Category: Content Marketing

A webinar tailored to marketers and their needs.

We’ll cover how to get started with content marketing. The idea is for this webinar to be a part 1 – think of it as content marketing 101, 102, 202, 301, and 401 courses combined and simplified.

The content of our webinar is universal. It’s for both a 1-man/woman team super team OR within a large, fortune-100 organization. The steps and tactics are universal.

 

REGISTER NOW:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1F4mJcNRt1xZRh5wwfgTh9Huyma3WGo9knmWwQPH-vaU

 

Webinar Details of what we’ll cover:

    • How to come up with content marketing ideas
      • Go over what category entry points are
      • Provide a checklist for ideas
      • Create an example idea
    • How to setup a content marketing tracker (editorial calendar)
      • Some tools you can use to get up and running.
      • An example of just using free tools (Google Spreadsheet) and adding sum of our ideas.
    • How to determine content marketing success (key metrics/KPIs)
      • What platforms to amplify content
      • What metrics to track
    • Q&A

 

Pre-Webinar Q&A or any other questions:

shoot any questions prior to the webinar to info @ think endurance [dot] com

 

QUESTIONS ALREADY ASKED:

  • I didn’t get a link to the webinar.
    • Shoot an email to the info@ email above and we’ll get everything squared away.

 

 

Whether you’re selecting between an agency that only does content marketing or assessing a full-service agency with content as a core competency, here are some signs to look for in a competent choice.

 

1. Part 1 – Ensure they have a content brief template.

A content brief helps define style, tone, and voice. Our ENDURANCE content marketing brief has a link for clients to help them understand the difference between style, tone, and voice. A brief ensures creatives, writers, and other team members share the same tactical information about the content.

A content brief is a set of parameters that help guide the team. The assets created from a brief will only be as strong as the brief itself. You might have to guide a client through creating one in a working session zoom call. Even though it’s a bit of extra work, make sure you take the time to do it. It will save ten times the amount of time & resources on the back-end.

 

Download our Content Marketing Brief we send to clients to fill out. A content brief gives writers, creators, and other team members more details around what the client is looking for in the assets we’re creating for them.

This brief can be used internally on the client-side, or modify it as you see fit to use in your own agency.

 

Last updated: August 16th, 2021

Download: https://thinkendurance.com/blog/wp-content/filemgr/2021/08/Content-Brief-Example.pdf

 

We’ll post updates on Social when we update this document: Follow Us on Social Media Platforms…

 

Ensure Your Content is SEO’d

Google’s algorithms analyze a never-ending sea of factors to determine how a website should rank for a particular search term. That’s why it’s vital to partner with a content marketing agency that understands SEO and the myriad of changes that occur every year to Google’s search algorithm. Understanding the limitless updates to Google’s Algorithm is crucial to creating content that moves the organic traffic needle. It doesn’t matter how much you invest in your content if it doesn’t improve your ranking and resonate with your clients/customers.

The spirit of this content marketing guide follows our philosophy for producing compelling content that should:

  • Be relevant, customized, and well-researched
  • Exceed anything found on your competitors’ sites
  • Contain a superior understanding of the wants and needs of your target audience
  • Communicate a deep understanding of the focused topic
  • Be well versed – don’t just create blog articles; many types of content will resonate with your audience (e.g., infographics, ‘how-to’ guides, whitepapers, and many more)

 

Read Part 3 – Understanding Google Business Content For Optimization »

Yes, it seems a bit silly for local SEO or Google Business content to be something that matters when selecting a Content Marketing Agency, but it’s not. Think of it like this. Let’s say you have many locations, or your target audience is hyper-local. You should create content catered to that audience, and you should optimize the content on your site and in Google Business on a regional audience.

The best content marketing agency will understand the importance of content optimization for Google Business content and content with Local SEO intent within your digital marketing strategy. Original, quality content does the best job at producing organic traffic that keeps potential customers on your page longer to help you improve your conversion rate.

