Content Marketing World is part of the Informa Connect Division of Informa PLC
This site is operated by a business or businesses owned by Informa PLC and all copyright resides with them. Informa PLC’s registered office is 5 Howick Place, London SW1P 1WG. Registered in England and Wales. Number 3099067.
A2: Social is jelly, SEO is peanut butter, & content marketing is the bread that holds it all together 🙂 http://t.co/NN669hChzT #CMWorld
— Lee Odden (@leeodden) July 9, 2013
As Lee Odden (@LeeOdden) aptly stated in our recent #cmworld Tweet chat, content marketing, search and social all work together. But how? Read on to get the details from our latest chat on search, social and content marketing. Or you can check out the CMI Blog post covering this topic:Â Where Search, Social Media Content, and Content Marketing Meet
Our #CMWorld Tweet chats are on Tuesdays at 12:00 EST. See the schedule of upcoming topics and speakers.
A1: People come first. #CMWorld  WOMMA @WOMMA
@cmicontent Content should have a purpose, a target audience and a measurable objective. #CMWorld MCC @MelClarkMkt
A1: Know your audience, what is going to resonate whether that be how you or what you say #CMWorld Brandie McCallum @lttlewys
@CMIContent A1 Content should be share-able, easily digestible, readily discovered (search) and relevant. #cmworld
A1: With any content, 1) What is your objective, 2) Who is Your Audience, 3) What’s the call to action? among others… #cmworld
@joepulizzi Ohh, the Call to Action, good call, that should be high on the list!! #CMWorld Brandie McCallum @lttlewys
A1 People search like they ask questions. Make sure you create meaningful content around important questions. #cmworld
objective, audience and CTA diff for diff content #cmworld Susyn Elise Duris @SusynEliseDuris
@CMIContent 1) Quality over quantity, 2) Audience comes first, 3)Problem-solving beats self-promotion (maybe that should be 2a) #CMworld Kristen Hicks @atxcopywriter
Your audience decides whether or not you are offering quality content … #cmworld Christoph Trappe @CTrappe
A1. Figure out what words / phrases buyers use – instead of focusing on product terms #cmworld Ardath Albee @ardath421
A1: Most marketers forget this – what is the outcome for the reader? What is the pain point you are solving? #cmworld
A1: Become a great content creator and listen to others. #cmworld Samuel Bredl @sambredl
@ardath421 Love that…don’t use your own jargon with your keyword phrases. #cmworld Joe Pulizzi @JoePulizzi
A1 Don’t hide all of your best content behind a lead form — you need that search engine juice! #cmworld Erika @SFerika
A1: Search is instrumental for discovery so content marketers need to know how their customers search, what & why #cmworld
@leeodden I love the term “content discovery”. Agreed. #cmworld Joe Pulizzi @JoePulizzi
Helping your readers should come first. #CMWorld Allyson Huggett @AllysonHuggett
#cmworld a1- The purpose of every sentence is to keep the searcher reading to the next line Ebyline @Ebyline
A1: Always write content for PEOPLE, not for search engines. That being said, be mindful of signals that search engines consider #CMWorld Lucas Miller @lucasmillerwsu
Google Keyword Tool/Trends & Twitter. Topsy is ok. MT @ardath421: A1. Figure out words/phrases buyers use instead of product terms #cmworld Neil Horowitz @njh287
@sambredl Re: “Listen to others” Yes! so important #cmworld Kristen Hicks @atxcopywriter
@CMIContent A1: Distill customer interest along buy cycle into keywords/topics that inspire content & optimization. Refine repeat. #cmworld Lee Odden @leeodden
A1 – Know your audience. Not everyone talks like a college grad or like a 3rd grader online. Know how to write for both. #cmworld
Add to customers come first – you have to be genuine and they have to see it or they will call bs quickly – customer is smart #cmworld
Susyn Elise Duris @SusynEliseDuris
A2 Search and social are both distribution channels. In ur content calendar, ensure the two are aligned (keywords, hashtags, etc.) #CMWorld Stephanie Walton @StephLynette
A2. Ideas cross boundaries / channels – If people like/share your content it will show higher in search results #cmworld
