how to uee search data to build content theat drives value at scale

CONTENTMARKETINGINTELLIGENCE

#C3NY

HOWTOUSESEARCHDATATOBUILDCONTENTTHATDRIVESVALUEATSCALE

VP, Search MarketingGrant Simmons

#C3NY @simmonet

GrantSimmonsVPofSearchMarketingSearchmarketer,father,sailor.Thoughnotnecessarilyinthatorderwhenthere’safairwind.

Hello

@simmonet/in/simmonetwww.grantisms.com

#C3NY @simmonet

• RealEstatePortal(ahem…we’renotZillow)

• 10M+Visits/Month• Privatecompany• Norfolk,VA

@simmonet/in/simmonet

Hello

www.grantisms.com

#C3NY @simmonet

Let’sGoBacktotheFuture(2015)

#C3NY @simmonet

Let’sGoBacktotheFuture(2015)cat

N E W Y O R K C I T Y | O C T O B E R 2 8 - 2 9 , 2 0 1 5

C3 2015 BREAKOUT SESSION

IT AIN'T OVER TILLTHE CAT LADY SINGS

CONTENT-BEYOND-KITTENS & OTHER SEARCH STRATEGIES

VP of Search Marketing& Consumer Engagement

Grant Simmons

#C3NY @simmonet

The Cat LadyContent Conundrum

@simmonet

#C3NY @simmonet

Contenttosomecontentmarketersislike...

@simmonet

#C3NY @simmonet

…catstoacatlady

@simmonet

#C3NY @simmonet

…catstoacatladyi.e.youcannever

haveenough

@simmonet

#C3NY @simmonet

Thecatladycontentconundrum

More Better

@simmonet

#C3NY @simmonet

Moreisnotbetter

(unlessyouwanttofillalitterbox)

http://unop.me/crap

#C3NY @simmonet

Let’sGoBacktothePRESENT(2017)cat

CONTENTMARKETINGINTELLIGENCE

#C3NY

HOWTOUSESEARCHDATATOBUILDCONTENTTHATDRIVESVALUEATSCALE

VP, Search MarketingGrant Simmons

Tweetthissession!

#C3NY@simmonet

#C3NY @simmonet@simmonet

HowDoWeScale Quality?

#C3NY @simmonetBiggerCats?

#C3NY @simmonet

#C3NY @simmonet

Big&SmallDataTellsStoriesContentMarketingisabouttellingabrandedstory

#C3NY @simmonet

DataItselfisNotSmart

#C3NY @simmonet

DataItselfisNotSmartButitdoeshelptellsmartstoriesStories=contentdifferentiation

“Every brand is unique. But if you cannot tell that uniqueness through it’s stories, it will

spend it’s whole life being a fish.”Grant Simmons

#C3NY @simmonet

• Leveragedata• Telluniquestories• Smart• Different• Interesting

• Alignwithyourbrand

Don’tbeaFish

#C3NY @simmonet

DataCat-egoriesDifferentstrokesfordifferentfolks

#C3NY @simmonet

3 Typesof Data

#C3NY @simmonet

Core SiteData

• Listings• Parts• Products• ‘Free’datasets

Business|Interaction|Search

#C3NY @simmonet

UserGenerated

Data


• Internalclicks• Purchases• Timeonpage• Surveys

#C3NY @simmonet

Site / SearchData


• Searchengines• Sitesearch• Filters

#C3NY @simmonet

3 Typesof Data


#C3NY @simmonet

2 Typesof Data

Business|Interaction |Search

today

#C3NY @simmonet

BusinessDataStuffyouownand/orhaveaccessto

#C3NY @simmonet

Yeahitcanbekinda boringraw• But keydifferentiator• Cat-alog whatyouhave• Cat-alog relevantavailabledata• Alignwithsearchintent• Alignwithsearchengineopportunities

BusinessData

#C3NY @simmonet

Homes.com

#C3NY @simmonetWhatData?WhatStories?

#C3NY @simmonet

• Listingsdata• Censusdata

DataSources

#C3NY @simmonet

• Lists• Longtailqueries• Interestingfacts

WhatarePeopleLookingFor?

#C3NY @simmonet

• Lists• Longtailqueries• Interestingfacts

WhatarePeopleLookingFor?

DidYouKnow?Acat’stailcontainsapproximately10%ofthebonesinitsbody

#C3NY @simmonet

The“FACETs”ProjectLeveragingDatafortheLongTail

#C3NY @simmonet

FullyResponsive(PresentationisKey)

#C3NY @simmonet

City/StateCoverage– Census+ListingsData

#C3NY @simmonet

Lists/ListPages

#C3NY @simmonet

State-LevelPages/Facets

#C3NY @simmonet


Autogeneratedrankingdata,dynamic,random

and interesting

#C3NY @simmonet


Autogenerated‘facets’basedonfrequency,listing

counts&userinterests

#C3NY @simmonet

City-LevelPages/Facets

Autogeneratedrankingdata,dynamic,random,relevantand interesting

#C3NY @simmonet

Descriptive/PhraseFacets

ParsingofdescriptionsMappedagainstphraseset

#C3NY @simmonet

• Phase1• Basicinternallinking• Limitedcities(thincontent)

• Phase2• Expandvalueofpages(moredata)• Adduserinteractioncues

• Phase3• Combos

• Basedondata

TheLongTail– inAction

#C3NY @simmonet

TheLongTail– InAction• Lists• Top10s

• Attributes• Price• Size• Features

#C3NY @simmonetScalesNicely

#C3NY @simmonetScalesNicely(&Intelligently)

#C3NY @simmonet

• Whatpublicdataexists?• Whatuniquedataexists?• Whatwouldbeworthy?• Howcanyoupresentit?

