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Content Spreadsheet

Posted
Updated
ByKatherine Anderson

How to Use the Content Spreadsheet

Column by Column

Process for using Content SS and definitions for each column. Link to Content SS

  1. About the Content Spreadsheet aka Content SS
    1. The Content SS is the main repository for tracking blog content for all clients.
    2. The spreadsheet uses SmartSheet which is a tool I pay for. Click to view the SmartSheet Tutorial and learning area.
    3. The Content SS is organized into a hierarchy with parent rows and child rows. The highest level in the hierarchy is a client. Parent rows are used to organize the articles by phases. The phases are identified by the value in the column called Status i.
    4. At the bottom of each hierarchy of parent and child rows are the individual articles. Each article row is one blog article.
    5. The Status – i.e. the phase an article is in – is key to understanding the Content SS. Each article moves through the various phases of the blogging process.
    6. The columns are a long checklist of to-do items for the individual blog articles. The columns are described below.
  2. Client/Long Title or Menu
    1. This column organizes the blog titles by client
    2. The “Long Title” is the actual title of the blog article
    3. Length should be 5-10 words, however, there is no limit on character length
    4. Try to place the FKW near the front, but not required
    5. If you can use the city name here in a natural-sounding way that is a double bonus
  3. Focus Keyword (FKW)
    1. The FKW is the phrase that is the focus of the primary message of the article
    2. It is (usually) the search term that we want to rank for in the search engines
    3. Put the FKW in the Focus Keyphrase field in Yoast in WordPress articles
    4. Don’t use the FKW as anchor text to an external link (this sends the SEO juice away)
    5. How to choose the right focus keyword
  4. Plan Actual Date
    1. The planned publishing date for the article. This date must match the actual date of the blog post once finished.
    2. The rows of the Content SS are typically sorted in descending – i.e. newest to oldest – order by the Plan Actual Date
    3. Once you have this date you change the “Status” to Next Up” or “Planned”
    4. Next up means the very next blog
    5. Planned means the article is planned in the future past the Next up article
  5. Status
    1. Blog articles go through phases, describe below in timeline order
      1. Brainstorming – these are ideas for future blogs
      2. Next Up & Planned – Next up articles are next up to go-to writers, planned are ready for writers in the future
      3. Writing in Progress – these articles are being written
      4. Writing Done – these articles are back from the writers & awaiting editing
      5. SEO In-progress – these articles are being edited and on-page SEO is in-progress
      6. SEO Finished – Done! Move row to under the “SEO Finished” parent row
      7. Scheduled – these articles are done but are not live yet on the blog
    2. Refresh Needed – these are existing articles tagged for a refresh
    3. Grandfathered – existing articles included here to see what is on the blog so you can avoid duplicating existing blogs during content planning
  6. Writing Company and Writer
    1. The name of the writer assigned to this article
    2. Dave – our top writer for numerous clients
    3. Content Runner – good service, this is a “writing company” with multiple “writers”
  7. Editor
    1. The person on the Pagecafe team responsible for managing and publishing a particular article
    2. The Editor receives an article from the writer and performs all the steps described below.
  8. Hours Logged
    1. Al enters this number. The number is a subjective number that includes all phases of the process of the article
    2. Usually 5.5 for 500 words and 6.5 for 750 words
  9. SEO Title
    1. The SEO title is a short sentence or statement that is used in the metadata of the blog article. Google often displays the SEO title in the search results page.
    2. The Editor writes this content in inputs into Content SS.
    3. The SEO title must be no longer than 60 characters. The “L1” column in the Content SS counts the characters.
    4. The FKW should be as close to the beginning of the SEO title as possible.
    5. Don’t use the exact same wording as the H1
    6. Uses word caps, keep wording succinct and informative. Don’t end in a period.
    7. If space is available it’s good to add the company name.
    8. Example: Privacy Fence Ideas for Colorado Front Range Homes
  10. L1
    1. The length of the SEO title in characters, calculated by a formula in the cell.
    2. The SEO title should be less than 60 characters
  11. Meta Description
    1. The meta description is one or two sentences used in the metadata of the blog article. Google often displays the meta description under the SEO title in the search results page.
    2. The Editor writes this content in inputs into Content SS.
    3. The meta description is also used for the Excerpt (WordPress), Intro Text (Joomla) and Facebook/GMB posts.
    4. The meta description must be no longer than 160 characters. The “L2” column in the Content SS counts the characters.
  12. L2
    1. The length of the meta description in characters, put here to help write the meta description
    2. The meta description should be less than 160 characters
  13. Assigned Writer
    1. The date the article was assigned to a writer
    2. Dave – Al emails the topics to Dave
    3. Content Runner – Al uses the CR dashboard to find writers and assign topics
    4. Change the “Status” to Writing in Progress”
