SEO
Traditional Way & Ahrefs’ Way
Content maps help make sure your content serves a strategic role in nurturing your audience. It’s one of the best ways to keep your content aligned with your business goals.
I’ll cover two ways of creating content maps. The traditional way and the Ahrefs way. Both are tried and tested methods, but we like ours better—and I’ll explain why. Read on to learn both methods and choose the one that better suits your needs. We’ll talk about the following:
A content map is a document that lists stages of the buyer’s journey for every buyer persona and maps them with relevant content.
Example content map (from our content template). Different pieces of content have been assigned to various buyer’s journey stages for a particular buyer persona. Feel free to take a closer look at this inside our content map template.
The main reason for creating a content map is to make sure your brand’s content is accompanying each buyer persona throughout all stages of the marketing funnel—from attracting visitors to converting them and keeping them on board.
Here’s an additional reason. A sort of byproduct of creating a content map is getting an overview of your content inventory. This can help you spot gaps and find repurposing opportunities.
Follow these three steps to create your content map and fill any gaps with new content ideas.
1. Create buyer personas
A buyer persona is a semi-fictional person who represents the common characteristics of your customers (an archetype). Here’s an example buyer persona for our product:
A buyer persona helps you visualize your customers’ buying journey, internalize who they are, and empathize with their challenges and goals.
Depending on your resources, there are two ways you can identify your customers to create a buyer persona:
- The scientific way – Talk to potential customers. This can be your leads, social media followers, or simply people you know who may be interested in your product. You may also consider using services like SurveyMonkey, UserTesting, or Remesh to reach these people.
- The educated-guess way – If for some reason you can’t talk to real people at this stage, you need to get creative. Use your competitors’ data or the industry data and “enrich” it with other sources. You may find that, for example, organic search is the #1 spending priority, according to a CMO survey.
To make your content mapping effective, you need to create a buyer persona for each type of customer. The more granular your typology is, the more customized your content. On the other hand, it will take you more time and resources to address all the personas’ goals and challenges compared to more generalized content.
Too many personas? Consider creating categories that connect personas with similar traits, e.g., business owners, in-house teams, freelancers, etc.
2. Use our template to map existing content for each persona
To make content mapping easier, I’ve prepared a simple template. (Click here to make your own editable copy in Google Sheets.)
All you need to do here is to fill in your existing content under the corresponding stage of the buyer’s journey (you can find some examples in the template). If you don’t have any content to map yet or want to start over, no worries—I’ll share some ideas to solve these issues in the next section.
As for the stages of the buyer’s journey, there are many different typologies out there. I’ve used the one from our guide to creating a winning content strategy. It may be slightly different than what you’re used to, so feel free to modify it accordingly.
If this stuff is totally new to you, don’t bother customizing those stages for now. The general idea is to create content that attracts visitors and gradually turns them into happy customers who are willing to come back to you. So here are short descriptions of the stages used in the template:
- Increase brand awareness – At this stage, the prospect is just becoming aware of their problem. They don’t know the solution yet and may not know your brand. This type of content doesn’t necessarily need to feature your product, as you’re basically trying to introduce your brand to potential customers.
- Create interest and desire – You can do so by teaching potential customers more about their problems and how your product or service can solve them.
- Nurture interest and entice the purchase – You can further educate potential customers about your product or service and why it’s the best solution for them.
- Retain customers and build brand loyalty – To do this, educate customers on how to get the most out of your product or service and clearly demonstrate its value. Additionally, in this stage, you can tackle topics that you know your customers care for but do not necessarily give you the opportunity to feature your product/service in any practical way.
As you write down your content pieces, you can come across some dilemmas.
- The content fits multiple stages – You still have to choose one. Choose the one with the most dominant use case.
- The content doesn’t fit anywhere – See if that piece of content can be updated so that you can classify it easier without losing its current value. Another scenario is that my template is too simplistic. If so, you may need to add the buyer’s journey stages.
3. Fill in any gaps in the buyer’s journey
Chances are that while making your content map, you will find gaps in your buyer’s journey: places where there is no content or not enough content to serve a given journey stage. In that case, there are basically four methods for filling those gaps with relevant content ideas.
Do keyword research
Keyword research is the process of understanding the language your target customers use when searching for your products, services, and content. It then involves analyzing, comparing, and prioritizing the best keyword opportunities for your website.
For example, we can assume that our persona, Anna Agency, needs to figure out SEO tactics for clients from different industries. Keyword research will help us discover those industries, see search demand for related topics, and quickly gauge potential traffic.
To do this, we just need a seed keyword (e.g., “seo”) to view related topics and then we can fine-tune the search using various filters.
