As the overseer of digital marketing for your brand, the primary objective at present ought to be the generation of unforgettable digital experiences for your customer base. Google’s organic search furnishes websites with billions of visitors daily, and if one desires to partake in this influx, it is imperative to think beyond mere product pages and extended content. Instead, the implementation of immersive and interactive digital experiences that engender customer satisfaction and loyalty is crucial. The question then arises, how does one achieve this?
What is a content hub?
A content hub surpasses a blog in terms of diversity and serves as a well-organized framework that caters to and exhilarates your audience across the entire customer journey. What’s more, it possesses great potential as an SEO powerhouse that elevates your market share and generates enormous traffic and conversions. Therefore, if your objective is to grow your customer base through subscribers or enhance brand awareness by creating new touch points, a content hub is the ideal solution. Although there exists considerable variability among content hubs, marketers often find it challenging to define them. However, here is our interpretation.
Content Hubs are a widely discussed topic in the digital world
As the overseer of digital marketing for your brand, the primary objective at present ought to be the generation of unforgettable digital experiences for your customer base. Google’s organic search furnishes websites with billions of visitors daily, and if one desires to partake in this influx, it is imperative to think beyond mere product pages and extended content. Instead, the implementation of immersive and interactive digital experiences that engender customer satisfaction and loyalty is crucial. The question then arises, how does one achieve this?
What is a content hub?
A content hub surpasses a blog in terms of diversity and serves as a well-organized framework that caters to and exhilarates your audience across the entire customer journey. What’s more, it possesses great potential as an SEO powerhouse that elevates your market share and generates enormous traffic and conversions. Therefore, if your objective is to grow your customer base through subscribers or enhance brand awareness by creating new touch points, a content hub is the ideal solution. Although there exists considerable variability among content hubs, marketers often find it challenging to define them. However, here is our interpretation.
A content hub is a meticulously selected assortment of systematically arranged content pertaining to a particular subject matter. These hubs facilitate users in resolving issues, executing tasks, and enhancing their decision-making abilities. They may encompass a diverse range of content formats relating to a given topic, inclusive of articles, images, videos, audios, and utilities.
Suppose you offer credit card services. It is plausible to establish a content repository that centers around various aspects tied to this domain, such as:
- Credit scores
- Budgeting
- Rewards programs
- Debt management
- Balance transfer management
- Balance payoff calculations
- Types of credit cards
It is noteworthy that a blog and a content hub are not interchangeable terms. While blogs are structured in a linear manner and follow a consistent format, with posts presented chronologically, they are also quite broad. On the other hand, a content hub is more varied in the assortment of content types it encompasses. It may feature a range of content such as blog posts, videos, webinars, podcasts, social content, research, presentations, data visualizations, infographics, courses, tools, downloadable templates, etc. The crucial aspect, however, is not the medium, but rather that all the content is organized around a central theme and is of excellent quality.
The Content Hub Advantage
A well-structured content hub may take various forms, such as a hub-and-spoke content model, a content portal like Red Bull, or any other knowledge hub. Regardless of the chosen form, the implementation of a content hub is expected to satisfy site visitors and Google. Sharing expertise through a content hub strengthens brand image and enables deeper engagement with the audience. From an SEO perspective, a content hub provides a structured way of presenting content to Google, allowing for an easier assessment of areas of expertise and authority. Additionally, a content hub facilitates the clear display of topic areas covered and the relationship between supporting content. The nature of a content hub also attracts backlinks, thereby enhancing organic search results. If the goal is to dominate a product or service area in Google, committing to a content hub may be the way to go.
Types of content hubs
There exist various categories of content hubs that can be employed to systematize all aspects of a content marketing strategy. The particular variant utilized is contingent on the specific sector and the manner in which the target audience prefers to access information.
· Hub and spoke (topic clusters)
The hub and spoke approach is a common content structure consisting of a central parent page that serves as the main topic and several subpages that explore related subtopics. Similarly, a topic cluster follows this model with a pillar page linking to all subpages and vice versa. To ensure success with this method, it is important for both parent and subpages to remain relevant over time. However, if new subtopics and content are frequently added, it can become challenging to maintain proper updates and links among all pages.