  14. Word count ordered
    1. The number of words purchased for a particular article
    2. 500 is a short article, 800 is typical for SEO blogs, and 1,200 is for in-depth articles and landing pages.
  15. Received from Writer
    1. The date the Writer submits the article to Pagecafe
    2. The editor receives the article and updates this field.
    3. The editor reviews the article and provides feedback to Al as to the quality of the post.
    4. If the article needs revision, the editor sends it back to the writer.
  16. Date Approved
    1. The date the article is approved i.e. accepted from the writer as complete
    2. Make a copy of the article file and save in the Drive > Blogs > Original Articles
    3. Make a copy of the article file in the Drive > Blogs > Writing Complete folder and add the abbreviation for the client as a prefix to the file name
    4. Change the “Status” to Writing Complete
  17. Date Edit Started
    1. The date the editor starts working on the article to prepare it for publication
    2. Change the “Status” to SEO in Progress
    3. Move article file from Writing Complete folder to the SEO in Progress Folder
  18. Published
    1. The date the editor published the article to the live website
    2. Change the “Status” to Scheduled
  19. Date Finished
    1. The date the Content SS checklist is complete
    2. Drag the row for the article in the Content SS to underneath the parent row called SEO Complete
    3. Document the Schedule vs SEO Finished
    4. Change the “Status” to SEO Finished
  20. Yoast Color Green
    1. WordPress blogs use the Yoast plugin to manage SEO.
    2. Yoast provides a color indicator to show the SEO completeness.
    3. All WordPress blog posts should have a green dot when live
  21. Submit Google
    1. Date the URL for the blog post is submitted to Google Search Console
    2. Al is currently doing this
  22. Grammarly Check
    1. Traffic light symbol, green when complete
    2. Grammarly is a spelling and grammar checker
    3. Grammarly is available in Google Docs and also a browser plugin
    4. The check can be performed in either Docs or when editing in the blog
    5. Set to green after Grammarly errors are fixed.
  23. Ext Link
    1. Traffic light symbol, green when complete
    2. An external link is a link to a third party website out on the internet
    3. Every blog post must have one or more external links that are relevant to the particular blog post.
    4. The anchor text of the link must NOT contain any of the FKWs.
    5. The best anchor texts for an external link is related to the blog topic but does not contain any of the keywords used on the website.
    6. Generally, don’t link out to wikipedia or quora.
  24. Ext Link New Tab
    1. Traffic light symbol, green when complete
    2. Set the external link to open in a new window.
    3. WordPress and Joomla do this differently, see instructions below.
  25. Ext Link Nofollow
    1. Traffic light symbol, green when complete
    2. Set the external link to use the “NOFOLLOW” meta tag.
    3. WordPress and Joomla do this differently, see instructions below.
  26. Link to Landing
    1. Traffic light symbol, green when complete
    2. Most of our websites have dedicated pages for each key service or product. We call these key pages “landing pages” because they are written specifically for prospects to “land on” from the search engines.
    3. The topic of most blog articles is usually related to a key service or product. When this is the case, include a text link from the blog to the appropriate landing page.
    4. The anchor text of the link should include one or more of the focus keywords of the landing page.
    5. Don’t include the FKW of the current page in the anchor text of the link to the landing page
    6. Example “To avoid problems with the statute of limitations after a fatal accident (this is the FKW), anyone considering a lawsuit should speak with a top-rated wrongful death attorney in Colorado Springs (link to landing page) as quickly as possible to protect their rights.”
  27. Link Internal
    1. Traffic light symbol, green when complete
    2. This is a link to a related blog article on the same website
    3. A good way to do this is using “Related Blog article title here” format and applying the <blockquote> style.
    4. Links to the home must contain the main keyword of the home page and I like adding city info or the word “best” to the link.
    5. Don’t use the company name as anchor text to link to the home page
    6. Don’t use the current page’s FKW in a link to a different page page. In this case skip tracing should never be used as anchor text. Also, generally Link from Internal
    7. Traffic light symbol, green when complete
    8. This is a link to this post from another blog article on the same website.
  28. URL Shrink
  29. Word Count Published
  30. Qty FKW in Body
  31. Ratio
  32. Image Quantity
    1. Quantity of images in the blog post.
    2. Every blog post gets one or more photos.
    3. The image must be relevant to the blog topic
  33. Image Resized
  34. Image Speed Optimized
  35. Image Geotagged
  36. Image File Name has FKW
  37. Image ALT has FKW
  38. FKW in URL
  39. FKW in Title Tag
  40. FKW in Meta description
  41. FKW in H1 and H2
  42. FKW in First Sentence
  43. CTA in Post
  44. Excerpt Correct
  45. Category Correct
  46. Clear Formatting
  47. Plagiarism Check
  48. Date Set to Planned
  49. Test on iPhone
  50. More to Read
  51. Site Maint Clear Cache
  52. Update CMS and Plugins
  53. Clear Temp Files
  54. Date Updated
  55. Date Created
  56. Blog Date
  57. Image
  58. Social Post Content
  59. Submit GMB
  60. Submit Facebook
  61. URL

