Content Marketing Intelligence With Google Insights For Search

With the advent of web 2.0 applications that specifically allows individuals to be publishers on the web, search engine optimatization (SEO) is critical for those in the field of content marketing and content strategy.  For professionals who select to take a strategic approach to writing content to attract the right individuals to the site or their social network presence, there are tools available that can be used to gather some key intelligence regarding keywords.

Via Google Insights For Search, individuals can “compare search volume patterns across specific regions, categories, time frames and properties“.  Some of the key insights that can be collected thanks to the Google application includes:

• What branding attributes should be mentioned in the web copy?
• Are there seasonality factors to be examined?
• Are there geographical market opportunities available based on keywords?

Case scenario:

A new basketball sneaker manufacturer is planning a social media marketing plan to launch its new branded product, “FlyEasi”.  (Please Note: “FlyEasi” is a fictitious brand name.)  As a component of the plan, the manufacturer will be inviting professional basketball players around the globe to blog about the sneaker.  The content strategist that will be involved in the marketing of “FlyEasi” requires the following pieces of  competitive intelligence:

1) Which branding attributes should be stressed in  the blog posts?

The branding attributes that are now associated with the sneaker are:

• High Performance
• Quality
• Rugged

Using the Google Insights application, it is recommended that the attributes of “Quality”followed by “Rugged” and then “High Performance” should be used based on the query and results for “Interest Over Time” as seen in Figure  1.

Figure 1: Search Term Query and Results For Brand Attributes

2) In what months should the posts be published strategically?

To reply to this question, one has to use the application in which the keyword(s): “basketball sneakers” for the Time Range query.  Figure 2 is an illustration of the results for the query.

Figure 2: "Time Range" Query For "basketball sneakers" in 2010

Based on the results from 2010, the peak interest occurred in the month of December.  Assuming that the same level of interest will be repeated in 2011, blogging about “FlyEasi” should begin in October and be ramped up until January.

3) Should the manufacturer select specific countries to promote “FlyEasi”?

The answer to this question is “Yes” however; it is a question of which countries and or regions.  With the “Location” query, one  can be able to create a list to consider.  Figure 3 is a screenshot of the results for the interest of the keyword, “basketball shoes” (using a more generic term).

Figure 3: Location Query Results For "basketball shoes" in 2011

Based on the results in Figure 3, the manufacturer of “FlyEasi” could consider in entering the Philippines, United States and  Australian markets by publishing relevant content.  An alternative option is targeting the markets in the United Kingdom, Canada, India and Germany where the web search interest is low which may represent an opportunity to  cater potential buyers in these specific countries.

Conclusion

As the amount of content on the web exponentially for marketing purposes, creating content has become more strategic than tactical.  All though there are several search engine optimization tools (free and paid) and consultants that will assist you in reaching a target audience, it is important to gather all relevant information that will support decisions going forward in terms of a content strategy and a search engine optimization plan.