· Content library
The model of the content library comprises of an index page that showcases all the topics and their corresponding subtopic index pages. These individual topic index pages are further linked to their own respective subpages such as whitepapers, videos, and articles. For instance, if an ecommerce software is being marketed, the subtopics within the content library may encompass:
- Ecommerce
- Merchandising
- Navigation
- Personalization
- Inventory Management
- Recommendations
- Customer Experience
Each of these indexes would pertain to distinct entities, containing a plethora of varying subcomponents of content. This type of content repository is of great worth if you are encompassing a wide range of subjects and require an accessible and user-friendly method of arranging all aspects. In addition, as each landing page can be reached within a few clicks, it serves to enhance your search engine optimization (SEO).
· Topic gateway
A topic gateway can be likened to a page on Wikipedia. It is customary for each topic to have its own dedicated page that showcases:
- A summary/overview of the topic
- Links to resources
- Dynamic links to new content on the subject
This particular format is particularly beneficial in the event that you possess a substantial quantity of content regarding a particular topic. Individuals who are unacquainted with the subject matter will be able to effortlessly investigate the timeless resources you emphasize, whereas those with greater familiarity can promptly navigate towards the more current content that you have released.
· Content database
A content database is a valuable tool for managing extensive quantities of information that can be conveniently sorted or filtered based on various subjects, factors, or attributes. This particular type of page allows users to concentrate on their specific areas of interest. As an illustration, if the Chief Marketing Officer of a large corporation wishes to provide all members of the marketing department with access to various brand assets, a digital asset management system (DAM) would offer a platform where the Vice President of Digital could obtain customer persona data, and a strategist could locate a logo. This format of a content hub streamlines the process for users to sift through a large amount of data and locate the exact information they require.
The rationale behind the need for a content hub is a matter of great significance
Terakeet has recently conducted research into the benefits of building a content hub, revealing that the initial effort put into this process is a worthwhile investment. By focusing on producing long-form content that addresses the needs of the target audience, businesses can expect to reap the rewards of heightened brand awareness, customer loyalty, and improved organic search results. These findings have been supported by two market share reports published by Terakeet, which highlight the success of publishers within the beauty and financial services industries who have implemented content hubs and topic clusters, subsequently outperforming well-established, billion-dollar brands.
· Increased organic website traffic
A well-structured content hub can effectively boost website traffic from search engines. This is due to several reasons. Firstly, such a hub assists Google in comprehending the purpose of your site and the topical themes covered, thanks to its organizational structure. Secondly, content hubs facilitate ranking for broad, high-volume, and competitive keywords. As subtopic pages assume top ranks for narrower, long-tail keywords, they pass their page authority up to the linked parent pages. As the parent page’s authority increases, it passes it down to the subtopic pages. Moreover, Google’s objective lies in providing searchers with the most relevant, authoritative content for their specific queries. A content hub allows for covering topics and subtopics thoroughly, thereby demonstrating to Google one’s expertise, authority, and trustworthiness. Lastly, a content hub heightens off-page SEO factors, such as backlinks, brand mentions, and social signals. With more off-page signals from reputable sources, rankings can be elevated, all things being equal. It is recommended to read the post about the 5x value of organic search as well.
· Branding and relationship building
A marketing content hub is a highly favorable platform for showcasing various attributes of your brand, including differentiation, tone, personality and values. When compared to advertising or sponsorship, which offer limited space and scope for accentuating brand identity, a content hub has a distinct advantage. Similarly, while many marketing strategies are transient and fail to engage with target audiences beyond a certain point, a content hub is designed to provide meaningful solutions, answer questions and enable users to achieve their goals. This results in greater customer retention and the opportunity to build long-lasting relationships with them. Furthermore, a content hub plays a pivotal role in establishing trust, which is a crucial component of any successful business relationship. By cultivating a sense of trust, you can strengthen the bond with your customers and enhance the likelihood of future purchases.
