How We Create SEO-Optimised Content Scopes

Our scope creation process is more involved than most would imagine. 

But we’re proud to boast that each scope we create speaks volumes about our team’s communication skills, adaptability, and prowess in content creation. Every scope is passed between the SEO and content team and is only assigned to be written after it’s been perfectly weighed, measured, and baked. 

These nuanced perspectives help ensure each scope is ideally situated to compete with even the highest-ranking online resources.  

So how do we do it? Let’s take a deep dive into how our scoping process works.

Step-By-Step SEO-Optimised Scope Process

1. Content Template

To enhance our hit rate and improve engagement, we create customised, dedicated scope templates in month one of every client’s campaign. By including comprehensive client information in each scope, our writers can easily understand the principles and aims of all brands we work with.

Each template contains the following details:

• Client information: This includes client-specific information such as the company name, website URL, overview, and target audience. We may also provide writers with additional house rules and branding guidelines.
• Content Requirements: Including word count, slug, meta title, the designated form of English, focus keywords and phrases, and products and client resources to link.
• Content Outline: The blog’s structure, including carefully selected headings with word counts and guides over the intended theme of the piece.
• Call to Action: A subtle prompt to encourage readers to visit relevant landing pages, if appropriate to the topic and form of content.

This detailed template allows writers to familiarise themselves with the intent behind each piece while gaining an understanding of the client and relevant products.

While it may seem simplistic at first glance, each section results from thorough research, data comparison, and close competitor analysis.  

2. Blog Topic Creation

Topic ideation stems from our in-house competitor gap analysis, also carried out in month one, where we identify “gaps” in our existing content strategy based on competitor resources. From there, we gain a good idea of what content we need to create, typically beginning with quick wins/low-hanging fruit (topics with high volume/low keyword difficulty).

Beyond the initial competitor analysis, we conduct mid-campaign competitor reviews to identify which pages are driving traffic for competing brands. Then, we can decide whether to improve an existing page on our site or create a new one to target the queries we’ve identified.

Once our client campaigns gain traction, we review their search console for high impression/low click queries, which we then optimise for in the form of new posts or existing content updates – depending on the SERPs. We also review platforms like Reddit and Quora to gain inspiration for topics that people are actually interested in.

Finally, we work directly with our clients to ensure our blog strategy aligns with their commercial goals, with them often providing blog ideas or focal points. This can mean content focussed on product-specific buyer guides, how-to’s, or top-of-the-funnel informational content.

3. Surfer SEO SERP Analyser

We analyse each potential blog title in Surfer’s SERP analyser. As we begin honing in on scope creation, we filter the results and dissect our findings to identify high-ranking content based on the same concept.

We also filter results by location to fine-tune the process, helping us gauge which topics perform best in the designated territory. Such filtering helps us identify the most popular themes and keywords, as well as ideal targets for these terms.

The SERP analyser acts as a handy guide for selecting the minutiae of each scope, giving insight regarding the following details:

Worthy Competitors

Competitor analysis helps us create high-quality content as we establish each article’s ideal form and style based on what Google is rewarding. We highlight common themes and headings to help inform our client’s scopes and processes, discerning what works well and leads to greater authority.

First, we look at the top ten results to determine which websites are direct competitors of our client’s sites. We don’t factor in websites like Wikipedia, directories like Angie’s List or Yelp, or any other result that’s not in direct competition with our client’s site. These are well-established, community-based sites that automatically rank incredibly high.  

After selecting relevant sites of a similar size to our client, we take a deep dive into how they construct their blogs and content. By comparing the results of such a range of resources, we identify potential blog headings and successful instigators of traffic while establishing our own models for original, compelling content. 

Word Count

We begin comparing word counts once the competition has been established. 

There’s no exact science here, but we typically use our Surfer findings’ average word count and best judgment to land on a word count total. This also allows our writers to suggest a piece should be shorter or longer based on the research they conduct as they begin writing. 

The aim is always to write a piece that does justice to the chosen topic while remaining as succinct as possible. 

Slug & Meta Title

Our competitor analysis also allows us to determine appropriate slug and meta titles. Selecting the most suitable slug and meta titles lends to an article’s reach and encourages engagement through typical searches. 

An article’s trajectory may change slightly based on Google’s ranking for a particular query, but these components help summarise the aims and information within our blogs and allow search engines to gauge what the content focuses on. 

4. Content Outline

The content outline provides writers with structured guidelines to write a compelling yet concise blog with clear headings and subheadings, each with recommended word counts. 

The primary heading (H1) is the blog’s main title, while subheadings (H2s) are subsequent titles within the piece. Subheadings can have their own segments (H3s), which may include bulleted or numbered lists.  

