Planning out your content calendar is super important if you want to grow your blog or website. As someone who has been blogging for a while now, I’ve realized having some kind of content calendar or editorial calendar is essential.
Trivia Time: What is another name for Content Calendar?
Answer: Editorial Calendar
The content calendar helps you map out what articles or posts you want to write and when you plan to publish them. This keeps me organized and makes sure I stick to creating content consistently.
- Trust me, without some planning, it’s easy to lose track and my mind!
A content calendar allows you to strategize too. You can research keywords and topics that your readers care about. It ensures the articles you publish are helpful and relevant to your audience.
- Aligning with their needs and interests is key for engagement.
Content Calendars Help you Identify and Target Your Goals
I like to set goals with my content as well, as things I want to accomplish. Maybe it’s getting more email subscribers or increasing traffic. Goals give me something specific to track so I can tell what’s working.
Over time, you can tweak your strategy based on performance data. The calendar makes this process so much smoother.
While I try to plan out my posts, I don’t get super rigid about it either. Sometimes new ideas pop up or timely things happen that I’ll write about instead.
The key is balance – having some structure but also flexibility with blogging.
When it comes to actually creating your editorial calendar, there are a few key steps.
- First, get clear on who your target audience is. Do some digging and understand their interests, challenges, goals, etc. This empathy is so important!
2. Then do your keyword research to see what terms and topics they are actually searching for. There are some great tools out there like SEMrush or Ahrefs. I like to use a combo of free and paid ones.
Researching Keywords:
To effectively optimize your editorial content calendar for search engines, it is crucial to conduct thorough research on keywords and topics. This step is essential in understanding how your target audience searches for information and what terms they are likely to use.
By identifying the right keyword phrases and topics, you can create content that aligns with user intent and increases your chances of ranking higher in search engine result pages.
One way to begin your keyword research is by using tools like:
- Google Keyword Planner – free. You can access it through Google Ad words
- SEMrush – free trial and paid plans
- Ahrefs – paid tool
- Spyfu.com – can use the free tool and they have paid plans as well – I use this tool.
- KW Finder – paid tool
- RankIQ – paid tool – I use this tool, they have a built-in blogging calendar. Wonderful. It helps me to plan out article and check a box when it is completed.
I like for low-hanging fruit. Keywords that are not too popular or ones that no one else it targeting.
3. Once you’ve done the research, start mapping out your calendar. You can use a basic spreadsheet, Google Calendar, or Trello board – whatever works. I like to plan content types and publishing dates at least a month in advance.
- The key is consistency. Dot your calendar with posts and chunks of time for creating content. Repetition is what keeps search engines and readers happy!
And don’t try to do it all yourself. Part of the planning process can be delegating tasks if you have a team or virtual assistants. Assign article topics, editing duties, graphics creation…whatever you can. This frees you up to focus on big-picture strategy!
Speaking of teams, communication, and clarity are so important when working with others. Make sure everyone understands their role and responsibilities in the content creation process. Confusion can kill momentum quickly.
Whew, that ended up being a lot! But I hope it gives a helpful, authentic perspective on content calendars. Let me know if you have any other questions – I love geeking out over this stuff!
6 Takeaways from this article for You
- Content calendars = blogger magic ✨️ Having an editorial calendar is like a wizard’s secret weapon for streamlining and planning content. Consider it your magic wand for SEO success! Strategically organize keywords and publishing dates to cast an engaging spell on readers and search engines alike.
- Know thy audience – Get crystal clear on who your readers are and what content they want to gobble up. Tailor your posts and videos to precisely match their interests and needs. This relevance and value build your reader relationships and engagement over time.
- Establish thy goals – Define your specific objectives upfront so you can track progress. Whether you want more email subs, traffic, leads, or sales, be clear on the outcomes you’re aiming for. Goals focus your efforts and help make data-driven decisions.
- Do thy research – Put in the work early on to understand popular keywords and topics. Leverage free and paid tools to gain key insights your audience cares about. This informs the themes and terms to strategically optimize around.
- Get organized – Content creation takes consistent planning over time. Schedule publishing dates at least a month out and chunk time to write. Organization leads to less stress and more high-quality, keyword-optimized goodness.
- Don’t go solo – If possible, delegate parts of the content creation and promotion process. Assign team members roles based on their strengths to prevent confusion and keep your train moving.