· Thought leadership
A content hub that is deep in its content allows for the demonstration of expertise and thought leadership within a given field. By placing the best content at the forefront, visitors can readily acknowledge the significant amount of knowledge present and view the hub as a trusted resource. This fosters a continued relationship between the visitor and the hub, as the visitor is aware of the benefits that come with the consumption of the hub’s content.
Individuals are drawn to thought leaders, such as Sara Blakely, Elon Musk, Barbara Corcoran, Jeff Bezos, Mary Barra, and Marc Benioff, as they are able to identify with their message. Although these individuals are business leaders, they are also thought leaders with a large following. As humans, we naturally gravitate towards others and often favor communications with individuals rather than corporations. A content hub provides an excellent opportunity for company leaders to showcase their knowledge and personality, thereby building a brand personality and making it more relatable. All of these factors contribute to an increase in backlinks, brand mentions, social shares, traffic, and clicks.
· Audience engagement
If one wishes to improve their search engine rankings for relevant keywords, engaging the audience is a useful strategy. Google recognizes when visitors click through to various pages and interact with them, interpreting such engagement as a sign that the content is highly relevant and meets the search criteria. The use of a content hub can facilitate engagement by presenting content as a cohesive collection with related topics. This approach increases the likelihood of visitors clicking through to related pages, as there are many options presented to them. When a visitor arrives on the content hub home page, they are likely to choose one of the topics displayed, while on a subtopic index page, they are more likely to proceed to a corresponding subpage.
· Lead generation
A content hub is a useful tool for increasing lead generation. By providing relevant and valuable content throughout the funnel, prospects can be nurtured effectively from their initial visit to the point of purchase. The creation of high-quality content showcases expertise, creating trust with potential customers and encouraging them to provide contact information for exclusive access to content. This process further fuels lead generation, allowing for the development of stronger relationships with the audience.
· Link authority
Effective content hubs can lead to a significant increase in backlinks, thereby enhancing your organic performance. The key lies in captivating your audience with superior quality content on topics that resonate with them. Take, for instance, Unilever’s content hub, All Things Hair, which serves as a comprehensive link magnet. The website boasts a multitude of comprehensive articles, galleries filled with inspiration, and easy-to-follow tutorials from leading hair care brands like Dove, TRESemmé, Toni&Guy, and VO5. From watermelon ombre strands to glow-in-the-dark locks, hair bun donuts, and disco buns, All Things Hair caters to enthusiasts of hair news, styles, and trends, claiming to be the ultimate source of #hairspiration. The website’s content strategy has proven to be exceptionally fruitful, as evidenced by the fact that it currently attracts organic traffic from over 970,000 keywords. Furthermore, this exceptional number of ranking keywords is partly due to over 2,200 websites that link to the site.
· Online shares and expanded reach
Content hubs serve as centers of engagement that are at the forefront of your marketing endeavors, bringing together top-quality content. Because they are structured around comprehensive long-form content instead of product or service pages, they garner significant attention. When considering the likelihood of sharing, which do you think would be more probable: a product page, a 500-word listicle that only scratches the surface of a topic, or a 5,000-word instructive guide that comprehensively covers a topic and answers all of your inquiries? The guide, undoubtedly. According to a SEMrush study, long-form content generates four times the online shares and 3.5 times the number of backlinks as short-form content.
· Positive user experience
Google places great importance on the user experience (UX) when it comes to returning search results that are informative, pertinent, and enjoyable. A content experience hub is an effective means of achieving this objective. By providing comprehensive and well-organized content, users can easily locate what they are seeking. The hierarchical and interconnected structure of the hub also facilitates multi-page visits, resulting in optimal user engagement. Favorable user experiences contribute to improved organic search rankings, thereby boosting the visibility of a website.
How to create a content hub
Next, we plan to elaborate on the best approaches for creating a content hub, allowing all of you to build one customized to your individual requirements.