While this may seem straightforward, each heading and sub-heading are carefully selected to make the piece rank as highly and competitively as possible while comprehensively addressing its subject. To help us compete and gain authority, we use headings currently ranking high on Google as inspiration, often using exact wording to position blogs in the best place to compete.

Our SEO team and scope creators also leave additional notes for our writers, highlighting the intention of each heading or providing additional resources to explain the subject. Some clients may have specific brand guidelines highlighted at the top of this section, sufficiently preparing writers to craft the best blog possible.

It’s also important to note that headings must be relevant to the overall article, but not phrases or questions that are deemed a different topic in the eyes of Google, despite whether they seem relevant at a surface level.

It can be tricky to think of multiple headings around the same subject to enrich a piece, but our SEO operatives are experts at planning compelling and informative blogs.     

5. FAQ Section

FAQs provide a short answer to questions raised in the blog, summarising information into bite-sized chunks. 

We instruct our writers to answer FAQs clearly and succinctly, using as close to 50 words as possible. The question should be answered directly without needless wording, and while prior points can be alluded to, they should not be referred to directly to increase snippet readability.

The primary goal of FAQs is to become the lead authority for that specific query and capture the snippet. This means we’ll typically include between 1 and 3 questions, often from Google’s People Also Ask section, with the aim of becoming the first available source for readers. Users often rely upon sites like Reddit and Quora, but our goal is to become the leading authority on our chosen subject.

While FAQs may seem unimportant, these snippets of information allow us to rank higher on Google and generate even more hits. Readers often seek rapid answers to their questions and searches, reluctant to read large blogs for a one-line answer. By using FAQs proven to rank in Google, we can emulate what has worked best in the past and begin to compete for these snippets.

6. CTAs

Crafting a subtle yet engaging call to action is an essential and intriguing component of any blog. Readers don’t want to feel pressured or coerced into supporting businesses; we must show how our client’s products can enrich their lives in ways they’d never considered.

To do so means publishing blogs and content that showcases our clients as lead authorities in their field, proving their ability to develop and deliver innovative products without a doubt. We encourage readers to browse client stores based on compelling content without being too pushy, letting the information provided in the content sufficiently entice readers.

Why Are Our Scopes Successful?

So, why have our clients experienced such success with our scopes? It ultimately comes down to our data-driven and highly structured approach to content. 

While it’s never quite an exact science, and one size won’t fit all, by following these guidelines, we’ve experienced success repeatedly. Our SEO team crunches the numbers of competing blogs, helping inform our content’s overall purpose and the nuts and bolts of how best to write it.

Client Data & Research

A data-driven approach allows us to create the ideal scopes to suit our client’s needs. This includes analysing current resources, such as websites, landing pages, and blogs, to assess their performance in the SERPs. Our team then explores client products and services, their intended market and demographic, and where the brand is positioned at the campaign’s beginning.  

Competitor Analysis

When first onboarding a client, we conduct a competitor gap analysis to assess the competition and their performance in the SERPs. This allows us to identify gaps in our resources compared to competitors and determine the content, backlinks, and on-page changes we need to improve.

We then dissect the workings of competitor resources, identifying frequent keywords, typical word counts, and most engaging subjects. By carefully selecting the most effective components from various competing resources, we create an outline for the perfect blog or article to position any piece in the ideal space to compete. 

Giving Writers the Tools to Succeed

Our SEO operatives provide writers with valuable resources to help inform them about the specified subject and gain an understanding of the most effective form of writing for the desired piece. Research and data inform every step of the scoping and writing process, leading to high-quality blogs and increased reader engagement.

Not only do we give writers ample external and internal research resources, but we also provide access to bespoke programs to aid the writing process. Applications such as Grammarly provide greater insight into grammar, punctuation, and ideal language, while our internal messaging systems allow writers to ask our SEO team any necessary queries. 

Comprehensive Scopes

We retain total control over the final written product through our incredibly comprehensive scopes. We establish clear guidelines and detail each step necessary for successful content creation, giving our writers the tools to create high-quality and high-ranking content. We’ve fine-tuned this process over many years, learning how to deliver on our client’s needs and how to get the best out of our content writers.

Final Thoughts — Ensuring Every Campaign is Curated

Now, you’ve had a behind-the-scenes glimpse at how we craft industry-leading scopes to increase authority and engagement for our clients. We have decade-long experience in content creation and brand growth, so you know our recipe produces the goods every time.

While our scoping process could be described as formulaic, our approach to branding and client needs is anything but. No one marketing campaign is the same; brands are individualistic, each with their own voice, so it’s essential to curate our scopes to fit with the needs of our client and their branding and principles.

By following our tried-and-tested formula and conducting proper research and analysis, SwishDM has generated vastly increased engagement and SEO results for countless clients across various sectors. Contact one of SwishDM’s expert team members to learn how we’ll spearhead your content creation process and fine-tune your marketing resources to get you high-ranking results in the SERPs.