SCAMPER your way to better SEO and content marketing ideas

There may be quite a lot of content material on the market. And guess what? 99% of it’s horrible. 

Then, there’s that 1% of content material – the actually good to completely phenomenal stuff. 

Generally, that’s scorching information, just like the current Google Search leak, however there are additionally items of content material which are so highly effective, helpful and memorable that only a single piece can propel a enterprise ahead.

Your job as an SEO and content material marketer is to attempt to catch lightning in a bottle. Simpler mentioned than completed. 

The answer to this drawback is to generate distinctive concepts. Once more, simpler mentioned than completed. 

One software that may assistance is the Value Proposition Framework (VPF). The VPF will help you perceive your buyer segments’ minds and generate concepts which are targeted on serving to them make their lives simpler, remedy their issues and obtain their objectives. 

Nonetheless, even with this value-orientated method, it will probably really feel like the whole lot has already been completed and is usually completed to a superb commonplace. 

This ends in reams of revealed content material that convey nothing new. This can be OK for those who drive site visitors by different means, however it can by no means get you to the highest of Mount Google. 

That is the place SCAMPER is available in 

SCAMPER helps you look at your content material ecosystem from numerous views to develop radically new concepts. 

SCAMPER is one other stylish advertising acronym for:

• Substitute
• Mix
• Adapt
• Modify
• Put-to-another-use
• Get rid of
• Rearrange/Reverse

Every facet challenges your present method and encourages you to suppose otherwise. That is highly effective as a lone-gun content material author however much more so when used to stimulate dialogue with a workforce of conspirators. 

SCAMPER was initially designed to encourage creativity and problem-solving, however it may also be a robust software for aiding in SEO planning and growing a truly unique SEO strategy. 

Why SCAMPER, and why now? 

As of this writing, Google has simply supplied some steering for struggling websites, as summarized in this piece by Danny Goodwin. 

The important thing takeaways are:

• Proceed creating high-quality content material – do what you suppose is greatest on your readers.
• Diversify your site visitors sources and promote your content material throughout a number of channels.
• Construct an engaged viewers that involves you straight or through electronic mail and social media.

We will summarize that additional: 

Create high-quality content material and put it up for sale to your viewers via social media and electronic mail (duh).

Whereas a lot Search engine optimisation chatter is at present targeted on the massive Google Search engine optimisation leak, the massive win in Search engine optimisation or any advertising is to ship worth to your prospects that join together with your product providing. Content material, in its many incarnations, continues to be the easiest way to do this. 

The one wrinkle right here, seemingly additional confirmed by the leak, is that you simply simply should benefit from that content material by selling it all over the place. It must be promoted so folks (together with Google) know and interact with it.

Any critical Search engine optimisation skilled will let you know that regardless of what Google might have mentioned traditionally, you may’t simply construct it and anticipate it to come back. You’ve gotten all the time needed to create and promote one thing nice, so nothing new right here. Nonetheless, it does assist us validate some facets of the method. 

The true goal behind these efforts ought to be to create one thing that blows your viewers’s socks off – one thing so good that it nearly promotes itself. Construct it, put it up for sale, then it can rank and they’re going to come (simply be sure you have a well-optimized website so the foundations are ticked off). 

SCAMPER is a software that will help you suppose outdoors the (sand)field and create one thing really distinctive and totally different that can stand out from the group – and that’s half the battle! 

The SCAMPER methodology defined

The SCAMPER method was put collectively by Bob Eberle from a sequence of questions devised by Alex Osborn (the creator of brainstorming).

SCAMPER was initially designed to assist create new merchandise, however it will probably equally be utilized to content material advertising and even your general advertising technique. 

The seven components of the SCAMPER mnemonic break down as follows:

• Substitute: Exchange part of the product, course of or idea with one thing else. This might contain substituting supplies, substances, folks or approaches.
• Mix: Merge two or extra components to create one thing new. This might contain combining capabilities, options or ideas to kind a brand new product or thought (much like Blue Ocean Strategy).
• Adapt: Modify or modify to serve a brand new goal or to enhance. This entails taking a look at present options and discovering methods to adapt them to the present drawback.
• Modify (or amplify/minify): Change the scale, form or different attributes. This might imply enlarging, decreasing, exaggerating or altering sure options to create a special final result. (I notably like making issues smaller on this time and attention-challenged world!)
• Put to a different use: Discover new makes use of for an present product or course of. This entails serious about how the present resolution could be utilized to a special drawback or context.
• Get rid of: Take away pointless or cumbersome elements of the product or course of. This simplifies and streamlines by eliminating elements, steps or options.
• Rearrange (or reverse): Change the order or structure of elements in a product or course of. This might imply reordering steps, reversing roles or approaching the issue otherwise.

That’s the basic thought of SCAMPER and the way it’s utilized to artistic problem-solving. In the remainder of this text, we’ll take a look at how one can use SCAMPER to create helpful, people-first content that your prospects and Google love.  

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Utilizing SCAMPER for Search engine optimisation and content material advertising

To make use of SCAMPER to combine substitution, mixture and adaptation to your content material advertising, merely obtain the template beneath and work via the questions. 

Bear in mind, these questions are only a guideline. I strongly advise doing this in a gaggle and brainstorming to develop as many extraordinary concepts as doable. Then, talk about and critique these concepts; those which are nonetheless standing on the finish would be the alternatives to pursue. 

