I conducted the following SEO case study on content and analytics as part of a project. Given the insights and strategies explored, I believe it could be valuable to a wider audience. In this post, I am sharing my findings with my blog visitors, hoping it provides useful takeaways for those interested in SEO best practices.
To respect the confidentiality of the company involved, all specific company names, brand names, and URLs have been anonymized or removed.
Chapter 1 - Content Analysis and Research
A) Uncovering content opportunities for LL blog, tactics and tools:
o Explain how you would uncover content
opportunities for our LL blog (https://[Company's Domain]/learn) to fuel
our editorial team’s roadmap.
What are the 3 tactics and what tools would you use. What would be the final
deliverable based on your audit.
To uncover valuable content opportunities for LL blog and provide
editorial team with a clear roadmap for content creation, I recommend to use
the below 3 tactics:
1. Keyword
Research and Analysis:
·
Tools: Google Keyword Planner, GoogleTrends, SEMrush, Ahrefs, Ubersuggest
·
Roadmap:
a) Keyword Discovery: Identifying
a list of keywords related to LL blog content such as identity theft, online
security, and [Brand] LL solutions. We can use Google Keyword Planner,
Google Trends, SEMrush, Ahrefs to discover related keywords, long-tail
variations, search volume data and keyword gaps.
b) Understanding user
search goals: It's about understanding what the user's
goal is behind their searches, which is helpful to target the right audience
and choosing the right content format. For example for informational
keywords, we can consider to create articles including infographic and
video content.
c) Analyzing the
competition for the keywords found: Analyzing our competitors
for keywords ranks, the competitiveness and difficulty of the keywords to get
rank based on LL blog domain authority.
d) Creating content: based the above steps, then we can find opportunities to create contents based on keywords discovery, while considering that for lower domain authority, it’s recommended to use long-tail keywords which has higher search volume, but less competitive. For LL blog that has a high domain authority, we can go for the strategic keywords, as well.
2.
Website Analytics Research and Users’
Feedbacks:
·
Tools: Google Analytics,
Social Media
·
Roadmap:
a)
Analyzing metrics to
find poor pages: Through GA metrics such as bounce rate,
average time on pages, pages per sessions, we can analyze the behavior of the
audience and find poor pages of LL blog. This lets us know that these pages
need to be improved to boost the users’ engagements with LL blog.
b) Content based on Users’ Feedbacks: In social media and comments sections of blogs, users usually asks questions or raise a subject which needs to be clarified for them. Each of these questions and clarification requests can be an idea to create a new content. We can check LL blog and in case it’s unresponsive to the need and questions of the users, then we have a content opportunity.
3.
Content Gap Analysis:
·
Tools: GSC (Google Search Console),
Aherf, Surfing competitors’ websites
·
Roadmap:
a) Identify Keywords: we
need to identify keywords via GSC, Aherf and their relevant contents on LL
blog, especially targeting the relevant keywords which LL blog doesn’t have
high rank for them or any rank at all.
b) Competitor analysis: Analyzing
our competitors’ ranks for those keywords and find the ones which have highest
ranks. This way we can find what content or what type of content are missing on
LL blog.
c) Creating or improving contents: For the keywords that we have articles, we can improve their contents based on the missing ones and for the one that we don’t have any content, we can create related content on LL blog.
B) 5 new topic ideas that are not currently on the LL blog:
o Please, provide at least 5 new topic ideas that are not currently on
the LL blog and related keywords to exhibit your keyword research ability. Prioritize
these topic ideas.
· Topic 1: How to choose the right identity
fraud protection service?
Keyword: identity fraud protection
· Topic 2: Ultimate Guide to Phishing
Protection: Stop Identity Theft
Keyword:
phishing protection
· Topic 3: Phishing
Email Alert: 5 Red Flags to Save You From a Scam
Keyword:
phishing email
· Topic 4: Website Scammer Check: A DIY Guide to
Spotting Fake Sites
Keyword:
website scammer check
· Topic 5: How
to Spot Gift Card Scams Before They Steal Your Money
Keyword: gift card scams
C) A content brief/outline for one blog post:
o Create
a content brief/outline for one blog post (including target
keywords, secondary keywords, title, headings, and an outline). Briefs will be
used by multiple roles in team (SEO, Copywriter, Editor, Designer).
