Every search result tells a story of how our content should be structured, and what content types we should include. In this presentation, originally given at the SEERFest conference, I detail the different elements we should think about in terms of informing our content decisions.

1. SERP Analysis for
Content Strategy
Ross Hudgens, Founder/CEO

2. @RossHudgens
Every
Search
Engine
Result
Page
tells a story.

3. @RossHudgens
A story of
competitiveness,
of need, of
semantic fit.

4. Content marketing should align to
the SERP, in order to best match
every intent.

5. How about
“how to tie a tie”?

7. @RossHudgens
One way of
doing it… write
a basic blog
post… but use
illustrations.

8. @RossHudgens
Another…
video.

9. @RossHudgens
Both of
these content
types rank.

10. That said, who wins?
Those that do it all… quickly.

12. Takeaway:
You can’t guarantee SERP success unless
you have content that maps to each of the
elements the SERP is showing you.

13. How about
“flower quotes”?

15. On the surface, this seems like
a SERP that would want text or
a list of quotes.

16. @RossHudgens
Look a little
deeper, and
you’ll see
people actually
want images.

17. @RossHudgens
Feature higher
up on the SERP
=
higher priority/
importance on
the post.

18. BrainyQuote and Google both show “images”
of things people want to share.

19. @RossHudgens
If you don’t
create sharable
images of things
people can pin,
you’ll lose.

20. @RossHudgens
And not just
one… many.

21. Takeaway:
Proximity to the top of the page
(not counting ads) means higher
importance that be included/be great.

22. How about
“best headphones”?

24. @RossHudgens
To compete,
we don’t need to
publish every month.
But we do need to
QA and update our
timestamps at least
once a month.

25. @RossHudgens
Similarly, there are
only 3rd parties here.
You can’t be Bose
and rank on this
search result…
Users want
publishers.

26. Takeaway:
Use timestamp trends on SERPs to
determine post update requirements.

27. How about
“how to fly a kite”?

29. @RossHudgens
That said,
perceived “brand”
wins… even if not
a real brand.
Even if the content
isn’t good.

30. @RossHudgens
Sometimes, brands
can break these
rules, if they’re well
known enough/good
enough..
But you shouldn’t
rely on that.

31. Takeaway:
Brands can break the SERP rules.
As an SEO who wants to dominate,
you never should.

32. How about
“marketing automation”?

34. @RossHudgens
Further down,
you can find
many references
to tools.

35. @RossHudgens
Two to three word jargon terms almost always share this look.

36. @RossHudgens
Solve for them by building in “What is X?”
As the first H1 and/or title.

37. @RossHudgens
Make the answer under the H1 “KEYWORD is…” to win the QA.

38. @RossHudgens
For marketing
automation
specifically, I
would then
sequence in
resources and
tools after the
definition.

39. Takeaway:
Two to three word jargon KWs use
“What is” as primary elements. Solve for
them by creating a “X is..” structure or
making the post “What is” focused.

40. How about
“living room ideas”?

42. @RossHudgens
The largest number is 45.. so aim for 50+ to have a
content depth & possible CTR advantage.

43. Takeaway:
Analyze the SERP and aim for
“best in class” title+content
depth+CTR combo.

44. How about
“email marketing tools”?

45. @RossHudgens
Differentiate between
“inspiration” SERPs
which demand
volume, and
limited-curation posts
that don’t.

46. @RossHudgens
In software, most industries really have 6-15 truly good tools.

47. You can tell the UX difference
by the numbers being low and
no “inspiration” images.

48. VS

49. Takeaway:
Know when not to shoot for the
highest # on the SERP because it
actually removes value from your
content due to poor curation.

50. What can we learn from
Quick Answers?

51. Theory:
Google is A/B testing quick answers
to see who results in the least clicks
and/or most ad-clicks.

53. @RossHudgens
You can use best
practice, but you
are
also (possibly)
partially at
the whim of
who’s bidding.

54. @RossHudgens
To more reliably
win, whoever is
bidding on PPC
must be present
on your page, and
extractable in an
easy/reliable way
in the quick
answer.

55. Takeaway:
Look at the consistent bidders on
each SERP. Make sure they’re
included in your well-optimized QA.

56. Warning:
This is just an (educated) theory.

57. How about
“waffle recipes”?

59. @RossHudgens
On SERPs like this, Google is extracting
“quick meta descriptions”.

60. @RossHudgens
If you aren’t structured “quick”, you won’t get a
big meta and you won’t compete.

61. Takeaway:
Quick answer optimizations
aren’t just for quick answers.
They’re for meta description height,
CTR and better rankings.

62. This is just the
beginning of the
rabbit hole.

63. @RossHudgens
Every SERP is
a story, one
that can and
should inform
the exact
structure of your
content.

64. @RossHudgens
If you use that
story, you’ll win
more often than
you lose.

65. @RossHudgens
If you don’t, you’ll never show up.

66. San Diego, CA | Austin, TX | hello@siegemedia.com | 858.609.9118
Questions?