Mastering SEO with a HubSpot Content Strategy: Tips and Best Practices

In this post, I will share some of the truths I've learned about SEO, as well as a roadmap for developing a successful SEO content strategy and integrating SEO into a wider set of SEO and inbound marketing services.

SEO Truths

First and foremost, it's important to understand that SEO results take time. It's not a quick fix, and you will need to invest in resources such as content writers, research, and technology and tools to see results.

Another common misconception is that SEO is free traffic, but in reality, you need to put in the work to see results.

Additionally, it's important to remember that you should be writing for your audience, not just for keywords. Google is cracking down on SEO tactics that are solely focused on gaming search engines, so it's crucial to consider your audience and write helpful content for them.

Scalability is also an important factor to consider when it comes to content production. You will need backlinks to rank for high-difficulty keywords, and you will need to go through a process of building these backlinks. With that in mind, let's dive into the roadmap for developing an SEO content strategy.

A roadmap for developing AN SEO content strategy

1. Select the right website platform, and CRM platform, and set clear SEO goals. 
2. Consider resources and budget planning.
3. Develop buyer personas using modern techniques such as audience intelligence platforms.
4. Set up CRM automation and inbound marketing strategy.
5. Conduct SEO market research, competitor intelligence, strategy, and roadmap development.
6. Content publishing, ongoing SEO, and scaling production.
7. Content distribution, repurposing old/existing content, and social media marketing.
8. Ongoing backlink acquisition and digital PR.

Select the right website platform, CRM platform, and set clear SEO goals

The first step is to establish the foundations, which includes selecting the right website platform, CRM, and setting clear SEO goals. From there, you will need to consider resourcing and budget planning. Another crucial step is developing buyer personas using modern techniques such as audience intelligence platforms. This will help you to focus on growing SEO over time, rather than just targeting specific keywords.

Next, we will discuss some quick-win CRM setups that can help you get started with automating certain processes and begin thinking about your inbound strategy, which should include SEO as a key component. After that, we will go over the top-level approach to SEO, including market research, competitor intelligence, and creating an SEO roadmap.

Once you have a solid foundation and plan in place, it's time to start producing content at a scale that aligns with your SEO recommendations and insights from market research. But simply producing content is not enough - you also need to have a plan for distributing and promoting that content. This includes repurposing content, promoting it on social media, and building backlinks.

Finally, we will cover some tactics and plays that you can use right away to start seeing results, as well as a Q&A session to address any questions or concerns you may have. I have also included an appendix with useful resources that you can refer to after this session.

I hope this post has provided a comprehensive overview of the steps involved in developing a successful SEO content strategy for B2B businesses. By following this roadmap and investing in the right resources, you can see long-term results and grow your business through SEO. Don't hesitate to reach out to me on Twitter (@RoryHope) or my website (roryhope.com) if you have any questions or want to connect.

Resources and budget planning

Here are some aspects to consider:

1. Plan resources and budget early on.
2. Invest in technology, platforms, and tools.
3. Leverage agencies and freelancers to execute your SEO content strategy.

developing an SEO content strategy

In this section, we will delve into the process of developing buyer personas and the role of audience intelligence in this process.

• Develop buyer personas

  
  Buyer personas are crucial for creating content and messaging that resonates with your target audience. By understanding their goals, challenges, and interests, you can personalize your marketing efforts and map content to the specific pain points and needs of each persona. It's important to do user research directly with your customers and gather real quotes and examples to use in your persona development.
  
  
  

• Use audience intelligence software

  Audience intelligence software, such as Audience and Spark Toro, can be incredibly helpful in this process. These tools allow you to research and understand the online behaviour of your target audience, including the websites they visit, the social media platforms they use, and the topics they are interested in. This information can be invaluable for crafting targeted marketing messages and determining the most effective channels for reaching your audience.
  
  Here is a screenshot of an audience intelligence report from Audiense:
  
  
  

• Establish quick-win CRM setups

  Once you have a solid understanding of your target audience and their needs, it's time to move on to the next step in the process: establishing quick-win CRM setups. This includes setting up initial automation and beginning to think about your inbound strategy, which should include SEO as a key component.

  From there, we will delve into market research, competitor intelligence, and creating an SEO roadmap. These are all crucial steps for ensuring that your SEO efforts are informed by a thorough understanding of your industry and competitors.

  
  

• Produce content

  After that, it's time to start producing content at a scale that aligns with your SEO recommendations and insights from market research. But simply producing content is not enough - you also need to have a plan for distributing and promoting that content. This includes repurposing content, promoting it on social media, and building backlinks.
  
