Create Content that Ranks Higher than Your Competitors
Many marketers turn to competitor analysis when developing an SEO strategy. While understanding what your competitors are doing can provide valuable insights, there are many other powerful ways to research content for SEO. Diversifying your research methods not only keeps your content unique but also helps you discover fresh opportunities that your competitors may overlook.
Are you ready to get started with your content marketing journey? Contact our SEO agency today by calling (858) 333-8950.
Leverage Keyword Research Tools Effectively
While competitor analysis can help you identify keywords they’re ranking for, keyword research tools offer a broader perspective. Tools like Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, SEMrush, and Ubersuggest are excellent for identifying keywords directly related to your niche.
To efficiently use keyword research tools, do the following:
- Find high-volume, low-competition keywords: These keywords can help you attract traffic without battling larger competitors.
- Discover long-tail keywords: Long-tail keywords often have less competition but are highly specific, making them useful for targeting niche audiences.
- Identify search intent: Group your keywords based on the search intent (informational, navigational, transactional, etc.). This helps in aligning your content with what users are really looking for.
Explore Industry Forums and Communities
Forums and online communities like Reddit, Quora, and specialized industry forums can be goldmines for content ideas. These platforms allow you to see what real people in your target audience are asking about, providing direct insights into their pain points and needs.
Tips on using forums and communities for research include:
- Identify common questions: What questions are being asked repeatedly? These can inspire blog posts, how-to guides, and tutorials.
- Understand the language of your audience: Pay attention to the phrases and terminology people use in discussions. This will help you tailor your content and keywords more precisely to your audience.
- Find trending topics: Some communities have discussions about the latest trends in the industry, which can help you create timely, relevant content that resonates with your audience.
Use Google’s “People Also Ask” Feature
Google’s “People Also Ask” (PAA) section is a powerful but underutilized tool for content research. It provides a list of related questions users frequently search for, making it a valuable source of inspiration for creating content that aligns with user intent.
How to use “People Also Ask” for content creation includes:
- Explore question variations: When you click on a question, more related questions appear. You can build an entire content plan based on the variations of questions.
- Address multiple user queries: Incorporate answers to several related questions within one piece of content to provide comprehensive coverage.
- Generate FAQ sections: The questions in PAA can serve as a basis for FAQ sections, improving your chances of ranking for featured snippets.
Conduct Audience Surveys and Polls
While competitor analysis often assumes what your shared audience might want, direct feedback from your own audience can be much more effective. Surveys and polls can provide unique insights into what your readers or customers truly care about.
Effectively use these surveys and polls by:
- Ask about content preferences: Send out surveys or use social media polls to ask your audience what topics they would like to read about.
- Gain insights on pain points: Ask your audience about their biggest challenges or questions related to your industry. This will help you develop problem-solving content that resonates.
- Segment your audience: Use polls to understand the needs of different audience segments and create tailored content for each.
Analyze Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs)
The SERP provides a wealth of information, offering clues about what Google deems the most relevant for particular search queries. Instead of solely relying on what competitors are doing, analyzing the top search results can help you understand content structure, user intent, and what kind of content ranks best.
Analyze the SERPs by:
- Look at featured snippets: Analyze what type of content (lists, definitions, answers, etc.) is appearing in featured snippets. This can help you understand the type of content that Google prioritizes for certain queries.
- Evaluate the top 5 results: Instead of looking at competitors’ websites in isolation, review the top-ranking pages for a specific keyword. Focus on the content structure, length, and elements like visuals or FAQs.
- Examine user reviews and knowledge panels: User-generated content, such as reviews and Q&A sections in SERPs, can provide additional content ideas. Similarly, knowledge panels can give you more context on how to address certain topics.
Use Social Media Listening Tools
Social media platforms are full of conversations about various topics, making them ideal for uncovering content ideas. Social listening tools like Hootsuite, BuzzSumo, and Mention allow you to monitor keywords, brand mentions, and trending topics within your niche.
When using social media listening tools for content, consider the following:
- Identify trending hashtags and topics: Social media can quickly reveal what’s currently trending, allowing you to create timely content that taps into current discussions.
- Track brand and keyword mentions: By monitoring your brand and related keywords, you can discover the types of questions and discussions people are having, inspiring new content ideas.
- Analyze user engagement: Look at the comments, likes, and shares on popular posts in your niche. Content that resonates with users on social media is likely to perform well on your blog too.
Google Trends
Google Trends is a free tool that can provide valuable insights into the popularity of search queries over time. This allows you to gauge the interest in a topic and predict future trends.
For Google Trends:
- Identify rising trends: Search for topics related to your niche and identify rising search terms or queries with increasing interest.
- Compare keywords: You can compare multiple keywords to determine which ones have the most search potential.
- Seasonal content planning: Google Trends can also help you plan seasonal content by showing you the historical popularity of search terms during specific times of the year.
Rank Higher with Now Media Group!
Are you ready to take your SEO content strategy to the next level? Let us help! Contact our digital marketing company today at (858) 333-8950 to develop an SEO strategy that goes beyond competitor analysis and drives organic traffic.