What is topical authority, how to build it on your website, and why keyword research is still the most important aspect of SEO.

1. How to Do Technical
Keyword Research for
a NEW Website.

2. Hey, I’m Leigh McKenzie
Sr. SEO Strategist, From The Future.
@lmckenzie_16

3. Keyword research is
still the most important
aspect of SEO.

5. How did we
get here?

6. Hummingbird, RankBrain & SEO
Hummingbird (2013)
● Was a complete overhaul of the core algorithm.
● Google’s changing approach from
keyword-oriented searches to intent-oriented
searches
RankBrain (has 2 main jobs)
1. Understanding search queries (keywords)
2. Measuring how people interact with the results
(user satisfaction)
@lmckenzie_16

7. Keyword Research in a RankBrain World
● Google can now understand the INTENT
behind a keyword.
● Gone are the days of creating hundreds of
pages optimized around different keywords.
● Need to tweak the keyword research
process to be more RankBrain-friendly.
○ Long tail keywords are less important.
○ Focus on medium tail keywords.
Image from Brian Dean
@lmckenzie_16

8. topics

9. What is Topical Authority?
● Topical authority is the authority over a niche or broad idea set
● You want Google to perceive your website as best solution to a
user’s search intent
Why Do We Care About Topical Authority?
● Allows you to rank for a broader range of keywords
● Keep users on your site by answering every question they might
have about a topic
@lmckenzie_16

10. Building Topical Authority with Topic Clusters
● A single “pillar page” acts as the main
hub of content for an overarching topic
● Multiple content pages that are
related to that topic link back to
the pillar page and to each other.
● This structure builds signals that the
pillar page is an authority on the topic
@lmckenzie_16

11. Before Topic Clusters
Graphic inspired by HubSpot
@lmckenzie_16

12. With Topic Clusters in Action
Graphic inspired by HubSpot
@lmckenzie_16

13. What does the
keyword research
process look like?

14. Our methodology is relatively straightforward...
1. Start with your niche
2. Choose your seed keywords (phrases, not words)
3. Generate keyword ideas and organize your keywords
into topics and subtopics
○ Identify competitors and expand your list
4. Prioritize and create timelines for ranking
5. Get strategic with your on-page content strategy
@lmckenzie_16

15. Let’s try it out.

16. Step 1: Pick Your Niche - Drones
Why drones?
● Drones are awesome
● It’s still a relatively new market,
with plenty of growth potential
● There are a lot of content
opportunities
What’s the angle?
● Target people interested in drones
● Monetize traffic with an affiliate
program
@lmckenzie_16

17. Step 2: Choosing Seed Keywords
SEMrush Keyword Magic Tool
@lmckenzie_16

18. Step 2: Choosing Seed Keywords
Continued
Best Drones
240k searches / month
How to Fly
a Drone
76k searches / month
Drone Racing
130k searches / month
DIY Drones
10k searches /
month
Drone
Training
6k searches /
month
@lmckenzie_16

19. Step 3: Generate Keyword Ideas
SEMrush Topic Research Tool

20. Step 3: Generate Keyword Ideas
AnswerThePublic.com
@lmckenzie_16

21. Step 3: Generate Keyword Ideas
Continued
Best
Drones
Best Drone
for Racing
Best Drones for
Professionals
Best Mini
Drones
Best Camera
Drone
Best Drone for
Photography
Best Drone
for Beginners
Best Drone
for Kids
@lmckenzie_16

22. Step 4: Prioritize & Create Timelines for Ranking
● Review all of your topic and
subtopic keyword groups
○ How much volume?
○ What’s the ranking difficulty?
● Forecast traffic based on rankings
● Estimate value based on converting
traffic
@lmckenzie_16

23. Step 5: Create the Right Content
● Check Google before creating any
content
● What’s ranking right now?
○ What type of content is it?
○ How long is the content?
● Make sure you match the user’s intent for
any content that you create
@lmckenzie_16

24. Step 6: Create the Right Content TF*IDF & LSI
● Term frequency times
inverse document frequency
● Calculates weights based on
frequency of terms used
throughout entire document set
● Used by search engines to figure
out the relevance of pages to a
given query.
@lmckenzie_16

25. TF*IDF Result for “Best Drones for Beginners”
https://imfromthefuture.com/tfidf-tool/
@lmckenzie_16

26. Topic Cluster
Examples

27. Examples - Hubspot Instagram Marketing
@lmckenzie_16

28. Examples - Hubspot Instagram Marketing
@lmckenzie_16

29. Examples - IoT Security
@lmckenzie_16

30. Examples - All Inclusive Resorts
@lmckenzie_16

32. SEMrush.com
Two week free trial for Guru Plan:
semrush.com/IFTF050318
@lmckenzie_16

33. SEARCH + SOCIAL + CONTENT

34. Who Are We
Where other agencies try to tack on new services, From The Future (“FTF”) is not a group of
generalists dropped into unfamiliar roles and told to “figure it out.”
FTF has assembled a super team of industry experts with deep expertise in various aspects of
digital marketing.
We brought together some of the most talented individuals in Search Engine Marketing, Social
Media and Content Marketing, Influencer Marketing and Link Building, and Design and
Development.
We are fiercely competitive, meticulous and extraordinarily passionate.
We work with companies looking to drive more traffic, convert more sales, and dominate their
industry.

35. What We Do
Design
Search/SEO
Content
Link BuildingSocialStrategy
Web DevInfluencers Email Marketing
Email Automation

36. Selected Clients

37. Selected Clients

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Discovery Form