In the example below, I’m using the “for” modifier word. I’m also including queries that have more than 200 monthly searches and excluding words that are irrelevant—all in Ahrefs’ Keywords Explorer.
We can further narrow down that list by using other filters. For example, we can filter by Keyword Difficulty (KD) to see keywords that we can potentially rank for with less effort. Or we can use the Traffic Potential (TP) filter to hide keywords with low traffic.
Then, we can generate even more keyword ideas by using other modifier keywords that signal educational intent. Here are some of these words: how, guide, resource, ideas, tips, etc.
Last but not least, Ahrefs has a separate report for all of the questions related to a given topic that people type in Google, and it’s just one click away from the report we’ve been using so far.
Analyze competitors
One way to draw inspiration from your competitors is to manually check their websites for topic ideas. That’s a lot of man-hours.
Here’s how you can streamline this process with Ahrefs.
First of all, start by listing your competitors and doing basic market research. You can always double-check your competitor list by plugging your URL in Ahrefs’ Site Explorer and going to the Competing Domains report.
Now you can take the list of competitors to the Content Gap report to reveal the keywords that your competitors rank for but you don’t. These will be your new content opportunities. You can then filter that list to make it more manageable.
In the Content Gap report, you can filter out branded keywords for more clarity.
Additionally, you can easily discover your competitors’ best content. There are a few ways to do that, depending on your marketing objectives.
If you want to create content that is designed to rank on search engines and bring you organic traffic, try the Top pages report.
This report not only shows you the content and its traffic but also changes in traffic over time. This allows you to spot declining and trending topics.
But if it’s links that you’re after, you can use the Best by links or Best by links’ growth reports.
Finally, if you need social shares the most, go to our Top Content report to uncover content where your competitors got the most Twitter and Pinterest shares.
This report can also be used as a proxy for understanding what types of content resonate with your competitors’ target audiences because it also shows how many websites linked to that content and which parts were the most valuable (by viewing the anchors they linked with).
Apart from social media stats, this report offers insights into the reason why people linked to the content. You can click the “Details” button to uncover link anchors.
Study your niche
Another way of discovering relevant topics to enrich your content map is paying attention to what other people say in places where your industry and/or your target audience hangs out; for example, groups on social media, magazines, personal blogs, and communities.
A lot of the time, you will find information that overlaps with keyword research. But other times, you will come across hidden gems, such as:
- The next big thing people are talking about but no one has written a comprehensive guide for.
- Topics underserved by your competitors.
- Things your target audience wants to learn more about (and how they want to learn about said things).
- What language your target audience uses to express their goals and challenges.
For example, one of our best-performing articles, “How to Submit Your Website to Google,” was inspired by a printed magazine titled “How to set up an online business” that was found in an airport bookstore.
If you think that’s too much manual work, you can try an audience research tool like SparkToro. Just plug in topics your target audience frequently talks about to discover related topics and hashtags (among many other things).
On top of topic ideas, SparkToro can also help you with identifying their demographics and discovering what media your target audience consumes.
Survey your audience
Try the obvious—just ask your audience what type of content will make their life easier.
If you already have some blog/newsletter subscribers on board, this step is as easy as preparing a questionnaire and sending it. Alternatively, you can display a short questionnaire on your site.
But if you’re just starting out, you can use an agile market research software like SurveyMonkey to get your questionnaire in front of the right eyes.
Here are a few questions you can ask:
- What would you like to learn about on this blog?
- What’s the biggest priority in your job?
- In the last months, what was your biggest challenge?
- Do you plan on buying our product in the near future?
- How did you discover our blog?
- What’s your favorite source of information about ___?
And that’s about it when it comes to the “traditional” approach to content mapping. Here’s what we, at Ahrefs, do differently and why we do it that way.
The traditional way of content mapping matches content to a single stage of the funnel. But that one-to-one match isn’t always the case. So we use a different approach that helps us create product-led content that brings over 273K visits from search to our blog every month.
A little bit of theory
The thing is that a single article can serve various purposes. It can attract a potential customer and help to retain an existing customer.
Moreover, in some cases, a single article can take the user down the entire funnel—from learning about a solution to purchasing the solution.
Let’s take our guide on how to rank higher on Google as an example. In six easy steps, it explains how to improve rankings of underperforming keywords and get more traffic as a result.
So let’s say someone Googles “how to rank higher on google.” That person is pretty much right at the top of the funnel because they’re aware of their problem but don’t know the solution yet. They may not have heard of Ahrefs and may have zero knowledge of SEO.
Being at the first stage of the funnel, they come across our guide. As the guide walks them through the process, it may also walk them through the entire funnel. They learn the solution (SEO) and learn that they need a tool like Ahrefs to implement the solution.
