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Into the Great Unknown - MozCon

Into the Great Unknown - MozCon

In this deck that I delivered at MozCon on July 11, 2022 I took the audience on a three pronged deep dive into topic clustering, innovation work at https://branch.tools / SEO toolbuilding and how to get ahead working in digital.

I shared all kinds of free SEO tools that I built, as well as a cool observablehq tool to look at the output of a set of topic clusters that I built with a combination of Google Trends, Google Sheets, DataForSEO, Semrush API and Google Cloud Functions.

Noah Learner

August 02, 2022
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Transcript

  1. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools

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  2. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools
    You gotta earn it.

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  3. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools
    GSC


    (inside out)

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  4. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools
    We’d only solved


    some of the problems.

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  5. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools
    GSC


    (inside out)
    ???


    (Outside in)

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  6. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools
    Building content


    is hard.

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  7. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools
    Especially when
    there’s no data.

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  8. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools
    Topics keyword
    Vs

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  9. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools
    a topic = a subject.
    It’s the thing you’re
    writing about.

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  10. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools
    a keyword = an
    important word used
    while talking about a
    subject.

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  11. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools
    Keyword Research
    isn’t the answer.

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  12. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools
    Resources


    https://bit.ly/MozCon2022

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  13. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools
    Here’s our process.

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  14. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools
    1. 2. 3. 4.
    Client
    Goals
    Gather
    Data
    Analyze
    Data
    Choose
    Topics

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  15. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools
    Who is your ideal
    customer?

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  16. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools
    What services do
    you offer?

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  17. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools
    What is most
    profitable?

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  18. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools
    What is a


    conversion worth?

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  19. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools
    How do you make
    money?

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  20. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools
    When do you make
    your money?

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  21. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools
    Where do you make
    your money?

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  22. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools
    What questions are
    tied to conversions?

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  23. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools
    What is your


    sales process?

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  24. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools
    How can


    content support


    the sales process?

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  25. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools
    1. 2. 3. 4.
    Client
    Goals
    Gather
    Data
    Analyze


    Data
    Create
    Topics

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  26. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools
    We don’t know what
    Google knows,


    we only know what
    they show us!

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  27. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools
    Google shows us
    relationships in a few
    places.

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  28. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools
    Knowledge Graph
    Search API, the SERPs,
    autocomplete, KWP
    data & Google Trends.

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  29. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools

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  30. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools

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  31. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools

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  32. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools

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  33. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools
    Wikipedia

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  34. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools
    Wikipedia makes up
    over 67% of the sources
    for tracked Knowledge
    Panels.


    - Kalicube Pro.

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  35. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools

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  36. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools

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  37. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools
    Related Topics!

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  38. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools
    SERPs

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  39. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools
    Get Related
    searches


    +




    People also ask

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  40. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools
    Autocomplete

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  41. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools
    What is it?

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  42. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools

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  43. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools

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  44. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools
    Google Trends

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  45. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools
    1. Enter query


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  46. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools
    1. Enter query


    2. Edit geo region to state.


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  47. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools
    1. Enter query


    2. Edit geo region to state.


    3. Download Related topics +
    Related queries CSVs


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  48. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools
    1. Enter query


    2. Edit geo region to state.


    3. Download Related topics +
    Related queries CSVs


    4. Add the terms to our
    Google Sheet.

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  49. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools
    That would never scale

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  50. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools
    You can get the data
    with APIs.

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  51. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools

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  52. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools
    Related Queries


    from Google Trends.

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  53. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools
    Steps


    - Get Data

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  54. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools
    Steps


    - Get data


    - Remove irrelevant terms

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  55. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools
    Steps


    - Get data


    - Remove irrelevant terms


    - Enrich with keyword metrics (via API)

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  56. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools
    Steps


    - Get data


    - Remove irrelevant terms


    - Enrich with keyword metrics (via API)


    - Get More Data

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  57. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools
    Human curation


    at each step


    is key.

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  58. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools
    Bicycle

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  59. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools
    22


    Search Terms

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  60. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools
    After 2 cycles it’s getting
    useful.

