content marketing keyword research guide

Kick your Content Marketing Strategy Into High Gearwith Seven Keyword Research Sources forSearch, Social & Mobile

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Krista LaRiviereCoFounder & CEO
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Kick your Content Marketing Strategy Into High Gear with Seven Keyword Research Sources for Search, Social & Mobile

Digital marketers in agencies and brands the world over are constantly kept on their toes. From trying to understand Googles latest algorithm changes, to the application of the next Social Network, to identifying the differences in the discoverability and engagement of content marketing across mobile devices the execution of digital strategies are, and will continue to be, ever changing and challenging.

One fundamental aspect of the digital marketing process however, remains unwavering in its importance keyword research. In fact, the execution of any paid, owned or earned strategy is fruitless without a strong, on-going keyword research component. And with content marketing at the core of digital strategies, keyword research is essential in order to create an engaging piece of content for a particular stage of the buying process.

The 2013 eConsultancy/SEMPO State of Search Marketing Report reveals that keywords and content have the Most Untapped Potential for Search Engine Optimization.

This How-To Guide will walk through Seven Keyword Research Sources for Search, Social and Mobile with the goal to provide insight into selecting the best keywords and content to focus on. The differentiating factors of each source are discussed, as well as how the insights from each of the sources should be applied. The seven keyword research sources include:

1. Related Searches from Google & Bing2. Google Analytics & Google Webmaster Tools3. Monthly Search Volume 4. Secure Search (Not Provided) Data5. Competitor Backlink Anchor Text6. Social Keyword References from Twitter7. Mobile and Desktop Discoverability


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The Six Ds of Digital DiscoverabilityDigital marketers require timely, accurate content marketing campaign data to drive decisions and continually optimize content and their web presence in paid, owned and earned media.

1. Which content marketing campaign is performing and which isnt?2. What are the keywords the campaign is optimized for?3. Which channel (i.e., social, search, email or mobile) is over performing or underperforming and why?

The only way to effectively and productively understand the answers to these questions is through data. Keyword research provides a data point to make a decision to optimize a content marketing campaign. Optimizing for the wrong keywords can be underwhelming for the brands web presence and even disastrous in terms of outcomes and ROI.

The Six Ds of Digital Discoverability walks through the importance of data. At the foundation, accurate, timely data will drive the best decisions in order to deliver the most effective services, which make the most significant difference to dominate and enhance brand discoverability in search and social.

The Importance & Definition of Keyword Research

Now more than ever before, there is a significant focus on content marketing in the digital marketing mix. And while content marketing is a smart investment, if a modern marketer truly wants to win by producing smart content (not just more content) then the content marketing process must include a strong and on-going keyword research component.

At gShift, we believe that approximately 25% of an Optimized Content Marketing budget and effort should be spent on keyword and competitive research.

gShift defines keyword research as the on-going process of understanding the words that prospects and customers are using in search and social to describe a brands product or service that they wish to obtain information on, consume or purchase. The best keywords to focus on in a content marketing strategy comefrom keyword research data.

1. Related Searches from Google & Bing

For every keyword searched on via the Google or Bing search boxes, both search engines return a listing of related keywords, which have previously been searched on. This listing of keywords is essentially Google and Bing saying, Here is a list of keywords other searchers have recently used that resemble the keyword you just searched on. This is valuable keyword data that can be used to create smarter content.

In Screen Capture #1 below, eight related keywords from Bing and Google are returned for the keyword barrie condo listings.

Digital marketers need to consider these keyword variations on an on-going basis and seek to understand:

1. The competitive landscape for each keyword (i.e., volume of searches and competitor content);2. If the brand has any content currently being discovered for the related keywords; and3. If it is worthwhile investing resources into optimizing for a keyword within the context of

the brands greater content marketing strategy.

Digital marketers should analyze this keyword data source at least twice per month to identify new keywords to monitor, optimize and create content for.