1. The first step would
be Keyword Research based on the what I explained
above to find our target keyword which want to get
rank for in search engines.
2. Finding related
keywords to the primary one, to give more depth and searchability to our content and blog post.
3. Targeting our
audience (beginners, professionals,…) and our goal from the content (buy,
learn,…) and making sure about freshness
4. As for the Title,
it’s a good practice to use the target keyword naturally within the
title in the way that the title’s length won’t exceed than 60 characters.
5. Planning the blog post's
structure using relevant headings (H1, H2, H3). It’s a good idea to include the
primary and secondary keywords naturally within these headings for SEO
optimization.
6. Regarding the content
creation, we would share our ideas with copywriters, including the keywords and
targeting audience and our goal from the content, so that they can create a
valuable content, related to the keywords.
7. In case our blog post
is supposed to have media such as video, images, infographics and so on, we
would discuss about it with the designers, so that they provide us the visual
elements of the blog post.
8. Also, regarding the
design and the appearance of the blog post, we can get the idea of the
designers to give better user experience to the blog post visitors.
9. After the content is
ready, we will ask editors to check the content to make sure it’s clean, clear
and well- written.
10. Then we can optimize
the content for localization, proper use of and being authentic.
11. In the end at the
time of publishing, we will make sure about meta tags including proper
description, internal and external linking, schema markups, image optimizations
such as size, proper format, related alt tag and titles.
An example:
We
have found “identity fraud protection” as a good keyword.
The
title of the post can be “How to choose the right identity fraud protection service?”
Examples of good secondary
keywords could include:
-
best identity theft protection services
-
Features of identity theft protection
-
What to consider in identity theft protection
-
Identity theft protection vs credit monitoring
Long-Tail
Variations can be:
-
how to choose identity
theft protection for families
-
best identity theft
protection with credit score monitoring
- affordable identity theft protection services
Here's
a possible content structure and headings example:
H1: How to Choose the Right Identity Fraud
Protection Service?
H2:
What is Identity Fraud Protection?
H3: How Does Identity Theft
Happen?
H3: Benefits of Identity Fraud Protection
H2: Key Features to Consider in Identity
Fraud Protection Services
H3: Credit Monitoring and
Alerts
H3: Dark Web Monitoring
H3: Identity Restoration
Assistance
H2: Comparing Identity Fraud Protection
Services
H3: Free vs Paid Services
H3: Factors to Consider When
Comparing Plans
H3: Final Tips for Choosing
the Right Service
Internal
Linking: we can have relevant internal links within the blog
post to other informative pages on the LL website, like specific service
pages or blog posts on related topics (e.g., data breaches).
Calls to Action (CTAs): we can have a clear CTAs throughout the content, encouraging readers to learn more about LL identity protection services or buying services.
D) DE & FR keyword research for the topic outlined:
o Perform a DE & FR keyword research for a topic you outlined.
German
(DE) Keywords:
·
Primary Keyword:
"Diebstahlsicherung" (Identity Theft Protection)
·
Secondary Keywords:
"beste Identitätsschutzdienste"
(best identity protection services)
"merkmale eines guten
Identitätsdiebstahlschutzes" (features of good identity theft protection)
"worauf muss man beim
Identitätsdiebstahlschutz achten" (what to consider in identity theft
protection)
"Identitätsdiebstahlschutz vs.
Bonitätsüberwachung" (identity theft protection vs credit monitoring)
·
Long-Tail Variations:
"Wie wählt man einen
Identitätsdiebstahlschutz für Familien?" (how to choose identity theft
protection for families)
"Bester Identitätsdiebstahlschutz mit
Bonitätsüberwachung" (best identity theft protection with credit score
monitoring)
"günstige
Identitätsdiebstahlschutzdienste" (affordable identity theft protection
services)
French
(FR) Keywords:
·
Primary Keyword:
"Protection contre le vol d'identité" (Identity Theft Protection)
·
Secondary Keywords:
"meilleurs services de protection contre
le vol d'identité" (best identity theft protection services)
"fonctionnalités d'une bonne protection
contre le vol d'identité" (features of good identity theft protection)
"éléments à prendre en compte pour la
protection contre le vol d'identité" (what to consider in identity theft
protection)
"protection contre le vol d'identité vs
surveillance du crédit" (identity theft protection vs credit monitoring)
·
Long-Tail Variations:
"Comment choisir une protection contre
le vol d'identité pour les familles?" (how to choose identity theft
protection for families)
"Meilleure protection contre le vol
d'identité avec surveillance du score de crédit" (best identity theft
protection with credit score monitoring)
"services de protection contre le vol
d'identité abordables" (affordable identity theft protection services)
E) Examples of topics which can be removed, merged, or refreshed:
o Please, provide a couple examples of topics (URLs) that you would
like to remove, merge, refresh on our LL blog and explain why.