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  61. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools
    139


    Search Terms

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  62. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools
    974


    Search Terms

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  63. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools
    Within 15 minutes you can
    build something
    extraordinary.

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  64. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools
    4K+


    Terms

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  65. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools
    Pump your brakes.

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  66. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools
    4k search terms


    =


    messy messy data viz.

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  67. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools
    1. 2. 3. 4.
    Client
    Goals
    Gather
    Data
    Analyze


    Data
    Create
    Topics

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  68. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools
    Force Directed Tree


    STILL NOT THERE!

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  69. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools
    Circle Packing


    CLOSER

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  70. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools
    Sunburst

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  71. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools
    Could this help get
    buy in?

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  72. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools
    Most SEOs would


    probably prefer this.

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  73. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools

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  74. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools
    Clustering Methods

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  75. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools
    Manually works,


    but = many hours
    poring over
    spreadsheets.

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  76. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools
    Google Keyword
    Planner

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  77. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools
    A great idea


    from Nico Brooks

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  78. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools
    1. Enter query


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  79. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools
    1. Enter query


    2. Look at data


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  80. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools
    1. Enter query


    2. Look at data


    3. Add keyword ideas
    as ad groups


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  81. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools
    1. Enter query


    2. Look at data


    3. Add keyword ideas
    as ad groups


    4. Download campaign


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  82. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools
    1. Enter query


    2. Look at data


    3. Add keyword ideas
    as ad groups


    4. Download campaign


    5. Use it to guide SEO
    topics.

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  83. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools
    SERP Similarity


    The current tooling
    gold standard.

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  84. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools
    Use machine learning to
    compare search results to
    cluster search terms into
    groups or clusters.

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  85. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools
    Engineering Challenges
    ARE SIGNIFICANT.

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  86. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools
    Lee Foot’s Colab

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  87. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools
    Feed it your CSV +


    it outputs them


    into useful clusters.

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  88. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools
    Elias Dabbas


    @eliasdabbas
    creator of advertoolz library

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  89. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools
    Using Regular expressions,


    we can build a pretty useful
    customized classifier.

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  90. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools

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  91. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools
    Find your way to
    explore the data
    that works for you!

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  92. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools
    For me, easy analysis =


    Google Data Studio

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  93. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools

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  94. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools
    Clusters


    + their
    queries

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  95. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools
    Intent


    (via API)

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  96. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools
    Sub-Intent


    (via custom classifier)

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  97. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools
    GSC
    Trends

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  98. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools
    Compare your
    search terms to GSC


    to find content gaps

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  99. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools
    GSC
    Trends

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  100. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools
    This
    analysis
    was a
    piece of
    cake in
    count.co

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  101. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools
    GSC
    Trends

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  102. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools

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  103. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools
    thanks to @jroakes for the framing.
    Position


    Bucketing


    (via GSC)

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  104. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools
    1. 2. 3. 4.
    Client
    Goals
    Gather
    Data
    Analyze


    Data
    Create
    Topics

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  105. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools
    Target topics that:


    - align to client goals

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  106. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools
    Target topics that:


    - align to client goals


    - have high search volume

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  107. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools
    Target topics that:


    - align to client goals


    - have high search volume


    - have conversion intent


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  108. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools
    Target topics that:


    - align to client goals


    - have high search volume


    - have conversion intent


    - and we can rank for.

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  109. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools
    Target topics that:


    - align to client goals


    - have high search volume


    - have conversion intent


    - and we can rank for.

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  110. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools
    Build internal links to
    match the related
    queries we found in
    Trends.

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  111. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools
    What’s Next?

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  112. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools
    Build content briefs

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  113. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools
    Publish content

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  114. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools
    Use GSC data


    to optimize

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  115. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools
    You gotta earn it.

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  116. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools
    You gotta earn it.

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  117. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools
    Resources


    https://bit.ly/MozCon2022

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  118. noahlearner #MozCon branch.tools
    Stay in touch!
    [email protected]
    linkedin.com/in/noahlearner/
    @noahlearner
    @thekraken

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