Screen Capture #1: Eight Related Keywords


8 Related Keywords

2. Google Analytics & Google Webmaster Tools

Both Google Analytics and Google Webmaster Tools are timely sources of keyword research data. Google Analytics is the most widely used website statistics service (Wikipedia) and combined with Google Webmaster Tools, they provide decent insight into:

1. keywords your web presence is currently being discovered for; and

2. content your web presence is currently being discovered for.

1. Keywords your web presence is being discovered for.

Screen Capture #2 below shows the Keywords Driving Traffic to this web presence from Google. In particular, this web presence has been found in Google four times for manhattan condos barrie, and three times for new condos barrie. This keyword data from Google Analytics is telling us that searchers discovered this web presence using these specific keywords. These keywords should be followed in gShift to understand what content (web page) is ranking in Google and how the content can be further optimized in order to enhance the ranking and potential for its discoverability.

Additionally, these two keywords should be integrated into the organizations content marketing strategy since they are keywords already driving prospects to the web presence.

Screen Capture #2: Keywords Driving Traffic from Google


web presencediscoveredfor thesekeywords

gShifts integration with Google Webmaster Tools (Screen Capture #3) shows you the keywords searched on at the Google search box along with Impressions, Click-Throughs to the website monitored, Click-Through Rate (CTR), Average Position for that keyword and Average Position Change.

Any unfollowed keywords such as Barrie Toronto should be followed to understand what content is ranking for the keyword. In this instance, where there have been 307 Impressions, but no click-throughs, a digital marketer would want to understand what content is ranking for this keyword and if/how it can be further optimized to potentially acquire traffic from these impressions.

Screen Capture #3: Keywords Searched on from Google Webmaster Tools


Both Google Analytics &

Google Webmaster ToolsARE TIMELY SOURCES of keyword research data

Opportunityto Optimize

2. Content your web presence is being discovered for.Keyword research is an important part of the digital marketing process, however content research should also be conducted. What content within my digital footprint is currently being discovered in the search engines that I am unaware of?

Screen Capture #4 illustrates content found in Google by searchers who visited each piece of content. This content should be followed to understand what keywords it was found for, its position in Google and where the opportunities are to optimize it further.

Screen Capture #4: Content Currently Being Discovered, Visited, and Engaged


CONTENT RESEARCH

3. Monthly Search Volume

The number of times a keyword is searched on is referred to as its Search Volume. This is a relevant keyword data point as it helps indicate the frequency and popularity of a keyword, as well as how competitive it may be for a brand to create discoverable content for that keyword.

In Screen Capture #5, the web presence is currently positioned beyond the Fifth Page (50+) in Google for the keyword barrie real estate and there are 1,300 searches per month on this keyword, whereas there are only 70 monthly searches for the keyword barrie condo rentals. The former is much more competitive and the web presence is not currently being discovered, whereas the latter term is much less competitive and is currently positioned on Page 2 of Google. The data is telling us it is likely a wiser decision to initially invest time into the keyword barrie condo rentals and to enhance its discoverability by aiming to have it appear on Page 1 of Google.

Another way to look at this is to realize the web presence already has momentum and a degree of authority for this keyword in so far as it has established Page 2 positioning. That being said, a longer-term stretch goal may also be to work on building enhanced organic visibility for barrie real estate or considering a PPC campaign to attract some eyeballs from the higher volume of search.

Screen Capture #5: Monthly Search Volume


5th Page; 1,300 Searches, Monthly

70 Monthly Searches

4. Secure Search (Not Provided) DataAs a digital marketer, it likely has not gone unnoticed that when reviewing Google Analytics data the majority of the traffic coming from organic search is coming from a keyword called (Not Provided) or (Not Set). In fact, upwards of 80% of most brands keyword data is now unavailable in this manner as a result of Google putting search activity under a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificate in 2013 to protect customer privacy.

Not Provided data is extremely valuable keyword research as these encrypted keywords are precisely the keywords searchers used to find and consume the brands content. So how does a digital marketer uncover their Not Provided data?

Not Provided insight data is now available as a keyword research source in gShift. By tracking and monitoring content from a web presence plus the position of the content in the Google search results, strong conclusions can be drawn as to which keywords were used by searches to arrive at a particular piece of content.

