Crafting engaging content is one thing. Making sure that your out-of-this world content and shiny new infographics spark real action that leads to concrete business for you–well, that’s the pot of gold at the end of every content marketer’s rainbow.
Hundreds of blogs feature the best secret marketing measurement tools out there. Developers constantly work their code magic to create programs to sell small and medium-sized businesses just the type of feedback they (think they) need. Analytics is a big business. But one of the most powerful tools available today doesn’t cost money. Take some time to teach yourself a few Google Analytics skills, and you’ll uncover a wealth of insight that makes it easy to target your content with unparalleled precision.
Become an expert on Advanced Traffic Segments.
Segments give you the insight you need to filter out the type of traffic that’s most relevant to your site–and what brought that traffic to you. By determining which referrals, sources, and searches lead to conversion, you’ll find the content gold hidden in your archives. And then you’ll produce more of it.
Want to know how many mobile visitors find their way to your info? Measure visitors with screen sizes under 600 pixels. Calculate the length of keywords that effectively lead to conversion so you can hone your keywords in the future. Filter blog “bouncers” out of the crowd–those visitors who came, visited one page, and bounced away again. Evaluate the geographic area your content is reaching (if you’re located in Boston and most of your traffic is coming from Bolivia, you might have a problem).
Measure the ROI of your content.
Anyone and their dog can count clicks and shares, but you’re ready to move beyond amateur tactics and measure what actually works. Calculating the ROI of individual pieces of content might seem like the kind of black magic content marketers practice when the real work is done and boredom has started to set in (it… could happen). But understanding what content works for you and actually hits your goal will revolutionize your content marketing strategy.
Sound too good to be true? It’s fairly simple, and a recent article from Entrepreneur spells it out. You’ll need to log into your Google Analytics account and set up goals tracking, which measures visitors who hit your goal (like spending x amount of time on your site or hitting returning a certain number of times for your info). Next, you’ll need your expertise with advanced traffic segments to create a custom segment that filters out “bounces” and visitors who didn’t meet the qualifications to hit your goal. Then, head over to “Conversions” on your Analytics dashboard and bask in the wealth of info at your fingertips.
Track engagement by keyword.
This is a simple Google Analytics tool, but it’s crucial when it comes to targeting your keywords for the audience that actually wants your services. Building content around keywords is a classic strategy. And it obviously works–it gets readers to the content they’re searching for and, with the right SEO strategy, it keeps your results near the top for relevant searches.
By measuring the efficacy of your keywords, you’ll be able to link those keywords to your goal conversion data and adapt your content accordingly for higher conversion rates every time. That transports you light-years closer to your content marketing pot of gold. You can’t beat that.
Writer Bio: Steffani J is a part-time content writer who loves to drink tea and create content but struggles with one-liners.
