Leverage search volume data and SEO gaps to get your products into major outlets.

*Getting into shopping guides and product roundups can require some research.*

Product placement can be key in driving up clips and social proof for a brand.

If you’re keen on getting into shopping roundups and gift guides, one of the metrics that many shopping editors use in choosing one brand over another is SEO maximization.

Online publications like Cosmopolitan, Vogue, Elle Decor, Allure, Brit + Co, The Zoe Report (really all major publications) have come to rely on the income derived from affiliate links. Having a high affiliate payout helps, but there’s another component that loops into the equation.

SEO appeal is key.

Major publications are under intense pressure to keep traffic flowing to their sites. They can’t do this if they write about subjects that aren’t hugely interesting, which is why there’s so much focus on celebrity news in pop culture media.

Years ago when I ran a commercial blog of my own, anytime I’d write about a celebrity, especially Kim Kardashian, traffic to my site would quadruple. And this is the effect that major publications live for … literally.

Award season can be a gold mine of color trends, gown styles, and makeup looks that pop up as a hot trend overnight. The same can be said of fashion week, a hot singer’s video launch (think Taylor Swift), or a popular internet holiday.

The goal therefore in a beauty or decor brand’s quest to be included in top shopping roundups is to help writers and editors keen on owning the top results in popular google searches with the info they need.

To do this, you’ll need to zero-in on keywords that you think will work best for your brand or product.

Keyword Honing: Start by searching relevant keywords (like an ingredient, color, trend, or use) in Google and see what comes up. For example if you’re a beauty brand, look for long-tail keywords specific to beauty products, skincare, makeup, and related services. If results are thready showing only non related websites you may be on the right track. If major websites jockey for position in the top results you’ll want to keep trying. Once you’ve zeroed in on a few keywords move on to step 2.
Competitor Analysis: Analyze the keywords that your competitors are targeting in their content. Identify gaps and opportunities where your brand can rank for unique and valuable keywords that are currently untapped.
Trend Analysis: Stay updated with current trends in the beauty industry by using tools like Google Trends and social media listening platforms. This will help in identifying emerging topics and seasonal keywords that are gaining traction.
User Intent: Consider the search intent behind keywords. Focus on keywords that align with the informational, navigational, and transactional needs of your target audience.
Local SEO Keywords: For beauty brands with physical locations, or wanting to boost visibility of local boutiques or bigger local stores that carry your brand, incorporate local keywords to capture nearby customers. Include city or neighborhood-specific keywords to improve visibility for local searches.
Start Your Search: Then switch to an SEO tool like Semrush, Moz, KWFinder, or Google’s Keyword Planner and look for those keywords you’ve honed in on to see if they have high monthly search volume but low competitive difficulty. If they look too competitive, popping up on major media in conjunction with big national brands in your category, try more words that are similar. For example the word blue could also be described as azure, turquoise, robin’s egg, ect. Once you’ve found some keywords you like move to step 3.
Anticipate Trends Before They Pop: Reference historical search data of your chosen keywords so you can see whether a term is increasing in popularity, or if it is a seasonal search term that may apply to upcoming events, holidays, or seasons. (This is where our Pitch & Post Content and Editorial Calendar can really come in handy).
Pitch your ideas: Reach out to e-commerce editors and writers with your findings and illustrate to them how your product fits in with these prime keywords.
Incorporate these keywords into your brand assets: Include those keywords on your product description pages, and use hashtags in social posts that will help build visibility of your products in conjunction with those great search terms. Create content on your website that provides valuable information, solves problems, and encourages conversions. Editors will be prime to see that these keywords are truly something that resonates with your products.
Monitor and Adapt: Continuously monitor the performance of chosen keywords using web analytics tools. Adapt the keyword strategy based on the performance data and evolving trends in the beauty industry.