Content seems like this mystical unicorn creature; everyone says you *need* it to generate traffic, attract potential customers, and convert sales, but how do you build a long-lasting strategy? In this presentation, I’ll be sharing specific, actionable tips to help you identify hot content topics, find content “itches” you can scratch to give people what they’re seeking and position yourself as a thought leader, do recon to see whether similar topics have gained traction in the past and what they’re missing, and stretch content via different formats for a broader reach.

1. Using Data & Recon to
Build Evergreen
Content Strategies
Selena Vidya - President, Orthris Media
@selenavidya

2. So… What’s Up With
Content?

3. Is this you?
Most agencies and companies guess-timate the types of content they
should create based on what seems most appealing, what shows the
brand in the best light, and what’s interesting… to the team.
There’s a LOST OPPORTUNITY in mining keyword research and other
areas to find topics that can live on as evergreen, or actually provide
something of value.

4. What problems does data-based content
solve?!
● Helps potential users/customers understand what you’re offering by
giving them information they’re looking for.
● Improves their lives in some way, shape, or form through sharing,
teaching, exposing, explaining or providing a solution.
● Helps generate targeted traffic to your site that has the possibility to
convert now, or in the future.

5. Why do we need to base content off that
icky thing called data?
● Google <3s content that actually gets engagement/links/click-thrus
from search. You can’t generate organic traffic without creating
something linkable, and necessary, that people are looking for.
● Useful content can often build links on its own, in addition to your
efforts.
● You have to create something people actually want, and care
about.
● QUESTIONS NEVER DIE!!! ☠️

6. 10%
Of overall traffic.
Of all blog posts are compounding, and account for
38%

7. 1/3
in traffic from organic search.
Of online activity is spent watching video.
Video also drives a
157% increase

8. How do I even know where to start?
● Identify where in the journey you’re creating content for (top, mid or bottom
of funnel)
● What’s the type of content you’re creating? Is it evergreen, educational,
sales/product focused, research etc.
● Where are you planning on promoting this content? This will shape the form
the content takes.
● Content isn’t just a blog post. I’ve seen massive success with video,
structured content, visual content etc. The keyword research, SERP
landscape, and where your audience lives will help dictate that.

9. Content Funnels

10. WTF is high, mid and bottom funnel?
Top of funnel - Least chance of conversion
Mid-funnel - Possible conversion
Bottom funnel - Extreme possibility of
conversion
General interest in the topic, then brand by
proxy.
Interest in topic/product/services, builds
brand awareness
Conversion focused, highly relevant to
brand and offerings, best chance of
conversion.

11. Data Sources

12. Keyword Research: Tools To Use
● SEMRush
● Ahrefs
● Google Keyword Planner (You get better search volume data if
you’re running ads)
● Your own GA (or other analytics platforms)

13. Keyword Research
(& the value of long tail)
Keyword research identifies important phrases related to your business,
and the potential volume it can drive.
Short Tail keywords are ones that are generally broad, high volume,
and competitive. IE: Black Tea
Long Tail keywords are are extremely specific with a smaller volume.
IE: Does Green Tea or Black Tea Have More Caffeine?

14. Keyword Research
(& the value of long tail)
Short Tail
Long(er) Tail

15. Keyword Research
(& the value of long tail)
● Keywords with sub-500 search volume monthly is a great place to
start.
● Looks for QUESTIONS (who, what, where, when, why, how, is)
● Look for comparisons (vs, difference between) especially for
products/services
● Search similar content on BuzzSumo to see which networks that topic
has a tendency to perform well on, create accordingly if it’s in line with
your overall strategy (ie: Video vs. written vs. visual)

16. But someone already created it :’(
● What additional value or research can you add?
● If you make this an evergreen topic page, you can continually
bolster it with new information, research, etc so it’s fresh.
● You can also reach out to publications who have shared similar
content in the past and let them know your content will be updated
in the instance they feel it’s a good resource for them.

17. Example of success
Goal: To create resources that could capture mid-funnel users who
were in a phase where serious research was being performed.
● Used long-tail phrases to identify what people had questions about
(salary, skills, locations, etc)
● Created structured content directories to address those answers
and create a badass, linkable resource.
● Could also showcase proprietary data (trust & expertise factor)

18. Example of success

19. GA / On-site search data
If you’re using on on-site search and tracking queries, this is an
excellent place to mine for what people are searching for, that you
may not yet have content for.
BONUS! (and slightly unrelated) This is also great for product
opportunities.
(Side note: Most GA keyword data is useless because of Not
Provided, but Google Search Console can help provide insight.)

20. Q&A: Scratch the itch!
(AKA, What does the interwebz
want to know?!?!?!)

21. Why Q&A?
People search for a TON of answers in Google. Most are extremely
long tail, but this is where the gold exists.
● Creating content that answers questions breaks down the “can
this person/brand/company/website help me?” question.
● Helps position you/your website as a thought leader / expert in the
niche.
● Can capture longer tail traffic. While small, it has a higher
conversion possibility.

22. Tools
BuzzSumo’s “Question Analyzer”
AnswerThePublic
Good ol’ Google/Bing autosuggest + related
Keyword Keg

23. BuzzSumo Question Analyzer
TOPICS and QUESTIONS
Questions appears to aggregate
all questions.
Topics allows you to see the
most frequently asked questions
by keyword.

24. BuzzSumo Question Analyzer
General Q&A Search *keyword
driven*
● Pulls data from Reddit,
forums, ecommerce sites,
etc.
Take it one step further by
stalking forums -->

25. BuzzSumo Question Analyzer
FORUM SEARCH!
● Search for related forums
● Mine BuzzSumo for QUESTIONS
● If you’re noticing the same questions
asked 2-3 times, consider creating
content around it.
● You can also do this manually (no
tool)

26. AnswerThePublic
There’s a “QUESTION” section of
ATP that’s extremely useful.

27. Google/Bing Autosuggest + Related
Very manual.
Experiment with lead words:
(ie: does tea, why does tea, tea,
tea is, is green tea)

28. Keyword Keg
APIs: Google, Amazon, YouTube, Bing, eBay, etc.
Can also sort by question, preposition, buyer intent & more.

29. Keyword Keg

30. Competitive Stalking
(errr, Research)

31. BuzzSumo
BuzzSumo has free options to experiment with (certain # of searches).
1) Enter a broad(ish) topic or keyword. Not too broad, or else you’ll get
too many results.
2) Sort by Social Engagement (more eyes = more potential for
questions in the comments)
3) Start sorting through comments to see what’s left unanswered.
(Bigger blogs = better chances of things left unanswered.)
4) INCORPORATE THAT INTO YOUR CONTENT.

32. Difficult Industry?
(By difficult, not “boring” but difficult as in, “not
accepted by the mainstream”)

33. You can either give people what they WANT
(answers)
or what they don’t KNOW they want
(compelling research and new data)

34. Let’s talk about PornHub
NSFPPT (not safe for PPT)
How do you create content that’s evergreen
and SHAREABLE for high quality publishers?
PROPRIETARY DATA

35. Checklist
What part(s) of the funnel do you want to target?
Identify short tail keywords, and then long tail keywords (more specific / smaller volume) that
live in those buckets.
Identify questions and prepositions you can create content around. If there’s tons of existing
content around topic, what additional research, proprietary data, etc can you add? How can
you constantly update it so it’s evergreen?
Find unanswered comments/questions from competitors on similar content.
Decide your content form (blog post, video, structured content, visual IG). You can also
repurpose for other mediums.

36. byeeeeeee.
Orthris.com
Email: Selena@orthris.com
Twitter: @selenavidya