Content marketing is changing, but, luckily, there are smart tools that support the innovation and allow content marketers to stay up-to-date with new technology.
In this roundup, I am going to stay off the beaten path and suggest some tools that are not being featured in every other article.
- Keyword research and content ideation tools
- Content management and re-packaging tools
- Semantic research tools
- Search engine optimization tools
- Content marketing tools
- Analytics and conversion optimization tools
- Content outreach tools
- Competitive intelligence tools
The following content marketing tools deserve all the spotlight they can get as they are new, fresh and bring innovation into our marketing:
Keyword Research & Content Ideation Tools
1. Also Asked
A new tool by @thetafferboy, Also Asked, allows you to analyze Google’s “People Also Ask” results and how they relate to one another.
You may know that Google will generate more answers based on which question you chose to click. Also Asked will explore this connection by showing you visually how each level of questions is topically grouped with the next.
2. Featured Snippet+ Tool
Launched this year, Featured Snippet+ tool has evolved beyond featured snippet optimization. It now :
- Generates “People Also Ask” questions for your whole site and each page
- Analyzes “Searches Related To” to suggest areas of content expansion or more content ideas
- Shows your target query video opportunities
- Analyzes on-page images and suggests areas of improvement
- Let’s you use a page optimizer that puts all of this together
3. Keywords Nowhere
Keywords Nowhere is a free Google Chrome extension that integrates important keyword data (search volume and CPC), as well as related keywords any time you search Google.
It is a nice way to estimate query popularity and competition when simply browsing Google’s SERPs.
Content Management and Re-Packaging Tools
4. Kajabi
Kajabi is an all-in-one online business platform that allows you to consolidate your multimedia content assets into libraries of online courses. You can use its product blueprints to plug your existing content into templates for multi-lesson courses, set up subscriptions for monthly access to multiple courses and even host a branded mastermind chat forum.
Kajabi handles everything — from file hosting and website building to email marketing automation and landing page building – allowing you to put together truly valuable resources that will be able to promote your brand and engage your customers. What’s more, just last month, the platform released its first mobile app, so your customers and students can access your courses when they’re on the go.
Semantic Research Tools
5. Text Optimizer
Text Optimizer is not a new tool (I’ve mentioned it a few times already), but a new feature added this year makes it one of the most innovative tools out there.
The new feature, called “sentence builder”, allows you to explore connections between your chosen concepts and build sentences that would use your important terms in close proximity. It is a great way to understand your topic better and create better optimized content.
6. Inlinks
Inlinks is the new semantic analysis tool that uses Google’s API to help you optimize your content for “things, not strings”. It helps in three key areas:
- Instantly optimize your internal link structure, with semantic in-text internal links
- Generate schema.org markup automatically (for knowledge graph optimization and possibly rich snippet opportunities)
- Optimize your content around semantic search
Search Engine Optimization Tools
7. Content King
Content King is an innovative suite that analyzes all content on your site, suggests areas of performance and monitors it to deliver alerts the moment anything is broken.
It is a nice way to segment your own content to efficiently organize and prioritize it and turn content analysis into well-organized tasks to act upon.
8. Nightwatch.io
Nightwatch.io is a rank tracking, reporting and backlink monitoring platform that may prove to be a solid alternative to its more feature-rich, yet less affordable, alternatives.
Its rank monitoring feature is rather advanced, offering filters, branded keyword tracking, visibility analysis and more.
Content Marketing Tools
9. ContentCal
The era of omni-channel marketing calls for effective cross-channel tools that would also support collaboration.
ContentCal is a cross-channel collaborative platform that unites your whole team around one goal: creating engaging social media content that spreads. It is not a new tool, but its recent update makes it worth including in this list.
This year ContentCal added:
- Web clipper: An easy way to add updates to your social media calendar
- Notebook: Store your to-do list, ideas or briefs on a Calendar-wide basis
- Snippets: Save frequently used phrases or hashtags as a Snippet and add to any post in just 2 clicks
- Publish times: Discover your ‘best times to post’ in ContentCal Analytics and ensure that you’re publishing when your audience are online
- Time randomizer: Save time scheduling your content by letting the tool select a time slot for you automatically
- Library (Content Hub): Keep past and future updates in one location to easily re-use at any point
Analytics and Conversion Optimization Tools
10. Finteza
A study done by Shirish Agarwal of flow20.com shows that
On average, approx. 70% of new organic visitors to blogs are driven by just 20% of the blog post, which means 80% of the posts never really see the light of the virtual day.
With attention spans decreasing and traffic to your content becoming harder to generate, are you making the most of those clicks?
Finteza is an innovative web analytics platform with a major focus on conversion optimization. It allows you to set up events, track conversions and visualize your sales funnel.
Its unique features include:
- Set up your own advertising program on your site without depending on third-party solutions
- Re-engage return visitors on your site by matching their past behavior with a custom conversion path
- Create on-site ads that bypass ad blockers and monetize your site in your own way
11. Alter
Alter is a content recommendation engine that uses artificial intelligence to draw your site visitors deeper into the site and prompt them to convert.
Alter learns about your site visitors and personalizes content suggestions to boost on-page engagement.
You can prioritize any of your articles or landing pages to be suggested more frequently.
Content Outreach Tools
12. Link Hunter
These days, it is hard to imagine a content marketing campaign that wouldn’t include email outreach. The truth is, just a few short years ago, we didn’t have to do that much to get our content seen by key industry media outlets and bloggers.
Now, with content consumption exceeding content demand in many niches, getting your content in front of industry influencers for them to give it wings is the only way to see it spread.
Link Hunter is a valid alternative to a multitude of outreach tools as it is very easy to set up and offers all the outreach features you may need at a very affordable price (for about 500 hundred emails per month, you’ll only need to pay $50).
From prospect discovery to email status tracking, Link Hunter is a solid outreach solution that is suitable for smaller businesses that want to handle outreach in-house at a reasonable price.
Competitive Intelligence Tools
13. Competitors App
Competitors App is the project by Razvan Girmacea, who is well known for his previous project, Monitor Project.
His new tool is a clutter-free, yet quite advanced platform for monitoring all your competitors’ digital marketing tactics, including:
- Your competitors’ organic positions
- Their advertising campaigns (and ad performance)
- Email marketing campaigns
- Social media updates and the growth of their social media channels
- Their website changes and on-site content updates, etc.
Conclusion
To remain competitive, every brand needs to stay on top of key technologies and innovations that are driving change in the content marketing industry.
The good news is content marketing technology is advancing at a fast speed, meeting the demand for smarter, more integrated and cross-platform marketing software.
These days, content marketers have a wide variety of advanced applications from which to choose, including advanced content ideation and development tools, smart analytics and conversion optimization suites, enhanced outreach and relationship building platforms, and more.
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