7 Step checklist to study SERP for your next content piece
Search engine is where we start most of our research for any content piece but it can be overwhelming at start. That's why, here’s a 7 step checklist you can use to analyze SERP for your next content.
Heya, Creative Minds!
As we’re typing this, we’ve been living on coffee the entire day, and kid you not, we’re looking like ghosts!
Yet, we can’t miss sending this issue to you as we’re talking about one of the most exciting things as part of the content marketing mix — Studying the SERP or, should we say, stalking the SERP. (Yikes, it sounded better in our heads!)
Let us not drown you in the talks of our everyday life and get straight to the interesting part. 👇
Imagine you have everything you need to write on a new topic, and when you search the primary keyword, you notice huge giants ranking for the exact keywords.
And suddenly you’re unsure of how to study the SERP.
We’ve been there, and here's a 7-step checklist you can use to get over it.
Freshness: Google loves fresh content, and if you see a huge enterprise with outdated content ranking for it, you can easily outrank them with updated content and points in your content.
Structure: Pay attention to how the content is structured. Especially H2s and H3s. Do this for the first 3-5 results, and if you spot a common pattern, you need to note it.
You don’t have to reinvent the wheel every time; sometimes, just going with it can bring you the ideal results.
Depth: How well is the content covered? Do you see any inputs from SMEs or internal experts? Any specific word choices or examples? Analyze everything and note what you think is something you need to remember.
And as you find the gaps, craft your master plan to explain the same topic with better examples and depth, yet in a more straightforward and easy-to-follow manner.
Domain authority and the number of backlinks: It’s challenging to outrank a higher domain authority website with more backlinks. This is why you must get out there and work on your content distribution strategies.
Featured snippets: If the keywords you want to rank for already have websites with featured snippets, then analyze them.
Is there any specific phrase you see Google has highlighted? Make a note of it. And try to incorporate that phrase in your content only if it makes sense. You don’t have to push it.
Look at their comments: Once you’re done reading the content piece, go ahead and read comments on their pieces from the audience.
Suppose you see a comment like this, “Hey, how to do X?” or “How can someone do X?”
Basically, anything that’s lacking, and you see people pointing out or asking more questions about it. Make a note of it and try to add it to your piece if it adds value to the post.
Formatting and graphics: Readability is one of the most overlooked aspects of content.
Notice how many images they’ve added and after how many paragraphs? How well formatted do their paragraphs look? Are there any bullet points to help the reader scan the content better?
Once you finish all these steps, you have clear pointers for approaching your piece.
Then, add a summarized statement in your brief about how you plan to beat the top-performing posts and how you can make your piece much more comprehensive, detail-oriented, and simple to understand.
Aaaaaaaand, that’s it! (Well, we’re finally off to grab some food for the day!)
If you like the post and feel your colleagues or anyone from your circle should be reading this, just hit the share button. And if you’re reading this for the first time, consider being a part of the tribe by subscribing to it.
See you in a week!
Aanchal & Uddalak
What should be the Ideal results we should aim for while writing a content piece, other than providing apt solution?