<p>Very fair point, Ronnie. However, I wanted to share my perspective from before I was a Moz associate. </p> <p>RS</p>

<p>It's worth begging for, Felicia.</p> <p>RS</p>

<p>BrightonSEO is one of my favorite events; it also takes place in what has become one of my favorite cities. Brighton and Hove are legit.</p> <p>RS</p>

<p>Glad to hear it, Jason. It's an incredible event.</p> <p>RS</p>

<p>Look forward to seeing you there.</p> <p>RS</p>

<p>Maybe next year, Roman. There are lots of hotels near the venue in Seattle.</p> <p>RS</p>

<p>Might be a future option, Brian. I do know lots of people hate missing the event.</p> <p>RS</p>

<p>Yes, it is not cheap. Hope to see you at future events.</p> <p>RS</p>

<p>Hate you can't make it. As you know, that networking approach is the best. Connectedness wins.</p> <p>RS<br /></p>

<p>Rachel,</p> <p>You just made my mind go back to spending hours each day working on email and segmenting lists. Not fun at the time, but oh so valuable.</p> <p>Thank you for reading the article.</p> <p>RS<br /></p>

<p>David,</p> <p>Thanks, man. What a nice thing to say. I take after my mom in loving people and wanting the best for them. Email is one of my favorite methods to employ that strategy :D</p> <p>RS</p>

<p>Thank you.</p> <p>I'm sure you have many more useful tips. I believe in test, test, test.</p> <p>RS</p>

<p>Thank you, Tim. Tracking performance of your emails is certainly time well spent. And as you make clear, ensuring that the site we're taking them to provides as optimal experience goes a long way as well, especially for future emails.</p> <p>RS</p>

<p>Thank you, Joseph. I learned the value of subject lines from an old boss who told me he wouldn't read emails from me or anyone else if they did not have a subject line making him aware of what they needed from.</p> <p>RS</p>

<p>Thank you for reading the post, Cory. Email marketing gets easier as you build real connections and people know you'll ALWAYS deliver value to their inbox.</p> <p>RS</p>

<p>Russ,</p> <p>If you're on the content horse now, we're all about to be run out of town. I'm a big fan of the OKCupid data site as well, in large part because they share some interesting insights we don't often think of, or at least not in the way in which they express them.</p> <p>I also enjoy the site for the same reasons you make plain in the post: to see how they turn simple but unique information/data into compelling visuals, including graphs and charts. </p> <p>It is, as you assert, absolutely the type of information businesses of all sizes and verticals can use to create an engine for content, allowing to create content that gets found, share, linked to and has the phone ringing.</p> <p>The process is even more beneficial for smaller, local businesses.</p> <p>A few examples from my own work include:</p> <ul><li><strong>Plumber: </strong>A plumber realizes he's being squeezed in the local market by much bigger and much better-financed outfits. When he looks at his numbers, his core customers and his reviews, he notices a trend: 80% of his business is emergency repairs, not routine maintenance. This means he was likely seen as trusted brand. He started creating short, weekly how-to videos of the routine maintenance work (or traffic and authority). Additionally, he created longer, more in-depth posts and videos showing him and his team tackling the more involved emergency repairs. Blog post idea: "Hiring Inexperienced Plumbers Costs Customers 81% More For Emergency Repairs."</li><li><strong>Restaurant: </strong>The owner couldn't keep up with demand for his best-selling dish, but he also couldn't afford to have customers leave unhappy. He decided he'd only sell the dish on Tuesdays and Thursdays and even then to only the first 15 people who asked for it. After that, you were out of luck: Blog post idea: "Be One of Only 15 Lucky People Who Get to Enjoy the Best [menu item] Each Tuesday and Thursday." (<em>This is the type of content that also gets picked up my local TV stations, </em>local newspapers and local blogs.)</li><li><strong>Fishing tackle manufacturer: </strong>After creating a new product that didn't take off, the brand noticed an uptick in the overall category of products. They reasoned the new product was too expensive for most customers, who saw the videos of it in use on YouTube, but created demand for other less expensive products in the lineup. Blog post idea: "Why 96 Percent of Our Customers Will Never Buy the [Lure Name Here] Our Top Lure, But That's OK By Us."</li></ul> <p>There are always numbers around us; use them.</p> <p>RS<br /></p>

