Semantic SEO in 10 Steps with the Topical Mesh Strategy

Today, I teach you how to answer some essential questions: Why are you relevant on a topic? Why do you deserve to rank #1 for your favorite keywords? How do you rank #1 on Google?

My strategy is called the Topical Mesh.
I build a solid Semantic SEO layer, but it’s integrated within a global Multimedia Content Marketing Strategy.

00:30:51 - STEP 1: Marketing & Branding exercices
Understand who you are talking to and who you are.

00:31:08 STEP 2 - Mindmap & Buyer Persona
Forget who you are, you don’t have a site, and you are not yourself anymore.
You will need to immerse yourself into your buyer persona, and build a content map of the customer journey.

00:48:29 - STEP 3 - Grey Area Analysis
What I call the Grey Area are your positions on Google, where you rank between the Top 4 and Top 20 and Top 30.
There will be decisions to make :
• It’s all good, my page is perfect, and it answers correctly to the intent.
• My page needs improvement, but there is potential
• The URL has nothing to do with the intention. Let’s move ahead with a new and better fitting solution.

00:57:50 - STEP 4 - Mindmap Offer
You become yourself again. It’s time to pull out your keyword research, all your data, including the Grey Area Analysis, and rework the mindmap to make the offer meet the demand.
01:02:16 - STEP 5 - Hierarchy
Rank each node from 1 to 4. Rank each node, each page, according to the commercial value.
1 represent around 5% of your content, which equals about 65-70% of your income.
SEO ambition is max. Investment is no limit. Everything we do is geared towards pushing these pages to the top.

01:15:16 - STEP 6 - Internal linking
Understanding siloing is easy. Again, it’s all about who is in relation to what and why. You build a deep pyramid of content, using a smart internal linking system.

01:19:39 - STEP 7 - On-Page SEO Optimization
Let’s play the mystery word game.
I have a word like the jaguar, the car, on a card and I want to make you guess it.
Some games on TV and board games are based on this idea.
If you understand the mystery word game, you understood the Topical Mesh.

01:25:54 - STEP 8 - Link the Topical Mesh to the rest of the site
There are many solutions we can apply. Each case presents technical limitations and marketing priorities, which will make SEO step back.
The simplest solution is to create a directory or subdomain (I like directories better) and install WordPress. I recommend using the pages instead of the posts because you won’t have to deal with chronology. WordPress arranges posts by date.

01:37:17 - STEP 9 - Smell the SERP
Smelling the SERP is the most challenging skill to acquire, but it’s the most rewarding.
Once you understand what does Google wants, it’s magic.
Once you can analyze what does Google has right now compared to what does it want, it’s incredible how well your content gets rewarded.
Google wants to answer different intents, and some results are just doing an average job. Especially when it comes down to nuance, Google AI is dumbing out the information.
Help Google by feeding it what it wants instead of what it has.

01:42:47 - STEP 10 - SEO layer within a global Content Marketing Strategy
One topic equals dozens or hundreds of pieces of content in text, image, video and audio format. I do SEO in multimedia; I do everything around SEO.
→ The first step is Creation of the content. Around one topic, create dozens, hundreds, thousands of pieces of content in multimedia format.
→ Step 2 is Distribution. Throughout the week, flood the Web with your content. You are not spamming; you can’t saturate social media if you do it right. If your content is interesting, people will like it.
→ Step 3 involves promotion. Nobody does it, but it’s the key. Enter the conversation around your topic. Wherever it takes place, whenever, always make sure you get into the conversation.
→ Step 4 is about analytics. Data is power.
→ Step Five: Rinse and repeat.

Do this once a month if you suck; once a week if you are average; once a day if you want to be a Rockstar.

🔥 2 MORE STEPS BONUS 🔥
01:52:14 - STEP 11 - Private Link Network
Build one site per week, and you will end up with 50 at the end of the year. I’m not talking about some ugly smelly PBN, Private or Public Blog Network. My way is a link wheel, continuation of the Topical Mesh spirit.

01:56:50 - STEP 12 - Feed it to Google, then adjust
The truth is on the screen. You rank first or not.
Usually, I give it around three months, then I adjust.