Agile content development is a method of creating and managing digital content that is flexible, adaptable, and responsive to change. This process differs from traditional methods, prioritizing rapid iteration, collaboration, and customer satisfaction instead of following a predetermined plan. The agile approach has come a long way, leading to numerous benefits for organizations that adopt it.
When it comes to search engine optimization (SEO) and digital content management, agile development can help organizations create higher-quality, effective digital content that is better able to meet the needs and goals of their target audience. But wait, what is SEO? Simply put, it’s the process of improving the ranking of a website on search engines like Google.
Demandwell can enable organizations to stay ahead of trends and keep their content relevant and engaging by allowing frequent adjustments and updates to content based on customer feedback and data analysis. Agile content development is the heart of this overall strategy.
So, how does agile content management differ from traditional content development processes? And how does it fit into the broader world of SEO and digital content development?
This blog post will explore these questions and provide an overview of agile content development and its role in an ever-changing digital world. We will also discuss the benefits and strategies related to agile content management and how it can help organizations create engaging digital content that gets clicks.
What Is Crawling?
Let’s start with answering what is crawling and indexing in SEO, and what is crawling a website? Crawling is the process by which search engines discover and index new pages on the internet. When a search engine’s crawler (also known as a spider or robot) finds a new page, it follows links on that page to discover other pages on the same site. The crawler then adds these pages to the search engine’s index, a database of all the discovered pages.
A few factors can affect whether or not a page gets crawled and indexed. One is the quality of the content on the page. Search engines want to provide users with the most relevant and useful results, making them more likely to crawl and index pages with high-quality, informative content. Another factor is the structure of the website. A well-organized website with a clear hierarchy and navigation will be more straightforward for search engines to crawl and index.
Organizations can use Demandwell’s agile content management tools to help ensure their pages are properly crawled and indexed, improving their visibility and traffic in search results.
Google Crawler
Google has a web crawler called Googlebot responsible for crawling and indexing web pages. Googlebot reads published web pages and follows links to discover other pages on the same site. It then adds these pages to Google’s index, a database of all the pages that Google has discovered.
Crawling and indexing are crucial steps in SEO. By discovering and indexing new pages, search engines can provide users with the most relevant and useful results for their search queries. If your pages are not crawled and indexed by Google, they will not appear in search results, which can negatively impact your visibility and traffic.
There is a difference between google crawling and indexing. Using an SEO crawler online discovers new pages and adds them to the index, while indexing is the process of adding a page to the index. Googlebot is responsible for crawling and indexing, but they are separate steps.
To improve your chances of getting crawled and indexed, prioritize high-quality, informative content on your pages and a well-organized website structure. You should also use relevant keywords and metadata to help Google understand the content and context of your pages.
Demandwell understands the difference between crawling and indexing in SEO and can help organizations optimize their pages to improve their chances of being crawled and indexed by Google. This includes having high-quality, informative content on their pages, a well-organized website structure, and using relevant keywords and metadata.
Content Creation Process
The content creation process refers to the steps involved in creating and managing digital content. This includes content like blog posts and white papers. A content marketing workflow can be approached using the agile methodology. An agile framework can prioritize flexibility, collaboration, and customer satisfaction and is well-suited for content creation because it allows teams to quickly pivot and adjust their content strategy in response to new information or feedback.
In an agile content creation process, teams follow a content management process that involves several steps. These steps may include the following:
Identifying Content Goals and Objectives
Figuring out content goals involves determining the purpose and target audience for the content, as well as any specific business goals the content intends to achieve. Make sure your team has a clear understanding of these goals and objectives before beginning the content development process, as they will inform the tone, style, and format of the content, as well as the channels through which it will be distributed. Some common content goals and objectives include increasing brand awareness, generating leads or sales, and driving traffic to a website.
Conducting Research and Gathering Input
Teams may research industry trends, specific customer needs, and other relevant information to inform the content strategy. They may also gather input from stakeholders, such as customers and thought leaders, to ensure that the content is relevant and accurate.
Creating a Content Brief
A content brief is a handy document that outlines the goals, audience, and distribution channels for the content, as well as any other key details or requirements for the project. This may include information about the tone, style, and format of the content, as well as any specific business objectives that the content is intended to achieve.
The content brief is often created at the beginning of the content development process and serves as a roadmap for the project. This helps guide the creation of the content and ensure that it aligns with the intended goals and target audience.
To make a content brief, identify the goals and objectives of the content first, including any specific business objectives or metrics that the content is intended to achieve. This may involve conducting market research to understand the needs and preferences of the target audience, as well as identifying any gaps or opportunities in the market.
Developing the Content
This involves writing, designing, and formatting the content according to the content brief. Many different types of content can be developed, including text, images, videos, and even podcasts. The type of content that is most appropriate will depend on the goals and objectives of the project, as well as the preferences and needs of the target audience.
Reviewing, Editing, and Publishing the Content
Teams may review and edit the content to ensure that it is accurate, clear, and consistent with the content brief and brand guidelines. Once finalized, it can be published and distributed to the appropriate channels, like social media platforms, email, or the company website.
Measuring and Analyzing Results
Teams may use analytics tools to track the content’s performance and identify improvement areas. This information can be used to set up a future content strategy and ensure that the content meets the target audience’s needs.
Content Strategy Best Practices
For your content strategy, it’s crucial to avoid deceptive tactics that can damage an organization’s reputation and credibilities, such as cloaking and keyword stuffing.
One example of deceoiption is cloaking SEO. Cloaking is the practice of showing different content to search engines than to users, often in an attempt to manipulate search rankings or mislead users. Search engines can seriously penalize a cloaking website and damage an organization’s reputation with users.
Another example is stuffing keywords. Keyword stuffing in SEO is the practice of overloading a page with keywords to improve its search ranking, which can also be penalized by search engines and harm an organization’s reputation.
Instead of relying on deceptive tactics, Demandwell advises organizations to focus on creating high-quality, informative content that is valuable to their audience. This will not only help attract more traffic but also improve credibility and reputation with users.
Demandwell’s platform also includes tools and resources to help organizations optimize their content for search engines using relevant keywords and metadata, align their content with business goals, and measure and analyze the results of their content using analytics tools.
Overall, agile content development is a flexible and adaptable approach to creating and managing digital content responsive to change. By following an agile methodology and using a content management process, organizations can create high-quality, relevant content that meets the needs of their audience.
The Demandwell platform offers various features essential for designing and implementing an effective agile content development strategy. With our platform, you can access actionable insights, unified reporting, and personalized recommendations, all of which can help you optimize your content for search engines.
In addition, Demandwell provides a complete view of how your content performs across the entire organic funnel, unifying analytics, search console, and platform data to understand your SEO performance comprehensively. Demandwell customers consistently see results, including traffic and lead growth and search-sourced revenue that investors love.
Our platform is designed to scale and adapt alongside your business, applying proven systems to B2B SaaS marketing to help you drive demand, traffic, leads, and revenue. Collaborating with Demandwell can help you streamline your content creation and management process and achieve tangible results for your business.
