Car Buyers Authoritative Content Strategy

Authoritative Content Strategy

Goal

The goal of this authoritative content strategy is to build content that will increase the authority of the site. Site authority is when Google sees a website as a trusted source on a topic and will use excerpts and other information from that site to answer user search queries. This authority is a major ranking factor for a site and can greatly increase page rank site wide.

We have built a strategy, generated a content plan and guidelines to increase the site’s authority by building structured and authoritative blog content.

Content Strategy

Currently, there is no content strategy in place on the client site. We recommend employing a content strategy that revolves around increasing topical authority, and will therefore help to boost overall rankings.

The content strategy we are suggesting has been developed around three aspects, pillar pages, sub topic pages and structured interlinking.

The pillar page will link down to subtopic and blog pages, that will in turn either link further down to more specific subtopic pages or instead link back up to the pillar page. This type of structured interlinking is used to direct the flow of authority to the correct pages. Below is a visual representation of the Topic Cluster Model.

First Step - Content Structure

Pillar Page

A pillar page will be the centre of the content strategy. The idea behind the pillar page is essentially to create a large blog page that encapsulates the entirety of a targeted topic. The pillar page broadly covers the topic as a whole by addressing frequently asked questions/searches and other relevant information, which will then have links to more detailed information about the specific subtopic/question being covered.

Sub-topic/general blog pages

Additional pages will then be created, these will be more specific subtopics or general blog content that is relevant to the pillar page topic.

For example, if ‘movies’ is the topic for your pillar page, ‘romance movies’ or ‘comedy movies’ would be subtopics that you could go into more depth about in separate blog articles.

OR if /blog/movies is your pillar page URL,

then /blog/movies/romance and /top-movies-to-watch-in-2022 are subtopic or general blog pages URLs

URL/Site Structure

We need to ensure that the user and search engines can correctly navigate the site. We will look at how the current blog content is structured and make adjustments depending on URL structure and navigation. We will help you with this section to ensure you are setting your blog structure up correctly.

Second Step - Content Map

Pillar Page

The Initial pillar page that will be targeted will be Car Valuation.

We have compiled a list of topic questions that could be addressed in the page:

• How do I find the market value of my car?
• How do you determine the market value of a used car?
• Which car valuation site is most accurate?
• Is it better to insure your car at market value or agreed value?
• Does agreed value depreciate?
• Can you insure a car for more than its value?
• How much do cars depreciate per year?
• How can I find out how much someone paid for a car?
• How do you find the value of a used car?
• Can you look up a car's value by the VIN number?

This list isn’t definitive, and questions can be skipped or added as needed. It is also recommended that if the client has any frequently asked questions around the topic that hasn’t been covered in the list, that they add it.

Sub-topic/general blog pages

These are some examples of subtopic pages and blog pages that could be interlinked from the pillar page.

• How do I know that my car is being valued correctly?
• Vehicle Market Value Calculator
• Car Valuation Guide

URL/Site Structure

The URL structure employed is an important aspect of this content strategy. Using the correct URL structure not only allows Google to understand the topics being discussed on the page but it also adds to UX.

One option for URL structure is to set up with /blog/ being the blog page and all other pages just using their title as the URL.

This is called a soft structure where the link between pages are done with only the on page interlinking. An example of a soft structure URL for Car Buyers would be:

https://www.carbuyers.com.au/blog

https://www.carbuyers.com.au/how-do-you-find-the-market-value-of-a-used-car

The other option is a hard structure which uses /blog/ paired with the page title as the URL. A hard structure example for Car Buyers would be:

https://www.carbuyers.com.au/blog/how-do-you-find-the-market-value-of-a-used-car

Both structures have their merits, but we believe the choice should depend on the user experience and therefore, in the case of Car Buyers, a soft structure URL should be employed.

Recommended Improvements

Table of contents

One recommendation we have is to include a table of contents on each service category page that allows users to jump to specific topics from the top of the page. A table of contents that links to all the headings on the pillar page is an effective means of not only increasing user experience, but helping Google associate each section of these large pages with corresponding keywords and headings.

Structured Interlinking

We will establish a structure for keywords to be interlinked from the pillar pages created to the sub-topic/blog pages to direct authority where we want it to go. We will optimise this strategy and will update it when new content is added to each page.

Conclusion

To conclude, a blog section should be built out on the Car Buyers site that consists of pillar pages and sub-topic pages. The content should aim to be authoritative and follow the guidelines provided. In addition, blog posts that are interesting, evergreen, and add value to the site should be uploaded regularly and linked back to the relevant pillar page using interlinking.

Mapping Data and Analysis

The content data and information can be found here

The content guidelines can be found here