Photos

  1. About Photos
    1. We use Shutterstock for stock photography for our blogs.
    2. Photos are kept and re-used over and over. We have purchased over 400 photos already on Shutterstock.
    3. Each client has a “Collection” on Shutterstock with their images
    4. There are multi-purpose collections for “Health Insurance” and “Colorado Springs” that multiple clients can draw photos from
    5. We have a Shutterstock subscription to purchase 10 images per month.
    6. Log in using Al’s credentials: UN: pagecafe PW: Waders!1849
  2. Download photos from Shutterstock Collections to your local computer
    1. If you see the download icon that means we purchased the image and have unlimited downloads of that image
    2. Don’t change the standard Shutterstock file name after downloading
    3. Notice the image files are huge in both photo dimensions and file size. Both have to be reduced so the images download fast.
  3. Photo Size & Speed Optimization
    1. Go to Bulk Image Resizer
    2. Drag full-size images into the upload area and click the Resize button
    3. After the upload finished the Resize Your Images page is displayed
    4. Note: photos for our blogs are typically 1200 px wide, height varies
    5. Enter “1200” in the width box, leave the height box blank
    6. Choose optimization level > “Good Image Quality”
    7. Save image as > JPG > click Resize Images button
    8. When done, click > Download Images button
    9. If you are doing more than one image, the download files will need to be UNZIPPED
  4. GEO tagging photos
    1. This process inserts the location of the business into the metadata of the image
    2. Go to https://tool.geoimgr.com/ , which is a Tool Al pays for.
    3. The first time you use it, enter the following license number at the top of the page and click “Activate”: 41AA6E35-760A41D6-AC93C906-70A7112D
    4. Scroll down until you see “DROP IMAGES OR VIDEOS HERE TO UPLOAD”
    5. Drag the image file onto the “DROP IMAGES” space
    6. The image is uploaded and displayed
    7. Click the little Blue Button “eXif.me” that is under the image thumbnail
    8. A popup map page is displayed > Click the tab labeled “GEO tags”
    9. Get the Lat Long for the business that is using this photo
      1. Open Logins Spreadsheet (SS)
      2. Collapse all child rows
      3. Find the business and revel info, Look for Lat Long row
      4. Cut and Paste the lat and long
    10. How to find Lat Long in not in Logins SS
      1. Open Google Maps
      2. Search for the business by name (i.e. Blicks Fencing)
      3. The GMB page for the business should be displayed
      4. Look in the URL of the GMB page and not far in the URL you will see a Lat Long that looks like this: 38.8235304,-105.1238514
      5. This is the Lat and Long for the business
    11. Pop-up GPSLatitudeRef select North
    12. Enter Lat value
    13. Pop-up GPSLongitudeRef select West
    14. Enter Long value
    15. Click set map
    16. Close the popup map page > You’ll see the image thumbnail again
    17. Click the Green “Download.me” button > Image is downloaded to your computer
    18. Find the photo and upload it to the client’s Blog Photos folder on G Drive
  5. Optimized Photo storage
    1. Optimized photos are kept for future use for individual clients
    2. Photos are located in the G Drive in the individual client folders in a folder called “blog photos.” The photos in this folder have all been speed optimized and geotagged.
    3. The photo files names are the same as the original Shutterstock file name
  6. Choosing & naming a photo for a blog
    1. Find the Blog Photos folder You can easily scan the photos by opening the folder in G Drive and clicking the “Grid View” in the upper right corner. Double click a photo to open a large view. To download to your computer click the download icon in the upper right.
    2. Naming the photo image file. Once the photo file is on your computer you need to rename the file using the FKW. This is because Google uses the file name of an image as an SEO signal. Rename the file using the FKW of the blog article that will receive the photo. If the photo is for a local business you can include the city in the file name as well.
    3. Examples of photo file names…
      1. Chain-link-fence-colorado-springs.jpg
      2. dui-attorney-colorado-springs.jpg
    4. Can I use previously used blog photos? Yes, it is fine to reuse photos in your website media folder that have been used already in a blog article. Don’t use a recently used photo. Rather, dig back into page 2 and later of the blog to pick photos and articles that will not appear in close proximity to your current blog post.

