3 tips for using data to improve content marketing

The way consumers interact with content is constantly changing, which is why content marketing isn’t a precise scientific field. However, understanding content marketing analytics can help companies make better and more informed decisions about their content marketing strategies. Fortunately, there are a variety of digital tools companies can use to keep track of the performance of their content marketing efforts. Companies should adjust their strategies according to the information they generate from this process.

Importance of analytics

Using analytics can help companies create more successful content marketing strategies. According to research, about 90 percent of companies that keep track of their content marketing performance through analytics have achieved success. The reason why data and analytics are so important and why they should guide a company’s decisions regarding its content marketing is that the information they provide can help companies understand whether their marketing efforts are truly working. The information from data analytics can also show which types of content do and don’t resonate with audiences, which pages are performing well in terms of generating traffic or driving conversions, and whether there are any content marketing gaps in a company’s strategy.

Engagement rates

According to research, the average bounce rate for most e-commerce websites is nearly 50%. When a company’s pages are above that average, they can be considered as having high bounce rates. Fortunately, companies can use high bounce rates to their advantage. Within Google Analytics companies can see a detailed breakdown of all the pages website visitors check after leaving the initial page. With that information, companies can learn how website visitors navigate those web pages, as well as what might have been missing from the initial bounced page that brought them to the next page. That knowledge can help companies improve their website content.

Content gaps

Analytics can help companies understand which pages website visitors frequent, as well as which content those visitors are looking for but aren’t finding. By using content marketing analytics tools, companies can learn more about the buying journey of their website visitors. That journey includes the pages visitors open when they first visit a website, all the way up until when and where they decide to leave it. This buying journey can tell companies what the visitors are searching for before they end up on the company’s website. This is very important information for businesses of all sizes and across many industries.

Companies should use keyword tools to learn which search terms generate more traffic, as well as to identify the top websites that rank for those queries. To identify any potential gaps in content, companies should cross-reference those keywords with the analytics of their own websites. Any pages that have consistent traffic but a high bounce or exit rate could be indicating that their content is not meeting the needs of the website visitors. Fortunately, companies can determine specifically what their visitors are looking to find through keyword research, and then they can create content that caters to those needs.