Besides, ask yourself this: Can you remember the last time branded content made you buy something? Was it one or more content pieces? Was your “buyer journey” linear or more complex? You may find that the map is not the territory.
The “business potential” framework
Because it seems that the models of the buyer’s journey aren’t always useful, we map content based on a scale of how crucial our product is in solving a given problem.
Let’s look at the business potential (BP) scale in detail and see some examples for each of the scores. If you want to dive deeper into this framework, you can skim through the articles below to see how our product is featured (or why it can’t be featured).
So if you want to create a content map with the use of our framework, it’s a really simple one—just the topic and its BP score.
Additionally, you can complement that with some SEO metrics (like traffic potential) if search engines are an essential marketing channel to you. So it can look something like this:
| Topic | Business potential | Organic traffic potential |
|---|---|---|
| 13 Best Marketing Blogs to Follow (For Marketers of All Levels) | 0 | 300 |
| Marketing Objectives: How to Set Them Right (With Examples) | 1 | 1200 |
| ‘Not Provided’ in Google Analytics: How to Reclaim Your Keyword Data | 2 | 800 |
| What Is SEO Content? How to Write Content That Ranks | 3 | 900 |
That said, there are still some similarities between our model and the traditional model. For example, we also use buyer personas. We don’t use them to “customize” every topic, though. We use them to understand who we are talking to so we can align the style and depth of the content.
For example, we’re trying to avoid marketing jargon, as we’re not targeting our content to marketing academics but rather marketing practitioners who are not always experts in this field.
You will find these tools helpful in creating and populating your content map:
- Ahrefs – SEO tools like ours are indispensable if you want to learn what people look for online, how often, and what words they use in their searches.
- Google Sheets – This is for using our content mapping template.
- Diagramming tool – Some examples include Lucidchart or MindMeister, which are great for creating buyer’s journey diagrams/maps. This is an additional (and harder) step you can take in content mapping. Do this if you want to better understand and/or visualize the buyer’s journey in your particular case.
- Survey tool – Tools such as Google Forms, SurveyMonkey, or Survicate can be used for getting feedback about your content.
- Audience research tool – Try SparkToro or Brandwatch for finding the topics that make your audience tick.
Final thoughts
Let’s complete this guide by discussing some advantages and disadvantages of these two content mapping methods:
| Traditional content mapping | Ahrefs’ content mapping | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Pros | Cons | Pros | Cons |
| Customizes content for specific personas | Too “square” buckets | Easy to implement | Can lead to missed opportunities where product-led content can’t be applied |
| Easier to spot gaps in the buyer’s journey | Can become too complicated (too time consuming) | Enhances product marketing | Frequent product placement can lead to readers’ fatigue in owned marketing channels |
| Can be used for all content formats and channels | Uses a simplified model of user behavior | Best for blogging, video blogging and, generally, longer content formats |
So can we take the best of both worlds and create a hybrid? I think so. One way is to insert the business score into the stages of the buyer’s journey.
For example, you can require a score of 2 or 3 for content designed to entice people to make a purchase. Topics with scores 0 and 1 are OK as long as they are either in the interest, desire, or retain stages.
Whether that hybrid model works well enough is a conclusion I’ll leave you to make.
What’s next after mapping content? Try our resources on content marketing to learn things like content strategy, content creation, promotion, and repurposing.
Got questions or comments? Ping me on Twitter.
SEO
Snapchat Is Testing 2 New Advertising Placements
The Snapchat ad ecosystem just expanded with two new placement options.
On Tuesday, Snap announced they started testing on two new placements:
- Sponsored Snaps
- Promoted Places
While not available to the general public yet, Snap provided information on the test, including their launch partners and more about the ad placements.
The goal of these placements are for brands to expand their reach across some of the most widely adopted parts of the platform.
Sponsored Snaps Ad Placement
Snapchat is testing a new Sponsored Snaps placement with Disney, in the announcement from October 8th.
The Sponsored Snaps placement shows a full-screen vertical video to users on Snapchat.
Users can then opt-in to opening the Snap, with options to engage with the advertiser in one of two ways:
- Sending a direct message to the advertiser by replying
- Use the call-to-action to open the link chosen by the advertiser.
Sponsored Snaps aren’t delivered via a push notification and will appear differently than other Snaps in a user’s inbox.
After a certain amount of time, any unopened Sponsored Snaps disappear from a user’s inbox.
Promoted Places Ad Placement
Snap partnered with two other brands for their Promoted Places ad placement test: McDonalds and Taco Bell.
This new ad placement shows on the Snap Map, which is meant to help users discover new places they may want to visit.
Promoted Places will highlight sponsored placements of interest within the Snap Map.