· Having a brainstorm topics for content hub pages
When devising a content hub, it is essential to begin by generating a range of topics that will be incorporated. It is crucial that each topic is broad enough to encompass multiple subtopics but not so extensive that users must navigate through numerous pages to locate what they require. The aim is to establish a framework that enables each page to be readily accessible with just a few clicks. Additionally, it is important that your content hub strategy is in line with your products or services; however, it should not be overly sales-focused.
· Categorizing relevant subtopics
After identifying the distinct themes to be addressed, it is essential to create a detailed layout of the various subtopics. The process can be facilitated through various methods such as utilizing a keyword research tool like Ahrefs, which enables one to examine related keywords and topics. Additionally, searching a topic on Google and reviewing relevant searches and questions, as well as entering a topic into Answer The Public and analyzing related data, are straightforward ways to map out subtopics. Further, analyzing customer survey data and consulting with sales and support teams can provide insights into topics frequently brought up by customers. During the subtopic research phase, it is imperative to note the search volume of each subtopic to assess its significance. If the volume is low, it is advisable to combine it with other subtopics, whereas if the volume and complexity are high, it may be preferable to treat it as an independent topic rather than a subtopic.
· Having a structure and design the hub for superior user experience
As previously mentioned, the user experience is of utmost importance in regards to a content hub website. To truly enhance the experience for site visitors, the design and structure of the hub must be optimized for simplicity, ease of navigation, and efficient access to desired information. It may be advantageous to utilize mind mapping software in order to gain a better understanding of the interrelatedness of all pages within the site.
· Choosing your content marketing technology stack
In the process of producing, publishing, and promoting digital content hubs, there exist numerous moving parts. Fortunately, a range of technology platforms are available to simplify the management of each step. For example, project management tools such as Welcome or CoSchedule facilitate seamless movement from creation to publication to promotion. Content marketing platforms such as Contently and Skyword enable the creation of high-value content, even in the absence of an in-house team. Content Management Systems (CMS) such as Nuxeo and Contentful enable you to publish and organize content in user- and Google-friendly ways. Additionally, Grammarly is a tool that ensures grammatical and stylistic clarity by identifying typos, sentence structure issues, and other errors. Hemmingway App is another writing tool that highlights lengthy, complex sentences and common mistakes. In addition to CMS, there is an array of project management software, AI writing tools, SEO software, and more to choose from.
· Determining your content types
The subsequent action involves ascertaining the distinct varieties of content that can be incorporated within a universal content hub. It is essential to contemplate the formats that are regarded as valuable by your clientele during each phase of the purchasing voyage, as well as for each exploration term. Does the customer have a preference for extended written articles, interactive utilities, or visual content? The options that can be considered include blog posts, frequently asked questions, whitepapers, comparative guides, explainer videos, webinars, case studies, podcasts, courses, and tools.
· Implementing internal linking
As one produces individual content pieces, it is essential to ensure that they contain pertinent internal links to other content. At the very least, every topic page ought to have links to its respective subtopic pages, and vice versa. Furthermore, it is imperative to identify other suitable opportunities to link internally, particularly to other linked subtopics. However, it is crucial to ensure that each internal link is indeed relevant to avoid being perceived as spammy.
· Adding conversion events and CTAs
Each content component must be equipped with a conversion event or call-to-action that is fitting for its position within the customer’s journey. To illustrate, content situated at the onset of the journey could include a call-to-action to enroll in your email subscription list. A content piece in the midst of the journey may feature an invitation to participate in a webinar. Finally, a content piece located at the bottom of the funnel may request that the individual book a demonstration, utilize a return on investment calculator, or schedule a sales consultation.
· Conducting strategic outreach
Once the content hub has been established, the task is not yet complete. In addition to regularly supplementing the hub with high-quality content pieces, it is crucial to promote it through strategic outreach. Unfortunately, many brands tend to overlook or inadequately carry out content promotion. However, it should be regarded as a significant step in the process and allocated the necessary time and resources. Strategic outreach can come in various forms, such as promoting on personal social media profiles, collaborating with influencers to promote the content, co-marketing with corporate partners, encouraging employees to share the content on their social accounts, conducting paid media or remarketing campaigns, email marketing, forums. It is vital to consider both short-term and long-term strategies while promoting content. Paid advertising strategies can be an efficient approach to promptly expose the content hub to numerous audiences and generate social shares. On the other hand, slower and long-term strategies like link building can help boost organic search traffic over time.
