{"id":7620,"date":"2023-01-09T14:46:46","date_gmt":"2023-01-09T14:46:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2023\/01\/09\/how-to-build-a-helpful-content-strategy-for-2023\/"},"modified":"2023-01-09T14:46:46","modified_gmt":"2023-01-09T14:46:46","slug":"how-to-build-a-helpful-content-strategy-for-2023","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2023\/01\/09\/how-to-build-a-helpful-content-strategy-for-2023\/","title":{"rendered":"How to build a \u2018helpful\u2019 content strategy for 2023"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Between the roll-out of the <a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/google-helpful-content-system-update-rolling-out-now-390047\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">helpful content update<\/a> and the <a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/improve-e-a-t-for-websites-entities-389799\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">emphasis of E-E-A-T<\/a> on every query and search result, Google is clear about the significance SEOs should place on good, valuable content in 2023.<\/p>\n<p>Given that, I\u2019d like to break down the approach, process, and resources my team uses to tackle content this year.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m not just talking about a content calendar, which is one facet of your content strategy. I\u2019m talking about using your audience understanding and your organization\u2019s branding to build a content system that provides genuine value.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_81 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2023\/01\/09\/how-to-build-a-helpful-content-strategy-for-2023\/#The_right_approach_for_valuable_content\" >The right approach for valuable content<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2023\/01\/09\/how-to-build-a-helpful-content-strategy-for-2023\/#Building_a_process_to_create_valuable_content\" >Building a process to create valuable content<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2023\/01\/09\/how-to-build-a-helpful-content-strategy-for-2023\/#Resources_to_use_in_content_development\" >Resources to use in content development<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2023\/01\/09\/how-to-build-a-helpful-content-strategy-for-2023\/#Qualitative_interviews\" >Qualitative interviews<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2023\/01\/09\/how-to-build-a-helpful-content-strategy-for-2023\/#Social_media\" >Social media<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2023\/01\/09\/how-to-build-a-helpful-content-strategy-for-2023\/#Google_Search_Console\" >Google Search Console\u00a0<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2023\/01\/09\/how-to-build-a-helpful-content-strategy-for-2023\/#Competitor_analysis\" >Competitor analysis<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2023\/01\/09\/how-to-build-a-helpful-content-strategy-for-2023\/#Moving_the_needle_with_helpful_content\" >Moving the needle with helpful content<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_right_approach_for_valuable_content\"><\/span>The right approach for valuable content<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The emphasis on quality and value in content is good for marketers, even if it shifts a bit of focus away from quantitative metrics like clicks and external links.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Producing good content will rely on a rich understanding of your audience, good fundamental content structures, and solid delivery methods \u2013 marketing skills that will always be relevant.<\/p>\n<p>Start with your audience. Who are they? What do they need? What content should you deliver to help them get there?\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Approach content like any other product or service:<\/p>\n<p>Find or understand a need and address it.<\/p>\n<p>Know the emotions (fear, uncertainty, urgency, etc.) in play.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s an example of a valuable piece of content that\u2019s rewarded with a top spot in the SERP even though the title and query aren\u2019t exactly aligned.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<\/div>\n<p>Click into <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdwallet.com\/article\/investing\/crypto-crash\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">the article<\/a>, and you\u2019ll see NerdWallet\u2019s helpful, on-brand approach to a knee-jerk question. They offer calm, informed content that gives context around the latest crypto crash and guides readers to consider their full economic picture before making any emotion-driven decisions.<\/p>\n<p>Developing a voice that addresses an understanding of problems is valuable, hard to do, and, most importantly, a competitive edge. <\/p>\n<p>Content that helps advance brand differentiation, as the NerdWallet piece does, makes it much harder for your competition to poach your audience by upping the trust ante.<\/p>\n<p><!-- START INLINE FORM --><\/p>\n<div class=\"nl-inline-form border py-2 px-1 my-2\">\n<div class=\"row align-items-center\">\n<div class=\"col-12 col-lg-3 col-xl-4 pe-md-0 pb-2 pb-lg-0\">\n<p class=\"inline-form-text text-center mb-0\">Get the daily newsletter search marketers rely on.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"col-12 col-lg-7 col-xl-6  pe-lg-0\">\n<div class=\"form-nl-inline\">\n<div class=\"row g-0\">\n<div class=\"form-group col-12 col-lg-8 mb-0\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"col-12 col-lg-4 col-xl-4 mb-0\">\n<div class=\"d-none\">\n<p>Processing\u2026Please wait.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<button class=\"btn btn-dark inlineButton w-100 rounded-0 font-weight-bold\">SUBSCRIBE<\/button>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"col-12 col-lg-2 col-xl-2 ps-1\">\n<p class=\"text-center mb-0\"><a class=\"nl-terms\" href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/termsofuse\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">See terms.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- END INLINE FORM --><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Building_a_process_to_create_valuable_content\"><\/span>Building a process to create valuable content<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The content strategy path I like to prescribe is as follows:<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Problem aware<\/strong>: Empathize with your audience by articulating their problem in a clear, differentiated way.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Solution aware<\/strong>: Present your audience with objective, detailed, valuable options for solutions to their problem.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Brand aware<\/strong>: Develop your brand\u2019s association as a trusted solution provider.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Product aware<\/strong>: Position your specific product or service as the ideal solution for the reader\u2019s problem.