To assist make this simpler, I’ve created a easy SCAMPER Search engine optimisation Template you should utilize right here:  

Step 1: Matters 

You can begin with an inventory of articles, key phrases or concepts. To generate concepts, you should utilize an ideation software just like the Value Proposition Canvas or just conduct key phrase analysis. 

Step 2: Panorama evaluation 

Then, when you’ve gotten your key phrases or subjects, you’ll want to search these key phrases and subjects and assessment what’s on the market. There could also be clear patterns, or you might discover it useful to do an SEO SWOT analysis that will help you perceive the strengths and weaknesses of what’s at present rating. 

I might sometimes advocate trying on the first 10 components on Web page 1, as it will have been referred to as, however the SERPs are much more dynamic now, so simply assessment the primary 10 hyperlinks and/or options and go from there. 

Step 3: SCAMPER 

We will now run via SCAMPER and use the questions to assist us develop new concepts for making our content material totally different, so it stands out and provides further worth. 

Substitute

• Many facets could be substituted to create one thing new. It may very well be the language or angle coated or extra sensible components like video, photographs, gifs, downloads, instruments, and many others. 

Instance: Substitute a sequence of written directions with animated GIFs. 

Information questions:

• What key phrases or subjects can we substitute to draw a special viewers?
• Can we substitute the format (e.g., weblog submit, video, podcast) to interact our viewers higher?
• What instruments or assets can we substitute to enhance content material high quality or effectivity?
• Can we substitute case research from one business with examples from one other?

Mix

• You’ll be able to usually create one thing completely new by merging present components – the intersection of those two creates uniqueness and worth. 

Instance: Mix an infographic with an in depth weblog submit. 

Information questions:

• Can we mix two or extra common weblog subjects right into a complete information?
• How can we merge multimedia components (e.g., video, infographics) with written content material to reinforce engagement?
• What if we mix user-generated content material with our skilled insights?
• Can we combine business studies and skilled interviews right into a single content material piece?

Adapt 

• Adaptation in content material creation means repurposing content material for various contexts, mediums or audiences.
• For instance, turning a well-liked weblog submit right into a podcast episode or creating an infographic from a case examine. This method maximizes the worth of your content material and broadens your viewers.

Instance: Create a YouTube video overlaying the identical subject as your hottest blogs (bear in mind, good concepts are the arduous half, so make them work in all codecs). 

Information questions:

• How can we adapt trending subjects to suit our model’s voice and message?
• Can we repurpose a profitable content material format from one other business for our viewers?
• What content material concepts from rivals can we adapt to higher swimsuit our viewers’s wants?
• How can we regulate our content material to be extra culturally related or well timed?

Modify

• Modifying your content material means updating it with new stats, developments or use instances to enhance its high quality and relevance. 
• This retains your content material present and priceless and boosts your fame as a dependable, top-quality supply.

Instance: Modify a listicle right into a complete information or add detailed statistics as an example your case higher. 

Information questions: 

• How can we modify the construction of our content material to enhance readability and Search engine optimisation?
• What small modifications can we make to our content material to higher match consumer intent?
• Can we modify the tone or type to be extra partaking or authoritative?
• How can we improve our content material with further information, analysis or case research?

Put to a different use

• Repurpose present content material in new methods to achieve totally different audiences.

Instance: Flip a webinar right into a sequence of weblog posts. Flip a weblog submit right into a sequence of Instagram posts. 

Information questions:

• How can we repurpose outdated weblog posts into new codecs (e.g., ebooks, webinars)?
• Can we flip our steadily requested questions right into a sequence of weblog posts?
• How can we use our inner information to create compelling case research or studies?
• Can we use buyer testimonials and opinions in our content material?

Get rid of

• Take away pointless components to streamline your content material and make it simpler.

Instance: Get rid of jargon and overly complicated explanations. Deal with distilling the important thing factors to offer essentially the most worth within the least time! 

Information questions:

• What pointless jargon or complicated language can we take away to simplify our content material?
• Can any sections of our content material be reduce with out shedding worth?
• How can we streamline our content material to deal with key messages?
• What multimedia components are slowing down our web page load occasions and could be eliminated?

Rearrange/reverse

• Change the order of your content material or reverse the same old method to realize new insights.

Instance: Begin with the conclusion after which clarify the way you arrived there.

Information questions:

• Can we current our conclusions or key factors first to seize rapid curiosity?
• How would our content material look if we reversed the same old order (e.g., begin with the top)?
• Can we rearrange our content material to comply with a special narrative construction?
• What if we method our content material from a newbie’s perspective moderately than an skilled?

Some ideas earlier than you SCAMPER off 

SEO is not getting any easier or cheaper to execute successfully. 

Whereas Google can’t really inform the distinction between good and nice content material, your customers can, and people consumer indicators assist Google decide what ought to rank extremely.

The SCAMPER methodology gives a structured but versatile method to brainstorming and growing new content material concepts which are each artistic and efficient for Search engine optimisation. 

By systematically making use of Substitute, Mix, Adapt, Modify, Put to One other Use, Get rid of and Rearrange/Reverse to your content material technique, you may constantly generate recent, partaking and Search engine optimisation-friendly content material. 

Bear in mind to combine key phrase analysis and Search engine optimisation greatest practices at every stage to maximise the affect of your content material in search.

SCAMPER content material advertising template

You made it this far, so you might as properly obtain the template: