The Simple and Smart SEO Show

Keyword Gap Analysis and Branding: Follow Through Fridays

June 28, 2024 Crystal Waddell Season 3 Episode 131

Join me as I walk through the practical steps I took after my conversation with Erika Varangouli, an expert in content marketing, SEO, and branding at Riverside.fm.

Key Takeaways:

  1. Integrating SEO with Branding:
    • Erika emphasized the importance of aligning SEO with branding. Inspired by her advice, I started using customer reviews in ChatGPT to create better product descriptions.
  2. Customer-Centric Content:
    • One new idea is to include a section in my thank-you emails that addresses potential issues, like delayed deliveries, to reassure customers and reduce their stress.
  3. SEO Strategy Evaluation:
    • Erika’s suggestion to regularly evaluate and adjust SEO strategies led me to create a monthly data day for the SEO Squad. 
  4. Keyword Gap Analysis:
    • After Erika mentioned the importance of competitor analysis, I used Ubersuggest to identify keyword gaps between my website and competitors. 
  5. Data-Driven Adjustments:
    • I’m now more committed to making data-driven decisions, regularly searching for new keywords and staying open to refining my strategy.

Listener Action Items:

  1. Use customer feedback to enhance your product descriptions and align them with your brand’s voice.
  2. Set aside time each month to review your SEO data and make strategic adjustments.
  3. Perform a keyword gap analysis to discover new opportunities to rank in search results.

Connect with Me:

Send me a text!

Support the show

Search the Simple and Smart SEO Show podcast for something you heard! It's free!

Apply to be my podcast guest! 🎙️ Don't forget to Put your pitch topic in the subject line!

AFFILIATE LINKS:
Start your Shopify Store!
Get Carry (formerly Ocho): the best retirement resources for entrepreneurs!

Note:
If you make a purchase using some of my links, I make a little money.
But I only ever share products, people, & offers I trust & use myself!

[Podcast Introduction with background music]

Introduction and Welcome

[00:00:00] squadcaster-j0ie_2_08-27-2024_112937: Hey there, what is going on? 

[00:00:02] This is Crystal at the Simple and Smart SEO Show podcast back for another follow through Friday's episode. So excited that you're joining me today. We are following through on the episode with the fantastic Erika Varangouli. 

[00:00:15] Erika does content marketing, SEO, and branding for Riverside FM. So if you missed that episode, it is, and you'd like to check out my interview with Erika. That was episode 130. So definitely go check that out if you haven't listened to it already. Okay. 

Key Takeaways from Erika Varangouli's Episode

[00:00:35] squadcaster-j0ie_2_08-27-2024_112937: So let's get into some of my takeaways from that episode with Erika.

[00:00:40] First of all, was the importance of integrating SEO in branding. And really just having consistency in messaging. 

[00:00:48] So how I took that was that it was important for me to align all the content on collagenwood. com with my brand's voice and values. 

[00:00:55] And, I realized that I could start inputting my reviews into ChatGPT. To create new product descriptions that integrated the customer voice into those product descriptions.

[00:01:08] So I was super excited about that. And I made some pretty sweet product descriptions based on that tip from Erika. 

[00:01:15] So thank you so much. That was fantastic. 

Implementing Customer-Centric Content

[00:01:18] squadcaster-j0ie_2_08-27-2024_112937: Another tip was to focus on content quality and specifically making the content customer centric. 

[00:01:26] This means that I needed to write better content that addressed the specific needs and questions of my customers.

[00:01:32] So, sharing authentic customer stories and experiences related to what my customers have gone through in relationship to my products. 

[00:01:40] And that includes customer testimonials and success stories. I feel like I've talked about this before. 

[00:01:46] But because of what Erika suggested, I plan on creating a section on what to do when it goes wrong. But I don't want to come across as negative.

[00:01:54] And I think when I was recording videos of myself discussing some of these common FAQs that I get at Collage and Wood. 

[00:02:03] That was something that I had talked about doing. But my new idea is to put that in the thank you email. 

[00:02:10] So it's okay, once you've purchased and you're in my claws. No, I'm just kidding.

[00:02:13] But once you've purchased, I think that should be a part of that followup sequence when I'm communicating with customers. 

[00:02:20] squadcaster-j0ie_2_08-27-2024_112937: It's Hey, look. This is rare, but just in case this happens, and your collage is running tight on the deadline to get to you by your senior night. 

[00:02:28] These are the steps that I will take to make sure that you have a gift to at least give on senior night. 

[00:02:33] Just in case your package is lost or delayed. 

[00:02:36] Which has happened. So nobody wants to know that could happen. 

[00:02:40] But I think that it would help a lot and just get out in front of that stress. If they knew that, okay, if something like that should happen, that there is a contingency plan.

[00:02:49] So that's still something on my to do list that I need to make sure I do. That was a great idea.

Evaluating and Adjusting SEO Strategies

[00:02:52] squadcaster-j0ie_2_08-27-2024_112937: Another action item that I took from Erika's episode was that it's important to evaluate and adjust our SEO strategies. 

[00:02:58] And doing so, we need to set realistic expectations. One thing that this inspired me to do was to create a data day for the SEO squad. 

[00:03:07] That means that every month when the Google Search Console insights come out, which is the fifth of the month. 

[00:03:12] We have a day to day on the following Wednesday. 

[00:03:16] And that way we can review our top pages Our top search terms and perform an SEO focused SWOT. 

[00:03:23] Which is to analyze the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of the previous 28 days. 

[00:03:29] So that we can recognize opportunities for the future and then make any refinements that we need to on a monthly basis.

[00:03:36] Another thing that Erika suggested that I wanted to follow up on was looking at what my competitors were doing. And a lot of times I keep my head down. I don't really worry about my competitors too much.

[00:03:45] But, even within a program like Ubersuggest. 

[00:03:48] You can find some keyword gaps between yourself and your top competitors. 

[00:03:54] And one of the things that I did was I looked up the keyword gaps between, myself and my competitors. And I found a keyword that was "gifts for every sport." And I realized, Oh my goodness, I'm not ranking for that.

[00:04:07] I immediately added that keyword to a collection page. It's already ranking for that collection page. Not super high, but it's ranking. 

[00:04:13] So that's pretty awesome.

[00:04:15] And lastly, Erika recommended that We make data driven Adjustments. 

[00:04:19] And so I appreciate like her insights on how to use data to refine an SEO strategy. 

[00:04:25] And my goal is that I'll search for keywords that align even better with my brand. 

[00:04:29] I'm going to stay open minded to new keywords that I find either in Google search console. 

[00:04:34] Or in a keyword gap analysis to make sure that I'm covering all my bases. 

[00:04:38] Because if my competitors ranking for a specific keyword that pertains to what I do, I definitely want to rank there as well. 

Conclusion and Final Thoughts

[00:04:44] squadcaster-j0ie_2_08-27-2024_112937: So... this was a pretty short and sweet episode of follow through Fridays.

[00:04:49] I really want to thank Erika Varangouli for coming on the simple and smart SEO show podcast. 

[00:04:54] And sharing so many great tips that we can implement as entrepreneurs. 

[00:04:58] And again, I just want to encourage you don't feel overwhelmed. 

[00:05:00] Just pick one thing that you can follow up on.

[00:05:03] That's going to generate more revenue, more profit or more peace for you in your business. And remember the most important thing is to keep moving forward. I'll see you next time.

People on this episode