<p>Best explanation is a product or service that would be viewed as multiples (10X) better than what's offered by the competition.</p> <p>RS</p>

<p>Thanks for reading the post. As you write, the key is to experiment, and then to continue to refine and revise to figure out what works best for your brand.</p> <p>RS</p>

<p>Thanks for reading the post.</p> <p>RS</p>

<p>Thanks for reading, Amit. There are no "best" strategies because that's unique to each brand/situation. Experiment and figure out what works best for you.</p> <p>RS</p>

<p>Thank you, Evelyn. You hit the nail on the head: It really is about over-delivering on service.</p> <p>RS</p>

<p>Thank you, Bhagvat.</p> <p>RS</p>

<p>It is time-consuming. However, that ensures it remains a worthwhile, viable asset and helps weed out the less committed. </p> <p>If writing for Moz is a goal, do this:</p> <ul><li>Become active, visible in the community</li><li>Commit to helping others and sharing your knowledge, on the blog and via social media</li><li>Pay close attention to what's covered on the blog</li><li>Look for ways to improve on published content, here and elsewhere</li><li>Keep a notebook and jot down ideas that you develop and deepen over time</li></ul> <p>RS</p>

<p>Hey there stranger,</p> <p>Hope you're doing well. Thanks for the kind words. </p> <p>I know you're killing this stuff.</p> <p>RS</p>

<p>I say take editorial links anywhere you can get them, Thanh.</p> <p>RS</p>

<p>Thank you, Sean. We all have much to learn.</p> <p>RS</p>

<p>Thanks for adding your wisdom, Bill. A great point you make. It really gets to owning the entirety of the experience, too.</p> <p>RS</p>

<p>Thank you, Hamid.</p> <p>RS</p>

<p>Thank you roe reading the post, David.</p> <p>RS</p>

<p>Thank you. I feel that getting brands to focus on being 10x will better enable them to create content that moves the needle.</p> <p>RS</p>

<p>I hear ya', Jeff. I am a huge PR fan. Sadly, it gets drowned out in the SEO &amp; content marketing worlds. </p> <p>RS</p>

<p>Gianluca,</p> <p>Thanks for commenting. I always learn a great deal from your comments and your posts. In fact, that Lego post is still one of my faves. </p> <p>RS</p>

<p>Thank you, Viral.</p> <p>RS<br /></p>

<p>Thank you, Joseph.</p> <p>RS</p>

<p>Hi Jason,</p> <p>The even will not be streamed live, but there will be videos available after the event.</p> <p>RS<br /></p>

<p>There will be videos to follow the event, but not during the event.</p> <p>RS</p>

<p>We'd love to see you there, Martin.</p> <p>RS<br /></p>

<p>I'm eager to listen to EVERY. SINGLE. ONE. of these talks. It's already apparent the audience will be able to walk away with a great deal of info to use in their work.</p> <p>RS</p>

<p>Hi Martin,</p> <p>Not at the moment. We do appreciate the support from across the pond, though.</p> <p>RS<br /></p>

<p>Just back from traveling, Sam. Your making onto the MozCon stage had everything to do with the hard work you'd put in over the years. Me and many, many others were excited to see you up there.</p>

<p>Yes, videos will be available shortly after the event.</p> <p>RS<br /></p>

<p>Yes, indeed, Ed. That announcement is coming out very shortly.</p> <p>RS<br /></p>

<p>Thank you, Javier. It was fun to write.</p> <p>Also, I totally agree regarding the benefits of email being short, clear and concise. No matter how great your message is, if people find it imposing they'll never take the time to read it.</p> <p>RS</p>

<p>Hi Faisal,</p> <p>Building a rapport with the people you hope to outreach to is essential. It's much, much easier to say no to someone you don't know and who has not been in your orbit previously.</p> <p>RS</p>

<p>Thank you. There are many more elements we must consider. But these are invaluable and are often easily missed.</p>

<p>Hi Amie,</p> <p>There's so much more we could/should all be doing. I trust your making great use of all the tactics at your disposal.</p> <p>RS</p>

