Content Marketing Workflow [Tutorial] → SEO Review Tools

Almost all digital marketing efforts – from SEO to link-building – are powered by one thing, content.

So, whatever area of marketing you place your emphasis on, you certainly have to invest in content marketing, and while doing so, make it as efficient and effective as possible.

For this reason Semrush has built a dedicated Content Marketing platform that covers every thinkable and unthinkable aspect of creating high-impact content.

In this article we’ll cover how the Semrush Content Marketing platform can help to:

If you have access to already published content , don’t jump straight into content creation. Your existing content may just be a couple of steps away from being an impressive source of organic search traffic. Some studies estimate that updating old content can lead to a whopping 118% organic growth .

Essentially, the tool reviews your site’s existing content by analyzing its performance:

Based on all the gathered intel, the Content Audit will automatically determine which pages (aka content pieces) fall into the four categories:

You can even create your own category, hand-picking and customizing the criteria.

The next substep is to perform an in-depth analysis of each individual content piece and start your improvement journey, which can be managed right from the tool – from adding comments for future edits to assigning tasks via Trello.

The Content Audit continues tracking each page’s performance unless you mark it with the “Analyzed” mode, making it easy to track progress with your content optimization efforts.

If you’re out of optimization ideas, make sure to use Semrush tools like our On-Page SEO Checker (more info on this tool can be found in another review ).

Semrush’s Topic Research tool is a goldmine of ideas for content creators looking for the right angle for new content that resonates both with readers and search engines.

The tool setup is incredibly intuitive:

The tool gives data-driven topic suggestions based on keywords’ search volumes, trending searches, recent posts, and hottest questions around the broad keyword you enter into the tool.

Topic Research even provides data on topic efficiency – a Semrush-calculated metric that selects keywords with higher search volumes yet lower competition rate – helping you to pick headlines and questions you’re building your article around.

As the cherry on top, you extract trending headlines directly related to your selected topic to create on-spot, efficient pieces that appeal to your future readers.

Now when you’ve chosen the right angle to tell your story – it’s time to roll up your sleeves and start writing.

Drafting an ultimate brief

When the topics are selected, you have to provide your writers with as much info as possible. The SEO Content Template is built just for that.

All you have to do is enter your target keywords, geo (down to a city level) and the tool will automatically gather a list of recommendations:

You can, then, export all the “requirements” to a Google Doc and share it with your writers.

All the suggestions are based on insights gathered from the top 10 content pieces ranking for your target keyword – because the only way you can beat the competition for top organic positions is to know what is it they do best.

Optimize content as you write

If you’re doing the writing yourself, make sure to run your text through the SEO Writing Assistant (SWA).

This is an add-on you can connect to Google Docs or WordPress. Essentially, the tool analyzes your existing content, providing you with optimization suggestions to maximize the impact of your text.

SWA stacks your copy up against your Google’s top rivals (based on keywords and geo), providing actionable ideas for further improvement:

Once you start editing your piece in accordance with SWA’s suggestions, the add-on will be automatically recalculating your overall score as you go – so keep on enhancing your piece before you reach at least 9 out of 10.

Once you hit the publish button, whether you’ve just created a new piece or optimized a good old one, the job is not complete.

Regardless of whether you publish content internally or on external sites, you probably want to keep tabs on results.

This is where the Post Tracking tool enters the stage.

After the URL of your published piece is entered, the tool will automatically start tracking its backlinks, referral traffic, rankings, social shares, and even estimate its reach – all displayed in a single table.

Keep an eye on the Visibility Trend metric that shows your post’s daily positions in regard to a selected keyword. If the rankings go down or don’t improve, you may have to intervene and work on your copy’s or page’s improvement, which will get you back to Step 1 of this post.

Semrush offers a wide variety of solutions to support you and your team with your content marketing journey – from extensive keyword research and link-building to brand monitoring and social media.

So, if you want to amplify your online presence, boost your visibility, and grow your audience, try our free 30-day trial for new users and enjoy your Semrush journey!