  
  

  

  
  
  

tactics and plays you could use

As businesses continue to rely on online presence and marketing to attract customers, it's important to stay up-to-date on the latest strategies and tactics. One area that can be particularly effective is setting up automated email workflows using tools like HubSpot. By sending targeted emails to customers who have converted, you can encourage them to leave reviews on platforms like Google and Trustpilot, which can help improve your online presence.

Once you have your basic customer relationship management (CRM) automation set up, it's a good idea to turn your attention to market research. This can be especially useful once you have developed personas for your ideal customers, as it will allow you to delve into the specific topics and keywords that they might be searching for.

The keyword research process

Keyword research

Stages of keyword research:

1. Keyword identification. To kick off the keyword research phase, you'll want to identify relevant keywords. There are several tools you can use for this, including Google Search Console, Google Analytics, Google Ads, and SEO tools like SEMrush or Ahrefs. These tools can help you identify keywords that have driven traffic and conversions in the past, as well as those used by your competitors. 
   
   
   Keyword segmentation. Once you've compiled a list of keywords, it's important to segment them into topics and subtopics. This is because search engines evaluate websites at a topic level, rather than looking at them holistically. By grouping keywords into topics and subtopics, you can filter them by user intent and craft a more granular SEO strategy.
   
   
   
2. Search landscape and analysis. Once you've identified your keywords and grouped them into topics and subtopics, you'll want to conduct a search landscape analysis. This involves analyzing the search results for your selected keywords to see what types of content are ranking, who your competitors are, and what strategies they are using. This will help you understand the landscape and identify opportunities to differentiate your content and rank higher in the search results.
   
   
   
   
3. Keyword targeting strategy. The final step in the keyword research process is developing a keyword targeting strategy. This involves deciding which keywords to focus on and how to use them in your content. You'll want to consider the user intent of each keyword and how it fits into your overall content strategy. You'll also want to consider the difficulty of ranking for each keyword, as well as the potential reward in terms of traffic and conversions.
   
   

Content Creation 

Once you've completed your keyword research and developed a targeting strategy, it's time to turn your attention to content creation. This involves creating high-quality, relevant, and valuable content that meets the needs of your target audience and is optimized for the keywords you are targeting. You'll want to ensure that your content is easy to read, visually appealing, and shares valuable information that your audience will find useful.

In addition to creating content, it's important to optimize your website for SEO. This includes ensuring that your website is mobile-friendly, has a fast loading speed, and is easy to navigate. You'll also want to pay attention to technical SEO factors such as header tags, alt text, and meta descriptions.

Promote your Content

Once you've created and optimized your content, you'll want to promote it to drive traffic to your website. This can involve tactics such as social media marketing, guest blogging, and paid advertising. You'll also want to track your results and make adjustments as needed to ensure that you are getting the best return on investment.

In conclusion, setting up automated email workflows, conducting market research, and creating and promoting high-quality content are all important strategies for improving your online presence and attracting customers. By following these steps and staying up-to-date on the latest trends, you can position your business for success in the digital landscape.

As businesses strive to attract customers and improve their online presence, it's important to create a comprehensive content strategy that includes tactics for capturing leads and distributing content effectively. One way to do this is by adding call-to-actions and gating some of your content in order to collect lead information from your audience. This information can then be used to distribute targeted content and nurture leads through your customer relationship management (CRM) automation.

Content distribution

The final stage of an SEO content roadmap is content distribution, which involves leveraging various channels to promote your content and drive traffic to your website. These channels can be divided into three categories: your own channels paid channels and earned channels. It's important to consider how these channels interact with each other and how you can use them to generate results and distribute your content effectively.

In addition to traditional channels like social media and email marketing, it's also important to consider the role of the community in content distribution. This can involve allocating resources to customer support and success, holding product ideation and innovation sessions, and working with influencers to promote your content.

There are several tactics you can use to distribute your content effectively. One is to launch a company newsletter or use your email marketing and CRM to send targeted emails to your audience. Another is to publish your content on social media and repurpose it for multiple channels. It's also a good idea to create a private community where you can share exclusive content with loyal customers. Finally, email outreach for link building can be an effective way to get placements and backlinks for your content, which can help with SEO.

In conclusion, an effective content distribution strategy is an important part of improving your online presence and attracting customers. By considering the various channels available and allocating resources appropriately, you can create a comprehensive plan that helps you distribute your content effectively and drive traffic to your website.