Why you should scrap your content budget line | BrightonSEO

Rebecca BrownBuiltvisible

Why you Should Scrap your ‘Content’ Budget Line

@rebeccagracebhttps://www.slideshare.net/builtvisible

© Copyright 2017 Builtvisible. All rights reserved. Private and ConfidentialRebecca Brown | Head of Content | [email protected] | @RebeccaGraceB

Are we paying too much or too little for the content we’re producing and

is it converting in the way we need it to?

Too much theory around measurement

Not enough tangible advice

on how exactly to forecast content

spend


Measuring Content: You’re Doing it Wrong

© Copyright 2017 Builtvisible. All rights reserved. Private and Confidential

During this talk we will…

Rebecca Brown | Head of Content | [email protected] | @RebeccaGraceB

Too much theoryDefine why you should scrap your content budget line

And…

Talk you through the process that we useto decide when to invest in content


So to start, why do I think you need to scrap your budget line for content?


This is what the best minds in our industry are suggesting in terms of measuring content marketing:

• CTR

• Visibility

• Whitepaper downloads

• Links

• Shares

• Likes

• Dwell time

• Scroll depth

• Views


• Keyword ranking

• Open rate

• Mailing list subscribers

• Sign ups

• Follower share

• Branded mentions

• Social mentions

• KW ranking

• Traffic

• Revenue

• On-page engagement

• Referrals

• Reach

• LTV

• New users

• Share of voice

• AVE

• Sentiment


And that’s just a handful of what’s being suggested…It’s a lot to ask of a 400 word blog post, right?


We are so desperate for our content to work, we’re tailoring convoluted measurement plans

to individual pieces of content


We’re picking and choosing how to measure


We cannot create coherent and valuable strategies, with that level of subjectivity when it comes to measurement



We have started allocating budget to content in its own right, completely unrelated to the channels

it’s supposed to service


Let’s take a look at why that might not work…


Again…here’s what I found when searching for industry advice on ‘how to measure content marketing’

• CTR

• Visibility


• Links

• Shares

• Likes

• Dwell time

• Scroll depth

• Views


• Keyword ranking

• Open rate


• Sign ups

• Follower share


• Social mentions

• KW ranking

• Traffic

• Revenue


• Referrals

• Reach

• LTV

• New users

• Share of voice

• AVE

• Sentiment


These are SEO KPIs…..not content KPIs

• CTR

• Visibility


• Links

• Shares

• Likes

• Dwell time

• Scroll depth

• Views


• Keyword ranking

• Open rate


• Sign ups

• Follower share


• Social mentions

• Unbranded visibility

• Traffic

• Revenue


• Referrals

• Reach

• LTV

• New users

• Share of voice

• AVE

• Sentiment


These are PR KPIs:

• CTR

• Visibility


• Links

• Shares

• Likes

• Dwell time

• Scroll depth

• Views


• Keyword ranking

• Open rate


• Sign ups

• Follower share


• Social mentions

• KW ranking

• Traffic

• Revenue


• Referrals

• Reach

• LTV

• New users

• Share of voice

• AVE

• Sentiment


These are social KPIs:

• CTR

• Visibility


• Links

• Shares

• Likes

• Dwell time

• Scroll depth

• Views


• Keyword ranking

• Open rate


• Sign ups

• Follower share


• Social mentions

• KW ranking

• Traffic

• Revenue


• Referrals

• Reach

• LTV

• New users

• Share of voice

• AVE

• Sentiment


None of these KPIs are specific or original


So what’s the solution?


There is a place for content...


It should be designed to service a channel, and budget should only be allocated for content when your forecasting and strategy proves

there is a need within one of these channels


This should tie that piece of content, directly to the performance metrics of the channel that it sits in

So if your content doesn’t impact any of those metrics, it doesn’t deserve to exist


Content isn’t a strategy…


It’s a tactic


Create content for the right reasons, within the right channels and only if there

is a proven need for it as a tactic


How exactly do you decide which channels need content, and how much they need?



“How much do I need to forecast for content within my SEO budget, to see an increase in visibility & revenue?”


A common approach…


Build KW list Expand Categorize Prioritize


KW research is a brilliant tool, but this alone cannot build search strategies

What you are getting:Volume

What you need:Opportunity


These are not the same thing


Volume tells you the potential for any brand


Volume means you’re just going

after numbers

Numbers mean nothing unless they

are realistic

A realistic opportunity is nothing unless it’s profitable


Opportunity tells you where the specific, realisticand profitable opportunities are for your brand only


Most importantly, opportunity tells you about the effort required and this is where budgets come in


“How do I know where the opportunities are, and how much should I spend on them?”


Start with your foundational research

Foundation

• Search behaviour• User intent• Consumer journey



Build your knowledge of the SERPs

Foundation SERP Analysis

• Search behaviour• User intent• Consumer journey

• What is ranking?• Why are things ranking?



What is ranking?


Brand

Publisher

Community

SocialInfluencer

Aggregate


Let’s look at an example from the financial services industry…


This is just one circumstance where KW research alone would indicate that content marketing is right

for you and your brand


But it isn’t


Many awareness terms deliver

brand-less SERPS


This might look like an opportunity to rank, but often it isn’t the most realistic opportunity


If the intent of the searcher isn’t aligned with a brand, or if they are looking for an impartial view you may

have a hard time ranking


Collaborating with those already dominating the SERPs may deliver you the highest ROI


Old content on the 1st page! Is there an opportunity for

you to work with the publisher to

update this?


Could you get a quick awareness win by getting

a financial advisor to contribute to this

content?


Sometimes it just won’t be relevant for you to rank, whether you have a blog or not!

Content marketing isn’t always the answer


But that doesn’t mean that there aren’t specific, realistic and profitable opportunities for your

brand within the SERPs


Why are these ranking?


Brand Strength

Links

On Page Engagement

Impartial View

Strong DA

Depth of Content


Let’s look at a hospitality industry example…


Maybe there just isn’t an opportunity for SEO?


SEO doesn’t = Google


Each of these aggregates should

be seen as another opportunity to rank,

another search engine to explore

and optimise


But it isn’t all bad for content production…


SERP analysis isn’t about disproving the need for content. Not only will you

find opportunities to use other tactics, you will find opportunities for content creation


We’re hit by another competitive view


Perhaps the SERPs for these terms are

slightly weaker?



Much of the ranking content isn’t on https…


It’s also pretty text light, and hasn’t driven

many links


The titles often don’t address the query precisely


There are definitely weaknesses we can realistically exploit, by creating better content


So now you understand why, when and how a user is searching


You also understand what is ranking, and why it is ranking


But we’re not quite ready to plan our budget yet!


Understand the effort required

Foundation SERP Analysis Effort & Tactics


• Search behaviour• User intent

• What is ranking?• Why are things

ranking?

• Potential gain• Proposed tactics• Time & effort required


Until you and your agency can answer each of these questions, you’re not ready

to allocate budget to search


How much traffic would this content send me?




How will traffic convert?





What is a feasible ranking for my site?






How many links will my content need?






How many links will my content need?

What are the onsite changes required for me to rank?



Understand the effort required

Foundation SERP Analysis Effort & Tactics Budgeting


• Search behaviour• User intent

• Potential gain• Proposed tactics• Time & effort

required

• What is ranking?• Why are things

ranking?

• Prioritisation• ROI• Budget proposals


To conclude…

Define the size of the opportunity, define the user intent, align this with the most relevant tactic and

then allocate content spend within your channel


Thank you!

Enjoy the rest of BrightonSEO.


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