Presentation from Ingeniux User Conference (#igxuc13) by Jeff Johnson of Primacy.
Session Title: Content and IA Strategy with Impact: Maximizing the Content Experience Using Topics, Themes, and Taxonomy
Session Abstract:
Lost in the conversation of online and offline communications, Web governance, content management, and authorship is how to effectively create the “connective tissue” that brings it all together in the form of an effective content and information architecture (IA) strategy.
This session looks at the power of developing unique topics, themes and taxonomy to unify the overall content experience across online (and offline) channels for your key audiences, regardless of your organizational structure or content governance model.
4.16.24 21st Century Movements for Black Lives.pptx
Content and IA Strategy with Impact Using Topics and Taxonomy
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CONTENT & IA
STRATEGY
WITH IMPACT:
#igxuc13 | @thePrimacy | @ZigZagJeff | thePrimacy.com 1
Maximizing the Content Experience
Using Topics, Themes & Taxonomy
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Thank you for coming today!
#igxuc13 | @thePrimacy | @ZigZagJeff | thePrimacy.com 2
Jeff Johnson
Education Practice Lead
Managing Director | Boston
Full Service Digital Agency:
Website Strategy, Design and
CMS Development
Mobile | Social | SEO | Digital
Marketing | Analytics
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Good conference?
How many here are…
– With a school?
– Different business?
– An agency or vendor?
– Marketing side?
– Technology side?
– Just me! (Marketing and Technology and everything else, too)
Today a focus with schools, but concepts apply to all
#igxuc13 | @thePrimacy | @ZigZagJeff | thePrimacy.com 4
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Content and IA Strategy with Impact
Lost in the conversation of website design and
implementation…
…How to effectively create the “connective tissue” that
brings it all together in the form of an effective content and
information architecture (IA) strategy.
Today… Look at power of developing unique topics, themes
and taxonomy to unify overall content experience
#igxuc13 | @thePrimacy | @ZigZagJeff | thePrimacy.com 5
Maximizing the Content Experience Using Topics, Themes, and Taxonomy
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At the Conference:
Listening. Talking. Sharing.
Many challenges to address!
#igxuc13 | @thePrimacy | @ZigZagJeff | thePrimacy.com 6
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Common theme:
This stuff is hard!
#igxuc13 | @thePrimacy | @ZigZagJeff | thePrimacy.com 7
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No other category of
website has a
greater range of
relevant target
audiences than a
college or university.
#igxuc13 | @thePrimacy | @ZigZagJeff | thePrimacy.com 8
Feel free to tweet this.
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Typical Education WebsiteAudience
Identification and Prioritization
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Media, Faculty, Staff and
Prospective Faculty/Staff
Current Students
Alumni/Donors
Family/Influencer
of Prospects
Prospective
Students
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Its easy to oversimplify
#igxuc13 | @thePrimacy | @ZigZagJeff | thePrimacy.com 10
http://xkcd.com/773/
Quote just heard from the
audience…
“Ugh, if I have to see that
graphic one more time in
a presentation!”
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And…
also easy
to spoof!
#igxuc13 | @thePrimacy | @ZigZagJeff | thePrimacy.com 11
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All too familiar
result…
#igxuc13 | @thePrimacy | @ZigZagJeff | thePrimacy.com 13
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Result of many website redesign efforts
Major website redesign initiative
– New design
– New CMS (more often than is necessary)
Question...
How different is the underlying structure?
What has changed with your content strategy?
Little or nothing?
Congrats! You put a new suit on the same challenges.
#igxuc13 | @thePrimacy | @ZigZagJeff | thePrimacy.com 14
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What makes you
different?
#igxuc13 | @thePrimacy | @ZigZagJeff | thePrimacy.com 15
“But you don’t understand!
Our faculty really do care more
than their faculty.”
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But ARE you different?
Faculty care
Strong student relationships
Dozens of programs to offer
Great campus
A gazillion clubs and activities
Great food in the dining hall
Rock climbing wall
#igxuc13 | @thePrimacy | @ZigZagJeff | thePrimacy.com 16
If everyone says
it, it’s NOT a
differentiator!
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THE PREMISE
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“WHAT” AND
“HOW” IS NOT
“WHY”
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Why
High Value
Look in the middle
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Home Page
Typical IA Structure
Final calls
to action
What How
The battleground areas
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Education
stakeholders are
consumed by
reflecting their
organizational
model.
#igxuc13 | @thePrimacy | @ZigZagJeff | thePrimacy.com 20
What’s missing? The
“connective tissue”
to tie it all together.
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Let’s take a look:
Our Starting Point
#igxuc13 | @thePrimacy | @ZigZagJeff | thePrimacy.com 21
And so we embark on a website
redesign…
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Let’s get our priorities straight
#igxuc13 | @thePrimacy | @ZigZagJeff | thePrimacy.com 22
Website
Redesign
Priorities
Attract
(higher-
credentialed)
Students
Tell the
(College Name)
Story
Engaging
and Intuitive
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Foundation for Website Redesign
#igxuc13 | @thePrimacy | @ZigZagJeff | thePrimacy.com 23
23
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Foundation for Website Redesign
#igxuc13 | @thePrimacy | @ZigZagJeff | thePrimacy.com 24
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Where teams
should spend
MORE of their
time
Where teams
should spend
MORE of their
time
Where teams
spend MOST
of their time
Where teams
spend MOST
of their time
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We provide for so
many ways to
navigate, but we’ve
forgotten about the
reason “they” are
here.
#igxuc13 | @thePrimacy | @ZigZagJeff | thePrimacy.com 25
To consume, experience and
interact with… content!