BusinessDataRecap

#C3NY @simmonet

• Howmanydogpeople?• Howmanycatpeople?

QuickSurvey

#C3NY @simmonet

• Howmanydogpeople?• Howmanycatpeople?

Yes.Iwasacat.

QuickSurvey

#C3NY @simmonet

SearchDataStuffyoucreateand/oriscreatedforyouthroughsearcher’sbehavior

#C3NY @simmonet

SearchDataIs:

#C3NY @simmonet

Youruserstellingyoustories- Youjustneedtolisten

SearchDataIs:

#C3NY @simmonet

SearchDataElements

#C3NY @simmonet

MoreInteresting(generally)• Collection&storage• Summarization• Analysis&extraction• Alignwithuserinterest• Presentwithpaw-poseJ

SearchDataElements

#C3NY @simmonet

SearchData:Your DataCanbealotofit• But keydifferentiator• Cat-alog whatyouhave• Analyzethecrapoutta it• Findinterestingstories

#C3NY @simmonetItCanBeImperrfect…

#C3NY @simmonet

• Demand-side• Intent

SiteSearchData

#C3NY @simmonet

AlwaysStartWithContextContentwithoutContextisLikeaCatWithoutaTail

#C3NY @simmonet

AlwaysStartWithContextWhat’sthebreedofcatwithnotail?

a question

#C3NY @simmonet

AlwaysStartWithContextWhat’sinteresting?What’sarethegoals?

questions

#C3NY @simmonet

• Startwithlargestdataset• Easiertoseepatterns• Validateresults

Context– ReferenceListingType

#C3NY @simmonet

SimpleMath

#C3NY @simmonet

SimpleMath

NotPerfectMath.

#C3NY @simmonet

Popularity(Searches/Habitant)

#C3NY @simmonet

MapDataOverTimeForTrends

#C3NY @simmonet

DigIntoDataTrends

#C3NY @simmonet

Overlayotherdatasetsformoreinsights/interestinginfo

Whatisyouruserlookingfor??

#C3NY @simmonet

• Buyersunderstandofferpotential• Sellersunderstandtimetosale• Pricingconsiderations• Inventoryavailability

ATONofcoolinfo:• Foreverycity,state,countywithdata• Wecallthat…

Homes.com“ScarcityIndex”

#C3NY @simmonet

• Buyersunderstandofferpotential• Sellersunderstandtimetosale• Pricingconsiderations• Inventoryavailability

ATONofcoolinfo:• Foreverycity,state,countywithdata• Wecallthat…

Homes.com“ScarcityIndex”

SCALE

#C3NY @simmonet

• Noneedtostopthere!• Moreanalysiscancreatemoreinsights• Youneverknowwhatyoucanfind

• Locationsovertime• Attributesagainstattributes

HoldOnCowboy!

#C3NY @simmonet

KeepDiggingIntoOtherDataPoints

#C3NY @simmonet

Thereis nobaddata,

thereisonlybad

analysisofgooddata*I’mInnocent

#C3NY @simmonet

Thereis nobaddata,

thereisonlybad

analysisofgooddata*I’mInnocent

*andsomebaddata


IfContentisKing


IfContentisKing

Thendataisthecrown

#C3NY @simmonet

PresentingData

#C3NY @simmonet

It’sAllAboutPresentation• Knowyouraudience• Providevalue• Targeting• Customization

• KeepItSimple

Orassimpleasyouraudience

#C3NY @simmonet

• Searchdata• Surveydata• Censusdata• Jobsdata• Housingtrends

SimpleVisualizationofComplexDatasets

#C3NY @simmonet

• Surveydata• Censusdata

SimpleVisualizationofComplexDatasets

#C3NY @simmonet

#C3NY @simmonet

MoreisNotBetter


• Leveragedata• Telluniquestories• Smart• Different• Interesting

• Alignwithyourbrand

BetterisBetter

Thankyou!

#C3NY @simmonet

#C3NY @simmonet

GrantSimmonsVPofSearchMarketingSearchmarketer,father,sailor.Thoughnotnecessarilyinthatorderwhenthere’safairwind.

Thankyou

@simmonet/in/simmonetwww.grantisms.com

#C3NY @simmonet

• RealEstatePortal(ahem…we’renotZillow)

• 10M+Visits/Month• Privatecompany• Norfolk,VA

@simmonet/in/simmonet

Hello

www.grantisms.com


Homes.comContentStrategyOurContent/Messagingaspiresto/shouldbe:• Different&unique• PositionHomes.comashome-buyingresource• Valuable• Somethingfunoralittleamusing• Non-lethal• Passauthority• Mobile-friendly

Homes.comContentGuidelines• Different• Position• Valuable• Fun• Non-lethal• Passauthority• Mobile-friendly

Keepingit simpleIs it / Does it?

ContentStrategy• Guidelines• Planning• Ideation• Scheduling• Execution

Guidelines

Plan

IdeateSchedule

Execute