Even if you sell clothes or products across the country, ignoring local SEO puts you at a significant disadvantage. That’s why it’s essential to deal with an SEO firm that understands the dynamics of creating localized content. The ideal agency must first know how to find out where customers live and produce valuable content catered to them.

 

Read Part 2 – Ecommerce specific content marketing agency »

Read Part 4 – Selecting a Content Marketing Agency that Understands SEO Content Optimization »

Ecommerce Content Marketing Agency Samples

If you’re running an Ecommerce shop online, it’s essential to look at examples of content produced for that purpose. Content created for products and services is designed differently than informational content. For example, product content should include pricing, short description, long description, well-optimized images, and product schema.

 

Here are a few questions to get you started evaluating an agency’s past work for Ecommerce sites:

  • What industries? Do any industries they’ve worked with align with yours? Do you know anyone in similar industries that have worked with them?
  • How long have they been in the game? What about their team? Would you get the A-team or the C-team if you worked with them?
  • How could they help your company produce rich product content on your website that will also resonate on social media?
  • Do they have experience working with product category content vs. product content vs. informational web page content?

 

Most companies may present their breadth of Ecommerce experience on their website. However, if they do not, it’s not a sign to be discouraged. Some of the best writers work for agencies that simply don’t advertise their expertise level. It’s not the end of the world. Reach out to the agency you’re interested in and ask for the profiles on their content writers (plus any Ecommerce related writing you feel you’ll need to make a decision).

 

READ PART 1:  Play detective and do some research on a good content marketing agency »

READ PART 3: Local and Google Business Content Specialization »

Check Out the Content on Their Website and Social Media

Before you hire any content marketing agency, take a look at their website and social media posts. How are they doing with their own content? If you don’t like the answer to that question, why would you hire them to revamp your website, pen your email marketing campaign or organize your social media presence?

 

If you need some help evaluating an agency’s digital content, use this SEO checklist as a guide. In our opinion, any content marketing agency worth its bits and bytes should present a beautiful website with helpful content. Savvy SEO companies also link their content across multiple channels such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and their website. Feel free to check out the ENDURANCE website for a great example of how it’s done.

 

Red Flag Alert: If you go to a content marketing agency’s website and find poor-quality content, immediately cross them off the list.

 

 

READ PART 2 of Selecting a Content Marketing Agency: Pick an agency that specializes in Ecommerce for Ecommerce »

It’s time to dive into the ENDURANCE vault and share another huge inside peak and how we tell clients to format informational pages. Toward the end of 2020, we really want to help everyone understand just how important User Experience is, and laying out content properly really helps with engagement metrics that Google tracks.

Formatting a Landing Page for a Section of a Website

Let’s start by focusing on a landing page for an entire section of a website.

formatting content seo core webpageThis page introduces an entire section of your site. It could be a services page that describes the services your company offers. It might be more hierarchical and describing all the different kinds of cats you’re reporting on for a school project. Or it could be describing the many aspects of a particular topic (maybe the best features of a car).

We call this page a “core” page on a website. It probably goes in the main navigation and it’s important for users to know its’ there.

Here’s an example graphic:

JPG image of full content page layout example for core information pages

Laying out a Core Page of a Website

Now the core page of a website does not need to be laid out exactly like this example to reach #1 in search engine results pages. This is only an example layout.

TOP – Hero Area Content

hero area of main webpage

The Hero are really should describe the following:

    1. What this page is about
    2. Why this page provides value (or matters to the user)
    3. And how a user can learn more (or push to convert if applicable)
    4. Include H1 (think of this like a chapter title of a book or quick, one sentence abstract for a whitepaper)

Tier 1 Body Copy

Body Copy Layout for Tier 1 content

This might be my favorite part of a core informational page. This is where the storytelling really begins. This is where you can craft a narrative. This is where you can entice a user! Focus on what makes this page’s topic/focus unique. HOOK THE USER!

