Connecting the Dots: How
Writers Can Use Data to
Research and Rank
Andy Crestodina
@crestodina | #ContentJam
Strategy

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$$$
Action

Leads
Action

1. Topics

Actual Content Performance
Weak
Contributor
Weak
Contributor
Amazing
Contributor
Amazing
Contributor
Perceived Content Performance
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Weak
Contributor
Weak
Contributor
Amazing
Contributor
Amazing
Contributor
Perceived Content Performance
Actual Content Performance
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source: Moz, BuzzSumo
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source: Moz, BuzzSumo
Most content gets
no links and few shares
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...if you want to create content that achieves a high level of both
shares and links then you should concentrate on
opinion forming, authoritative content...
or well researched and evidenced content.

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...if you want to create content that achieves a high level of both
shares and links then you should concentrate on
strong opinions
original facts

The Power of Research
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Why publish research?
1. Numbers are credible
2. Owned by you, making you the primary source
3. The outreach can grow your network
4. Support the sales pitch
5. Research gets more links and shares than other content
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Why publish research?
1. Numbers are credible
2. Owned by you, making you the primary source
3. The outreach can grow your network
4. Support the sales pitch
5. Research gets more links and shares than other content
@crestodina #ContentJam

Why publish research?
1. Numbers are credible
2. Owned by you, making you the primary source
3. The outreach can grow your network
4. Support the sales pitch
5. Research gets more links and shares than other content
@crestodina #ContentJam

Why publish research?
1. Numbers are credible
2. Owned by you, making you the primary source
3. The outreach can grow your network
4. Support the sales pitch
5. Research gets more links and shares than other content
@crestodina #ContentJam

Why publish research?
1. Numbers are credible
2. Owned by you, making you the primary source
3. The outreach can grow your network
4. Support the sales pitch
5. Research gets more links than other content
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4,066 websites link to CMI’s research

Three ways to produce research
1. Observation: Pick a data set. Gather data.
2. Aggregation: Combine data from existing sources
3. Survey: Mass outreach and analysis
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observation

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aggregation

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survey

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source: 2016 Blogger Survey, Orbit Media
The typical length of a blog post is 900 words, up 100 words from last year
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Find the missing stat

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Sonia Simone
CCO, Copyblogger Media
Don’t take shortcuts;
they take too long.

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The Power of Strong Opinion
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The power of strong opinion
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The power of strong opinion
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The power of strong opinion
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The power of strong opinion
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The power of strong opinion
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List of Your Strongest Opinions
LOYSO

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What do you believe that most people
would disagree with?

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What do you believe will happen in the future
That most people think is unlikely?

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What question are people in your industry
afraid to answer?

1. Do original research. Publish a statistic that no one else
has published.
2. Take a stand. Publish your strongest opinions.
ACTION: Focus on power topics
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2. Relationships

Creators
Contributors
and “lurkers”
There are two kinds of people on the internet
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• Journalists
• Authors
• Podcasters
• Academic Researchers
• Event Producers
• Bloggers and Blog Editors
Who makes content?
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Marketers are now journalists.
And everybody is a potential source.

1. Mention them in your content
2. Ask for a contributor quote
3. Include them in an expert
roundup
4. Invite them to guest post
5. Deep dive interview
source: Online Networking Guide, Orbit Media
5 Ways to Collaborate
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An ally in creation is an ally in promotion

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You get what you give.

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It’s called ego bait

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How many people are waiting
for your article to go live?
Make sure it’s not zero.

Share and
mention
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Or just email your collaborators
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Shared!
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A few online networking tips...

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Rapportive
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1. One hour call on Skype, G+ Hangout or Blab
2. Monthly for one year
3. Bring a guest each month
4. Miss it twice and you’re kicked out!
Start a Mastermind Group
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1. What are you doing that we can promote?
2. What are you writing that we can collaborate on?
3. What are you doing to be more productive?
4. Do I know anyone that you want to meet?
Content Marketing Mastermind Agenda
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1. What are you doing that we can promote?
2. What are you writing that we can collaborate on?
3. What are you doing to be more productive?
4. Do I know anyone that you want to meet?
Content Marketing Mastermind Agenda
@crestodina #ContentJam

1. What are you doing that we can promote?
2. What are you writing that we can collaborate on?
3. What are you doing to be more productive?
4. Do I know anyone that you want to meet?
Content Marketing Mastermind Agenda
@crestodina #ContentJam

