This is the talk I delivered at the awesome SearchStars conference in Malmö on 10th October 2017. "Have you ever wondered what quality content means for your site? How to build the expert information Google says they want to show? You’re not alone. Turning basic keyword research into an actionable SEO plan is hard. The connection isn’t always clear. But, we have a starting point at our fingertips. Every search query is a question. One you can answer. To build the best content possible, we need to make ourselves a cross between a curated library and the Genius Bar. In this talk, we’ll look at how answers can be the recipe for your expert content. They’re the instructions on how to target your audience at every stage of the buying cycle. And the key to unlocking the user-centric content potential of your site."

1. Selling the
answers:
A USE R -CE NT RIC
SEO IDEA
Ch ar lie W illiams
10 t h O c t o b e r 2 017, M a l mö

2. # s e arc h s t ar s S E@ p a g e s a u c e

3. An swe rs are
a vai l abl e t o us l i ke
n eve r be f o re
We all
ask them
# s e arc h s t ar s S E@ p a g e s a u c e
Que st io n s.

4. # s e arc h s t ar s S E@ p a g e s a u c e
Que st io n s.
An swe rs are
a vai l abl e t o us l i ke
n eve r be f o re
We all
ask them

5. # s e arc h s t ar s S E@ p a g e s a u c e
Que st io n s.
An swe rs are
a vai l abl e t o us l i ke
n eve r be f o re
We all
ask them

6. Just
google it
# s e arc h s t ar s S E@ p a g e s a u c e
Que st io n s.
We al l k n ow we h a ve
t h e re po sit o r y o f
know ledg e

7. Vo i ce s e arc h e s are
more specif ic & more
o f t e n a q u e s t i o n
Voice
& Apple
@ p a g e s a u c e
Que st io n s.

8. # s e arc h s t ar s S E@ p a g e s a u c e
Que st io n s.
We sa y w h at
h e l p we n e e d
Just
google it
h ow -t o -f i x -a-
t o i l e t .co m /

9. A search =
a question
# s e arc h s t ar s S E@ p a g e s a u c e
Que st io n s.
E ve r y se arc h we
do is a q ue st io n
at is h e ar t

10. Keyword
intents
# s e arc h s t ar s S E@ p a g e s a u c e
Que st io n s.
ge t st at .co m/ blo g/
searc h -in t en t -
co nve rsio n -
o p t i m i z at i o n /
mo z .com/blog/segmenting- se arc h-int ent
B ac k i n 2 0 07 …

11. Information
intent
# s e arc h s t ar s S E@ p a g e s a u c e
Que st io n s.
We h a ve a
q uest ion-based
searc h cult ure

12. Transaction
intent
# s e arc h s t ar s S E@ p a g e s a u c e
Que st io n s.
# s e arc h s t ar s S E
We h a ve a
q uest ion-based
searc h cult ure

13. Navigation
intent
# s e arc h s t ar s S E@ p a g e s a u c e
Que st io n s.
We h a ve a
q uest ion-based
searc h cult ure

14. Answers
wanted
# s e arc h s t ar s S E@ p a g e s a u c e
Que st io n s.
G o o gl e ’s co n t e n t &
SE RP im provements =
be t t e r an swe rs

15. Answers
wanted
# s e arc h s t ar s S E@ p a g e s a u c e
Que st io n s.
G o o gl e ’s co n t e n t &
SE RP im provements =
be t t e r an swe rs

16. Answers
wanted
# s e arc h s t ar s S E@ p a g e s a u c e
Que st io n s.
G o o gl e ’s co n t e n t &
SE RP im provements =
be t t e r an swe rs

17. Interpreting
intent
# s e arc h s t ar s S E@ p a g e s a u c e
Que st io n s.
As G oogle t ran slat e s
meaning, we ha ve t o
do t h e same

18. Answers,
not pages
# s e arc h s t ar s S E@ p a g e s a u c e
Que st io n s.
T h e key t o k n owi n g
h ow t o bu i l d
ex pe r t co n t e n t

19. E x pan di n g ex pe r t
key word researc h
Researc h .
# s e arc h s t ar s S E
Finding
your
questions
@ p a g e s a u c e

