Topics to Write About
You’ve heard me go on and on about the important of creating content that answers questions; and probably asking yourself, “How do I know what to write about?” “How do I do the keyword research?” “How do I know what questions are being asked?”
The Answer is Actually Right on Your Showroom Floor
Go out and ask some of your sales team what questions they’re fielding on a consistent basis. If people are asking them in person, people are almost certainly asking the same questions online, right? Well, take the step to head them off.
For example, let’s assume people are asking about “how many packages of the Ford Maverick are available”. Make that answer easily accessible on your website. Tell them that it’s available in three distinct trim levels (XL, XLT, and Lariat) as well as the special Lariat First Edition. Guess what? By doing so you’re one step closer to earning that business, all because you anticipated their need and made it easy to get the answer.
Helpful Free Tools
Beyond that, there are tools that can help you such as Google Keyword Planner. If you’re doing any kind of paid advertising you have access to this tool, and won’t have to spend another dime. You can see what keywords are trending in your area, what are people searching for more often, and you can see how many people are actually performing those searches. That way, you can focus your efforts on the keywords that represent a greater percentage of the searches in your area. Answer their questions completely and accurately, and you stand a greater chance of turning them into a customer.
Another free tool is the ‘People Also Ask’ box that you’ll find right on the search engine results page. For example, if you searched “how many packages of the Ford Maverick are available” the PAA box will tell you what some of the most popular related searches are. “What is included in the Maverick luxury package?” “How long is the wait for a Ford Maverick?” “How long does it take for a Ford Maverick to be built and delivered?” This can help to inform what you should be building your content around.
Your Competitors
Also, don’t be afraid to look at what your competitors are doing. If they’ve written something, and you think you can write it better…do it. That’s ‘step one’ of the Skyscraper Technique, but we’ll save that for another time.
Recap
The questions being asked every day on your showroom floor are reflective of the questions being asked online. By identifying those questions and making the answers available on your site, you’re taking a proactive approach to securing more business. In addition, there are a number of free tools and tactics that can help your site to be a more authoritative resource than that of your competitors.
FAQ
Q1. How can I determine what content to create for my website?
A1. You can ask your sales team about the questions they receive from customers on a regular basis. These questions are likely to be the same ones that people are asking online. Anticipate their needs by making answers to these questions easily accessible on your website.
Q2. What is Google Keyword Planner and how can it help with keyword research?
A2. Google Keyword Planner is a free tool that shows you what keywords are trending in your area and how many people are performing those searches. It can help you focus your efforts on keywords that represent a greater percentage of the searches in your area.
Q3. How can the “People Also Ask” box on a search engine results page help with content creation?
A3. The “People Also Ask” box shows some of the most popular related searches to the query entered. This can help inform what content you should be creating for your website.
Q4. Can I learn from my competitors’ content strategy?
A4. Yes, you can look at what your competitors are doing and create content that is better than theirs. This is called the Skyscraper Technique.
Q5. How can making answers easily accessible on my website help me earn more business?
A5. By answering customers’ questions completely and accurately, you can demonstrate your expertise and build trust with potential customers. This can ultimately lead to more business.