Call to Action (CTA)

Most blog posts will make a gentle, no pressure offer to the reader to take an action. This is a common marketing tactic we loving refer to as the Call to Action or CTA

    1. The CTA is a sentence or short paragraph that encourages the reader to take action, usually related to contacting the business.
    2. Every blog article should have at least one CTA, usually near the end of the article. However, it is fine to have CTAs anywhere on the page if appropriate.\
    3. Link to the contact page. Usually, a link to the contact page is a part of the CTA described above. When creating a link to the contact page using a keyword in the anchor text of the link to the contact page. Don’t use the words “contact us” or similar for the anchor text.
    4. Examples of CTAs
      1. Request your free consultation with a divorce attorney in Colorado Springs today.
      2. Avoid this style CTA: Contact us today to find out more about how we can help your business grow.

Blog Content

Process for using the Blog Content folders on G-Drive to manage articles publishing cycle.

Link to Blog Folders (parent folder)

Blog Title Examples All Topics (spreadsheet)

  • Hierarchy of Blog Content Folders
    • Copy of Original
    • Writing Done
    • SEO in Progress
    • Reviewed
    • Approved
    • Published

Receiving Content

  1. Content Runner
    1. Login > Dashboard > Click “+” sign to reveal articles > Click article to open
    2. If title is a link then ready to review > Click to Open
    3. Review article
      1. If acceptable click approve. Leave feedback.
      2. If revisions required submit in the box at bottom.
      3. Check back to monitor revisions. Notice “Revision Notes” at bottom of the article to track history of revisions.
    4. Once approved click in the article and copy contents to clipboard

Checking Status

  1. Checking status
    1. Writing Done Past Due Filter
    2. Work off blogs in reverse order, starting with the longest past due

Joomla

Process for updating Joomla web blogs.

