π¨ The Dispatch
You just scrolled past a LinkedIn post about "on-page SEO in content marketing" and you stop to read and think, "Wow this is super valuable."
Now, if you're seeing posts like that, then SEO or content is probably your field or at least an interest of yours. So you're probably familiar with most of the
But maybe the insights this creator shared are backed by a stat or report you've never heard.
How do they do that?
Research.
Research is the backbone of impactful educational content β deep digging into topics for what's out there but hasn't been put in the right context.
But, let's be honest, most of us just do a "first page of Google" search (guilty) and don't look beyond for deeper insights.
The problem is, everyone else is doing the same thing, so anyone with the slightest edge in experience or knowledge gets the engagement.
Still, the whole reason you're reading this is because, as much as you want to invest more time into things like deep research, you don't have any to give.
If you can spare 30 minutes, though we can walk through two tools that will help you get up to speed with incorporating research in your content creation.
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An introduction to the two tools that can make you sound more like an expert
- βGlimpse: A platform that offers insights into emerging consumer trends. It's perfect for spotting early trends and understanding market shifts.
- βGoogle Trends: A free tool by Google that analyzes the popularity of search queries in Google Search. It provides data on "interest over time" for specific terms and topics.
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Your Research Process + (Glimpse + Google Trends) = Automatic Idea Machine
Thanks to its "Supercharged" Chrome extension, you can combine Glimpse with Google Trends to enhance your experience. It's like having a magnifying glass for trend analysis! With Glimpse in Google Trends:
- Spot early trends: A major sell of Google Trends is it can help you identify emerging trends before they go mainstream. This is especially great if you want to position yourself as a thought leader in your niche.
- Get ideas: Glimpse categorizes trends into categories and subcategories content, so if you're stumped for ideas, you can find trending keywords in your niche to spark ideas.
- Set alerts for when a trend rises or falls: This is another way to position yourself as a thought leader, as you can position evergreen, advisory content through a timely lens.
- Seasonal insights: Understand if a trend in your niche is seasonal or consistent throughout the year so you can start planning content in advance.
- Filter and analyze: Google Trends allows you to filter data by region but not by age or gender. Use this to tailor and target your content to specific geographies.
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How to Use Supercharged Google Trends
Once you've added Glimpse to your Chrome plugin set, open up Google Trends and toggle Glimpse 'On' β your homepage should change.
You get 10 free searches after signing up (viewing subcategories counts as a search btw), so I suggest thinking a little about which categories and keywords you'll explore.
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On to practical applications:
Maybe a colleague mentions off-handedly that you'd be perfect for a role as a "Remote Closer" (I just found this messing around in the Business category so just go with it).
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You might go into Trends (+ Glimpse) and search Remote Closer. Without changing anything, you'd be met with this:
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Then you scroll to the 'People Also Search' section and see this:
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So you start digging into the role and realize that you have unique expertise here and can use this information to become a thought leader. Or you can better position yourself to get a job in the space with content.
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Another scenario is one that's a bit closer to home. If I were to share more about my work as a content writer or advice for other people βΒ I'd need to know what questions are being asked right?
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So I'd jump straight to the 'People Also Search' section of a 'content writer' search to see what those questions are and start answering them with my content.
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I might even want to see which channel I should focus on to find my exact audience:
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Now, a tool for supercharging trends shouldn't turn you into merely a trend-identifying and sharing machine.
Instead, use the trends you discover to enhance your content and make your existing expertise more relevant to the current climate of your niche.
I hope this has helped, and I'm eager to see what you create!
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P.S. This is NOT an ad. Glimpse is just awesome.