· Measuring results and optimizing content hub performance
The final stage of the process entails gauging the outcomes and subsequently enhancing the hub to achieve better performance. To measure the effectiveness of your Search Engine Optimization (SEO) strategy, it is crucial to keep track of certain metrics such as new referring domains, impressions, click-through rates, keyword rankings, organic traffic, video views, organic conversions, and pages per organic visit. Based on the data obtained, appropriate actions can be taken to optimize the hub for better performance. For instance, if the click-through rate of a page is unsatisfactory, efforts can be made to enhance the title and meta description to increase its click-ability.
A content hub is a meticulously selected assortment of systematically arranged content pertaining to a particular subject matter. These hubs facilitate users in resolving issues, executing tasks, and enhancing their decision-making abilities. They may encompass a diverse range of content formats relating to a given topic, inclusive of articles, images, videos, audios, and utilities.
Suppose you offer credit card services. It is plausible to establish a content repository that centers around various aspects tied to this domain, such as:
- Credit scores
- Budgeting
- Rewards programs
- Debt management
- Balance transfer management
- Balance payoff calculations
- Types of credit cards
It is noteworthy that a blog and a content hub are not interchangeable terms. While blogs are structured in a linear manner and follow a consistent format, with posts presented chronologically, they are also quite broad. On the other hand, a content hub is more varied in the assortment of content types it encompasses. It may feature a range of content such as blog posts, videos, webinars, podcasts, social content, research, presentations, data visualizations, infographics, courses, tools, downloadable templates, etc. The crucial aspect, however, is not the medium, but rather that all the content is organized around a central theme and is of excellent quality.
The Content Hub Advantage
A well-structured content hub may take various forms, such as a hub-and-spoke content model, a content portal like Red Bull, or any other knowledge hub. Regardless of the chosen form, the implementation of a content hub is expected to satisfy site visitors and Google. Sharing expertise through a content hub strengthens brand image and enables deeper engagement with the audience. From an SEO perspective, a content hub provides a structured way of presenting content to Google, allowing for an easier assessment of areas of expertise and authority. Additionally, a content hub facilitates the clear display of topic areas covered and the relationship between supporting content. The nature of a content hub also attracts backlinks, thereby enhancing organic search results. If the goal is to dominate a product or service area in Google, committing to a content hub may be the way to go.
Types of content hubs
There exist various categories of content hubs that can be employed to systematize all aspects of a content marketing strategy. The particular variant utilized is contingent on the specific sector and the manner in which the target audience prefers to access information.
· Hub and spoke (topic clusters)
The hub and spoke approach is a common content structure consisting of a central parent page that serves as the main topic and several subpages that explore related subtopics. Similarly, a topic cluster follows this model with a pillar page linking to all subpages and vice versa. To ensure success with this method, it is important for both parent and subpages to remain relevant over time. However, if new subtopics and content are frequently added, it can become challenging to maintain proper updates and links among all pages.
· Content library
The model of the content library comprises of an index page that showcases all the topics and their corresponding subtopic index pages. These individual topic index pages are further linked to their own respective subpages such as whitepapers, videos, and articles. For instance, if an ecommerce software is being marketed, the subtopics within the content library may encompass:
- Ecommerce
- Merchandising
- Navigation
- Personalization
- Inventory Management
- Recommendations
- Customer Experience
Each of these indexes would pertain to distinct entities, containing a plethora of varying subcomponents of content. This type of content repository is of great worth if you are encompassing a wide range of subjects and require an accessible and user-friendly method of arranging all aspects. In addition, as each landing page can be reached within a few clicks, it serves to enhance your search engine optimization (SEO).
