Learning Models Signature Assignment

In this virtual setup, I take the role of a Senior Content Editor in a company business blog, who contacts the Management with a proposal for a SEO training for the author & freelance team.

Green Light – SEO Optimize WordPress Posts with Yoast SEO

Executive Summary

• Purpose of Training: The purpose of this training is to enable Authors to create SEO optimized posts for the company blog.
• Problem to be solved: Content teams are working on excellent content, but are not familiar with Search Engine Optimization (SEO). In consequence, editorial workflows are slowed down and resources are wasted, e.g. by forcing senior editors or external SEO service providers to rework all content pieces before release.
• Methods: High-end SEO optimization is an art, but basic SEO optimization can be easily measured by specific key criteria, ideal circumstances to create an optimized and effective training solution.
• Results of Analysis: Training the team on key aspects of SEO will save ressources and provide the following benefits
  • Editorials workflows become more direct and efficient, saving time and resources
  • Content Quality increases
  • Target Audiences will be reached better
  • Freelance SME and authors will improve their skills
  • Senior Editors can focus on more important tasks
• Recommendation: Above mentioned benefits can be achieved with a cost-effective, optimized training with measurable outcomes.

Topic selection

Identify a topic that would be suitable for developing an instructional unit for the course project and explain the key goal of this instruction. Provide a brief rationale in which you explain how you are knowledgeable about the subject and why you find the subject interesting. Also describe why you think the content is manageable and can be taught in about 20 minutes, and why your topic could be categorized as an intellectual skill.

• Topic: SEO Optimize WordPress Posts with Yoast SEO
• Goal of Instruction: Authors will be able to create SEO optimized posts

Rationale

Almost every business is in the internet, showcases its products and interacts with its audience. In 2020, over 455 million websites use WordPress.com. That means that the WordPress market share is 35% of all websites in the world! Although many bloggers and SME experts are highly trained in creating appealing content for their audience, more often than not they have no idea about SEO optimizing posts. Bloggers do not get the attention they deserve, since their content cannot be found. SME Writers in smaller enterprises overload the SEO expert, since he has to rework each content piece created. Or even worse, content just gets published and will never be found by the audience.

I experienced this as a content manager in many different environments, from start-ups to low- to midscale enterprises. Content teams are working on excellent content, but do not focus on Search engine optimization. Often editorial workflows include SME / freelancers, who are not trained to create SEO optimized posts. This creates additional tasks for senior editors to SEO optimize posts created by freelancers. In consequence, editorial workflows are slowed down and resources are wasted, e.g. senior members reworking all content pieces before release.

I find this topic interesting because SEO optimizing single wordpress posts is fairly easy to achieve, and writers can easily be trained in the basics. Instead of reworking every content piece or having heads-up sessions with the authors, a well done short and practical SEO training can benefit all participants (business, editorial team, freelancers) in multiple ways:

• Editorials workflows become more direct and efficient, saving time and resources
• Content Quality increases
• Target Audiences will be reached better
• Freelance SME and authors will improve their skills
• Senior Editors can focus on more important tasks

I feel that SEO Optimization is an important skill and asset both for SME authors and small businesses, and since WordPress and the most used SEO plugin Yoast is particularly popular amongst the target audience for this training, I focused on the topic SEO Optimize WordPress Posts with Yoast SEO

Task analysis

The task analysis should include a list of three to five tasks to complete a job. For each task identify a minimum of 3 steps an expert learner (or an individual who knows how to complete the task) would follow to learn the instructional goal for your project. Create a list of three to five questions you might ask a subject matter expert (SME) related to the task as a follow-up to your analysis.

Goal of Instruction: Authors will be able to create SEO optimized posts.

Tasks

1. Focus Keyword
   • a. Define the Focus Keyword of your post
   • b. Use the exact match of the Focus Keyword in the title
   • c. Use the exact match of the focus keyword in a heading (H2)
   • d. Use the Focus Keyword in the introduction of the post
2. SEO Title & Meta Description
   • a. Formulate the SEO Title & Meta Description and optimize character count & length
   • b. Use the focus keyword or synonym in the meta description
   • c. Include active and appealing call to action in meta description
3. Inbound & outbound links
   • a. Identify related content both onsite (inbound) and in the internet (outbound)
   • b. Insert links in your post

Questions related to the tasks for the SME

1. Does the defined keyword fit in the company’s holistic SEO strategy?
2. Does the style of the post and the call to action in the meta description fit the company’s style guide?
3. Do the links in the post harm the company, e.g. by linking to a competitor?

Performance objectives and measurements

For this study, develop three objectives based on the results of your task analysis. Your project should include one objective for three different tasks listed in your task analysis project. You should have a total of three objectives.

Objectives

1. Use a focus keyword and design the post accordingly
2. Formulate an appealing SEO Title & Meta description
3. Insert relevant inbound & outbound links

Measurements/Evaluation

One of the biggest advantages of the Yoast SEO Tool is its implemented gamification measurement, which uses traffic lights to evaluate the input. Achieving a green light means the task was done correctly and the author himself can use the hints of the tool to auto-evaluate his efforts.

1. Achieve the green light for the focus keyword
2. Achieve the green light for SEO Title & Meta description
3. Achieve the green light for inbound & outbound links

Related files

• Presentation: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1JoiJzrlW_8NNzm7U833MWsdDu9JEn66Mhfluh64MDSo/edit?usp=sharing
• Signature Assignment Template: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1H8K-ZrpTgnpz9OWxPlDwlKfNZvRaq3aX/view?usp=sharing
• Video Link: https://youtu.be/A95TWkwmIPc