Marketing to the Gaps: Aligning Content with Your Sales Funnel & SEO
Imagine you’re running a business, selling a product or service that you’re passionate about. No matter what it is, one thing is clear: content plays a vital role in your online success. It has the power to attract the right audience, establish trust, foster loyalty, captivate visitors, and ultimately drive conversions and sales.
But here’s the catch: simply having a random assortment of blog posts won’t cut it. To truly harness the potential of content marketing, you need a strategic approach that aligns with your sales funnel and targets keyphrases relevant to your business. This means integrating your SEO efforts with sales and content marketing to create purposeful and impactful content.
The good news is that embarking on a measurable content marketing program is not as daunting as it may seem. With the right guidance and understanding, you can take the necessary steps to effectively engage your audience, boost your online presence, and achieve your business goals. So, let’s delve into the world of purpose-driven content creation and discover how it can transform your marketing strategy.
The content on your website matters. It should serve a purpose.
Sometimes queries used in a search engine can give away a person’s level of commitment to purchase. Based on the context used in the search query, we can often determine if a consumer is close to a purchase or still researching their decision.
That’s where SEO comes in. Thorough keyphrase research will assess – not just search volume – but the ‘intent‘ of the key phrases you are targeting as well.
Aligning search intent to content based on your sales funnel will help you architect an effective content marketing effort.
Top of Funnel Search Intent
Are they still in the early stages of their quest for a solution? At this point, prospects are identifying a need or a problem, leading them to conduct informative search queries.
- What type of forklift is best for a grocery store?
- What is CRM Software?
- Benefits of inbound marketing for B2B
- Tips for reducing operational costs in manufacturing
It’s not just about exploring general topics; it’s about diving into specific subjects that highlight the importance of their needs or problems, making a compelling case for finding a solution sooner rather than later.
“Tailoring your content to your sales funnel will help you attract and engage the right audience, establish trust and credibility, and guide them toward conversion. “
Mid-Funnel Search Intent
Once users have pinpointed their problem or recognized the legitimacy of their need, they enter the stage of exploring various solutions. This is the crucial moment when it becomes essential for your brand to be included in the list of contenders.
Searches are made to narrow the solutions to a relative set of competitors. Searches might include:
- Top forklift suppliers for grocery stores
- How to choose the right CRM software for my business
- Inbound marketing agencies for B2B in Chicago
- Effective strategies for reducing manufacturing costs
Questions about pricing and payment options are also common mid-funnel search queries.
Bottom of Funnel Search Intent
As the purchasing decision draws near, search queries become more focused on specific products, services, and even brand names. This bottom-of-the-funnel stage signifies a critical point where potential customers are actively seeking the exact solution that meets their needs.
Some examples of bottom-funnel search intent might include:
- Pallet jacks for grocery stores with narrow aisles
- Hubspot CRM reviews
- Request a quote from Luna Vista Digital
- Buy cost-reduction software for manufacturing plant online
Remember, providing content that aligns with the search intent at each stage of the sales funnel is crucial to effectively guide potential customers toward a purchase decision.
Identify & Fill the Gaps
A simple gap analysis will help you identify the most significant voids in your content library and help you prioritize your content efforts moving forward.
Map your key phrase intent terms to your current content. Where are you strong? Where are you lacking? Note the list of areas where you need more content. Meet with your sales team to help prioritize those needs. From there, deciding on the types of content and developing a manageable content calendar will put you on the path toward better results from your content efforts.
Tailoring your content to your sales funnel will help you attract and engage the right audience, establish trust and credibility, and guide them toward conversion.
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If you are looking for assistance with your content, SEO or data analysis, contact me today.