In early testing, Snap said they’ve found adding places as “Top Picks” drives a typical visitation lift of 17.6% for frequent Snapchat users.
They also mentioned the possibility of exploring ideas around customer loyalty on the Snap Map in future phases.
Summary
Snap hasn’t yet announced how long these ad placement tests will run, or when they’ll be available for broader advertisers.
Snap said the Sponsored Snaps and Promoted Places placements will evolve from feedback within the Snapchat community and the brands partnered with them at launch.
In the future, there’s possibility of integrating features like CRM systems and AI chatbot support to make communication more streamlined between brands and Snapchat users.
SEO
The 11 Best SEO Books You Must Read Today
SEO is a rapidly evolving field, making it important for professionals to continuously expand their knowledge and skills.
We’ve put together a list of essential SEO books suitable for readers at various levels.
Some books on this list provide a foundation in core concepts, while more advanced practitioners can explore topics such as entity optimization.
The list includes specialized resources tailored to specific areas of SEO. For example, some books offer strategies for businesses targeting local audiences, while others serve as comprehensive guides to link building tactics.
For those interested in Google’s perspective, another book provides insights into the company’s philosophies and principles.
Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced professional, this list caters to diverse interests and skill levels, ensuring there’s something for everyone.
Books On Search Engine Optimization
1. SEO For Beginners: An Introduction To SEO Basics
Published by Search Engine Journal, this is a comprehensive guide to SEO. It covers everything from link building and SEO history to busting common myths and offering expert tips.
While it’s for beginners, veterans can also gain new insights. The book breaks down complex ideas into bite-sized pieces, making it a great starting point.
It’s well-structured, with each chapter tackling a different SEO aspect – from search engine mechanics to the latest algorithm updates.
The authors don’t just stick to theory. They provide real-world examples and case studies to show how these concepts work in practice. This mix of theory and application makes the book a valuable resource for anyone looking to improve their SEO.
Key reasons to give it a read:
- Get a solid grasp of SEO basics from industry pros.
- Easy-to-follow explanations of tricky concepts.
- Practical advice you can apply to your SEO strategies.
- Stay in the loop with current SEO trends and Google updates.
- Benefit from the collective wisdom of top SEO experts.
2. Entity SEO: Moving From Strings To Things
By Dixon Jones, CEO of InLinks
Dixon Jones’ book “Entity SEO: Moving from Strings to Things” explains the shift from old-school keyword SEO to modern entity-based optimization.
It explains how search engines now use the Knowledge Graph to understand relationships between concepts and offers practical advice on adapting your SEO strategy.
Key points:
- Making your brand an “entity” in your niche.
- Using structured data effectively.
- Getting quality links and mentions.
- Creating content rich in entity information.
The book uses real examples to show how these concepts work in practice. It’s meant to help SEO professionals at all levels understand and prepare for where search is heading.
Worth reading if you want to:
- Get a solid grip on entity SEO.
- Learn actionable entity optimization tactics.
- Establish your brand as a recognized entity.
- Master the use of structured data for SEO.
- Future-proof your SEO strategy.
3. The Art Of SEO: Mastering Search Engine Optimization
by Eric Enge of Stone Temple Consulting, Stephan Spencer, and Jessie C. Stricchiola
Covering everything from SEO 101 to advanced tactics, this book starts with the basics of how search engines work and then dives into the meat of SEO: keyword research, on-page optimization, technical SEO, and link building.
The authors break down complex strategies into actionable steps, making implementation a breeze.
What sets this book apart is its holistic approach. It’s not just about ranking; it’s about aligning SEO with your business goals and integrating it into your digital strategy. The book also discusses the role of content marketing and social media in boosting SEO performance.
Reasons to read this book:
- Get a complete SEO education, from basics to advanced strategies.
- Learn to align SEO with your business objectives.
- Access practical, step-by-step guides for implementing SEO tactics.
- Understand how to integrate SEO with content marketing and social media.
- Benefit from the collective wisdom of three renowned SEO experts.
4. The Psychology Of A Website: Mastering Cognitive Biases, Conversion Triggers And Modern SEO To Achieve Massive Results
Matthew Capala’s “The Psychology of a Website” offers a fresh take on website optimization. Instead of focusing on technical aspects, it dives into the psychology behind user behavior and conversions.
Capala, a seasoned digital marketer, shares actionable tips for creating websites that perform well in search results and keep visitors engaged and more likely to convert.
The book kicks off by exploring how our brains work when we browse websites. Capala then gets into the nitty-gritty of optimizing different website elements, from how they look to what they say.
A big focus throughout is user experience (UX). Capala stresses that a great website isn’t just about ranking high on Google – it needs to be easy and enjoyable for people to use.