@ardath421 “If people like/share … it will show higher in search results” + Sharing alone also helps to increase your audience. #CMWorld
@CMIContent A2: Social shares are important to how well a site does in search, and content is (or should be) shareable. #cmworld
A2: Search, Social, Lead Gen – it all starts with a defined content strategy today. Most marketers skip this stage 😉 #cmworld
@JoePulizzi Is it always about speaking client pain points they’re searching? I combine w/ ‘showing off’ your areas of expertise.. #cmworld
@njh287 @JoePulizzi Often there’s an overlap – using what they learn from your expertise is how clients can address pain points #CMWorld Kristen Hicks @atxcopywriter
A2: #contentmarketing means little without social. You can publish as much as you want but sharing is what matters. #CMWorld
@consected You don’t think people reading it? What about email campaigns, other ways, sometimes better ways to share then social #CMWorld Brandie McCallum @lttlewys
attract #customers through quality #content, incorporate pull strategy not push http://t.co/Z8zhBDW54v #cmworld #contentmarketing
@CMIContent A2 Search captures proactive prospects, act on their own. Social captures prospects looking to others. Can target both #CMWorld Neil Horowitz @njh287
#CMWorld SEO needs to stop seeing itself as a silo. It’s not possible to get SERP results without social anymore. Stephanie Walton @StephLynette
A1: content must fulfill a need or want. A2: Investigating search behaviour helps us figure out what that need/want is #cmworld @CMIContent Visnja Milidragovic @vishmili
I actually think other way around – social is little without content. Without content, social is just chatter. You can quote me. #cmworld
Susyn Elise Duris @SusynEliseDuris
Can you honestly look at search separately from Social today? I don’t think so. #cmworld Joe Pulizzi @JoePulizzi
A2: Social is jelly, SEO is peanut butter, & content marketing is the bread that holds it all together 🙂 http://t.co/NN669hChzT #CMWorld
@CMIContent A2: Content that is easy to find in search & easy to share on social networks is also a good customer experience. #CMWorld
@leeodden @CMIContent While I agree wholeheartedly with this & Social, how many are looking to the offline/not-connected Cust? #CMWorld Brandie McCallum @lttlewys
A2: Useful content shared on social networks helps people & provides a signal for search engines. Win Win Win #CMWorld
A2: #contentmarketing allows you to tell your brands story online – targeting search & social influencers as key marketing channel #CMWorld Kevin Gibbons @kevgibbo
A2 the social endorsement of people sharing your remarkable content improves your search rankings (content must merit conversation) #cmworld Erika @SFerika
A2 – #contentmarketing between social and search…well, it’s all increasingly the same thing. As it should be too. #cmworld
@CMIContent A2: Target #SEO keywords on the webpage, but use headlines more likely to get clicks when sharing on social. #CMWorld
A3: Search phrases express specific intent to find. Social topics expect interaction or reaction #CMWorld Lee Odden @leeodden
A3: Keyword tool for search: http://t.co/0nOWrh7cPr Topic tool for social: social monitoring tools http://t.co/rG3na0B5Ki Heartbeat #CMWorld Lee Odden @leeodden
@leeodden Search only reaches people who know they want to find the info. Social reaches people who want it, but don’t know it yet. #CMWorld Stephanie Walton @StephLynette
Why would they be so different? RT @cmicontent: Q3: How do you balance #SEO keywords (search) & keywords consumers use (social)? #CMWorld Ardath Albee @ardath421
@ardath421 @CMIContent Search expressions can differ on a search engine than words used to query friends. #CMWorld
@leeodden @CMIContent So the way people think differs based on channel – or purpose. Good point. #CMWorld Ardath Albee @ardath421
A3: Search keywords & social topics can inspire a content plan that is optimized & socialized for visibility #CMWorld
@leeodden What do you think comes first, Lee — social chatter leads to more search or more search/content leads to more social? #cmworld Neil Horowitz @njh287
#cmworld a3- search keywords are aimed at solving a problem as quickly as possible. Search terms are for engagement and entertainment