The Tier 1 Body Copy should include the following:

    1. Why this page matters! THE HOOK!
    2. Imagery (be sure to follow rules of image optimization)
    3. Lead with H2 tag [quasi optional]
    4. Call to Action (CTA) [OPTIONAL]

Tier 2 Body copy (Marketing Speak)

marketing copy for landing pages

Here is where you can push to convert. Hopefully, you’ve hooked your target, and they want to know more. This section could be your top three features explained with a link to view all the features. This could be the top three selling points for a user with a hard CTA. The pattern is three here. Pick three amazing somethings you want to convey and push to convert here.

Section should include

    1. Three important things! More information, marketing speak – they’re hooked, convert them.
    2. Imagery (include an image with each of the three points)
    3. Lead each of the three items with an H3 tag
    4. CTA the user here… it’s time with the flow of the content
    5. “View More” [OPTIONAL]
      • If these are benefits, features, etc. be sure to link to the next page (the deep dive on this specific item) and keep the flow going

Interstitial Call to Action (CTA)

interstitial call to action

Whatever the main point of your entire, overall site is… call it out here. If you’re selling products, lead to the shop page. If you’re providing services, push to a contact us page. If you’re a software as a service product, push to “request a demo.” This row/area of the page is entirely optional, but why not include it?

This section should include:

    1. Your CTA for the entire site.
    2. Great background imagery
    3. Optional h3 heading
    4. One-line elevator pitch – think of it like a tweet – get to the point

Tier 3 Body copy (Supporting information)

supporting content area - tier 3 body

Now we’re just placating to google search (sort of). The users will find value in this as well of course, but let’s add some content to boost our search presence while providing more information for user engagement. #ValueContent

Include:

    1. Supporting information.
      • Technical information
      • Statistics
      • User testimonials
      • Ratings/Reviews
      • Anything of value
    2. Include at least 2 sections, but feel free to have 4, 5, 6… even 10 sections
    3. Lead with H3 tags
    4. Try to include lists (ul/ol list items)
    5. CTA buttons or “learn/view more” are ok and optional. Be careful not to inundate users with CTAs

 

Landing Page Layout Example for Websites

This article is an example for people who might be struggling to make landing page layouts for core webpages on a website. We’ve tried to present many options in one example; the content itself is nested well and follows a progression, we’re trying to loop in customization, and we’ve got narrative + marketing on the same page. All while providing value and flow.

Is this what Google wants? We think so.

 

What about heading and sub-headings (h1, h2, and h3 tags)? How should I nest content properly?

We did list some of them as optional… the thing to remember these days is not to make sure you have h1 or h2 tags on the page in as much as your content is nested properly.

For example – DO NOT do this:

    • H1 – blah blah blah
      • H2 – lorem ipsum, lorem ipsum
        • H1 – blah blah blah
        • H1 – blah blah blah
      • H4 – asdf asdf asdf
        • H2 – lorem ipsum, lorem ipsum

This is not proper content nesting.

H1, H2, H3 etc. are all heading and sub-headings. Use them as such. You wouldn’t put a tertiary heading after a primary heading. Or a primary heading after a secondary heading. Nest your content properly.

For example – proper nesting:

    • H1 – blah blah blah
      • H2 – lorem ipsum, lorem ipsum
        • H3 – hehe haha hehe haha
        • H3 – hehe haha hehe haha
      • H2 – lorem ipsum, lorem ipsum
        • H3 – hehe haha hehe haha
        • H3 – hehe haha hehe haha
        • H3 – hehe haha hehe haha

 

Needing help with Landing Page Content

We all kind of need help 😉
Google is a black box. These recommendations really are what we’ve seen work + latest trends to get somewhere in the 50-60% confidence range. I think that’s the best we can do with Google. We really never know with any better certainty, and if someone tells you they do know with 100% accuracy, definitely don’t use their services.

If you need content help (content strategy, content marketing, content development, etc.) please feel free to reach out. In the least, we’ll give you an analysis you can take and do whatever you’d like with (complimentary btw).