  1. Joomla is a web development tool similar to WordPress.
  2. The Joomla dashboard: domainname.com/administrator
  3. K2 is a Joomla extension that we use to create the blogs on all but one of our Joomla sites (perkinslawcolorado.com is the exception)
  4. Joomla websites that are on the SEO/Blogging program
    1. https://www.jamesnewbylaw.com/administrator – K2
    2. https://www.blicksfencing.com/administrator – K2
    3. https://www.perkinslawcolorado.com/administrator – Not K2
    4. https://www.arnoldreadymix.com/administrator – K2
    5. https://www.reliableappliancecs.com/administrator – K2
    6. https://www.swhealthinsurance.com/administrator – K2
    7. https://www.yourkitchendesigner.org/administrator – K2
  5. Using K2 to post a new blog article
    1. K2 is used to manage the blogs on Joomla sites. The blog posts are called “items” in K2
    2. From the Joomla Control Panel, Click K2>Items to view all the blog articles. Or from anywhere in Joomla click: Admin Main Menu > Components > K2 > Items
    3. You are now viewing the K2 Items list. They should be listed newest to oldest.
    4. Start a new blog by making a copy of the last (i.e. most recent) K2 item posted on the website. In K2, find the most recent item and click the “Copy” button to make a copy
    5. Click to open the copy. You are now in the K2 editor.
  6. Using K2 to edit the new post
    1. Title: Insert the title that is shown the Content SS
    2. Title Alias: this is the URL of the post. Enter an URL that uses the FKW. Use hyphens to separate words. For example “legal-defense-for-assault”
    3. Category: Select a category that is appropriate for the blog topic.
    4. Intro text: Update intro text using the meta description from Content SS.
    5. Replace old content with content from the G Doc article
    6. Clear out bad formatting by selecting all text and clicking editor buttons for “Remove Formatting” and the “Broom” icon
    7. Use the “blockquote” style on any internal links to another blog article
    8. Ext link > select anchor text > link tool > Target > Open in New Window
  7. Update the K2 Publishing tab
    1. Notice the 3 tabs at the very tip-top: Basic Info, Publishing & Metadata, Display Settings
    2. Click the Publishing & Metadata tab – this is where SEO stuffs hides
    3. Change the Creation Date and the Start Publishing Date to the Plan/Actual Date from the Content SS
    4. Leave Finish Publishing date blank
    5. Update the SEO Title using the SEO Title from the Content SS
    6. Update the Description using the Meta Description from the Content SS
    7. Update the Keywords using the FKW
    8. Leave the Author box empty
    9. Click Save and then check all updates were accepted (sometimes the dates act strangely)
  8. Restore a K2 post from the trash
    1. Click “Current” pop up and pick trashed
    2. Find the item in the trash and select
    3. Click the “Restore” button

Writers

Process for current writers and Content Runner

  1. Content Runner – receiving content
    1. Receive an email from the writer that a post is ready. Or check the dashboard.
    2. Login – Content Runner Dashboard
    3. Log in and perform an initial review of each article.
    4. If not acceptable > don’t approve and email Al the issues > stop
    5. If acceptable then click accept and leave a rating for the post
    6. Copy the article into a GDrive Docs file
    7. Make the name of the Docs file the article name
    8. Append the short name for the client to the Doc file name (see list below)
    9. Save the doc file in: GDrive >Blog Content > 2. Writing Done
    10. Make a copy of the file and put in: GDrive>Blog Content>1. Copy of Original (Docs will automatically append the words “Copy of” to the file name
    11. Update the Content Spreadsheet for each article accepted.
      1. Change Status > Writing Done
      2. Date Received > Date writer delivered the article
      3. Date Approved > Date Pagecafe accepted the article
  2. Dave – receiving content
    1. Dave delivers via GDocs, he emails a link when done so start by clicking that link.
    2. Perform an initial review of the article
    3. If not acceptable > email Al the issues > Stop
    4. If acceptable then make a copy of Dave’s article into the 2. Writing Done folder
    5. Email Dave a quick status update
    6. Modify the Gdoc file name if needed so it matches the article title
    7. Append the short name for the client on to the Gdoc file name (i.e. DML-title of post)
    8. Make a copy of the file and put the copy in: GDrive>Blog Content>1. Copy of Original (Docs will automatically append the words “Copy of” to the file name
    9. Update the Content Spreadsheet for each article accepted.
      1. Change Status > Writing Done
      2. Date Received > Date writer delivered the article
      3. Date Approved > Date Pagecafe accepted the article

Clients

Abbreviations to use for clients on blog articles in G-Drive.

Short name Domain Type Website
arnold arnoldreadymix.com Joomla
blicks blicksfencing.com Joomla
BSI brightstarinvestigations.com WordPress
clearly clearlycolorado.com WordPress
copure coloradopure.com WordPress
dml dmlcomputerrepair.com WordPress
gtn gtntechnicalstaffing.com WordPress
james jamesnewbylaw.com Joomla
KB kingandbeaty.com WordPress
Maras marasmedspa.com WordPress
MER merecyclers.com WordPress
page cafe pagecafe.com WordPress
perkins perkinslawcolorado.com Joomla
prefercos preferredinsurance.com WordPress
preferca preferredinsuranceca.com WordPress
reliable reliableappliancecs.com Joomla
SWH swhealthinsurance.com Joomla
YKD yourkitchendesigner.org Joomla

CLIENT DESCRIPTIONS

Below are instructions to give blog writers for each our clients. I use this for Content Runner but could be used for any blog writing service or freelancer.

