SEO is in flux right now. Between a ton of algorithm updates and reports that Search Generative Experience (SGE) will take over his SERPs, there's a lot of uncertainty and anxiety about the path forward.
For me, now is the perfect time to put the spotlight back on an underutilized SEO research effort that I know is effective. My list includes:
- Keyword trend analysis.
- Customer survey.
- Analysis of non-search channels for content.
- SERP analysis of “flying distance” keyword.
By the time you finish reading this article, we hope that (despite all the winds blowing) you will feel more in control of your SEO success over the coming months.
1. Keyword trend analysis
There's keyword analysis and then there's keywords tendency analysis. The latter helps SEO surface things like:
- New keyword.
- Changes in keyword status.
- How have your focus keywords changed since you first optimized them?
My favorite tool for understanding trends is the Glimpse Google Trends extension. This adds a lot of data and functionality to the regular Google Trends insights.
Use this extension for rich long-tail keyword data, trending topics, trend alerts, and data export. This tool (and a bit of a mindset shift) will help you apply a real-time approach to your top keywords, rather than a process of setting it up and checking it every once in a while.
Let's dig deeper: Beyond search volume: forward-looking keyword research for SEO
2. Customer survey
There's no doubt that you're doing some form of customer research to determine their intentions, needs, pain points, etc. (right?). However, in my experience, SEOs rarely take a holistic approach to customer understanding that includes team-wide conversations and fluent customer interactions. various tools.
Some tools you can play with now if they aren't already included:
- Heat mapping tools (I like Hotjar because even the free version gives you a lot of information about how users interact with your site).
- Survey tools such as SurveyMonkey, Typeform, and Google Forms.
A note about surveys: Don't overuse surveys. Be clear about how your data will be used. If the data you're collecting is valuable enough to your campaign, you might also consider offering a small gift card or perk.
When it comes to different teams, sales and customer service teams at brands and clients have a wealth of real-time information about customer questions, issues, use cases, challenges, and more. Regular check-ins with these teams (hint: leave it alone) to make it as easy as possible for them to pass on what they've learned to you is a good use of your time.
Paid teams, whether they work for an agency or in-house, are also a great resource for data about what's working and what's not, but they're often underutilized. Is not …
From high CTR ad copy to keyword volume spikes to insights into your best-performing audiences, paid media insights are invaluable in optimizing your organic search strategy and priorities.
Let's dig deeper: SEO guide for audience research and content analysis
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3. Analysis of non-search channels
Forums and communities like Reddit and Quora, brand and competitor FAQ pages, and comments on social media and YouTube are rich sources of real-time information for users to understand content and explore new themes.
Slack communities are one of my favorite data sources (and have helped me land new clients). Active Slack communities around topics related to your business are often very helpful, as users ask questions and look for recommendations that you can address directly.
To get the most out of Slack, always respect community rules and don't get too pushy or salesy unless your question is clearly looking for a product or service. It does not directly benefit you.
4. SERP analysis of “flying distance” keyword
With Google's old page system, you could even go from 11 to 10 (the first page in the SERP, and away from the “where would you hide a dead body” joke) to 4 to 2 (above the fold)? there was. These were moves with synergistic growth.
Currently, Google uses infinite scrolling in the SERPs, so the resulting improvement depends less on page breaks and more on positioning relative to other SERP features such as embedded videos and videos. people also ask A section that pushes content below the scroll.
However, not all keyword ranking improvements have equal impact, so make sure your reporting takes the opportunity to evaluate the costs and benefits of making that all-important leap forward.
from now on
I've been in the SEO industry long enough to remember many seemingly seismic changes in the search landscape that marketers have had to adjust to.this teeth It was probably the most dynamic period I have experienced. The introduction of AI-generated content is a whole new dimension for search marketers.
That being said, in times of change, I have almost always seen brands lose sight of certain SEO basics that are proven to drive growth. No matter what form SGE deployment takes, the best way to prepare is to control what you can control and implement best practices along the way.
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the guest author and not necessarily those of Search Engine Land. Staff authors are listed here.