Use Data Or Be Used By Data!

The April 14 issue of Seotistics is here for you!

You need data if you want to level up your content game...

otherwise you will be stuck at the lowest level of content.

Content and Data are 2 of my main topics and it's time to do a recap about why the 2 work together.

P.S. My recent brightonSEO talk covers the part about content auditing!

Next week Seotistics will be on Tuesday!

P.S. Happy Easter in advance 🐇

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Data Is The Raw Material

Measuring the success of content requires you to use data... whether you like it or not.

The only thing you need to avoid is the obsession toward "ROI".

If you treat data like the ultimate truth and content like something you can always measure...

you are just wrong.

I'll now show you how some tools can help you in the goal of measuring content.

Google Analytics 4

Most use GA4 and that's a good thing for standardization... but a default installation is barely sufficient.

If you want to use Explorations, you need to change the base data retention of 2 months to 14.

The actual value of this tool comes from creating your own dimensions/events/metrics.

To prepare some basic reports, Explorations help a lot.

The example below shows 0 sampling, as you can see from the green tick:

Just checking the Users is pointless except for content auditing.

You want to have stuff like:

Clicks on CTAs
Compiled forms
Better engagement metrics

Betraying GA4

Everyone knows that the GA4 transition wasn't welcomed by many due to the complexity of the tool.

Many competitors like Adobe and Piwik have gained momentum...

but do you really need to switch?

In my opinion, absolutely not.

GA4 is quite simple once you study it and it's still Google's, so you get all the possible integrations.

I have a headache every single time I work with non-GA4 websites.

Google Search Console

You'd be amazed to know how many companies don't have GSC lol

Yes, this is a basic mistake in many traditional industries.

Once you have it ready, you should at least update your sitemap(s).

This is your treasure trove for keyword data and the most reliable way to assess organic performance.

Sure, paid tools will claim they know better but they actually try to replicate search data in inaccurate ways.

P.S. Create multiple properties if you want granularity.

This approach will get you more data but it can lead to complications for bigger websites.

Google Tag Manager

This is going to be your best friend in the long run because you can measure EVERYTHING.

Yes, tracking all you need and maintaining it.

I am not a power user but you can find infinite tutorials online explaining what you need.

Literally, everything.

The Exports To BigQuery

Both GSC and GA4 allow you to export data to BigQuery, I will tell you this until everyone is using this feature.

The thing is, you don't simply get API data but much, much more.

GA4 and its API are very limited and the same goes for GSC.

You can read my article on the differences between GSC and GA4 BigQuery with the UI for more info.

Basic Content Management

Many companies miss the most basic content management:

a list of all the content they drafted/published
a workflow that covers all the processes
accountability (big)
where to store data

Master this and you will always have things to do.

Many start from technical problems but the very first thing to check are the processes.

The workflow below is such an example:

It doesn't make any sense to hunt for GA4 setup mistakes if the system is broken.

My favorite tool to achieve that is Airtable:

I personally use Nocodb, a free alternative, for my personal projects:

Whatever you use, just do it and start nurturing good practices.

This makes a big difference when working with data so you don't have to pay someone else in the future.

Ok But What To Store?

The following ALWAYS works:

Author
Date published
Date updated
Notes
Cluster/Group

As you may notice, most of this can also come from the CMS and you don't need to DIY.

The most important details are about the dates and the clusters.

Else, you won't be able to visualize cluster performance over time.

As said multiple times, extra dimensions make your analysis more meaningful and useful overall.

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The Old Meta Of Content

Content looks simple but it's more than just stitching words together.

Yet, many still get it wrong and mass produce it.

As you can verify yourself by looking at my blog, quality > quantity and this is a must for B2B.

My dear subscribers got my Content Management Handbook and know much more about the topic!

Publishers have gotten away with quantity for decades but now things are gradually changing between AI and videos.

The average workflow looked like this:

Do keyword research
Prepare a list
Write
Rinse and repeat

You still need to do this uh, but you can't stop at listing down articles.

The important thing to do is distribute and repurpose your content!!!

This in exchange means more data points and more opportunities to know your readers.

Copywriting VS Content Marketing

Many get this super wrong, especially out of the Anglosphere.

When companies say they need a copywriter, they often mean content marketer.

When I talk about "content data", I usually mean data for content marketing.

Engagement data and heatmaps are also good allies for improving your copy/CTAs, but not our main topic.

There isn't much to use data for copywriting compared to content marketing...

Documentation (How Boring!)

The most boring part for the majority is to document your findings.

You should always document your data or at least list down some use cases.

I don't have strict rules for documentation as it's not my primary task but I usually include:

Who does what (if needed)
Definitions
Use cases
Traps
Resources

As simple as possible, avoid giving too many details. If needed, they can have their glossary at the end.

If you want some names, here they are:

Confluence
Obsidian
Notion

I am exploring Obsidian recently and so far it's the most complete if you love customization and have some time to spend on it!

Common Sense Pays Off

The reason why I hate complex solutions and most of the stuff we read on social media is that no one will use it.

The majority of companies lack solid foundations, let alone introduce more complexity.

The highest paid skills are for sure abstraction and common sense.

Many great projects fail because people don't dare ask the relevant questions or question the status quo.

👥 Join Our Community

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If you hate all the noise of social media, then this place is for you.

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🔎 Analytics For SEO Ebook (v8)

If you want to learn about Analytics for SEO and prefer self-study, this is for you!

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This comes with periodical updates to keep the content fresh.

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📚 Recommended Reads - Peak Content 🗻

Some more content on the topic:

Some nice presentations from brightonSEO (the published ones at least):

My LinkedIn content:

❗️ Feedback and Recommendations

If you have ideas/recommendations for the next issues of Seotistics, you can simply reply to this email.

Marco Giordano
Data/Web Analyst

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Bernerstrasse Süd 169, Zurich, Switzerland
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Content & Data: The Two Best Friends