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How to Create Unique Content to Boost SEO

Posted: 17 May 2020 02:00 PM PDT

It's no secret that the key to ranking well on search engines is to create high-quality content. Google has long stopped using keywords in page content as a way to determine if a website is a good result for a specific query. 

It's essential to make informative content that's easy to read and meets the exact expectations of a user who's looking for specific information. As if it isn't hard enough to make great posts and articles, you also have to contend with massive competition.

You could write the most comprehensive article on a topic and chances are that someone else has done it too. What's more, websites with high domain authority and a large number of backlinks are viewed as more reliable. This means that newer businesses need to come up with compelling content and approaches to rank well for search engine results. 

Doing so would mean free traffic and signals of trust as users often accept a top search result as proof of a business's legitimacy.

With so much competition and high standards to meet, you've got to do your best to create unique content. Let's look at ways you can make content that stands out in a sea of optimized posts. 

Conduct research.

No surprises that you need to do your research before you embark on creating awesome posts that make your readers happy.  Here are some key reasons why:

  • You need to identify the keywords your content can rank for.
  • Look at competing pages, their backlinks and domain authority and understand if you can rank above them.
  • Find related keywords and long-term phrases that your content can also target.
  • Understand how you can make your content better by comparing existing posts and web pages.

These issues need thorough research with the right tools. Reputable SEO platforms like SEMrush, Moz and Ahrefs are all great tools that specialize in providing data that assist your SEO efforts.

These tools will help you understand what kind of web pages are ranking for specific content. You can generate content ideas or explore a specific keyword to find out what other keywords are related to it. Knowing more about your keyword and related terms will help you build your content around what people are looking for. 

You'll get insights on the kind of questions people are asking and whether there's a "content gap." Content gaps provide you with the opportunity to help your own post rank higher. If a currently top-ranked post is not updated, misses details, or is not entirely user-friendly, you have a huge opportunity on your hands. 

Doing research will bring these opportunities to the surface and help you build more unique content that also ranks well for SEO reasons. 

Find a new angle.

We've already looked at how you can do research and find content gaps. Just providing more updated information with links in the content that works, or adding missing information can help you create fresher and stronger content.

Now, let's dig in and check out another way to make unique content.

By finding an angle. 

Take an opposing viewpoint.

An interesting way to create unique content is to take the opposing viewpoint on a popular belief or opinion. If a completely opposite approach is not possible, then provide unusual applications for a specific technique. 

Here's an example by Tim Suolo who teaches the "Blogging for Business" course on Ahrefs. He posits that blogging to get traffic is a pretty useless goal on its own. This is quite in opposition to the popular belief that a major goal of blogging is to simply get more site visitors. 

Tim suggests that blogging needs to create conversions or it doesn't really serve your business. 

This is an interesting take on a popular notion which needs to be backed up by solid arguments. When you have an interesting position on a subject, you're bound to get attention which can lead to better performance by your post. 

Apply different contexts.

Another way to create unique content is to apply an idea to different contexts. For example, a post on how to create epic content marketing strategies for businesses can be made into more specific articles. "How to create blog posts that engage for nonprofit businesses" and "5 Ways to create a video for your online courses" are a few ideas. 

It's clear that there are a number of variations that can be made from a single topic. As an added benefit, specific content means that you'll likely draw readers who actually care about your content. This means that you have a better chance of creating conversions.

Get personal.

Another way to make content unique is to give it a personal touch. You can do this by sharing your personal experience in relation to the topic and what you know.

Creating content from your personal experience can add anecdotal data. It also makes you relatable, which can trigger conversations and more engagement. 

Another reason why making content personal is helpful is that it leverages the power of emotions. A study on the virality of content shows that emotion plays a key factor in what makes a post go viral. Positive and uplifting content is more viral than negatively charged material. Posts that have emotional complexity also do well in getting shares. 