  • https://www.contentrunner.com
  • Arnoldreadymix.com
    • This blog post is for local SEO for a large concrete delivery company in Jefferson County, MO. (http://www.arnoldreadymix.com/blog) The audience is homeowners and concrete contractors that need ready mix concrete delivered. The tone is casual but professional sounding. The company is called Arnold Ready Mix with Arnold being the name of a bigger city in Jefferson County, MO. Good related keywords to use are: ready-mix concrete, Missouri, concrete delivery, concrete delivery company.
  • Blicksfencing.com
    • This blog post is for local SEO for a locally-owned fence installation and repair contractor in Colorado, specifically the Denver and Colorado Springs regions. (https://www.blicksfencing.com/blog) The audience is businesses and residences that are searching for information on all varieties of fences including residential and commercial fencing. They also do fence gates and openers. Good related keywords to use are: fence company, fence companies in Colorado, fence contractor, fence repair, fence installation.
  • Clearlycolorado.com
    • This blog post is for local SEO for a locally-owned water delivery company in Colorado Springs, CO. The audience is businesses and residences that are searching for a way to improve the quality of the drinking water in their home or offices. They deliver 5-gallon water jugs not small personal sized bottled water, which they consider bad for the environment. The tone is casual and friendly. The company is called Clearly Colorado and they are very local and American oriented.
    • Target blog: https://www.clearlycolorado.com/blog/
    • The focus keyword (FKW) for this article is: ________
    • I would love to have the FKW in the first sentence and in one H2 heading or more. Thanks!
  • Dmlcomputerrepair.com
    • This blog post is for local SEO for a small locally-owned computer repair shop in Albuquerque, New Mexico. (https://www.dmlcomputerrepair.com/blog/) The audience is anyone that needs PC/laptop (i.e. windows, not Mac) computer repair including students, businesses, gamers, etc. The local military guys are good customers because they are gamers. The tone is casual but not geeky. The company is called DML Computer Repair and they are very local, family-oriented. Good related keywords to use are: computer repair, laptop repair, PC repair, Albuquerque.
  • Marasmedspa.com
    • This blog post is for local SEO for a med spa with two locations in and near downtown Dallas, TX. The blog is at https://www.marasmedspa.com/blog/ The audience is largely women but they also offer manscaping services and teen skincare. The tone should be all about beauty, health, looking better, sexy, etc. Good keywords to include in every post are: med spa, beauty, salon, skin care, facials, lose weight.
  • Merecyclers.com
    • This blog post is for local SEO for a local outdoor gear consignment store in Colorado Springs, CO. (https://www.merecyclers.com/newsevents/) The audience is anyone that needs outdoor gear for camping, hiking, backpacking, skiing, snowboarding, biking and climbing. Most people are on a budget or looking for a good deal. A second audience is people that want to sell their own personal outdoor gear they no longer want. Colorado Springs is very close to the Rocky Mountains and the locals love the outdoor activities that this store focuses on. The store is a non-profit and gives to charities which is nice to mention but not required. Good related keywords to use are: used outdoor gear, consignment store, camping, hiking, biking, skiing, backpacking, tents, etc.
  • Pagecafe.com
    • This blog post is for local SEO for a web design and SEO company in Colorado Springs, CO. Company name is Pagecafe and the blog is located at https://www.pagecafe.com/blog/ The audience is local businesses that want SEO or web site help to get found in Google. The tone is very casual and light. I would love to have the nTopic keyword in the first sentence and in one H2 heading or more. Thanks!
  • Reliableappliancecs.com
    • This blog post is for city-level SEO for a home appliance repair company in Colorado Springs, CO. The audience is homeowners, renters, and property managers looking for tips on home appliances including fridge, dishwasher, disposal, washer, dryer, microwave. The tone is very casual and light.
  • systemlinkscolorado.com
    • This blog post is for city-level SEO for a security camera installation company in Colorado Springs, CO. They also install access control systems. The audience is homeowners, small businesses and property managers looking for tips on video surveillance and access control systems, technology, installation ideas, etc. The tone is very casual and light.
    • Target blog: https://www.systemlinkscolorado.com/blog/
      • I would love to have the nTopic keyword phrase in the first sentence, in the middle 2-3 times, once in the last paragraph and in at least one H2 heading. Thanks!
  • yourkitchendesigner.org
    • This blog post is for city-level SEO for a high-end kitchen designer and custom cabinet builder in Colorado Springs, CO. Company name is Designer Kitchens and the blog is located at https://www.yourkitchendesigner.org/blog The audience is homeowners looking for tips on kitchen remodeling, kitchen style/decor, kitchen cabinets, kitchen appliances. The main goal is sell custom kitchen cabinets. The tone is very casual and light. I would love to have the nTopic keyword phrase in the first sentence, in the middle 2-3 times, once in the last paragraph and in at least one H2 heading. Thanks!