· Topic gateway
A topic gateway can be likened to a page on Wikipedia. It is customary for each topic to have its own dedicated page that showcases:
- A summary/overview of the topic
- Links to resources
- Dynamic links to new content on the subject
This particular format is particularly beneficial in the event that you possess a substantial quantity of content regarding a particular topic. Individuals who are unacquainted with the subject matter will be able to effortlessly investigate the timeless resources you emphasize, whereas those with greater familiarity can promptly navigate towards the more current content that you have released.
· Content database
A content database is a valuable tool for managing extensive quantities of information that can be conveniently sorted or filtered based on various subjects, factors, or attributes. This particular type of page allows users to concentrate on their specific areas of interest. As an illustration, if the Chief Marketing Officer of a large corporation wishes to provide all members of the marketing department with access to various brand assets, a digital asset management system (DAM) would offer a platform where the Vice President of Digital could obtain customer persona data, and a strategist could locate a logo. This format of a content hub streamlines the process for users to sift through a large amount of data and locate the exact information they require.
The rationale behind the need for a content hub is a matter of great significance
Terakeet has recently conducted research into the benefits of building a content hub, revealing that the initial effort put into this process is a worthwhile investment. By focusing on producing long-form content that addresses the needs of the target audience, businesses can expect to reap the rewards of heightened brand awareness, customer loyalty, and improved organic search results. These findings have been supported by two market share reports published by Terakeet, which highlight the success of publishers within the beauty and financial services industries who have implemented content hubs and topic clusters, subsequently outperforming well-established, billion-dollar brands.
· Increased organic website traffic
A well-structured content hub can effectively boost website traffic from search engines. This is due to several reasons. Firstly, such a hub assists Google in comprehending the purpose of your site and the topical themes covered, thanks to its organizational structure. Secondly, content hubs facilitate ranking for broad, high-volume, and competitive keywords. As subtopic pages assume top ranks for narrower, long-tail keywords, they pass their page authority up to the linked parent pages. As the parent page’s authority increases, it passes it down to the subtopic pages. Moreover, Google’s objective lies in providing searchers with the most relevant, authoritative content for their specific queries. A content hub allows for covering topics and subtopics thoroughly, thereby demonstrating to Google one’s expertise, authority, and trustworthiness. Lastly, a content hub heightens off-page SEO factors, such as backlinks, brand mentions, and social signals. With more off-page signals from reputable sources, rankings can be elevated, all things being equal. It is recommended to read the post about the 5x value of organic search as well.
· Branding and relationship building
A marketing content hub is a highly favorable platform for showcasing various attributes of your brand, including differentiation, tone, personality and values. When compared to advertising or sponsorship, which offer limited space and scope for accentuating brand identity, a content hub has a distinct advantage. Similarly, while many marketing strategies are transient and fail to engage with target audiences beyond a certain point, a content hub is designed to provide meaningful solutions, answer questions and enable users to achieve their goals. This results in greater customer retention and the opportunity to build long-lasting relationships with them. Furthermore, a content hub plays a pivotal role in establishing trust, which is a crucial component of any successful business relationship. By cultivating a sense of trust, you can strengthen the bond with your customers and enhance the likelihood of future purchases.
· Thought leadership
A content hub that is deep in its content allows for the demonstration of expertise and thought leadership within a given field. By placing the best content at the forefront, visitors can readily acknowledge the significant amount of knowledge present and view the hub as a trusted resource. This fosters a continued relationship between the visitor and the hub, as the visitor is aware of the benefits that come with the consumption of the hub’s content.
Individuals are drawn to thought leaders, such as Sara Blakely, Elon Musk, Barbara Corcoran, Jeff Bezos, Mary Barra, and Marc Benioff, as they are able to identify with their message. Although these individuals are business leaders, they are also thought leaders with a large following. As humans, we naturally gravitate towards others and often favor communications with individuals rather than corporations. A content hub provides an excellent opportunity for company leaders to showcase their knowledge and personality, thereby building a brand personality and making it more relatable. All of these factors contribute to an increase in backlinks, brand mentions, social shares, traffic, and clicks.