<p>Thank you, Pratibha.</p> <p>RS</p>

<p>Andrew,</p> <p>She did get her wish. We're all inundated with work and things we have to get done on a day-to-day basis. These little nuggets are on the cusp of what we all know. We simply need to be reminded from time to time.</p> <p>RS</p>

<p>You are so correct about Twitter. It's another point of contact, one that is worth the investment for brands choosing to use it wisely.</p> <p>RS</p>

<p>Thank you, Robert.</p> <p><br /></p> <p>RS</p>

<p>Thank you, Melissa.</p> <p><br /></p> <p>RS</p>

<p>Hi Patrick,</p> <p>It's tough trying to be a subject matter expert on several different subjects, which is the main reason I prefer brands have SMEs on staff. It certainly helps if you read widely and stay abreast of the latest trends in the respective industries. </p> <p>The work you're doing has great value.</p> <p>RS</p>

<p>Looks like you're well on your way, Afraz. We're all testing theories daily.</p> <p>RS</p>

<p>Hi Sarah,</p> <p>Thanks for reading the post. Growing your organic reach is a marathon, as they say, not a sprint. Therefore, start by reviewing Moz's <a href="https://moz.com/beginners-guide-to-seo" rel="nofollow">Beginner's Guide to SEO</a>, and continue reading blogs in this space.</p> <p>RS</p>

<p>Thank you.</p> <p>RS</p>

<p>Scott,</p> <p>That's a great place to start, especially for brands new to content marketing. Collecting these questions is as easy as rounding up information from sales and customer service staff, in addition to anyone else who fields questions regarding the brand, and dropping the info into a Google Doc that's shared with the entire team.</p> <p>From there' though, you'll want to spent time discerning next questions, those your audience might not have but that your would-be audience might be asking elsewhere, online and offline.</p> <p>RS</p>

<p>Joseph,</p> <p>You are very correct. Those are ALL methods me, you and many people reading Moz dabble in daily. However, many of the people currently charged with content marketing at SMBs won't or don't have access to either the knowledge or the tools to make use of those processes. </p> <p>I want this post to be something a junior person working in content can put to use right away.</p> <p>RS</p>

<p>Thank you. Caught that before it was published, but somehow it must've not gotten saved in the CMS.</p> <p>RS</p>

<p>Hi Uwe,</p> <p>For you, Reddit, Quora and other social platforms would likely work better. The key is to use what you have access to. The key is often to start with the most popular blogs to find the influencers, even if you have to look through old posts to find some of the biggest influencers. </p> <p>I've seen this work exceedingly well in verticals ranging from healthcare to fitness and nutrition. Once you find the influencers and the content they share, in addition to the places they frequent, you're in.</p> <p>RS</p>

<p>Thank you for taking the time to read the post. As I mentioned earlier "How do I know what content to create?" is the No. 1 question I get from business owners. I'd like to read your thoughts: </p> <ol><li>Is this an area your brand/brands you work with struggle in? If so, what are some tactics you employ?</li><li>Any tools you recommend for helping SMBs who likely cannot afford more than one tool? </li></ol> <p>I'd like for this post/page, including comments, to be a place where SMB owners can learn how to create content with clarity and purpose.</p> <p>RS</p>

<p>Miriam,</p> <p>Late to the game in perusing your post. You could not be more spot-on. With zero exceptions, the brands I love are those that, at some point in time, showed empathy at a time when other brands would have ran and hid.</p> <p>One thing worth noting is brand empathy is an example of something that (a) doesn't scale and (b) is tough for competition to copy, so it makes for a great competitive advantage.</p> <p>RS</p>

<p>Exactly! That's precisely why there exists no maxim for everyone to work to attain FS. However, they should at the very least be considered, especially for brands where attaining the top few positions is likely unattainable. </p> <p><br /></p> <p>RS</p>

<p>That's certainly web searcher-first thinking, David. But it's going to be tough to convince folks to invest in a tactic longterm if they don't think the brand overall will see the benefit.</p> <p>RS</p>

<p>Randy,</p> <p>Though I'd seen it done before Rob's talk, it didn't occur to me to use the tactic strategically. One of those Doh! moments. Thank you for reading the post.</p> <p>RS</p>

