A large part of SEO revolves around the use of keywords and content strategy. A plethora of questions arise- What are the right keywords? Where do I find them? How do I test them? What is my content strategy? Are the planning and strategy same? How important is content planning?
It’s easy to get lost in all the closely related terms and not grasp the actual concept they represent. If you do not understand the meaning, how are you supposed to know what is important to you and where to focus on to build the best SEO strategy?
Let’s take a closer look at what content planning is and what it entails, and the first step to content strategy- keyword research.
What are Content Planning and Content Strategy?
Most people in the industry get confused between the two terms- content strategy and content planning- and use them interchangeably. While interconnected, the phrases mean different things.
Content planning is the phase where you decide what your content will be and when you will publish it. In this step of content creation, you decide what themes your work will focus on, what specific type of content you will be creating, and the tactics and goals that will be addressed to your audience. The ‘when’ part also gains attention in content planning. All of these details will be added to your editorial calendar.
On the other hand, content strategy is the first step that comes before planning, where the method of approach and the various other side branch topics are discussed to decide your mode of action.
The Importance of Content Planning
Creating SEO enrich content does not begin when you start writing your blog post. It starts when the idea of a blog is barely even an idea. In the starting stages of development, you try to begin involving effective SEO strategies that, in the end, will result in a popular blog with a high rank and steadily growing organic traffic.
The first step is always content strategy. This is where you put things into perspective. Start by defining your target audience, who you are writing for. This will lead to the next step, i.e., explaining what you want to write about and the major themes you represent. Finally, constructing an SEO strategy tailored to your specific needs. This will include aspects like keywords, on-page optimization, link building, advertising, marketing, etc.
The next phase is content planning. Here, you begin to develop your content. Start by finalizing themes and issues, moving forward to researching keywords, thinking of elements to involve, ways to engage with your audience.
Planning your content forces you to think about questions to better your content. Do your articles fit into the overall vision you want to represent? Is all of your content useful, informational, and relevant? Will it make sense to the target demographic that you want to write? Can you repurpose and reuse your content? What details and additional events can you introduce to create an interactive platform?
Why Keyword Research? The Importance
The pillars of any successful content and marketing strategy rely majorly on keyword research. By now, you probably know what keywords are and how important they may be. They form the first step of the execution part of content creation.
However, you would have noticed the finalization of keywords while forming the content strategy and planning the content before actually being used in the last part, i.e., content creation. The length and depth of thought and energy put into deciding keywords should tell you enough about how important keyword research is for effective SEO.
The temptation to conduct half-arsed keyword research is always strong. But it should always be avoided. Keywords go beyond on-page optimization. They form the foundation of your entire SEO strategy. They appear in title tags, meta descriptions, creating the first impression on users, linking, and off-page SEO. They also decide your target audience, how specific and narrowed you want your SEO strategy to be, what your search volume will be, amongst other aspects.
Another thing to be considered is that keywords need to be updated, just like phones, apps, software require regular upgrades. Keywords decide how well you perform in the ‘game’ and they are not meant to be a one-time deal.
Armed with the ability to create content that will resonate with your target audience via relevant keywords. It gives you the power to improve SERP rankings, the best SEO, and develop a fruitful content strategy that will drive your tariffs and hence, conversions.