· Audience engagement
If one wishes to improve their search engine rankings for relevant keywords, engaging the audience is a useful strategy. Google recognizes when visitors click through to various pages and interact with them, interpreting such engagement as a sign that the content is highly relevant and meets the search criteria. The use of a content hub can facilitate engagement by presenting content as a cohesive collection with related topics. This approach increases the likelihood of visitors clicking through to related pages, as there are many options presented to them. When a visitor arrives on the content hub home page, they are likely to choose one of the topics displayed, while on a subtopic index page, they are more likely to proceed to a corresponding subpage.
· Lead generation
A content hub is a useful tool for increasing lead generation. By providing relevant and valuable content throughout the funnel, prospects can be nurtured effectively from their initial visit to the point of purchase. The creation of high-quality content showcases expertise, creating trust with potential customers and encouraging them to provide contact information for exclusive access to content. This process further fuels lead generation, allowing for the development of stronger relationships with the audience.
· Link authority
Effective content hubs can lead to a significant increase in backlinks, thereby enhancing your organic performance. The key lies in captivating your audience with superior quality content on topics that resonate with them. Take, for instance, Unilever’s content hub, All Things Hair, which serves as a comprehensive link magnet. The website boasts a multitude of comprehensive articles, galleries filled with inspiration, and easy-to-follow tutorials from leading hair care brands like Dove, TRESemmé, Toni&Guy, and VO5. From watermelon ombre strands to glow-in-the-dark locks, hair bun donuts, and disco buns, All Things Hair caters to enthusiasts of hair news, styles, and trends, claiming to be the ultimate source of #hairspiration. The website’s content strategy has proven to be exceptionally fruitful, as evidenced by the fact that it currently attracts organic traffic from over 970,000 keywords. Furthermore, this exceptional number of ranking keywords is partly due to over 2,200 websites that link to the site.
· Online shares and expanded reach
Content hubs serve as centers of engagement that are at the forefront of your marketing endeavors, bringing together top-quality content. Because they are structured around comprehensive long-form content instead of product or service pages, they garner significant attention. When considering the likelihood of sharing, which do you think would be more probable: a product page, a 500-word listicle that only scratches the surface of a topic, or a 5,000-word instructive guide that comprehensively covers a topic and answers all of your inquiries? The guide, undoubtedly. According to a SEMrush study, long-form content generates four times the online shares and 3.5 times the number of backlinks as short-form content.
· Positive user experience
Google places great importance on the user experience (UX) when it comes to returning search results that are informative, pertinent, and enjoyable. A content experience hub is an effective means of achieving this objective. By providing comprehensive and well-organized content, users can easily locate what they are seeking. The hierarchical and interconnected structure of the hub also facilitates multi-page visits, resulting in optimal user engagement. Favorable user experiences contribute to improved organic search rankings, thereby boosting the visibility of a website.
How to create a content hub
Next, we plan to elaborate on the best approaches for creating a content hub, allowing all of you to build one customized to your individual requirements.
· Having a brainstorm topics for content hub pages
When devising a content hub, it is essential to begin by generating a range of topics that will be incorporated. It is crucial that each topic is broad enough to encompass multiple subtopics but not so extensive that users must navigate through numerous pages to locate what they require. The aim is to establish a framework that enables each page to be readily accessible with just a few clicks. Additionally, it is important that your content hub strategy is in line with your products or services; however, it should not be overly sales-focused.
· Categorizing relevant subtopics
After identifying the distinct themes to be addressed, it is essential to create a detailed layout of the various subtopics. The process can be facilitated through various methods such as utilizing a keyword research tool like Ahrefs, which enables one to examine related keywords and topics. Additionally, searching a topic on Google and reviewing relevant searches and questions, as well as entering a topic into Answer The Public and analyzing related data, are straightforward ways to map out subtopics. Further, analyzing customer survey data and consulting with sales and support teams can provide insights into topics frequently brought up by customers. During the subtopic research phase, it is imperative to note the search volume of each subtopic to assess its significance. If the volume is low, it is advisable to combine it with other subtopics, whereas if the volume and complexity are high, it may be preferable to treat it as an independent topic rather than a subtopic.
