WEBVTT NOTE This file was generated by Descript 00:00:00.780 --> 00:00:03.550 How HubSpot builds topical relevance. 00:00:03.960 --> 00:00:07.200 In the last few years at HubSpot, we've evolved our approach to 00:00:07.200 --> 00:00:11.610 content creation on the HubSpot blog, along with the evolution in search. 00:00:12.410 --> 00:00:16.340 We used to create content only around specific keywords, but 00:00:16.340 --> 00:00:20.830 now we create around broad topics to build topical relevance. 00:00:21.360 --> 00:00:25.600 In fact, in several cases, we've built topical relevance around topics 00:00:25.790 --> 00:00:29.829 we didn't have a product for yet, but we knew we would in the future. 00:00:30.620 --> 00:00:33.570 That's the story on topical relevance I'll share with you today. 00:00:34.970 --> 00:00:39.360 More than a year before HubSpot ever had a customer service product, we 00:00:39.360 --> 00:00:43.930 started building topical relevance around the topic of customer service. 00:00:44.919 --> 00:00:47.899 We weren't ranking for anything related to customer service at the 00:00:47.900 --> 00:00:51.340 time, but we knew we'd eventually want to be known for that topic. 00:00:51.790 --> 00:00:54.560 And it would take time to build relevance. 00:00:55.365 --> 00:00:58.015 When we started, we were ranking lower than position 00:00:58.025 --> 00:01:00.855 500 for all our target topics. 00:01:01.815 --> 00:01:05.155 It took several months for us to move the needle on our search ranking. 00:01:05.315 --> 00:01:10.085 But, by using blogging to build topical relevance, we were able to capture 00:01:10.085 --> 00:01:14.775 a spot on the first page of Google for 5 out of our 10 target topics. 00:01:15.555 --> 00:01:17.759 We also saw a massive spike in blogging traffic. 00:01:17.760 --> 00:01:21.110 For our customer service software as a result. 00:01:21.960 --> 00:01:24.170 Here's an overview of what we did to make this happen. 00:01:24.810 --> 00:01:28.830 Our very first step was to identify which topics we wanted to be known 00:01:28.830 --> 00:01:30.759 for that we weren't already known for. 00:01:31.680 --> 00:01:35.409 To find these topics, we started by identifying topics that were 00:01:35.440 --> 00:01:38.750 closest to the bottom of the funnel, and then moved our way up. 00:01:39.740 --> 00:01:44.140 Bottom of the funnel topics for us were things like Customer feedback 00:01:44.140 --> 00:01:49.780 software and help desk software topics that had high purchase intent. 00:01:50.860 --> 00:01:55.290 We started here because at the end of the day, we wanted to center our 00:01:55.300 --> 00:01:59.159 strategy around getting people to sign up for our software product. 00:02:00.010 --> 00:02:04.059 From there, we expanded with more middle and top of the funnel topics 00:02:04.059 --> 00:02:09.180 like customer feedback, customer satisfaction surveys, and NPS. 00:02:10.270 --> 00:02:14.270 Once we had a list of topics, we prioritized which of these topics 00:02:14.270 --> 00:02:17.930 we wanted to rank for, where we wanted to rank, and by when. 00:02:18.840 --> 00:02:22.680 Like I said, when we started, we weren't ranking for anything. 00:02:22.789 --> 00:02:23.489 Not even in the top 500. 00:02:24.940 --> 00:02:28.669 Let's take the topic Customer Feedback Software as an example. 00:02:29.480 --> 00:02:33.200 This is one of the bottom of the funnel topics that we wanted to rank for. 00:02:34.365 --> 00:02:38.065 The first thing we did was build a product page for our upcoming customer 00:02:38.065 --> 00:02:41.935 service software, which we said was coming soon, and provided an email 00:02:41.935 --> 00:02:45.825 field where someone could sign up to be notified when the product was ready. 