<p>Oh, be quiet, Ryan :D ... I guess I should become more of a pop culture person.</p> <p>RS</p>

<p>Thanks, Justin. Content folks are often so beaten down from having work thrown at them that it's tough to be strategic. I love learning whatever It takes to help brands be more successful. Featured Snippets is one such area.</p> <p>RS</p>

<p>Thanks, Gianluca, for highlighting the great research STC has done and continues to do. UKBB, I come at this a little different: No matter your brand's overall goals for search, it's never a bad idea to be No. 1 or above. Someone will occupy that position and reap the rewards. Why shouldn't it be your brand.</p> <p>For most of the brands I've talked to, the investment isn't very steep and, better still, it can help your marketing team become more strategic about the content they design, create and share.</p> <p>RS</p>

<p>Funny that I missed it when writing the post because I teased him about the Marvel shirt as the time. </p> <p>RS</p>

<p>Thank you for taking the time to read the post.<br /><br />A few things I'm thinking of:<br /><br />Has your brand actively worked to get featured snippets? If so, what<br />were the results?<br />If you haven't made the investment yet to get a featured snippet,<br />what's stopping you?<br />What are some of the more interesting snippets you've come across?<br /><br />RS</p>

<p>I see your point. However, if you're choosing between the two, it much be quality over quantity; quantity is a great goal once quality is in hand.</p> <p>RS</p>

<p>For brands/individuals who can pull it off, I'm all for longer content. However, length is a poor goal.</p> <p>RS</p>

<p>They aren't ranking factors, per se, but they are important for the brand nonetheless. If folks are engaging with your content, as opposed to hitting the back button, you have a much better idea of what their needs are and how to better serve them in the future.</p> <p>Social signals are an important part of the overall mix.</p> <p>RS</p> <p><br /></p>

<p>So true, Lesley. I know a lot of people think "Well, I don't know how to create 10X content," but that's not really the issue. It's really about developing the habit of ideating, designing, creating, sharing and promoting content. The results won't be great at first. But 6 months down the road, you'll be better informed of what works, what does not and begin to feel good about where the brand is headed.</p> <p>RS</p>

<p>Thanks for taking the time to read the post. I'm interested to learn your thoughts:</p> <ol><li>Where does your brand/agency fall on the shorter vs.longer, more vs. less content continuum?</li><li>Can you think of non-publisher-related brands doing well with longer content and frequent (daily posts) content?</li><li>What do you think is the right mix (shorter vs.longer, more vs. less content) in light of the fact that readers as a whole are spending less and less time with our content?</li></ol>

<p>Hi Ryan,</p> <p>Thanks for taking the time to read the post. Most important, thank you for sticking around to discern what I really, really mean. My approach to content marketing is very, very tough love-ish. I want brands to be successful, and sometimes that's as much about what we need to stop doing as much as it is about what we need to start/continue doing.</p> <p>I'm continually astounded that we too often begin the content marketing journey at "produce content," when we could be far better served to start with goals for brand=&gt;goals for content=&gt;KPIs... . </p> <p>People will read this post and think "He's saying don't produce long content, but long evergreen posts get the most links and long-term traffic." Or others will say/think/feel "Well, I'm having success with long AND short content, frequent posting AND infrequent posting." </p> <p>That's my point: Find what's right for you (i.e., what you have the ability to execute expertly), then dive in. But don't think you HAVE TO create long-form content or do so with frequency if you're not ready to do so. You can cause far more harm than good from doing so.</p> <p>I liken this whole "argument" to a new parent going to the doctor and being told you cannot pick up your child for two weeks, owing to a back problem. The parent will think "What do you mean, I cannot pick up my child?" without realizing the doctor's orders were (a) related to exacerbating an existing issue, (b) is only temporary and (c) increases the likelihood that they'll be able to perform optimally in the very near future.</p> <p>Let's do what's best for our brands today and in the future.</p> <p>RS</p>

<p>Thanks for commenting, Luis.</p> <p>I want all content marketers to be successful. So I'm always thinking of how to flatten that curve, based on my experiences.</p> <p>There is no right or wrong way; there is, however, a right or wrong way for you/your brand at a given time. Whether that's shorter, longer, more, less, I say run with it.</p> <p>RS</p>