Style

Process for the style of our blog content.

  1. General Guidance
    1. Write to create trust and likeability
    2. Write to the 8th-grade level. Ref: readable, hemingway
    3. Write in a conversational tone. Copyblogger, 15 tips
    4. I like using the Problem-Agitate-Solve formula
    5. When you make a point, back it up with supporting data, quotations, facts, links, etc.
    6. Everybody loves tips, injecting them in the article keeps people reading.
  2. Article structure – All articles must have these 4 components
    1. Introduction. Provide one or two paragraphs that explain what the article contains. Begin the introduction with a “hook” that draws the reader in. Provide a promise of value. Include the focus keyword in the first sentence.
    2. Main Body. This is the meat of the article. Begin this section with an H2. Use sub-headings liberally.
    3. Conclusion. At the end of the Main Body type the word “Conclusion” make it an H2 and provide one or two paragraphs that summarize the article and re-emphasize the main point of the article.
    4. See this guide for The Foolproof Blog Post Formula
  3. SEO specific
    1. Focus Key Word (FKW) in the first sentence
    2. FKW is in at least one sub-heading
    3. Focus keyword used 3-6 times or 1-2% of total word count
    4. Synonyms and similar words for the focus keyword are used frequently
    5. City name and business category used once or more. For example “Colorado Springs defense attorney” and “fence building contractors in Colorado Springs.”
  4. Keep in mind the type of info the target audience needs
    1. Solutions. Searchers are often looking for solutions to some “pain” they have. Using the pain points in the catchy opening and introduction is a good way to start an article.
    2. Education. Info on something they are researching.
    3. Credibility. The searcher is looking for proof the website owner is competent.
    4. Competence. The searcher is looking to find a new service provider because they are frustrated with their current provider. Searcher is looking for the advantages of switching to the client we are blogging for.
    5. Relationship. Searcher wants to learn what they need to know to do business with the client we are blogging for.
  5. Do use the following as you write
    1. Simple, easy to understand words
    2. First and second voice (you, I, we, our)
    3. Short sentences (<20 words) and paragraphs (<3 sentences)
    4. Examples, similes, and metaphors
    5. Bullet lists
    6. Contractions
    7. Subheadings for every 2-3 paragraphs
  6. Don’t use or keep to a minimum
    1. Weak adverbs and verbs.
    2. Passive voice. Please check your work for this. readable, hemingway
    3. Bullets for long sentences. Bullets are awesome for lists of 1-6 words each point.
    4. Hype, sales and promotional language

Tools

Content Planning (Titles)

This is the process for planning the blog articles for a particular client. This is the step when you come up with the blog titles

  1. Review Al’s Blog Topic Guide
  2. Content SS select the Planning filter (all content between a year ago and EOT)
  3. Work though clients one at a time, closing them as you go