Merge Example:
URLs:
https://LL.[Company's Domain]/learn/credit-finance/dispute-credit-report
https://LL.[Company's Domain]/learn/credit-finance/how-to-dispute-a-credit-report
Reason:
Both articles “Dispute your credit report” and “How to dispute credit report errors in 5 steps” cover the steps that need to be taken to dispute a credit report error. Merging them would create a more streamlined and user-friendly guide.
Merge Example:
URLs:
https://LL.[Company'sDomain]/learn/identity-theft-resources/how-to-report-identity-theft-to-the-credit-bureaus
https://LL.[Company's Domain]/learn/identity-theft-resources/how-to-report-identity-theft
Reason:
Both articles “How to Report Identity Theft to the Credit Bureaus” and “How to report identity theft to the FTC, police + more” cover the steps that need to be taken to report identity theft. Merging them would create a stronger resource that is more likely to attract backlinks and rank higher in search results.
Refresh Example:
URL:
https://LL.[Company's Domain]/learn/identity-theft-resources/family-identity-theft
Reason:
The Article “Family identity theft: A protection guide for 2023” as the title says belongs to 2023. So it’s time to refresh its content for 2024.
Remove Example:
URL:
https://LL.[Company's Domain]/learn/credit-and-finance/credit-monitoring
Reason:
There are some posts such as “Credit
monitoring services” which redirects 301 to https://LL.[Company's Domain]/
Applying 301 redirection is okay, but having the post as a published post,
which people after clicking the post’s title, redirect to another page, is not
good idea and doesn’t give users a good experience.
F) UX & CRO recommendations for LL blog improvement:
o Propose couple UX & CRO recommendations that will improve the
overall LL blog performance. Provide an explanation of why you’re
proposing it and what you expect it to bring.
· Using a table of contents is recommended for especially big blog posts to improve user experience and allow users to easily find what they're looking for within the article.
· For the Mobile
version of the blog, using an accordion menu is more user-friendly
rather than the current menu, which users need to tap once to open each menu
item and have another tap to go back to the main menu.
· Page speed is very
important matter for search engines as well as for the users. Apparently there
are issues with the website load speed, especially on mobile, which need to be
improved. This can be frustrating and lead users to bounce off the website
before finding the information they need. Optimizing page speed will create a
smoother user experience and keep visitors engaged.
· Regarding CRO, clear
CTAs are needed. I can see most of blogs come with CTAs such as “Get LL Standard”, “Get LL Premuim” or “Try LL for free” which are clear
but contains product names. But maybe through an A/B test you can try CTAs
which also targets beginners without confusion about the product names, such as
“Protect your ID now” or “Secure my ID now”.
Chapter 2 - Analytics
A) The most important SEO KPIs:
o What are the most important SEO KPIs in your opinion?
·
Organic Traffic
·
Keyword Rankings
·
CTR
·
Bounce Rate
·
Organic Conversions
·
Page Speed
·
Pages per Session
·
Average Session
Duration
·
Conversion rate
B) KPIs/metrics to measure the success of content/SEO efforts:
o What are KPIs/metrics you use to measure the success of your content/SEO efforts?
·
Organic Traffic
·
Keyword Rankings
·
CTR
·
Bounce Rate
·
Average Session
Duration
·
Pages per Session
·
Backlinks
·
Social Shares
·
Conversion rate
C) Experience about analytics tools to improve KPIs:
o Clearly
articulate your experience leveraging analytics tools in your current or last
role (Google Analytics GA4 or UA, Adobe Analytics, or similar) and explain a
recent finding you uncovered from diving into data. What actions were taken to
improve or change KPIs?
