15 Content Research Tools That Can Help Improve Your Results

Content Research Tools

Taking the time to think about your content, I mean really think, may seem like a luxury. But if you want content that resonates with your target audience and rises to the top of search engine results, you must carefully plan and research each topic.

But, this doesn’t mean you’re doomed to spend hours searching and bookmarking. There are a ton of content research tools that help make the job easier and I have captured a few of my favorites below to help get you started. Continue reading “15 Content Research Tools That Can Help Improve Your Results” →

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Why the Buyer’s Journey Is the Hero of Content Strategy

Travel

It’s easy to understand why content marketing has become so popular.

I mean, who doesn’t love the idea of attracting a target audience organically (ahem, for free) by sharing unique, helpful or thought-provoking nuggets of wisdom? All you need to do is spend a couple hours whipping up a killer blog post, publish it and watch the traffic and leads roll in. Right?

Unfortunately, it’s not quite that simple.

Continue reading “Why the Buyer’s Journey Is the Hero of Content Strategy” →

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Are Keywords Still Important in 2017?

Keywords

You say potāto, I say “potahto.”

A few months ago, I got into a debate on the topic of “keywords” that left me incredibly frustrated. Obviously, or I wouldn’t still be thinking about it today.

I suggested that blog posts should target specific keywords.

The person I was talking to said keywords don’t matter anymore, because search engines are so advanced they can now determine the searcher’s intent. They then went on to accuse me of suggesting old-school, black-hat search engine optimization (SEO) techniques like keyword stuffing.

Now, I don’t offend easily, but this last bit couldn’t have been further from the truth. So, I attempted to explain what I meant.

Continue reading “Are Keywords Still Important in 2017?” →

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3 Important Questions to Ask Before Launching a Business Blog

Launch

If you’re a business owner, there’s little doubt that you’ve thought about starting a blog. Blogs can help you attract website traffic, convert visitors into leads and build your reputation as an expert in your field. What’s not to like?

Yet blogging requires a significant investment and if you don’t have your house in order it can be a magnificent waste of time. So get your blog off to a good start by asking yourself these three questions before you write a single word. Continue reading “3 Important Questions to Ask Before Launching a Business Blog” →

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How to Set Up Your Blog for Success

Mountaintop

Business blogs are a great way to connect with customers and improve your website’s visibility in search engines. But there’s more to a blog than great writing. Successful blogs provide the reader with a positive, memorable experience. They are welcoming, engaging and they encourage the reader to linger, learn and share.

So before you hit publish, consider the perspective of your readers. Then design each of your communication channels (not only the blog) to meet their needs. For example: Continue reading “How to Set Up Your Blog for Success” →

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Word-Power-List

Word nerds unite!

Content marketers are writers. Whether we’re crafting short, 140 character tweets, copy for our next ad or a lengthy blog post, we love the process.

And . . . . we are always seeking ways to get better.

One of my fellow content marketers, Barry Feldman, put together this great post that summarizes a chapter on “power words” from a 30-year old book, then applies them to the work of today’s content writer.

If you like to nerd-out on words, check it out. It’s titled “12 Word Power Pointers for the Marketing Content Writer.“

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