Checking ranking for keywords that need more content to boost ranking

  1. Creating New Topics
    1. Open two browser windows, side by side
    2. Left is content spreadsheet, Right is blogs and research
    3. Right side open bookmarks sidebar and step through the client folders
    4. Select filter “Planning” shows recent content and all brainstorming
    5. The “Next Up” status is used to create topics to assign to writers
    6. Changed “Planned” to “Next Up” after reviewing
  2. Content Runner – how to assign topics
    1. Login to dashboard
    2. Check the balance and add money as required, usually $50/article, use the Frontier card to pay – the info is stored in CR
    3. Click Projects > Articles > Post Your Order button to start the ordering process
    4. Template – don’t usually use
    5. Check the box for nTopics
    6. Purpose choose “Blog Post”
    7. Target Due Date usually 4-7 days
    8. Style Guide choose Inbound Marketing (this is updated in Settings)
    9. Project Notes put the names of the client blogs in here, helpful for organizing
    10. Click next, this starts a series of steps to add blog orders one by one
    11. Adding topics (repeat below for each blog article)
      1. Order type is usually Direct, enter “trishworks4u”
      2. Word count depends on price 550 is $55 and 850 is $85
      3. Enter the title
      4. Enter the nTopic using the focus keyword
      5. Click “Next” button to leave the adding topics mode
    12. End process

Content Marketing

This section is “in work”

  1. Personas
    1. Before you can get someone to buy from you, you need to know what to say to them, and how to say it. You’ll never get that right unless you know who you’re talking to.
    2. Call them personas, avatars, or even characters if you like.
    3. Your first step is to do the research that allows you to create a fictional, generalized representation of your ideal customer.
    4. Don’t underestimate the importance of the word ideal in “your ideal customer.” Although you always put the problems and motivations of the prospect first, you should proactively choose the type of person you want to reach.
    5. And it might be even more important to purposefully exclude the “wrong” people.
  2. What?
    1. Now that you know who you’re talking to, you can start to figure out what they need to hear from you. You’ll also want to place yourself in the shoes of the prospect along the buying journey, so you can deliver the right information at the right time.
    2. It could be a funnel sequence, product launch, or defined period of time on your editorial calendar.
    3. What do they need to know to do business with you, and in what order?
    4. A big part of the “what” also involves influential touchpoints. You need to figure when it’s best to emphasize, for example, authority and social proof, and uncover the best moments to overcome preliminary objections.
  3. How to distribute?
    1. How to craft messages exactly how the prospect needs to “hear” that information.
    2. Announce on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter
    3. Auto-responder for prospects
    4. Start current clients on auto-responder, then do broadcasts to clients only
  4. Now we get to the creative part. By taking the time to understand the who and the what, you now know how to craft messages exactly how the prospect needs to “hear” that information.
  5. The “who” reveals the stories you should tell, not just to transmit information, but to create a unifying sense of connection. The “what” tells you how to craft an overall narrative with a through line that ties directly into the prospect’s motivation for change.
  6. Instead of guessing blindly, you’ll deliver the perfect analogies, anecdotes, and metaphors that make your ideal prospect view you as the only reasonable choice.
  7. And since you chose them first, your marketing will be naturally authentic — because you’re reflecting your own values to those who share them.
  8. Now — here’s something else to consider, which might be counter-intuitive:
  9. You shouldn’t even begin thinking about how you’re going to create and distribute the content. That’s usually where people start, but it’s why so many organizations are doing “content” but not content marketing.
  10. As Robert Rose smartly points out, content strategy is about how you get content created, whether in-house, with the help of freelancers, or by hiring an agency. It also involves how to spread that content once it’s created.
  11. Content marketing strategy is mapping out the overall plan for what the content creators should be creating and spreading.
  12. While you’ll certainly adapt and iterate based on what happens when your content is actually out there, creating a documented strategy will help you get closer to the mark, earlier. You’ll save time and money no matter how you decide to create and spread the content.

Definitions

  1. FKW – Focus Keyword. The FKW is a short phrase that represents the topic of the blog post. Every individual blog post has a FKW. The FKW is a keyword phrase for which we are trying to improve the ranking in Google. For most blog posts the FKW should appear in the blogs:
    1. Title (H1)
    2. First sentence
    3. One or two Sub-headings (H2)
    4. Dispersed throughout the blog content
    5. Image alt tag
    6. In the anchor text of an inbound link to the post from another post
    7. Meta description
    8. SEO Title

 

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