can create a campaign strategy to target specific groups or individuals who already have an interest in your product or service and are ready to buy. You can select unique keywords related to your product which will catch the attention of the major search engines which in turn will give your website higher ranking.
Hi and thanks for taking the time to share your insights!
I hear a lot about what everyone should be doing, what works in the field, sometimes, is entirely different, so I’m interested in your experiences.
Thanks again, so much,
Suzanne
It was a busy day at IMO Independent Mobile and finishing up vendor calls. and chatting with my boss before he want away on vacation. so I arrived at the workshop after the main speaker had started. I had also forgotten my lunch this morning.
I would like to thank you for the efforts you have made in writing this article. I am hoping the same best work from you in the future as well. In fact your creative writing abilities has inspired me to start my own wordpress blog now.
Stephen thanks for this nice blog, I will make sure that while making blog i will keep in mind these things which you had told.
Glad we can be a resource for you! Do post your blogging questions to us; we’re happy to help! -Suzanne
Hey there, full transparency: Stephen presented at the SEO Meetup; reporting and posting by Suzanne of Designated Editor. Sorry if there was confusion there -Suzanne
Is this a metaphor for SEO, Adwords, organic, blogging, audiences in general? The possibilities are endless, what does everybody else think?
We have a white house in the middle of an old farm; Sergio, the pest control guy, says we can cut back on his services if we change the exterior paint color from pure white to a dark color …
I recently came across your blog and have been reading along. I thought I would leave my first comment. I don’t know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog. I will keep visiting this blog very often.
Hi and thanks so much for your kind comment.
Thanks alot for sharing these nice tips
thanks for this wonderful post, Keep it up
Thanks for the encouragement!
Thanks for sharing your notes here. The thing is, a “company blog” for a larger company is very different than a blog from a small business owner. The company bog hires someone to write regular entries who considers it a job, and their heart isn’t in it. A small entrepreneur is writing what they live everyday – their company, their baby. Much different animal, and different rules have to apply.
Hi and thanks so much for sharing your thoughts. As with anything, I’d say it depends. I agree with you: It’s probably not reasonable to expect passion from a far-flung, minimally paid writer. Perhaps posts like that are the new keyword-stuffing? Shoveling out content that’s relevant but not especially useful.
On the other hand, there are key factors, to successful company blogs:
You might be interested in my Southwest Airlines post “Scattered by thousands of miles, but online we can be right next to each other” Employee Engagement & Social Media on a Low-Fare Budget -Southwest Airlines’ Millie Richter.
Meanwhile, Designated Editor creates content for many entrepreneurs, small businesses, and some larger companies.
What we find: The business owner or the marketing team faces a variety of challenges:
Launching Designated Editor as a small business provides a great deal of insight to the passion that enlivens corporate blogs. Like a great actor vs a B actor, we’re able to transfer that experience and “heart” to our clients’ online presence.
Perhaps it’s not who should be creating businesses’ web content, but is it the right person or team?
Please add your thoughts either below, or participate in Designated Editor’s survey on successful company blogs .
I am not new to blogging and really appreciate your blog. There is much original content that peaks my interest. I am going to bookmark your site and keep checking you out.
Hi there and thanks for taking the time to comment. Please do subscribe and pass the word to your network if you feel they’d find value here. Oh feel free to ask questions, spark some constructive discussions … -Suzanne
Great checklist! These are some very useful points to follow when working on SEO. My company has particularly asked me to work on the linking part; we need more links within our website and to outside sources. Are there any tips you have about this?
i think many of the latest SEO blogs I read have mentioned the appearance of hyperlocal in SEO. I was confused as to what hyperlocal could mean since it’s pretty well set in the industry that there is local SEO so what could hyper be………………….
Hi there and for your comment. Link-building isn’t my specialty; you may want to check out some SEO specialists’ blogs. I recently saw Nick Stamoulis from Brick Marketing speak; he’s a prolific blogger and speaks more to the broader SEO picture:
http://www.searchengineoptimizationjournal.com/
There’s a lot to be said for quality of links: Chambers of Commerce, as opposed to links from less established institutions; and don’t go crazy trying to build too many at once, and don’t pay for them! Google will figure it out and punish accordingly.
Good point and thanks for the opportunity to clarify! A good example of hyperlocal: South Boston, not just Boston. Boston Condos is a tough search term to crack these days, but South Boston dog-walker would be easier (in theory) and really, are dog-walkers going to commute an hour from the other side of town to pick up your pooch? Think not, so why not hire local, hyperlocal even.
When you’re talking about smaller populations, things change, but most big companies (think of when the post was written) are in industrial or urban areas, hence hyperlocal.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Most professional blogs would benefit from a well-planned content strategy. So, how do you develop one? Know your objectives.
Absolutely! Thanks for emphasizing that key point: start with keywords and build themes of interest to your target audience, then fill in your editorial calendar and get crackin!
Meet other local people who are interested in Search Engine Optimization (SEO) techniques and more general issues related to Search Engine Marketing (SEM). Gather and share advice and info on better ways to work with search engines.
One thing we grapple with is how to measure the value of a corporate blog (in terms of ROI).Some blogs are for traffic.
A good example of hyperlocal: South Boston, not just Boston. Boston Condos is a tough search term to crack these days, but South Boston dog-walker would be easier.
Good point, but even if your corporate blog is strictly for traffic, what’s really the point of doing it?
There have to be some underlying goals. Then measure. It could be as simple as brand awareness, in which case you use traffic as your ROI factor. How much would another awareness vehicle cost, say a billboard or radio spot?
Thanks for taking the time to raise a valid point!
Suzanne
Absolutely! Thanks much for emphasizing this. Plus, if you live in South Boston, are you really going to hire a dog-walker who’s based in Brighton or Cambridge? These days people realize they need to be specific when they search.
You shared a very valuable tip as a starting point for marketer bloggers who want to succeed. Achieving the ROI is inevitable if one will apply the essence of mingling with fellow bloggers and their followers.
Hi and thanks for your comment!
I agree and disagree:
Stick to your people, those who are talking about what you are, and you’ll be far better off.
Thanks again,
Suzanne
A small entrepreneur is writing what they live everyday – their company, their baby. Much different animal, and different rules have to apply.
Hi and thanks for your comment. Actually a similar comment prompted me to write another post:
Stemming from a recent comment on the post: “Blog and content strategies with Stephen Turcotte of Backbone Media at the Boston SEO Meetup”
… would love for you to check it out and please take the 1-question survey!
Thanks again! -Suzanne
I love your website – great job!
Thank you for a great post
Very good article, well written and very thought out.
It would be more accurate to what I was trying to say. In contrast, a common trait in successful bloggers is that they maintain a strong commitment to listening, writing posts, and commenting regularly; month after month, year after year. It takes a special commitment to doing that.
Cheers for this article, It was a fantastic read which was very helpful.
Best when company can write its own content, but it’s hard to do, takes so much time to find something to write about, publish it, and follow upon the comments
t would be more accurate to what I was trying to say. In contrast, a common trait in successful bloggers is that they maintain a strong commitment to listening, writing posts, and commenting regularly.. month after month, year after year. It takes a special commitment to doing that.
I like it, but people when it comes to SEO its all about content, backlinks and reputation. you see, google doesn’t want people to manipulate it, google wants people to be honest.
I agree 100%. Thanks for taking the time to comment!