1. What are you doing that we can promote?
2. What are you writing that we can collaborate on?
3. What are you doing to be more productive?
4. Do I know anyone that you want to meet?
Content Marketing Mastermind Agenda
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Content should be
designed to attract visitors
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Optimized for search...
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Optimized for social...
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1. Actively network with content creators
2. Include them in your content
ACTION: Collaborate with others
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3. Link

3. Authority

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1. Know your Domain Authority
2. Target phrases only if your authority is in the same
range as the other high ranking pages
ACTION: Understand authority and competition
More here: How to increase your Domain Authority
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4. Relevance

1. <title>
Use the target keyphrase once in the beginning of
the title tag
2. <h1>
Use the target keyphrase once in the header
3. Body text
Use the phrase 2-4 times for each 500 words
Indicate the relevance
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We’ve been working on an intelligent model... that
understands real-world entities and their relationships to one
another:
things, not strings.
Amit Singhal
Google

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website copyright
copyright text
website footer examples
header and footer
website footer definition
at the bottom of the page
designing a website footer
fat footer
guidelines
standards
best practices
usability
content
ideas
inspiration
links SEO
sitemap
social media
navigation
purpose of
responsive
template
Semantically linked to “footer design”
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website copyright
copyright text
website footer examples
header and footer
website footer definition
at the bottom of the page
designing a website footer
fat footer
guidelines
standards
best practices
usability
content
ideas
inspiration
links SEO
sitemap
social media
navigation
purpose of
responsive
template
Semantically linked to “footer design”
@crestodina #ContentJam

@crestodina

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The Results?
Let’s take a look...

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Rankings climb for “website footer design”
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What was the search volume in the Keyword Planner?
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And finally, the traffic
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...and the links
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1. Find the words and phrases that are semantically
linked to your target phrase
2. Use those phrases within your content
ACTION: Adapt to semantic search
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Make the best page on the internet for your topic.
Be the best answer.

5. Rank

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source: “Determining the informational, navigational and transactional intent of Web queries” Bernard Jansen, et al
Online searches by type
Informational
Transactional
Navigational

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source: “Determining the informational, navigational and transactional intent of Web queries” Bernard Jansen, et al
Online searches by type
Informational
Transactional
Navigational
?
$
brand

Two types of visitors.
Two types of phrases.
Two types of pages.
Two types of conversions.

6. Traffic

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Rank ≠ Click

CTR by Search Position
source: https://www.advancedwebranking.com/ctrstudy/
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CTR by Search Position
source: https://www.advancedwebranking.com/ctrstudy/
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source
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source
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source: Klipfolio
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1. Setup the Klipfolio report:
www.klipfolio.com/contentjam
2. Find queries that underperform based on expected CTR
3. Polish up that title and meta description
...number ...emotion ...benefits ...etc.
ACTION: Optimize your clickthrough rates
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7. Conversion Rate

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Your website is the mousetrap.
Your content is the cheese.
Barry Feldman
Feldman Creative

Clear content
Answers to Q’s
Evidence & Trust
Confusion
Anxiety
Distraction
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They ask. You answer.
Marcus Sheridan
The Sales Lion

20x longer
+30% conversion rate
source: Crazy Egg
Answer top questions
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A great sales page
emulates a sales conversation.

Add
evidence
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Add
evidence
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Where is the worst place to put a
testimonial??

But never
make a page
like this.
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Remove distractions
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1. Answer top questions. Emulate a sales conversation.
2. Add evidence to every page on your website.
3. Remove distraction.
ACTION: Optimize for the conversions
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Hello, lead!

Create high quality, original content...

in collaboration with relevant influencers...

that organically attracts enough links and authority...

hat our search optimized product and service pages...

rank for the transactional phrases...

attracting targeted visitors...

to our compelling, trustworthy websites...

so we get new leads everyday.

Leads ...everyday!
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Create high-quality original content in collaboration with
relevant influencers that organically attracts enough links
and authority that our search optimized product and
service pages rank for the transactional phrases
attracting targeted visitors to our compelling, trustworthy
websites so we get new leads everyday.

CRO
Social Media
Research
Writing
Outreach
SEO
Analytics
Sales

T-Shaped Digital Marketer
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source: MOZ
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source: MOZ
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source: MOZ
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source: MOZ
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CRO
Social Media
Research
Writing
Outreach
SEO
Analytics
Sales

Creative
Friendly
Creative
Creative
Friendly
Analytical
Analytical
Friendly

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Great marketers are
creative, analytical and friendly.

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@crestodina

Why are we all here again?
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To learn. To make friends.

Why are we all here again?
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To learn. To make friends.

Why are we all here again?
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To learn. To make friends.

Thank you!
Andy Crestodina
@crestodina | #ContentJam