I’ve helped companies earn millions from content marketing over the last 5 years.
It’s an art & a science.
Grab a coffee, save this thread and dive in 🧵
From up & coming startups to the giants — here’s some underrated thoughts on how SEO & content can drive sales.
It’s an art & a science.
Grab a coffee, save this thread and dive in 🧵
From up & coming startups to the giants — here’s some underrated thoughts on how SEO & content can drive sales.
DON’T IGNORE THE “BORING” CONTENT
Most marketers go to conferences and hear speakers talk about the campaigns that generated 2M visits. These get all the buzz.
But what’s more interesting is the case study that earned $2M in revenue.
Most marketers go to conferences and hear speakers talk about the campaigns that generated 2M visits. These get all the buzz.
But what’s more interesting is the case study that earned $2M in revenue.
DATA DRIVEN CONTENT DRIVES LINKS AND PRESS
If you can get your hands on interesting data — You can quickly become a journalists best friend.
The key?
Find ways to make the data tell a story that is compelling, shocking, reinforces biases or is triggering.
Media will listen.
If you can get your hands on interesting data — You can quickly become a journalists best friend.
The key?
Find ways to make the data tell a story that is compelling, shocking, reinforces biases or is triggering.
Media will listen.
SEO IS AN INVESTMENT
It all starts with a long term mindset.
You need to be in a culture where the team views SEO not just as a nice to have but as an investment.
Some SEO efforts (competitor comparison pages) will drive ROI quick while others (glossaries) might take a while.
It all starts with a long term mindset.
You need to be in a culture where the team views SEO not just as a nice to have but as an investment.
Some SEO efforts (competitor comparison pages) will drive ROI quick while others (glossaries) might take a while.
THE SALE IS IN THE LONG TAIL
Long tail keywords are phrases that aren’t generic / overly simplistic. The search term: “CRM” is pretty broad.
But “CRM for personal contacts” is more specific aka long tail.
This is where gold can be found.
Long tail keywords are phrases that aren’t generic / overly simplistic. The search term: “CRM” is pretty broad.
But “CRM for personal contacts” is more specific aka long tail.
This is where gold can be found.
A long tail phrase with only 200 searches a month can be worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The key is to find them and then create assets that are optimized for that phrase and serving the end users search objectives.
The key is to find them and then create assets that are optimized for that phrase and serving the end users search objectives.
It’s easy to chase keywords that have 12M searches a month but that traffic doesn’t always lead to sales.
I once had an asset rank # 1 for the term “LinkedIn” — I’m talking above the actual network. It was wild.
But it did nothing for us beyond driving a ton of traffic.
I once had an asset rank # 1 for the term “LinkedIn” — I’m talking above the actual network. It was wild.
But it did nothing for us beyond driving a ton of traffic.
One of my favorite examples of a brand getting long tail search right is Masterclass. Here’s a run down:
https://twitter.com/TheCoolestCool/status/1265382628724740098
CONTENT ISNT JUST BLOG POSTS
We’ve published interactive tools that earn thousands in MQLs each month.
We’ve published comparison pages that earn millions in SQLs each month.
You need to diversify your content mix beyond blog posts. Most marketers don’t realize this.
We’ve published interactive tools that earn thousands in MQLs each month.
We’ve published comparison pages that earn millions in SQLs each month.
You need to diversify your content mix beyond blog posts. Most marketers don’t realize this.
Landing pages are the foundational asset for brands to create.
If you study the search intent of your audience and then create content that aligns with their desires; you increase the chances of finding success through content.
If you study the search intent of your audience and then create content that aligns with their desires; you increase the chances of finding success through content.
DONT UNDERESTIMATE UX
I made this mistake. You think the only thing that matters is the written word but the layout and page design matters a lot.
If someone is looking for financial info - the site needs to feel trustworthy. Design your pages for the users psychology & ease.
I made this mistake. You think the only thing that matters is the written word but the layout and page design matters a lot.
If someone is looking for financial info - the site needs to feel trustworthy. Design your pages for the users psychology & ease.
BACKLINKS AREN’T DEAD (YET)
When a site links to you; it’s a signal that you’re trustworthy and relevant to the content the other page is ultimately linking from.
Some people think backlinks are irrelevant but in reality; they still matter for SEO.
But the game has changed.
When a site links to you; it’s a signal that you’re trustworthy and relevant to the content the other page is ultimately linking from.
Some people think backlinks are irrelevant but in reality; they still matter for SEO.
But the game has changed.
Buying 200 links on Fiverr doesn’t work like it did in 2015 for SEO.
Instead you need to do things that are more strategic and thought out:
Create content worth linking to:
Tools
Visuals
New Data
Calculators
Culture Content
Curated Research
Instead you need to do things that are more strategic and thought out:
Create content worth linking to:
Tools
Visuals
New Data
Calculators
Culture Content
Curated Research
FIND HAPPY LITTLE ACCIDENTS
When you think about the most successful companies in tech, the majority of them have created cultures where experimentation is in their DNA.
The more you experiment the more likely you are to find opportunities.
Don’t be afraid to experiment.
When you think about the most successful companies in tech, the majority of them have created cultures where experimentation is in their DNA.
The more you experiment the more likely you are to find opportunities.
Don’t be afraid to experiment.
Sometimes your marketing experiments will flop and sometimes you’ll uncover accidental insights and opportunities.
These happy little accidents are where you can find an edge.
Shout out to Bob Ross.
These happy little accidents are where you can find an edge.
Shout out to Bob Ross.
SHERLOCK HOMEBOY METHOD
Good marketers copy.
Great marketers steal.
Reverse engineer the successful content in your industry by backlinks, social shares, traffic, etc.
Use this information to help you discover content-market fit.
Good marketers copy.
Great marketers steal.
Reverse engineer the successful content in your industry by backlinks, social shares, traffic, etc.
Use this information to help you discover content-market fit.
YOUTUBE IS AN SEO PLAY
It’s underrated because it’s hard.
But the cost to create video is going down and the skill set required to edit beautiful videos is becoming more available and accessible.
Embrace video content.
YouTube is the second most popular search engine.
It’s underrated because it’s hard.
But the cost to create video is going down and the skill set required to edit beautiful videos is becoming more available and accessible.
Embrace video content.
YouTube is the second most popular search engine.
The best way to learn YouTube marketing is to reverse engineer the success that other creators have.
You’ll notice things like:
The CTA to subscribe
Long form descriptions
Eye catching thumbnails
Do this and your own research.
You’ll notice things like:
The CTA to subscribe
Long form descriptions
Eye catching thumbnails
Do this and your own research.
USE TEMPLATES FOR SCALE
You don’t need to recreate the wheel every single time. Identify a content template that is built around the use cases that serve your audience and apply that thinking across multiple keyword variations.
You don’t need to recreate the wheel every single time. Identify a content template that is built around the use cases that serve your audience and apply that thinking across multiple keyword variations.
The person typing “convert USD to EURO” has the same goal as the person typing “convert CAD to USD” just with different currencies.
The same landing page with different messages across all currency variations would work here.
The same landing page with different messages across all currency variations would work here.
Ok. This is getting longer than I thought and I definitely have more but things are getting out of hand.
If you want more - Follow @TheCoolestCool and @FoundationIncCo.
Also happy to answer any questions you have on the ideas above.
If you want more - Follow @TheCoolestCool and @FoundationIncCo.
Also happy to answer any questions you have on the ideas above.
If you’ve made it this far you’re clearly a fan of content marketing so here’s one of my favorite threads:
https://twitter.com/thecoolestcool/status/1228010347690385410
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