For my current website (BabakTV.com), I
utilized Google Analytics 4 to analyze the performance. During this analysis, I
identified that certain pages had a significantly higher bounce rate on mobile
devices compared to other pages on the site. This discrepancy led me to
investigate further and uncover issues related to mobile responsiveness and page
load speed for those specific pages.
To address these issues, I
implemented improvements in mobile responsiveness and optimized the page load
speed. As a result, there was a substantial reduction in the bounce rate for
these pages. For example in the below screenshot you can see, one particular
page showed a bounce rate of 6.57% in June 2024 on mobile devices. After the
improvements, the bounce rate dropped to 2.64%, representing a 59.79%
improvement.
Additionally, these
optimizations contributed to better search engine rankings, which led to a
significant increase in page views. Specifically, views on mobile devices
increased by 65.16%, from 640 to 1057 views. User engagement also saw an
improvement of 4.21%.
By leveraging GA4 to
identify and address these issues, I was able to enhance the user experience on
mobile devices, thereby improving key performance indicators (KPIs) such as
bounce rate, page views, and user engagement.
D) Types of dashboards to use to monitor SEO performance:
o
Please
be prepared to discuss the types of dashboards you currently use to monitor SEO
performance including the metrics, timelines, and data sources you use the
most.
I
use GA, GSC, Ahrefs, Semrush, Screaming Frog, Bing Webmaster Tools, Google
Pagespeed Insights, GTMetrix, Google Rich Results Test, Webpage test, Seobility
and I consider metrics such as: Organic Traffic, Keyword Rankings, CTR, Bounce
Rate and Page Speed.
1. Google Analytics (GA)
- Metrics:
- Organic Traffic: Tracks the number of visitors coming from search engines.
- Bounce Rate: Measures the percentage of visitors who leave the site
after viewing only one page.
- Average Session
Duration: Indicates how long visitors stay on
the site.
- Pages per Session: Shows the average number of pages viewed during a
session.
- Timelines:
- Daily, weekly, and monthly
reports to track trends and identify issues quickly.
- Data Sources:
- Direct data from Google Analytics.
2. Google Search Console (GSC)
- Metrics:
- Keyword Rankings: Shows how pages rank for specific keywords.
- Click-Through Rate
(CTR): The ratio of users who click on a
specific link to the number of total users who view a page.
- Impressions: Number of times a page is shown in search results.
- Core Web Vitals: Monitors user experience metrics such as Largest
Contentful Paint (LCP), First Input Delay (FID), and Cumulative Layout
Shift (CLS).
- Timelines:
- Daily and weekly reports to
keep track of keyword performance and search visibility.
- Data Sources:
- Direct data from Google Search
Console.
3. Ahrefs
- Metrics:
- Backlink Profile: Tracks the number and quality of backlinks to a site.
- Keyword Rankings: Monitors how keywords are performing over time.
- Domain Authority: Evaluates the strength of the website's domain.
- Timelines:
- Weekly and monthly reports to
monitor backlink growth and keyword performance.
- Data Sources:
- Ahrefs' database.
4. SEMrush
- Metrics:
- Organic Search
Traffic: Monitors the volume of organic search
traffic.
- Keyword Rankings: Tracks keyword performance.
- Site Audit Scores: Assesses the technical health of the site.
- Timelines:
- Weekly and monthly reports for
comprehensive keyword and site health analysis.
- Data Sources:
- SEMrush's database.
5. Screaming Frog
- Metrics:
- Site Crawl Data: Identifies broken links, duplicate content, and other
technical SEO issues.
- Timelines:
- Typically after major updates
or periodically.
- Data Sources:
- Direct data from site crawls
using Screaming Frog.
6. Bing Webmaster Tools
- Metrics:
- Keyword Rankings: Monitors keyword performance specifically on Bing.
- Backlink Profile: Tracks backlinks recognized by Bing.
- Crawl Errors: Identifies issues that Bing encounters when crawling the
site.
- Timelines:
- Weekly and monthly reports to
track performance on Bing.
- Data Sources:
- Direct data from Bing Webmaster
Tools.