Screen Capture #6 indicates the keywords this Home Page is being found for in Google. Since gShift knows the Monthly Search Volume by Keyword as well as industry average Click-Through Rates, the number of Entrants or Visitors by keyword can be estimated.

This is keyword data that is typically lost!

Screen Capture #6: Estimated Keywords from Not Provided

[Read gShifts Not Provided Guide]

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5. Competitor Backlink Anchor TextEven with all Googles search algorithm changes and the crack down on bogus backlinks, inbound links do indeed still matter within an effective organic search strategy and proving the overall authority of a brands content and web presence.

The anchor text of your competitors backlinks are a valid source of keyword research data that is often overlooked. Insights can be gained into the keywords your competitors are attempting to optimize for as well as content a competitors web presence is being found for. Below is an example of a competitive anchor text report, which reveals several keywords which are not, but should be, followed to determine whether or not they should be incorporated into the organizations optimization strategy.

Screen Capture #7: Competitor Backlink Anchor Text

{...inbound links DO INDEEDstill matter...}

Keywords inanchor text


6. Social Keyword References from TwitterSocial conversations on Twitter are a great source of keyword research data as Tweeters must select their 140 characters very wisely. gShift has a unique software module, which allows for the tracking of a keyword in Twitter on a daily basis in order to understand the frequency, related keywords and related hashtags for any keyword that matters to a brand.

Screen Capture #8 depicts the frequency of Twitter conversation over seven days containing the keyword barrie condo. From this data, we can understand what conversations are happening that make this keyword relevant to focus on, create content for and socialize via Twitter and other social networks.

Screen Capture #8: Frequency of Conversations by Keyword

Additionally, we can understand the keywords and hashtags being used by Tweeters in the same tweet as the keyword barrie condo. These are keywords people are talking about, which can be incorporated into content such as blogs and web pages.

It can be safely assumed the keywords being used in conversations on social channels are also being used in Google searches and should be monitored and/or optimized for accordingly.

[Read gShifts Social Keyword Research Guide]

Twitter conversations for barrie condo
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7. Mobile versus Desktop DiscoverabilityMore and more people are searching via mobile devices including smart phones and tablets. With over 25% of all organic search traffic coming to a web site from a mobile device (gShift Proprietary Data), it is important to take mobile keyword research into consideration. For example, the keywords that content is being discovered for in Google from a desktop may not be found at all when searching on these same keywords from a mobile device.

Digital marketers require insight into the differences in discoverability of their keywords and content across devices.

In Screen Capture #9, keyword position data for content being tracked can be reported on from a desktop compared to a mobile device. Search geography or local search position data can also be reported on, as required.

Screen Capture #9: Keyword Position Data By Device & Location

More and more peopleare searching via

mobile devices...

How is my content and keyword rankingin google.co.uk in Bath on a desktop

compared to a mobile device?

ConclusionKeyword research data is key to implementing a strong digital and content marketing strategy. Keyword research must be an on-going process driving decisions about how to optimize content, as well as how to create smarter content on a go-forward basis.

As noted, there are many useful sources of keyword research, all of which should be leveraged and cross-referenced to establish a comprehensive list of keywords that will deliver value (i.e., qualified traffic and conversions). Keep in mind that not all keyword research sources are created equally and quality keyword data typically comes at a cost. However, this is generally a small price to pay relative to enhancing the discoverability of your brand by your target audience in search, social and mobile.

Contact Us to learn more about gShifts Web Presence Analytics Software and request a demo.

Socialize the Seven Keyword Research Sources to help others kick their Content Marketing Strategy into high gear:

About gShift LabsgShifts industry leading web presence analytics platform helps Brand and Agency teams efficiently understand and improve on the impact, engagement and resulting sales of a companys content across its web presence. gShifts software infrastructure has been crawling and collecting web presence data since 2009. More than 10,000 brands in 22 countries benefit from gShifts insight data and software as they optimize their time to improve the discoverability and the sharing of their content. gShift recently placed 29th on the PROFIT HOT 50 of Canadas Top New Growth Companies. For more information, please contact us at 1-866-743-5960 or [email protected].


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