While UX is key, Capala doesn’t ignore SEO. He offers practical advice on keyword research, on-page optimization, and building links while keeping the focus on creating content that actually connects with users.
By blending psychological insights with practical digital marketing strategies, Capala offers a well-rounded approach to website optimization that can lead to significant improvements.
Reasons to read this book:
- Gain insights into the psychology driving user behavior and conversions.
- Learn to create websites that not only rank well but also engage visitors.
- Get practical strategies for optimizing design, content, and calls-to-action.
- Discover how to enhance user experience and mobile performance.
- Learn to integrate SEO best practices with a focus on user engagement.
- Benefit from real-world examples and expert insights from a seasoned digital marketer.
5. The Best Damn Website & Ecommerce Marketing And Optimization Guide, Period
SEO veteran Stoney DeGeyter’s book “The Best Damn Website & Ecommerce Marketing And Optimization Guide, Period” covers SEO basics to advanced tactics for websites and online stores.
It starts with SEO essentials and then dives into advanced topics. The book’s standout feature is its focus on ecommerce, addressing product pages, category optimization, and effective product descriptions.
DeGeyter emphasizes a holistic SEO approach that aligns with business goals and user experience. He also covers analytics for strategy refinement.
This guide suits both small business owners and ecommerce marketers.
Reasons to read:
- Master SEO fundamentals and advanced strategies.
- Learn ecommerce-specific optimization tactics.
- Discover product page and description best practices.
- Understand user-generated content’s SEO impact.
- Align SEO efforts with business objectives.
- Benefit from decades of industry expertise.
6. Ecommerce SEO Mastery: 10 Huge SEO Wins For Any Online Store
Kristina Azarenko’s “Ecommerce SEO Mastery” offers 10 key strategies for online stores. The book tackles common ecommerce SEO challenges like thin content and complex site structures.
Azarenko breaks down each “SEO win” with practical advice on implementation.
Topics include:
- Ecommerce keyword research.
- Product & category page optimization.
- Leveraging user-generated content.
- Building quality backlinks.
- Site speed and mobile optimization.
- Structured data.
The book provides real-world examples and emphasizes data-driven SEO. It guides readers through using tools like Google Analytics and Search Console to track progress.
Reasons to read:
- Learn 10 powerful ecommerce-specific SEO strategies.
- Gain insights from a renowned SEO expert.
- Discover how to optimize product and category pages.
- Leverage user-generated content for SEO benefits.
- Learn to build high-quality backlinks.
- Apply real-world examples and case studies.
- Adopt a data-driven approach to ecommerce SEO.
7. Product-Led SEO: The Why Behind Building Your Organic Growth Strategy
by Eli Schwartz
Eli Schwartz’s “Product-Led SEO” offers a fresh take on SEO strategy, emphasizing business goals and sustainable organic growth.
Drawing from his work with major brands, Schwartz presents a framework that integrates SEO with overall company strategy.
The book challenges traditional SEO tactics, advocating for a holistic approach that prioritizes user value.
Key topics include:
- User intent optimization.
- Content strategy for the full customer journey.
- Measuring SEO’s business impact.
Schwartz focuses on the strategic “why” behind SEO tactics, encouraging critical thinking and adaptable strategies for long-term success.
Reasons to read this book:
- Gain a strategic perspective on SEO that aligns with business objectives.
- Learn to create sustainable organic growth through user-centric approaches.
- Discover how to optimize for the entire customer journey.
- Understand methods for measuring and communicating SEO’s business impact.
- Access real-world case studies and examples from major brands.
- Benefit from the author’s extensive experience in driving impactful SEO results.
Books On Link Building
8. The Link Building Book
by Paddy Moogan
Paddy Moogan’s “The Link Building Book” is a comprehensive, free online guide.
It covers link building basics, tactics for acquiring high-authority backlinks, content creation, and practical steps for planning and executing campaigns.
The book emphasizes white-hat techniques and quality over quantity, making it valuable for both SEO novices and pros.
Reasons to read:
- Master link building fundamentals and best practices.
- Learn diverse tactics for acquiring high-quality, relevant links.
- Understand how to assess potential linking websites.
- Discover content strategies that naturally attract links.
- Learn to plan and execute effective link building campaigns.
- Benefit from practical advice and real-world examples.
- Access updated, valuable insights at no cost.
Books On Local SEO
9. Local SEO Secrets: 20 Local SEO Strategies You Should Be Using NOW
by Roger Bryan
“Local SEO Secrets” by Roger Bryan is a must-read for businesses targeting local customers. It offers 20 proven strategies to boost local search visibility and drive growth.