A3 I try to equally combine use of both our keywords and how people naturally are searching for the topic #cmworld #contentmarketing
A3 We know social affects search rank. Question is whether to target high-volume searches or influential socialites/sharers. #cmworld
#cmworld a3- search terms are aimed at solving a time sensitive problem. social terms are for engagement and entertainment
Ideally you want to know each customer, the content that appeals and the best channel to engage with them.#CMWorld
A3 – I’m not sure half the time. Jargon gets used so often that the right “technical” words are ignored by 90% of searchers. #cmworld
@CMIContent A3: give consumers the content they want to see using natural language & the SEO will take care of itself! #CMWorld
A3: Search keywords & social topics can inspire a content plan that is optimized & socialized for visibility #CMWorld
Lee Odden @leeodden
As a B2B company in the HVAC industry, we are finally getting good quality traffic from social networks bc of our blog posts. #CMWORLD
@ColleenWeston Best to be proactive, too. Engage active folks in your industry, comment/share, guests posts, follow Fridays, etc. #cmworld Neil Horowitz @njh287
#cmworld Social has to be cultivated constantly. Content can be optimized for search one time. You can’t only do social w/ ur blog content. Stephanie Walton @StephLynette
@CMIContent Our priority isn’t ranking #1 on Google but ranking #1 with our clients. We answer clients’ Q’s, not SE requirements. #CMWorld
A4: Outside of Google’s keyword tool, SEMrush is a great tool. #cmworld Joe Pulizzi @JoePulizzi
@CMIContent @joepulizzi thoughts on zemanta? anyone else use either for building backliks for search and SEO #search #cmworld
@WareSarah I like Zemanta a lot. #cmworld Joe Pulizzi @JoePulizzi
@CMIContent A4: SEO Tools – watch out, I’m going to share about 15 of them : #CMWorld Lee Odden @leeodden
A4: Keyword research tools: Google Keyword Planner, Wordstream, Wordtracker, Keyword Discovery #CMWorld Lee Odden @leeodden
A4: For competitive research: SEMRush, SpyFu #CMWorld Lee Odden @leeodden
A4: For on-page optimization and basic tech audits: Screaming Frog, Xenu LinkSleuth, Moz #CMWorld Lee Odden @leeodden
A4: For link tracking, try: AHrefs, MajesticSEO, Moz #CMWorld Lee Odden @leeodden
A4: Content Creators might like these for guidance on content optimization: Inbound Writer, ScribeContent #CMWorld
A4: Last up: SEO management tools: RavenTools, Optify, BrightEdge – & don’t forget Google Analytics, Webmaster Tools #CMWorld
A4 – “hard” tools like analytics, excel, keyword research, but also “soft” tools like demographic jargon, friends, family…etc #cmworld
@CMIContent A4: Google keyword tool (as already mentioned), and your customers. Learn what they need, others probably need it too. #CMWorld Kristen Hicks @atxcopywriter
A4: What tools should content marketers use when it comes to #SEO? #CMWorld >> analytics, creativity & intelligence Phil Ayres @consected
@leeodden #cmworld A4 Google Search as well! Advanced search modifiers can yield a new world of information, esp. on competitors.
Stephanie Walton @StephLynette
@consected i am loving SEOMOZ’s newest suite of tools, Moz Analytics!! #cmworld #SEO #ContentMarketing sarah ware @WareSarah
I love #seomoz as well. great tools for marketers and any web content developer #cmworld Susyn Elise Duris @SusynEliseDuris
A4: Buzzstream, Outbrain, Buffer, Feedly, Linkdex, Visual.ly, Followerwonk, HARO, FindPeopleonPlus, AuthorCrawler, G+ Ripples #CMWorld Kevin Gibbons @kevgibbo
@sambredl I like @seomoz and marketsamurai #cmworld Justin Kline @justinkline
@leeodden Thx for great list of tools! Besides Google products, which tools would provide best value for small businesses? #cmworld
I’ve begun heavily researching Schema markups and hope to take advantage soon. Also implemented Google highlighter. #cmworld
A5: It’s possible to say images & video are “hot” but not necessarily relevant for all experiences #CMWorld
Â
A5: Create the content mix most meaningful for your customers, then optimize for findability #CMWorld
@leeodden Great point…every marketers content mix should be different. Different customers, different content types. #cmworld