00:02:46.765 --> 00:02:50.144 That way, by the time the product launched, the signup page was 00:02:50.295 --> 00:02:52.604 already gained search authority. 00:02:53.465 --> 00:02:58.495 Next, we wrote a long canonical piece of content, which we call a pillar page 00:02:58.625 --> 00:03:01.405 on the related topic, customer feedback. 00:03:02.315 --> 00:03:06.285 We hosted this on a site page titled customer feedback strategy. 00:03:06.484 --> 00:03:09.835 The only guide you'll ever need and linked it to our product 00:03:09.835 --> 00:03:11.815 page to get it some SEO juice. 00:03:13.185 --> 00:03:16.995 Our next step was to break down the topic of customer feedback 00:03:17.005 --> 00:03:20.915 into questions that our target customers might ask about that topic. 00:03:22.050 --> 00:03:23.760 Here are a few questions we came up with. 00:03:24.590 --> 00:03:27.490 How should I go about asking for feedback from customers? 00:03:28.180 --> 00:03:30.760 How can I improve my customer feedback survey? 00:03:31.350 --> 00:03:33.629 How do I measure customer satisfaction? 00:03:33.720 --> 00:03:38.100 And what should I do with the customer feedback I get on social media? 00:03:39.610 --> 00:03:44.590 Then, we turned every one of these questions into blog posts. 00:03:45.000 --> 00:03:50.130 We prioritized which ones to write first according to search volume, and 00:03:50.130 --> 00:03:52.269 we linked every one of these blog posts. 00:03:52.545 --> 00:03:56.795 back to that pillar page to help build topical relevance and boost 00:03:56.815 --> 00:04:01.405 that page's search authority and our product page's search authority. 00:04:02.695 --> 00:04:07.724 To make our blog posts more attractive for others to link to, we added what 00:04:07.724 --> 00:04:11.024 we call linkable hooks to these posts. 00:04:11.935 --> 00:04:16.795 Linkable hooks are things like original charts and images, unique 00:04:16.795 --> 00:04:21.954 data and research, quotes from industry experts, and pros and cons tables, 00:04:22.235 --> 00:04:23.935 which we find people like to link to. 00:04:25.174 --> 00:04:29.185 Next, we prepared an outreach strategy to help build links to these posts. 00:04:29.915 --> 00:04:33.235 We identified blogs and communities relevant to our topic. 00:04:33.635 --> 00:04:37.224 And reached out to them using link building tactics like offering to 00:04:37.224 --> 00:04:38.734 write a guest post on their blog. 00:04:39.875 --> 00:04:43.545 When it came to actually doing the outreach, we found it was easier to 00:04:43.545 --> 00:04:47.445 get backlinks from companies that were tangentially related to our target 00:04:47.445 --> 00:04:52.284 topic, like survey tool companies, for example, rather than businesses 00:04:52.324 --> 00:04:54.004 that were borderline competitors. 00:04:55.060 --> 00:04:59.960 After just a few months, our product page was ranking in the number three 00:04:59.960 --> 00:05:05.230 spot on page one of Google for our target topic, customer feedback software, 00:05:06.060 --> 00:05:08.129 before the product had even came out. 00:05:09.410 --> 00:05:13.490 Our pillar page on customer feedback was also ranking in the number 00:05:13.490 --> 00:05:15.720 two spot for customer feedback. 00:05:16.550 --> 00:05:17.060 So there you have it. 00:05:17.690 --> 00:05:21.390 This process is effective, straightforward, and most 00:05:21.390 --> 00:05:23.600 importantly, repeatable. 00:05:24.650 --> 00:05:28.280 We've done it for other products and tools and have seen great results too. 00:05:28.829 --> 00:05:33.649 The key to success with this approach is the move past short term thinking 00:05:33.650 --> 00:05:38.471 and put a lot of work into building a thoughtful strategy, key relationships 00:05:38.471 --> 00:05:43.110 that will help you build links, and create great content with linkable books.