Key topics include:
- Local SEO fundamentals and how it differs from traditional SEO.
- Optimizing Google Business Profile listings.
- Building local citations and leveraging structured data.
- Creating local content and managing online reputation.
- Implementing and tracking local SEO strategies.
The book provides actionable advice, real-world examples, and step-by-step instructions. It’s valuable for small business owners, marketers, and SEO consultants working with local clients.
Reasons to read:
- Learn 20 proven strategies for improving local search visibility.
- Understand key local ranking factors like Google Business Profile, reviews, and citations.
- Master GBP optimization for local SEO success.
- Discover how to use structured data and local content effectively.
- Learn reputation management best practices.
- Get practical, easy-to-implement instructions and examples.
- Learn to measure local SEO performance with analytics tools.
Books On Search Engines
10. How Google Works
by Eric Schmidt and Jonathan Rosenberg
“How Google Works” by ex-Google execs Schmidt and Rosenberg offers an insider’s view of the search giant. While not focused on SEO, it provides valuable insights for digital marketers and business leaders.
The book offers practical advice and real-world examples applicable to businesses of all sizes.
Understanding Google’s philosophy can inform more effective, customer-focused digital marketing strategies.
Reasons to read:
- Get an insider’s view of Google’s success principles.
- Understand how to create a user-centric business strategy.
- Discover ways to foster innovation and experimentation in your organization.
- Gain insights into data-driven decision-making processes.
11. Entity-Oriented Search
“Entity-Oriented Search” by Krisztian Balog is a deep dive into modern search engine tech. It focuses on entities, knowledge graphs, and semantic search and is aimed at readers with a background in information retrieval (IR).
A key strength is its coverage of cutting-edge research, like neural entity representations and knowledge-based language models. While tech-heavy, it touches on applications in QA, recommender systems, and digital assistants and discusses future trends.
It’s essential reading for IR, natural language processing (NLP), and artificial intelligence (AI) pros seeking in-depth knowledge of modern search engines.
Reasons to read:
- Deep dive into entity-oriented and semantic search tech.
- Research on knowledge graphs and semantic understanding.
- A detailed look at entity extraction, linking, and ranking algorithms.
- Insights on neural entity representations and knowledge-based language models.
- Expert knowledge from a renowned IR and search engine specialist.
Conclusion: Choosing Your Next Book
These 11 SEO books have got you covered – whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned pro.
For beginners, “SEO for Beginners” and “The Art of SEO” are solid starter packs that’ll teach you the SEO fundamentals.
As you level up, books like “Entity SEO” and “Product-Led SEO” explore more advanced topics like optimizing for entities and aligning SEO with business goals.
Several books focus on specific areas:
- “Local SEO Secrets” is a must-read if you’re targeting local customers.
- “Ecommerce SEO Mastery” zeroes in on ecommerce SEO.
- “The Link Building Book” is your starting point to master link building.
On the technical side, “Entity-Oriented Search” dives deep into semantic search and cutting-edge search engine tech. “How Google Works” gives you the inside scoop on Google’s mindset.
The key is picking books that match your skill level and areas of interest. Whether you want to learn SEO from scratch, level up your game, or specialize, there’s a book for you.
The Amazon links in this post are not affiliate links, and SEJ does not receive compensation when you click or make a purchase through these links.
More SEO & Marketing Books Worth Your Time:
Featured Image: PeopleImages.com – Yuri A/Shutterstock
SEO
The 100 Most Searched People on Google in 2024
These are the 100 most searched people, along with their monthly search volumes.