· Having a structure and design the hub for superior user experience
As previously mentioned, the user experience is of utmost importance in regards to a content hub website. To truly enhance the experience for site visitors, the design and structure of the hub must be optimized for simplicity, ease of navigation, and efficient access to desired information. It may be advantageous to utilize mind mapping software in order to gain a better understanding of the interrelatedness of all pages within the site.
· Choosing your content marketing technology stack
In the process of producing, publishing, and promoting digital content hubs, there exist numerous moving parts. Fortunately, a range of technology platforms are available to simplify the management of each step. For example, project management tools such as Welcome or CoSchedule facilitate seamless movement from creation to publication to promotion. Content marketing platforms such as Contently and Skyword enable the creation of high-value content, even in the absence of an in-house team. Content Management Systems (CMS) such as Nuxeo and Contentful enable you to publish and organize content in user- and Google-friendly ways. Additionally, Grammarly is a tool that ensures grammatical and stylistic clarity by identifying typos, sentence structure issues, and other errors. Hemmingway App is another writing tool that highlights lengthy, complex sentences and common mistakes. In addition to CMS, there is an array of project management software, AI writing tools, SEO software, and more to choose from.
· Determining your content types
The subsequent action involves ascertaining the distinct varieties of content that can be incorporated within a universal content hub. It is essential to contemplate the formats that are regarded as valuable by your clientele during each phase of the purchasing voyage, as well as for each exploration term. Does the customer have a preference for extended written articles, interactive utilities, or visual content? The options that can be considered include blog posts, frequently asked questions, whitepapers, comparative guides, explainer videos, webinars, case studies, podcasts, courses, and tools.
· Implementing internal linking
As one produces individual content pieces, it is essential to ensure that they contain pertinent internal links to other content. At the very least, every topic page ought to have links to its respective subtopic pages, and vice versa. Furthermore, it is imperative to identify other suitable opportunities to link internally, particularly to other linked subtopics. However, it is crucial to ensure that each internal link is indeed relevant to avoid being perceived as spammy.
· Adding conversion events and CTAs
Each content component must be equipped with a conversion event or call-to-action that is fitting for its position within the customer’s journey. To illustrate, content situated at the onset of the journey could include a call-to-action to enroll in your email subscription list. A content piece in the midst of the journey may feature an invitation to participate in a webinar. Finally, a content piece located at the bottom of the funnel may request that the individual book a demonstration, utilize a return on investment calculator, or schedule a sales consultation.
· Conducting strategic outreach
Once the content hub has been established, the task is not yet complete. In addition to regularly supplementing the hub with high-quality content pieces, it is crucial to promote it through strategic outreach. Unfortunately, many brands tend to overlook or inadequately carry out content promotion. However, it should be regarded as a significant step in the process and allocated the necessary time and resources. Strategic outreach can come in various forms, such as promoting on personal social media profiles, collaborating with influencers to promote the content, co-marketing with corporate partners, encouraging employees to share the content on their social accounts, conducting paid media or remarketing campaigns, email marketing, forums. It is vital to consider both short-term and long-term strategies while promoting content. Paid advertising strategies can be an efficient approach to promptly expose the content hub to numerous audiences and generate social shares. On the other hand, slower and long-term strategies like link building can help boost organic search traffic over time.
· Measuring results and optimizing content hub performance
The final stage of the process entails gauging the outcomes and subsequently enhancing the hub to achieve better performance. To measure the effectiveness of your Search Engine Optimization (SEO) strategy, it is crucial to keep track of certain metrics such as new referring domains, impressions, click-through rates, keyword rankings, organic traffic, video views, organic conversions, and pages per organic visit. Based on the data obtained, appropriate actions can be taken to optimize the hub for better performance. For instance, if the click-through rate of a page is unsatisfactory, efforts can be made to enhance the title and meta description to increase its click-ability.
