{"id":182774,"date":"2025-04-13T12:57:07","date_gmt":"2025-04-13T12:57:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peraltafinancing.com\/analytics\/content-strategy-know-your-audience\/"},"modified":"2025-04-13T12:57:07","modified_gmt":"2025-04-13T12:57:07","slug":"content-strategy-know-your-audience","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=182774","title":{"rendered":"Content Strategy: Know Your Audience"},"content":{"rendered":"


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For years and years, the one constant in the chaotic world of SEO has been a simple statement: Content is King. This statement has been the cornerstone of content strategy in SEO projects, and its validity has hardly been contested. This is not due to lack of trying. Many posts in the blogosphere have taken an opposing stand (Heidi Cohen: format is king<\/a>, Carl Ocab: marketing is king<\/a>, Bernadette Coleman: trust is king<\/a>). The message of the opposition is this: content cannot be king, as it is only a small part of the audience experience.<\/p>\n

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I agree, and I also think the metaphor is a poor one. Being king implies sovereignty. Kings inherit their power through lineage (or usurpation), and they rule supreme (well, they used to, at least). The problem with this metaphor, in terms of content strategy, is that this devalues all the other, hugely important aspects of creating a successful website. In SEO, all<\/strong> parts of the optimization process come together in a well-developed content strategy:<\/p>\n

You need the technical groundwork to make sure the site is crawlable. Without crawled pages, your site\u2019s standing in organic search results will be compromised. As long as you have access to a modern CMS<\/a>, you won\u2019t need to worry about this too much.<\/p>\n

You need a strong keyword analysis to make sure that the right audience arrives at your site. You need to understand your audience\u2019s needs in order to convert them to followers\/fans\/revenue\/whatever your goals are.<\/p>\n

You need jaw-dropping design to make sure that the initial impression your site gives is the one that draws your visitors in.<\/p>\n

You need a good outreach plan to build hype around your site. Your marketing department must be up-to-speed with the latest online trends and fashions.<\/p>\n

And finally, you need incredible content to make sure that the audience who does arrive at your site doesn\u2019t leave. Ever. You want your site to be the last one they look at before they go to sleep, the one they dream about in their feverish dreams, and the first thing they think of when they wake up in the morning.<\/p>\n

You can focus your content strategy in many ways (see e.g James Agate\u2019s wonderfully informative post A Guide to Producing World-Class Infographics<\/a>), but the basics are always the same, and I will introduce them next.<\/p>\n


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Right content strategy for the right audience<\/h2>\n

I like to approach content strategy with the same tools and methods I used when I was a product owner in an agile development team. Everything began with a vision statement<\/a>. Every product, every release, every increment, and every feature needed to adhere to this vision religiously.<\/p>\n

imilarly, when I think about what content to create for a single page, for example, I think of a single content statement<\/strong> which governs everything the page should be about. Really, it must be simple. A good content statement contains the the core message of the page, the general target group, the differentiating factor, and a goal statement. For example:<\/p>\n

This page tells all about MyToolCompany’s new Power Drill 2000. This information is of most interest to home owners, building crews and DIY hobbyists. This page stands out because the product is introduced in a memorable and easily accessible way. The goal of this page is to get leads and sales contacts.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

After I have my content statement, I can start thinking about the target groups more carefully. This aspect of content strategy requires a lot of niche knowledge about the business. If a SEO consultant has been hired to work on the content, target group analysis should be developed as a team effort.<\/p>\n

I call this audience design<\/strong>, and it should provide you with the keywords you need to work on semantic optimization. Look at search trends<\/a> to make early bird calls, and home in on your competition\u2019s tactics.<\/p>\n

Another really good method of implementing audience design is to draft user stories and scenarios. Think of a few user profiles who might be typical visitors to your site, and write scenarios for them: \u201cAs a user type<\/strong>, I want to find out about page content<\/strong> so that I can statement of need or action<\/strong>\u201d. Once you have a number of these, you can start writing your content.<\/p>\n

The point behind all this labor is simple. Your content strategy will ensure high quality content if you ask the following questions after each paragraph you write:<\/p>\n