| # | Keyword | Search volume |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | donald trump | 7450000 |
| 2 | taylor swift | 7300000 |
| 3 | travis kelce | 4970000 |
| 4 | matthew perry | 3790000 |
| 5 | kamala harris | 2730000 |
| 6 | joe biden | 2480000 |
| 7 | caitlin clark | 2400000 |
| 8 | olivia rodrigo | 2100000 |
| 9 | jd vance | 2060000 |
| 10 | billie eilish | 1720000 |
| 11 | sabrina carpenter | 1680000 |
| 12 | kate middleton | 1660000 |
| 13 | patrick mahomes | 1570000 |
| 14 | gypsy rose | 1520000 |
| 15 | jason kelce | 1490000 |
| 16 | mihály csíkszentmihályi | 1460000 |
| 17 | timothee chalamet | 1450000 |
| 18 | tyreek hill | 1380000 |
| 19 | lola beltrán | 1350000 |
| 20 | lebron james | 1330000 |
| 21 | lauren boebert | 1310000 |
| 22 | barry keoghan | 1300000 |
| 23 | brock purdy | 1280000 |
| 24 | drake | 1250000 |
| 25 | griselda blanco | 1210000 |
| 26 | ryan reynolds | 1200000 |
| 27 | zendaya | 1180000 |
| 28 | scottie scheffler | 1170000 |
| 29 | aaron rodgers | 1170000 |
| 30 | casimir funk | 1170000 |
| 31 | zach bryan | 1150000 |
| 32 | tom brady | 1150000 |
| 33 | jacob elordi | 1140000 |
| 34 | blake lively | 1130000 |
| 35 | millie bobby brown | 1120000 |
| 36 | margot robbie | 1110000 |
| 37 | luisa moreno | 1110000 |
| 38 | bruce willis | 1090000 |
| 39 | v | 1090000 |
| 40 | eminem | 1050000 |
| 41 | cillian murphy | 1040000 |
| 42 | anthony edwards | 1020000 |
| 43 | peso pluma | 1000000 |
| 44 | fani willis | 1000000 |
| 45 | etel adnan | 1000000 |
| 46 | dua lipa | 991000 |
| 47 | jennifer aniston | 986000 |
| 48 | bianca censori | 983000 |
| 49 | megan fox | 982000 |
| 50 | shannen doherty | 977000 |
| 51 | mike tyson | 973000 |
| 52 | megan thee stallion | 971000 |
| 53 | ariana grande | 960000 |
| 54 | james baldwin | 958000 |
| 55 | britney spears | 954000 |
| 56 | oj simpson | 941000 |
| 57 | lainey wilson | 937000 |
| 58 | dan schneider | 933000 |
| 59 | emma stone | 932000 |
| 60 | raoul a. cortez | 930000 |
| 61 | dolly parton | 926000 |
| 62 | joe burrow | 925000 |
| 63 | anya taylor-joy | 925000 |
| 64 | amanda bynes | 924000 |
| 65 | danny masterson | 920000 |
| 66 | matt rife | 918000 |
| 67 | kendrick lamar | 912000 |
| 68 | messi | 901000 |
| 69 | bronny james | 901000 |
| 70 | adam sandler | 898000 |
| 71 | james earl jones | 897000 |
| 72 | coco gauff | 892000 |
| 73 | michael jackson | 884000 |
| 74 | victor wembanyama | 870000 |
| 75 | pink | 865000 |
| 76 | luka doncic | 861000 |
| 77 | selena gomez | 861000 |
| 78 | jelly roll | 861000 |
| 79 | jonathan majors | 840000 |
| 80 | justin fields | 824000 |
| 81 | meghan markle | 821000 |
| 82 | florence pugh | 819000 |
| 83 | post malone | 813000 |
| 84 | jayson tatum | 808000 |
| 85 | diddy | 804000 |
| 86 | justin jefferson | 799000 |
| 87 | sza | 794000 |
| 88 | ana de armas | 793000 |
| 89 | cj stroud | 790000 |
| 90 | ben affleck | 788000 |
| 91 | jake paul | 786000 |
| 92 | zac efron | 783000 |
| 93 | scarlett johansson | 779000 |
| 94 | deion sanders | 771000 |
| 95 | dr. victor chang | 760000 |
| 96 | andrew tate | 759000 |
| 97 | jason momoa | 756000 |
| 98 | pedro pascal | 755000 |
| 99 | bad bunny | 744000 |
| 100 | christian mccaffrey | 735000 |
| # | Keyword | Search volume |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | taylor swift | 17000000 |
| 2 | trump | 12400000 |
| 3 | matthew perry | 9100000 |
| 4 | sydney sweeney | 8500000 |
| 5 | travis kelce | 7500000 |
| 6 | oppenheimer | 7300000 |
| 7 | messi | 7000000 |
| 8 | elon musk | 6500000 |
| 9 | sinner | 6300000 |
| 10 | cristiano ronaldo | 6100000 |
| 11 | kate middleton | 5900000 |
| 12 | billie eilish | 5200000 |
| 13 | joe biden | 5000000 |
| 14 | xxxtentacion | 5000000 |
| 15 | 大谷翔平 | 4900000 |
| 16 | virat kohli | 4800000 |
| 17 | jenna ortega | 4700000 |
| 18 | v | 4600000 |
| 19 | ronaldo | 4600000 |
| 20 | kamala harris | 4300000 |
| 21 | olivia rodrigo | 4200000 |
| 22 | griselda blanco | 4000000 |
| 23 | margot robbie | 4000000 |
| 24 | cillian murphy | 3800000 |
| 25 | carlos alcaraz | 3600000 |
| 26 | dua lipa | 3600000 |