20. Researc h .
# s e arc h s t ar s S E
Knowing
your
audience
@ p a g e s a u c e
N e e ds, go als,
pro ble ms
& languag e

21. Researc h .
# s e arc h s t ar s S E@ p a g e s a u c e
o f f e r s .h u bs po t .co m /
pe rso n a-t e m plat e s
Audience
personas

22. Researc h .
# s e arc h s t ar s S E@ p a g e s a u c e
I want to…N ARRATIVE:
So that…G OAL:
CO NTEXT: Using…
As a…ACTOR:
T h e i n t e n t
be h in d t h e st o r y
Audience
journeys

23. Wh o can t e ac h yo u
yo u ’re au di e n ce ’s
q uest ions?
Researc h .
# s e arc h s t ar s S E@ p a g e s a u c e
C u s t o m e r
s e r v i c e s
S h o p
f l o o r t e a m
S a l e s
t e a m
C o m m o n
i s s u e s
C u s t o m e r
g o a l s
B a r r i e r s
Internal
experts

24. www.google.com/
an al y t ics/ sur vey s/
Researc h .
# s e arc h s t ar s S E
Survey
the
landscape
@ p a g e s a u c e

25. seedkey words.com/
Researc h .
# s e arc h s t ar s S E
Can we
crowd
source?
@ p a g e s a u c e

26. T h ey ’ ve go t 9 9
pro ble ms, & I
wan t t o sol ve ‘em
Researc h .
# s e arc h s t ar s S E@ p a g e s a u c e
Finding
problems

27. Use user q uest ion s &
rev i ew s t o f i n d
co mmo n t h e me s
Researc h .
# s e arc h s t ar s S E@ p a g e s a u c e
Finding
problems

28. ge t st at .co m/ blo g/
pe o ple -also -ask/
Researc h .
# s e arc h s t ar s S E@ p a g e s a u c e
People
also ask…

29. T h e r i gh t t o o l f o r t h e
job, & dif f erent uses
f o r o u r f a vo u r i t e s
Researc h .
# s e arc h s t ar s S E@ p a g e s a u c e
Keyword
toolbox

30. imf ro mt hefuture.com /
key word-researc h-
n ow /
Researc h .
# s e arc h s t ar s S E@ p a g e s a u c e
Keyword
toolbox

31. fro.gg/digit al-funnel
Researc h .
# s e arc h s t ar s S E
Use the
whole
funnel
@ p a g e s a u c e
fro.gg/t ofu-bofu

32. Key words t h at
classify a t o pic
Researc h .
Finding
the
exemplars
@ p a g e s a u c e

33. fro.gg/searc h-
an al y t ics-c h ro me
Researc h .
# s e arc h s t ar s S E@ p a g e s a u c e
Search
Analytics

34. Researc h .
# s e arc h s t ar s S E@ p a g e s a u c e
F i n d ex pl i ci t &
im plied q uestions
an swe r t h e public.co m
Answer
questions

35. F i n d ex pl i ci t &
im plied q uestions
Researc h .
# s e arc h s t ar s S E@ p a g e s a u c e
an swe r t h e public.co m
Answer
questions

36. h t t p:/ / f ro .gg/ an swe r-
t h e -public-use s
Researc h .
@ p a g e s a u c e
Answer
questions

37. mo z .com /explorer/
key word/
Researc h .
# s e arc h s t ar s S E@ p a g e s a u c e
Answer
questions

38. www.st or y base.com
Researc h .
# s e arc h s t ar s S E@ p a g e s a u c e
Answer
questions

39. webpagefx.com/seo-
t o o l s/ f aqf ox /
Researc h .
# s e arc h s t ar s S E@ p a g e s a u c e
Answer
questions

40. User q uest ion s f or
long-t ai l ideas
Researc h .
# s e arc h s t ar s S E@ p a g e s a u c e
Google
suggests
inf init esugg est.com

41. Researc h .
# s e arc h s t ar s S E@ p a g e s a u c e
key wordt ool.io
Use modif iers &
wildcards (*)
Google
suggests