A5: People underestimate the power of optimizing images/videos. Big opportunity. #cmworld
I heard someone say video content. Read YouTube’s guide prior to diving into video content. #cmworld
Susyn Elise Duris @SusynEliseDuris
A5: Key: Tagging and adding relevant copy so important for video and infographics. Help Google discover your content. #cmworld
A5 Really depends on your audience. I know many older users who HATE text heavy websites… #cmworld
A5: For us, text and images still rule the day with search, but agree w/ @LeeOdden…visual content is gaining. #cmworld
A5: Picking the most popular content solely by the format that is prime for search, can create a disconnect #CMWorld
A5 Yet I also know younger users who LOVE to read especially with a good graphic or two. #cmworld
My biggest concern is how Google et al seem to be killing image search. #cmworld
@CMIContent A5 I’d think video is going to continue to grow in significance. #CMWorld
A5: The content you produce must match the consumption preferences of your audience. Anything can be optimized for search & social #cmworld
#cmworld a5- Consumers love video. With instagram video online now and viral hits it should blossom soon
Hi Gang! A4: Vine and the new competitive video feature on Instagram seem to be gaining steam! #cmworld @CMIContent
Indeed they are @ringo66 @CMIContent I’m still growing my Vine and Instagram video skillz 🙂 #cmworld
@leeodden I must say, the videos on @Instagram freaked me out at first. #cmworld
Yeah @JoePulizzi It’s a change of mindset when text has been so dominant for us for so long #cmworld
@joepulizzi @leeodden with recent updates to #vine, we are excited to see what #instragram comes up with next. regram? #CMWorld
Good point @WOMMA @JoePulizzi Regram would he handy. As would categorizing friends (circles?) #cmworld
@ST_U2 So true! Although, I admire the way companies like @target are using Vine. If used correctly, they could stay fun! #cmworld
Alexandra Coello @imalexcoello
@st_u2 People are having way to much fun with them, doubtful they will stop, we are an oversharing society! #CMWorld
My concern with Vine and Instagram is that as soon as businesses start to really use it, everyone will jump ship. #nofunthen #cmworld
A5 whenever possible, include transcripts for video or audio, and always alt tag those images #cmworld
Erika @SFerika
Transcribing videos is also useful for people who can’t watch the video. Helps with search, too. #cmworld
@SFerika Yes! Transcripts are great for search and viewers who would rather skim than watch/listen through the whole thing. #cmworld
Stephanie Walton @StephLynette
@CTrappe i’ve seen that helpful on slideshare – having the text for the slides included, boosts seo #cmworld
@njh287 @WareSarah sometimes you just can’t watch videos. For example when other people are in the room with you. But you can read. #CMWorld
@CTrappe Isn’t there a captioning feature that takes care of that for you? I know YouTube has one. I don’t know if it is accurate.
Mike Wagner @Wagstv
@Wagstv yes. But I want to add it to the post. Here’s an example: http://t.co/qLIlijRNOZ #CMWorld
@CMIContent It’s easy to see trends: video/images, infographics, numbered lists, mobile. Ultimately all about knowing your audience #cmworld
Exactly @njh287 – optimize for customer content preferences: Discovery, Consumption, Action #cmworld
@atxcopywriter A5 A reminder why, as @joepulizzi said, helping Google find your rich media with alt tags, video tagsm HTML markup. #cmworld
@CMIContent A5: find what works best with your audience – but mix it up & present in different formats #CMWorld
@WareSarah @CTrappe I love that Moz provides transcripts for Whiteboard Fridays. Lets me multi-tasks, read during ‘leisure’ time. #cmworld
A5: video can be limiting. The audio part prevents many business users consuming it. Me, I want to quickly ‘scan’ video like text! #CMWorld
@CMIContent Video EMBEDDED with text content (site pages, blogs, etc) is very powerful now. Boosts authority, encourages clicks #CMWorld
Brendan Cournoyer @brencournoyer
#cmworld Could you be specific on B2B also? What type of content works best for hyper-professional industries?
