Pre-Keyword Research Meeting
Please come to the meeting with your half of the keywords selected for the upcoming quarter. You can prepare these keywords directly on your Keyword Research spreadsheet, or use the following chart. Please have your keywords and reasoning ready to discuss during the meeting.
Amount of Keywords/Topics to prepare for the meeting:
Basic: 4 for Content, 4 for CEM (7 keywords + 1 alternate keyword)
Enhanced: = 7 for Content, 7 for CEM (13 keywords + 1 alternate keyword)
This chart can also be found on the Collaboration Keyword Research Worksheet.
During the First Keyword Research Meeting
Content and CEM meet, with their computers and the completed chart (above) or notes in the Keyword Research spreadsheet.
First, the CEM and CC will decide on the best way to incorporate the CC in the Keyword Research spreadsheet. This can be done in many ways:
- Create a tab for CC notes
- Add a column for CC notes
- Designate colors to distinguish CC and CEM notes
- Or any other way the partners see fit
During the First and All Subsequent Keyword Research Meetings
Content and CEM meet, with their computers and the completed form or notes in the Keyword Research spreadsheet. The CEM and CC present their keyword/rewrite ideas to each other. They discuss feasibility, efficacy of these ideas and decide together on which keyword/topic to use and best timing for these. There will most likely be the need to verify ideas (or evolutions of ideas) by doing quick searches using our favorite tools (Moz, Keyword Planner, Analytics, Google, TripAdvisor, etc.)
*This is a dynamic conversation. Be open-minded to having your original idea tweaked or even discarded. Also be prepared to back up your keywords or re-write ideas with evidence or a logical case why it would provide value to the customer. Remember to use the skills learned at OCL! With an open mind, an idea can inspire something even better, that perhaps never would have occurred to you before.
The expectation is that both CEM and CC agree on all of the upcoming quarter’s keywords by the end of the meeting. They will enter their final picks on the upcoming quarter’s section on the year tab of the spreadsheet. There should be no follow-up keyword research required after this meeting by either party. The CEM will then mark on the Marketing Strategy Calendar Assignments & Checklist that the Keyword Research is complete since it has already been approved by Content.
After the Keyword Research Meeting
After the Keyword Research Meeting, both CC and CEM can continue making notes or suggestions on the Keyword Research Planner throughout the year. Each party may only take notes on their designated and agreed upon note-taking section to avoid confusion. These notes can be made at any moment, about any keyword idea for any future quarter.
The first tab “Onboarding Research” is for Scott only and not to be edited.
Changing Keywords
If either party sees any need to change any of the agreed upon keywords, they should communicate that to their partner and get their buy-in before changing the keyword.
Next SOP: Content Strategy Calendar Meeting and Call