<p>Thanks for chiming in, Jesse</p> <p>I wrote that post as someone who has read/edited/researched more content in the last decade than most people edit in a lifetime. I've worked with writers and brands of all types and at all skill levels. The No. 1 problem I see is brands/individuals trying to do too much before they are ready:</p> <ul><li>Writing posts that exceed the depth of their knowledge</li><li>Focusing on creating lengthy, evergreen posts to attain traffic, but lack the level of detail (quality) needed to arouse interest</li></ul><p>Everyone wants to SEO their way to success while seeming to forget that prospects and customers reward the entirety of the experience, online and offline with a brand. We must remember that we can be the No. 1 but still not get the click. <br /></p> <p>RS</p> <p><br /></p>

<p>We're all learning. As long as you keep the ball moving in the right direction, you're winning.</p> <p>RS</p>

<p>Very true. It's an iterative approach. We have to keep refining our offerings.</p> <p>RS</p>

<p>I know the feeling: I have about 25 apps on my phone. Of those, I use less than 8 of them regularly. I'd love for us to think of "excellent customer experience on mobile" as something more than apps. As you assert, a clean, optimized mobile-friendly site goes a long way.</p> <p>RS</p>

<p>Thanks, Chris. I find that there is a disconnect between what we, as marketers see and know, and our understanding of how customers, clients and web searchers see/view/use things. </p> <p>I've never worked with a client who was unsuccessful b/c they lacked or couldn't hire folks with the technical know-how to be successful; every brand I've worked with, no matter how large or sophisticated their teams, missed obvious opportunities right in front of them.</p> <p>Low-hanging fruit/opportunities are significant not simply because they are easy to attain; they are also significant because we tend to trip over or bump our heads on them.</p> <p>RS</p>

<p>Hi Vijay,</p> <p>While I cannot speak to the technical nuances of AMPs, I am a huge fan, for they allow for the delivery of content with speed and they aren't typically weighted down with useless text and graphics. From a UX/customer experience perspective, AMPs are a surefire winner.</p> <p>RS</p>

<p>Thank you, Tim. I find myself talking to restaurant owners a lot. (Weird that I have never had one as a client.) I'm continually sharing the value of an accurate NAP, the benefits of excellent reviews and delivering the best experience, which includes food, customer service, location, etc. </p> <p>I think most brands fail to realize how mobile-centric we are today, and because of it, they're missing out on numerous opportunities.</p> <p>RS</p>

<p>In most cases, no. The best approach is to consider how your brand can deliver the best mobile experience possible. That might be an app, but at the very least it should include making use of a mobile-friendly website.</p> <p>That's a great starting point.</p> <p>RS</p>

<p>To be successful at online marketing, we must move beyond the more content/less content argument and consider the web searcher and his or her needs. For a page geared to answer a specific query, what would suffice as an incredible customer experience. It's not about the content length.</p>

<p>Could not agree more, Luis. We live in a world that's becoming more mobile with each passing day. To my mind, this means we must continually work to create the best customer experience, online and offline.</p> <p>RS</p>

<p>Thanks for making the time to read the post. I'm interested on your thoughts:</p> <ol><li>Do you use/advise a similar process at your brand or to your clients?</li><li>How are you effectively optimizing your content for mobile web searchers?</li><li>Is there a single element that sticks out as having been more successful than others?</li></ol>

<p>John,</p> <p>Great perspective here. The post reminds me of a saying prevalent in nutrition circles: If It Fits Your Macros (IIFYM), which refers to a line of reasoning that you can eat whatever you want provided it fits within your macronutrient targets for that day/week/month. While it's easy to abuse this logic, it does provide a framework for moving forward, much like your nudges above.</p> <p>One thing I find myself saying quite often is "good doesn't mean good for you." Anyone working in search, content and social (or any area, for that matter) has to consider that, beyond the time and expense it takes to make a change, take advantage of a tactic, there must also be the thoughts regarding the impact, or lack thereof, of those changes.</p> <p>I'd like to see more brands focus on implementing changes most likely to (a) impact them/their brand and (b) have the biggest return on investment.</p> <p>RS</p>