42. imf ro mt hefuture.com /
bigf o o t -st rat e gy /
Researc h .
# s e arc h s t ar s S E
Semantic
relations
@ p a g e s a u c e
lsigraph.com/

43. semr ush .com
Researc h .
# s e arc h s t ar s S E@ p a g e s a u c e
searc h me t r ics.com
key word.io
sist r ix.com
t o o l f e ast .co m
Let’s get
cooking

44. semr ush .com
Researc h .
# s e arc h s t ar s S E@ p a g e s a u c e
searc h me t r ics.com
key word.io
sist r ix.com
t o o l f e ast .co m
Let’s get
cooking

45. L e ar n fro m wh at i s
wor king f or o t her
re s o u rce s
Researc h .
# s e arc h s t ar s S E
Reverse
engineering
@ p a g e s a u c e
ah re fs.co m

46. T h e re ’s n o * r i gh t *
wa y t o do t h is
Researc h .
# s e arc h s t ar s S E
100 1000
keywords
@ p a g e s a u c e

47. Fre sh t o pi cs o ur
audie n ce ask
Researc h .
# s e arc h s t ar s S E
Always
new
ideas
@ p a g e s a u c e

48. An swe rs.
# s e arc h s t ar s S E@ p a g e s a u c e
Building
better
answers
fro.gg/q ualit y -
ph an t o m

49. An swe rs.
@ p a g e s a u c e
We are l o o k i n g t o
build o ur E - A - T
Google
explains
quality
fro.gg/searc h-rat er-
an al y sis

50. An swe rs.
# s e arc h s t ar s S E@ p a g e s a u c e
Relevant , useful &
co m pre h e n sive = q ualit y
Semantic
connections
fro.gg/t opic-
mo dell i ng -intro

51. An swe rs.
# s e arc h s t ar s S E@ p a g e s a u c e
mo z .com /blog/
7 - advan ce d- s e o -
co n ce p t s
Better on-
page SEO
link-assi st ant.com/
websit e-audit or/

52. Wh at ’s t h e be st
pro duct page an d
inf o you can provide?
# s e arc h s t ar s S E
Better
templates
@ p a g e s a u c e
An swe rs.

53. An swe rs.
# s e arc h s t ar s S E@ p a g e s a u c e
Scrape
Amazon
co py h ac ke rs.co m/
wr it e-copy -amaz on-
rev i ew - m i n i n g/

54. An swe rs.
@ p a g e s a u c e
Add
depth
with UGC
Ask your audie n ce
f o r a m o re
co m pre h e n sive an swe r

55. An swe rs.
# s e arc h s t ar s S E@ p a g e s a u c e
Content
formats
Useful, educat ion al,
inspirational or
e n t e r t ai n i n g

56. An swe rs.
@ p a g e s a u c e
74 % i n cre as e i n
user underst anding
Video
content

57. An swe rs.
@ p a g e s a u c e
Right
answer
for the
job

58. An swe rs.
# s e arc h s t ar s S E@ p a g e s a u c e
Right
answer
for the
job

59. An swe rs.
# s e arc h s t ar s S E@ p a g e s a u c e
Right
answer
for the
job

60. An swe rs.
# s e arc h s t ar s S E@ p a g e s a u c e
Markup
your
answers
D o n ’ t l e t m ac h i n e s
int er pre t

61. An swe rs.
# s e arc h s t ar s S E@ p a g e s a u c e
Answer
quickly
A slow an swe r
is no t a
go o d an swe r

62. # s e arc h s t ar s S E@ p a g e s a u c e
1
Know your audience’s
perspective, goals & problems
2
3
Research their questions
(actual & implied)
Build your content around
answering the question

63. # s e arc h s t ar s S E@ p a g e s a u c e
In summar y.
How
many
can you
answer?

64. # s e arc h s t ar s S E@ p a g e s a u c e
In summar y.
How
many
can you
answer?

65. # s e arc h s t ar s S E
Tack!
@pagesauce
charlie@
screamingfrog.co.uk
fro.gg/sea rchstars17