Stephanie Walton @StephLynette
@StephLynette I see B2Bs go too promotional to be “professional” -whitepapers, USEFUL stat-led #graphics are great for B2B lead gen #cmworld
@CMIContent A5: Text the easiest to optimize, imo. Text and video (probably?) the most shareable. I bet someone has data on that. #CMWorld
@lttlewys Simply optimizing images helped get small clients noticed over big guys/come up 1st in search. Images need 2 B good! #CMWorld
A6: Every keyword phrase should have a target page/post. It’s important not to compete with yourself. #cmworld
Exactly @JoePulizzi Mapping target phrases to content keeps SEO accountable & efficient #cmworld
@leeodden Before we had a solid #SEO strategy, we were killing our rankings with our own posts. Who knew? #cmworld
@leeodden @JoePulizzi always key part of our SEO – wonder if in thinking of clouds of related phrases, this is changing #CMWorld
True @RicDragon Synonyms, related etc are indeed a keyword consideration. But more so, great writing will diversify #cmworld
@leeodden & vice versa. Good for writers to understand how world seeks certain. Can only make writing better #CMWorld #preachingToTheChoir
Ha ha @RicDragon I just wish there were tools like @Sysomos Heartbeat integrated with a keyword tool for that #cmworld
A6: That’s the question everyone wants to know 🙂 Our optimization process is outlined in detail within http://t.co/8945Crp0Lo #CMWorld
Highly recommend @LeeOdden’s book Optimize. A must read for marketers. #cmworld
A6: We obviously optimize for search, but increasingly consider UX – how do images impact readability and willingness to engage #CMWorld
@CMIContent A6: http://t.co/yaJQNvqRRR is a great tool – no need to re-invent the wheel! #CMWorld
Â
A6 Process? lol #cmworld
A6 #cmworld Yes! UIX is so important. All the seo in the world won’t help if people bounce from your content right away.
Stephanie Walton @StephLynette
@CMIContent A6: Proactively. Use keyword tools to learn what your audience is searching for, and develop content around those areas #CMWorld
Brendan Cournoyer @brencournoyer
A6 I’m relatively new to my position at my company, so I’m in the process of setting up processes to improve things. #cmworld
A6: We structure optimization according to 3 principles: Attract, Engage, Convert. It’s a cycle of continuous improvement. #cmworld
@leeodden Two snaps up for “convert”. Best conversion, IMO, is to a content offer (not a demo 😉 #cmworld
A6 Map out a pathway and execute. Search/social –> CTA/data capture –> Next step/conversion –> Measure effectiveness. #cmworld
A6:Old digram shows “SEO content” vs “content people want” -this is a bad model. BEFORE keywords etc, optimize for audience queries #cmworld
@CMIContent A6: We recently rebranded & are empowering our team to contribute & optimze our content more voices to share our story! #CMWorld
A6/7 An undervalued exercise is coming up w/content categories – create the buckets around which all content will flow/be relevant. #cmworld
A7: If you focus on epic content that your customers/prospects share, to heck with Google’s algorithm. Great stories win! #cmworld
@JoePulizzi Epic/evergreen content wins! #cmworld
@JoePulizzi Many times our content isn’t “epic” its just no frills info, but our subscribers turn it into something epic 🙂 #cmworld
A7: A search strategy that has to change due to an algorithm update is a failed strategy to start with #cmworld
Q7 #cmworld, IMO, Google’s goal has always been the same. Quality & engaging content. So do that & you’ll always be ahead of the game.