<p>Hi Daniel, PopArt</p> <p>As the person who has headed YouMoz for nearly two years, I can tell you that the decision was made with the community in mind. When I took the position, our acceptance rate was 3%. My thinking was that, if we could get the acceptance to 20-25%, we'd be able to get posts on the blog daily. </p> <p>I was wrong.</p> <p>Even once the acceptance rate was at 27%, the number of posts making it to the blog remained unchanged, in large part because of something I had not foreseen: Many (most) authors won't return posts that are set back with questions. </p> <p>It was at that point that we began to think of better ways to serve the community. </p> <p>Though we don't have a solution finalized and in place, do know that it will be created/delivered with the community top-of-mind.</p> <p>RS</p>

<p>Thank you, Lizzy. Nice post, too. </p> <p>RS</p>

<p>Hi Brian,</p> <p>I tend to agree with you with regard to SMBs seeming to have more wood to throw on the fire than at times in the past. I do wish more of them realized this and chose to play the game they can win as opposed to the game the competition would have them play.</p> <p>I see a lot of brands neglecting a ton of opportunities with regard to local and personalized search.</p> <p>RS</p>

<p>Thank you, Pulkit. People like to focus on SEO moving fast and being ever-changing. In reality, the needs/tastes of our audiences are what we're ultimately chasing. The more we can learn about them and their needs, the better able we are to be THE choice as it regards top-of-mind awareness.</p> <p>RS</p>

<p>Rand,</p> <p>This process will be very, very familiar to content strategists reading this. </p> <ol><li>Typically, I collaborate with an SEO for the competitive analysis, during which time we outline best-performing keywords and keyword opportunities. For this, the tools are typically Moz Pro, SEMRush and SpyFu or Searchmetrics. </li><li>I use this information as an overlay to inform the audience assessment, which informs the content audit.</li><li>Thanks to Tori Cushing's awesome tutorials, I've become a lot more facile in Excel and GDocs, so my doc looks a lot like yours. However, other categories I'm adding include content types, frequency, recency, etc. The key here is quick wins. Many brands have no idea what content they have or how well it's performing. Site health/rankings is not thought of in a granular fashion. So, if we start at what the competition is doing, and what we can do better, I can often gain the time needed to work on broader design, UI, UX issues that go well beyond simply "content."</li></ol><p>RS<br /></p>

<p>Hi Luis,</p> <p>Every little bit helps, right? The better informed you are about the content you need to create, the less time you waste and the more efficiently you can create optimal content in the future.</p> <p>RS</p>

<p>Nick,</p> <p>Jay answered this above: "The Content Search index is limited to English-language articles. You can, however, run an Content Audit on any site (or use a Tracked Audit to gather metrics over time). The topic extraction has shown some success with Spanish content." </p> <p>RS</p>

<p>Thank you, Luis. Let us know if you have any questions.</p> <p>RS</p>

<p>Thanks, Pulkit, for taking the time to read the post. One thing to be aware of is when you a term is not showing much in the way of returned results, it could highlight an opportunity your brand can take advantage of, in large part because there is little in the way of competition.</p> <p>RS</p>

<p>Since Moz Content is still the new kid on the block, I continue to find ways it can help in the ideation and creation process. </p> <p>I'm eager to hear how others might be doing the same, whether with Moz Content or any other tool.</p> <p>What are some tips you can share about developing content your audience will appreciate?</p> <p>RS<br /></p>

<p>Miriam,</p> <p>Getting businesses to respect the power of reviews is a lot like getting kids to enjoy shots from the doctor. But—and you nail this perfectly in the post—by making reviews a priority, you are not only helping your brand get positive reviews, you're also ensuring that you (a) get fewer negative reviews and (b) nurturing a reputation that you care about the customer experience.</p> <p>RS</p>

<p>Leslie,</p> <p>Thanks for sharing your process with the community. I've noticed that making time to create the content I'm happiest with is one of my biggest challenges. I've taken some steps to get me there, including removing most social media apps from my phone and investigating how hyper-productive people in other businesses get things done. </p> <p>One thing I've found, especially with regard to creating quality content, is it's best to focus on doing fewer things, at a given time, but working to do them better. </p> <p>For me, that takes the shape of creating two to four pieces of content a month as opposed to two to four pieces of content a week.</p> <p>RS</p>