When making content, try to speak from a personal point of view. Feature your experiences and that of people close to you such as your partners and employees. In this way, you'll make unique content that has tangible value, i.e., more social media engagement.

Add data

A powerful way to make your content powerful and unique is to add data in the form of reports, case studies or interviews. Data makes your content trustworthy and it can offer compelling reasons why users should listen to you, buy a product or subscribe. Here are a few data content formats that will enrich your posts. 

Case studies

The content becomes more valuable and insightful when you use a case study to illuminate difficult topics. A look at statistics on digital marketing says that case studies and testimonials are the most effective content marketing tactics a business can use.  

A case study often involves a customer success story, statistics and other hard data, as well as clear examples of your product's use. Using case studies can make your content educational and interesting. It makes your business and solutions appear real. 

Since your case study will be unique, it also makes your content piece different from any other post around.  

Interviews

Adding transcripts of an interview with experts is a unique and powerful way to boost the effectiveness of your writing. 

You're using different expert sources which means you'll get new and varied perspectives. You can also use this type of content to get more attention by sharing the post on social media and tagging the people interviewed. They can share the post with their followers and social groups to increase engagement. 

Surveys and poll results

Another way to add data is if you share a survey or poll results. If you have a large follower-base or belong to a group where the members are interested in a specific topic, then you can create surveys to get ideas on a topic.

You can also create polls to get opinions on industry problems, trends, and more. This method of adding data may not be as methodical as a proper study, but it nevertheless offers interesting insights that may be the beginning of solid research. 

Aside from the ideas given here, building white papers and reports in themselves are very unique. You could support or question current themes in your field with the help of these studies.  

Repurpose your content.

Making content in different formats is another way to make unique content. Do research to find out if searching for a specific topic results in only text posts; here's your chance to make a helpful video.

Making content in different formats makes it easier and more likely to get your material shown as a top search result. This is especially true if the subject needs visual and audio explanations.

Your audience will also have preferences for certain types of content. Some people prefer to watch a video rather than read. In many cases, the environment and situation will dictate the type of content they'll consume. 

If they're commuting, then a podcast will be easier to use. If they're using their smartphones, a video will be helpful since it's easier to see on a small screen. 

When you repurpose content into different formats, you're providing people with options. You're also increasing the chances of getting pushed to the top of search rankings since search engines try to offer varied results.  

It's challenging to create unique content when you're competing with other great brands who also make quality posts, videos and podcasts. 

However, there's always a way to create value and to stand out from the crowd. And we've just explored a few of these options. 

The next time you're wondering how to craft a great post or share something new, you'll know what to do. Now, over to you.  

 

How to Improve Your Email Drip Campaign

Posted: 17 May 2020 01:00 PM PDT

There are plenty of ways to use email marketing to grow your small business. The ability to communicate with your customers and prospects with personalized emails allows for plenty of marketing flexibility. 

If implemented correctly, it's possible to use email to skyrocket your conversions, leads, and website traffic. You have probably heard about a million different ways you can change your email campaign for more growth. 

Today we are going to talk about one specific aspect of email marketing called drip campaigns. We will start by explaining what drip campaigns are, and then we are going to look at how you can use this strategy to grow your business. 

Essentially, a drip campaign is a series of emails you send out to your audience over days, weeks, or months. The goal is to convince the subscriber to take action by downloading a lead magnet, taking advantage of an offer, or otherwise engaging with your company. 

The name comes from the idea that you are dripping content to your followers with the hopes of getting them to complete a pre-determined action.

Let's say you want to turn an email subscriber who has never bought something from your website into a customer. You would send out a series of emails that touch on points that the consumer finds essential. At the end of your drip, you may send an email that attempts to close the deal while offering the consumer a deal that's too good to pass up. 

Now that you know the definition of an email drip campaign let's look at some of the ways you can improve your strategy today. 

Explore customer pain points and goals

Before you start blasting out drip emails, you need to spend some time understanding your target audience. You can reach your goals and create more diverse drip campaigns when you take some time to dive into the pain points and goals of your customers. 