Stephanie Walton @StephLynette
Yeah that and making more money 🙂 @StephLynette #cmworld
A7 It’s not Google that worries me, it’s the social networks changing things up. #cmworld
@ST_U2 Social networks come, go and will change. Focus on your subscriber base! #cmworld
@CMIContent Q7: Optimize for SERPs > search: What info ranks? #cmworld #content #obvs
A7 However, I did have to explain white site traffic dropped so much after Panda, and how it was “real traffic”… #cmworld
A7: Stop chasing the algorithms and you won’t have to drastically alter your search strategy. #cmworld #duh
@kgriwert Oh, the algo’s aren’t evil, but i do agree best to focus on best practices/philosophy of high value content #CMWorld
@RicDragon On the contrary! I think the algos are trying to do good :o) And brands do good when they focus on users over crawlers. #cmworld
@kgriwert agree with the sentiment; just not sure it’s a this over that question. This AND that. Oh, yeah! #CMWorld
“Good” content is key. I’m gonna be mad if I see any “How the Storm in The Twin Cities Informs my Social Campaign” posts… #cmworld
A7. Rule #72 – No excuses. Play like a champion. AKA shortcuts never work. Do the hard work now so you don’t suffer later. #cmworld
Stephanie Walton @StephLynette
@CMIContent A7: You generally shouldn’t have to if your strategy’s based around providing valuable content #CMWorld
A7: Keep in mind, even the best quality, customer centric approach should heed changes in search. Smart SEO works! #cmworld
@leeodden AMEN Brother Lee! Great content is indeed the key, but when great SEO can increase traffic XX%, it matters #CMWorld
A7: Closely monitoring & optimizing the performance of content in search = a competitive advantage. Don’t ASSume 🙂 #cmworld
#cmworld SEO people get antsy every time Google updates, but the good methods will always have a place in marketing
#cmworld a8- For blog posts, the key is to optimize to the point that the optimization remains invisible to the reader, and no further
A8 For one of my freelance jobs, every post is written at a doctorate level. I optimize for brand, field, and that’s about it. #cmworld
@cmicontent A8: We factor in search in every blog post, but not to the detriment of quality. #CMWorld
A8: We optimize every post for search, but we don’t let rankings cloud our execution. Add value to the web, not take from it #CMWorld
A8: Optimize headlines for reader clicks. If a keyword naturally fits headline, good indication post is on topic for your brand #cmworld
A8: We optimize for reader value first and then by seeing what keywords, etc make the most sense. #cmworld
A8: Our blog follows an optimized content plan, so in some respects, yes – all posts are optimized. More as a process though. #cmworld
@CMIContent A8 Starts w/ the title. Ideas from social & client/prospect interactions, then titles/keywords vetted by SEO research. #cmworld
A8: With WordPress blogs the AllinOneSEO or Yoast plugins enable titles for people & optimized titles for search engines #cmworld
@leeodden one thing a lot of people miss is the “Tweet This” default text usually pulls from subject line; why we made a WP plugin #CMWorld
@RicDragon Good call. Helps you to optimize the social share text #cmworld
the word tags in wordpress are great for helping in search. Many bloggers forget about that. #cmworld
Susyn Elise Duris @SusynEliseDuris
A8: Regarding an optimized content plan, here’s a handy template: http://t.co/D9pgJEAYuO (free, ungated) #cmworld
A9 As much as possible for both. However, at least with ecommerce, speak to audience before the engines. #cmworld
A9: Optimizing for customers is first & foremost important. What does that mean? Be meaningful to customers. #cmworld
A9: Content easily found but confusing is of no value. Neither is excellent content no one can find. #cmworld
A9: Meaningful content for customers that is also optimized for discovery – search or social is the WIN 🙂 #cmworld
@CMIContent Audience. If the reader doesn’t care, you’ve accomplished nothing (and won’t get anywhere in search besides) #CMWorld
#cmworld a9- if anyone chooses search engines as priority over real people, we know who to blame for the robopocalypse
A9: content that’s found is meaningless if just keyword stuffing. Be creative & provide value to the consumer #CMWorld
A10 It will always be important, always changing, but a great struggle will be getting everyone on best practices. #cmworld
A10 There is already so much misinformation out there, or advice from 2004 that ranks too high… #cmworld
A10: Content discovery will always be important – We need to consistently look at the role SEO and Social play in that. #cmworld
Actually it will be content driving seo/search, not the other way around. #cmworld
Susyn Elise Duris @SusynEliseDuris
A10: As long as content can be found through the act of searching, there will be an opportunity for optimization. #CMWorld
@CMIContent A10: The term SEO may get swallowed by #contentmarketing, but the importance of being discovered by search will remain #CMWorld
A10: Prediction alert: SEO and Social roles start reporting into Content role in enterprises. This is happening now. #cmworld
When marketers are focused on the customer journey, the most important content discovery channels are always clear. #cmworld
A10: SEO/search will not only become more important it will also be more sophisticated and more business necessary. #CMWorld
@CMIContent A10 I think/hope more real-time search. I use Google’s time tools a lot. Search for real-time social content, too! #cmworld
@leeodden How will increased data/personalization evolve? Combining search and social data to anticipate search/content desires #cmworld A10
#content #marketing will be driver that will ultimately be the brand builder, nurturer, extender and everything will fall under it. #cmworld
Susyn Elise Duris @SusynEliseDuris