<\/p>\n<p>Following this path will:<\/p>\n<p>Drive increased discussion, knowledge, and education around the problem.<\/p>\n<p>Introduce new solutions that audiences hadn\u2019t yet considered.<\/p>\n<p>Position your brand as something transformative, unique, and revolutionary.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The problem itself will give you an idea for content that you can take into the research stage. <\/p>\n<p>Once your research is conducted, you\u2019ll have what you need to craft content and deploy it in multiple ways.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The flow looks like this:<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019d like to call out a couple of themes here:<\/p>\n<p>SEO \/ search analysis is one piece of the research pie. Google wants us to write for our target audience, not for Google. Dig into the qualified and quantified information that helps you achieve that.<\/p>\n<p>Truly useful content that isn\u2019t written solely for SERP rankings should be highly engaging on any number of channels and in multiple formats. Don\u2019t stop at a blog post, and don\u2019t just rely on Google for eyeballs.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Resources_to_use_in_content_development\"><\/span>Resources to use in content development<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Presumably, you know how to use Google\u2019s keyword research tools and external tools (e.g., Ahrefs or Semrush). I\u2019ll focus on tools that go beyond keywords to help you develop your content priorities.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Qualitative_interviews\"><\/span>Qualitative interviews<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Surveys are useful and often expensive if you\u2019re trying to reach an audience outside your CRM.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>You can get great insights if you can facilitate other ways to engage subject matter experts with the same professional experiences, challenges, and responsibilities as your target audience.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Slack communities, (live or virtual) meet-ups, and memberships in organizations like the AMA or ANA can provide on-the-ground perspectives for your content mapping.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Social_media\"><\/span>Social media<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Not all social media posts are created equal, but understanding your audience includes knowing where your audience likes to engage: Twitter, Reddit, YouTube, TikTok, etc.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Work those platforms to get information on what your audience is talking about in real-time, and you\u2019ll be able to see trends as they emerge.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Google_Search_Console\"><\/span>Google Search Console\u00a0<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>GSC can provide excellent insight into the performance of your previous content performance and give you data on what people are doing on your site and previous content. This allows you to see underperforming content <strong>and<\/strong><em> <\/em>top-performing content.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>For the former, consider what might be missing in the content you can address. For the latter, spin-off more content if the theme allows, do internal linking, and build deeper authority on the topic to establish a competitive advantage.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Competitor_analysis\"><\/span>Competitor analysis<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Competitor analysis, in this case, doesn&#8217;t mean just looking for keywords with low competition. It means assessing:<\/p>\n<p>Where your competitors are leaning in.<\/p>\n<p>What ground they aren&#8217;t covering.<\/p>\n<p>What formats they are or aren&#8217;t using.<\/p>\n<p>What angles they might be taking on broader topics that leave room for your unique point of view.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Go into your research looking for opportunities to stand apart rather than just copying everything your competitors are doing.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Moving_the_needle_with_helpful_content\"><\/span>Moving the needle with helpful content<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Taking this approach to content may ultimately change how you view content KPIs. <\/p>\n<p>Instead of clicks and impressions, for instance, you may put yourself in a position to report on leads and opportunities generated and influenced.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Along with burnishing your brand and helping build awareness, <a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/what-is-quality-content-251071\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">valuable content<\/a> can move the needle at every stage of the buying journey.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Google\u2019s heavy-handed <a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/what-is-helpful-content-google-387360\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">guidance on helpful content<\/a> might feel uncomfortable if it forces a pivot in your approach, but in the long run, it may just make us all better marketers.<\/p>\n<p>The post <a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/how-to-build-a-helpful-content-strategy-for-2023-391074\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">How to build a \u2018helpful\u2019 content strategy for 2023<\/a> appeared first on <a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Search Engine Land<\/a>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Between the roll-out of the helpful content update and the emphasis of E-E-A-T on every query and search result, Google is clear about the significance SEOs should place on good, valuable content in 2023. Given that, I\u2019d like to break down the approach, process, and resources my team uses to tackle content this year.\u00a0 I\u2019m not just talking about a content calendar, which is one facet of your content strategy. I\u2019m talking about using your audience understanding and your organization\u2019s branding to build a content system [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"h5ap_radio_sources":[],"cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7620","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-best-seo-blogs"],"featured_image_src":null,"featured_image_src_square":null,"author_info":{"display_name":false,"author_link":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/author\/"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7620","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7620"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7620\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7620"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7620"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7620"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}