| 27 | zendaya | 3600000 |
| 28 | djokovic | 3500000 |
| 29 | bianca censori | 3500000 |
| 30 | jude bellingham | 3400000 |
| 31 | alcaraz | 3400000 |
| 32 | millie bobby brown | 3400000 |
| 33 | ana de armas | 3300000 |
| 34 | sabrina carpenter | 3300000 |
| 35 | henry cavill | 3300000 |
| 36 | ryan reynolds | 3200000 |
| 37 | ice spice | 3200000 |
| 38 | anne hathaway | 3100000 |
| 39 | timothée chalamet | 3100000 |
| 40 | putin | 3100000 |
| 41 | barry keoghan | 3000000 |
| 42 | lana rhoades | 3000000 |
| 43 | michael jackson | 3000000 |
| 44 | peso pluma | 3000000 |
| 45 | ariana grande | 3000000 |
| 46 | jacob elordi | 3000000 |
| 47 | lebron james | 3000000 |
| 48 | blake lively | 2900000 |
| 49 | bruce willis | 2900000 |
| 50 | lamine yamal | 2900000 |
| 51 | emma stone | 2900000 |
| 52 | shubman gill | 2900000 |
| 53 | simone biles | 2900000 |
| 54 | rohit sharma | 2900000 |
| 55 | brad pitt | 2900000 |
| 56 | eminem | 2900000 |
| 57 | jennifer aniston | 2800000 |
| 58 | timothee chalamet | 2800000 |
| 59 | mike tyson | 2700000 |
| 60 | megan fox | 2700000 |
| 61 | lola beltrán | 2700000 |
| 62 | caitlin clark | 2700000 |
| 63 | leonardo dicaprio | 2700000 |
| 64 | johnny depp | 2600000 |
| 65 | scarlett johansson | 2600000 |
| 66 | selena gomez | 2600000 |
| 67 | drake | 2600000 |
| 68 | mihály csíkszentmihályi | 2600000 |
| 69 | anya taylor-joy | 2500000 |
| 70 | madonna | 2500000 |
| 71 | britney spears | 2500000 |
| 72 | max verstappen | 2500000 |
| 73 | jeremy allen white | 2500000 |
| 74 | gypsy rose | 2500000 |
| 75 | andrew tate | 2500000 |
| 76 | kylie jenner | 2500000 |
| 77 | travis scott | 2400000 |
| 78 | fabrizio romano | 2400000 |
| 79 | jennifer lawrence | 2400000 |
| 80 | meghan markle | 2400000 |
| 81 | hardik pandya | 2400000 |
| 82 | keanu reeves | 2400000 |
| 83 | angelina jolie | 2400000 |
| 84 | glen powell | 2400000 |
| 85 | jd vance | 2400000 |
| 86 | shannen doherty | 2300000 |
| 87 | jungkook | 2300000 |
| 88 | jason momoa | 2300000 |
| 89 | jennifer lopez | 2300000 |
| 90 | bellingham | 2200000 |
| 91 | jeffrey epstein | 2200000 |
| 92 | justin bieber | 2200000 |
| 93 | florence pugh | 2200000 |
| 94 | kim kardashian | 2200000 |
| 95 | ben affleck | 2200000 |
| 96 | haaland | 2200000 |
| 97 | zac efron | 2200000 |
| 98 | tyson fury | 2200000 |
| 99 | imane khelif | 2100000 |
| 100 | adam sandler | 2100000 |
In almost every industry, there are celebrities, professionals, or influencers that other people want to emulate. For example, an amateur tennis player might want to know which tennis racket Novak Djokovic uses. Or a football player might want to know the shoes Trent Alexander-Arnold wears.
In fact, Equipboard has taken this idea seriously and created a site around the gear used by professional musicians.
You can do the same for your industry too.
Here’s how:
- Go to Keywords Explorer
- Enter the names of famous people in your niche
- Go to the Matching terms report
- Filter for keywords related to gears using the Include filter
For example, if I entered the names of professional tennis players (Roger Federer, Emma Radacanu, Rafael Nadal) and filtered for tennis gear keywords (e.g., shoes, racket, wristband, shorts), I see 960 potential keywords I could target. If I were a tennis site, I could create a category page for each celebrity and list out all their preferred equipment.
Another way is to enter a relevant keyword into Keywords Explorer, go to the Matching terms report, and observe keyword patterns. For example, if I were a fitness site, I could enter “weight loss” into Keywords Explorer.
The first thing I’ll notice is that many people are actually interested in how certain celebrities lost their weight. The second thing I notice is that the keywords all form a pattern: [first name][last name] weight loss.
As such, I can use the Word count filter to look for keywords that have 4 words, which gives me a list of celebrity-related weight loss keywords:
Want to do keyword research for your site? Sign up for Keywords Explorer.
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