There are so many brands out there today. It is hard for consumers to decide which company they should turn to when they have questions or concerns. Generally, people want to communicate with brands that "get" them. Also, companies that go out of their way to please their customers tend to have plenty of actionable data on how they can continue finding success. 

The first thing you need to do is create customer personas for the people that visit your website the most. Your total number of personas will vary depending on your industry, product selection, and brand reach. 

You will want to pull analytics information from your website, social media, and email, and combine that information with customer feedback to learn more about the problems your customers are facing. 

If you don't have enough actionable data, take to social media, and talk to your target audience. Over 3 billion people use social media across all platforms, so it's a safe bet that you'll be able to find, engage, and build rapport with your audience by having a greater understanding of their goals and pain points. 

Segment and personalize several lists

Next, let's talk about what you should do once you start building several customer persona profiles. Segmentation in marketing is the process of dividing your customers up by their behavior on your site, preferences, or activity level. 

Don't feel like you can't create several different segmented lists for various campaigns. Your customers all have unique needs and wants, and creating campaigns to attract each segment is normal. For example, you might create a drip campaign designed to re-engage customers that bought something from your store, but hasn't opened an email or visited your site in months. 

Similarly, you can target brand new subscribers by sending out a welcome email series. Welcome emails tend to see the highest open rate, with an average rate of 82%. 

Personalization goes hand in hand with segmentation. The degree of customization you use will depend on your marketing goals and how well you know your target audience. Some brands only go as far as to make general profiles for their audience, limiting personalization possibilities. 

It's important to note that creating a deep level of individualized personalization will increase conversions and sales. One study found that by personalizing emails with the subscriber's first name, it increased open rates by 26%. 

Nurture, nurture, nurture 

Next, let's talk about the content of your emails. If you don't have a headline and content that catches the attention of your readers, you are going to have a hard time mastering drip campaigns. 

The key to getting more engagement is to make sure you're properly nurturing your leads. Earlier, we mentioned the value of understanding pain points and goals, well, that's where this information comes in handy. 

Subscribers are not likely to open an email if the message doesn't deeply resonate with their goals or personal values. Implement segmentation and personalization with your detailed customer personas to create content that speaks to your segments. 

For instance, the owner of an online pet store would likely create campaigns for people with different animals, so they can adequately nurture their needs. A dog owner wouldn't benefit from an email with tips for taking care of a cat, right? 

The more time you spend nurturing your target audience, the more they will trust your brand and likely shift from consumer to customer. 

Seal the deal with a winning CTA

The final tip we have for you today deals with your call to action or CTA. At the end of your drip campaigns, your goal is to convince the consumer to take action by clicking your CTA. If your call to the customer to take action doesn't spark their interest, your campaign numbers will dwindle. 

Make sure you are taking steps to secure more consumers by creating an engaging and highly visible CTA.  

One of the ways you can improve performance requires you to split test different elements of your button. Changing the text that prompts the consumer to take action, and the color of your button can have a massive impact on performance. One company found that changing to a red CTA button resulted in 21% more engagement compared to emails with green buttons. 

Experimentation is great for determining what works best for your target audience. 

It's vital that you measure your results against past campaigns where you used a different call to action. Obviously, this is impossible if you are starting your first email marketing campaign. But as your business grows, start experimenting with different CTAs to see if you can manage to get different responses based on changes you've made. 

Every business is different, but when you spend the time to get to know your customers, you'll have a much easier time creating educational and engaging drip campaigns. 

The tips we provided here are excellent for people that want to revise their current campaign or start from scratch for the first time. You'll find that by using these expert-level tips, you'll have no problem growing your business with email marketing. 

We hope that you'll use drip campaigns to build stronger bonds with your audience while creating personalized content to keep them engaged with your brand. You can see rapid growth if you keep at it and find new ways to improve and fine-tune your email strategy. 

 
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