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Often, the structural “bones” are there…
#igxuc13 | @thePrimacy | @ZigZagJeff | thePrimacy.com 26
There’s only
so many ways
to name and
organize
these sections
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…but every page works too hard
#igxuc13 | @thePrimacy | @ZigZagJeff | thePrimacy.com 27
Navigation
Contextual
Links
Factoids
and
thematic
content
AKA: “I read
somewhere
about a 3-click
rule, so lets put
navigation
everywhere”
AKA: “We
have added
too many
things and now
the IA isn’t
intuitive”
AKA: “I know
you came
looking for
something
specific but
maybe click on
me instead”
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WHICH
BRINGS US
TO…
#igxuc13 | @thePrimacy | @ZigZagJeff | thePrimacy.com 28
Cue up the
foreboding
music please
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The Information
Architecture (IA)
Dilemma
#igxuc13 | @thePrimacy | @ZigZagJeff | thePrimacy.com 29
Information architecture has performed
admirably, considering…
Often the real need transcends ANY
information architecture structure.
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The “IA Dilemma”
#igxuc13 | @thePrimacy | @ZigZagJeff | thePrimacy.com 30
Providing easy,
intuitive wayfinding to
task-driven content,
WHILE we…
Enable contextual
relationships between
related but decentralized
content, AND…
Showcase differentiating
aspects of (School Name)
in an experiential and
engaging manner, that
doesn’t stop us from…
The Dilemma
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LongstandingApproach:
Aligning Website with User’s Mental Model
Organizational Structure versus User’s Mental Model
Question: What if we stop fighting the endless, winless battle?
#igxuc13 | @thePrimacy | @ZigZagJeff | thePrimacy.com 31
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1st: IA OrganizationalApproach
Everything gets a home within core IA structure
Navigation and nomenclature streamlined to accelerate “findability”
Stay somewhat common to most colleges, therefore low learning curve
Mostly managed by respective organizational owner
#igxuc13 | @thePrimacy | @ZigZagJeff | thePrimacy.com 33
Home
Tier
One
Tier 2 Tier 2
Tier 3
Tier 4 Tier 4
Tier 5
Tier
One
Tier 2
Tier 3 Tier 3
Tier 4
Tier 3
Tier 2 Tier 2
Tier 3
Tier 4 Tier 4
Tier 5 Tier 5
Tier
One
Tier 2 Tier 2 Tier 2
Tier 3
Tier 4
Tier 5
Tier
One
Tier 2
Tier 3
Tier 4
Tier 5 Tier 5
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Home
Tier
One
Tier 2 Tier 2
Tier 3
Tier 4 Tier 4
Tier 5
Tier
One
Tier 2
Tier 3 Tier 3
Tier 4
Tier 3
Tier 2 Tier 2
Tier 3
Tier 4 Tier 4
Tier 5 Tier 5
Tier
One
Tier 2 Tier 2 Tier 2
Tier 3
Tier 4
Tier 5
Tier
One
Tier 2
Tier 3
Tier 4
Tier 5 Tier 5
1st: IA OrganizationalApproach
Good for finding a piece of information
Not as good for contextually related information
#igxuc13 | @thePrimacy | @ZigZagJeff | thePrimacy.com 34
Test drive:
“what’s your
passion?”
Science?
Programs Internships ResearchAlumniFaculty Big News
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Most websites lack the
“connective tissue”
#igxuc13 | @thePrimacy | @ZigZagJeff | thePrimacy.com 35
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Every school has signature features that truly differentiate it from other
schools. Celebrate them.
2nd: Add a Topical / Thematic Overlay
#igxuc13 | @thePrimacy | @ZigZagJeff | thePrimacy.com 36
Sciences
at
Emmanuel
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Present content that relates topically/thematically without forcing the user to
jump all around the website. Help website visitors “connect the dots”.
ConceptualApproach: Connect the Dots
#igxuc13 | @thePrimacy | @ZigZagJeff | thePrimacy.com 37
Sciences
at
Emmanuel
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Topical / Thematic Overlay
#igxuc13 | @thePrimacy | @ZigZagJeff | thePrimacy.com 38
Sciences
at
Emmanuel
Celebrate them… as you may have already done
The difference: Build in, not bolt on
Typical approach:
Create a microsite
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Eschew
organizational
boundaries
#igxuc13 | @thePrimacy | @ZigZagJeff | thePrimacy.com 39
All schools have topics and
themes that make them
distinctive.
Topics/themes transcend
any one part of the
organization.
Consider ways in which to
“celebrate” your school,
topically/thematically.
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Arts at
Emmanuel
Topic of
____ at
Emmanuel
Boston
Residence
Life at
Emmanuel
Mission
and
Spirituality
at
Emmanuel
The
Catholic
Intellectual
TraditionAcademics
at
Emmanuel
Visiting
Emmanuel
Beyond the
Classroom
Global
Studies
Research
at
Emmanuel
Sciences
at
Emmanuel
41. 2013 Ingeniux User Conference | Seattle #igxuc13 | @thePrimacy | @ZigZagJeff | thePrimacy.com 41
Arts at
Emmanuel
Topic of
____ at
Emmanuel
Boston
Residence
Life at
Emmanuel
Mission
and
Spirituality
at
Emmanuel
The
Catholic
Intellectual
TraditionAcademics
at
Emmanuel
Visiting
Emmanuel
Beyond the
Classroom
Global
Studies
Research
at
Emmanuel
Sciences
at
Emmanuel
Home
Tier
One
Tier 2 Tier 2
Tier 3
Tier 4 Tier 4
Tier 5
Tier
One
Tier 2
Tier 3 Tier 3
Tier 4
Tier 3
Tier 2 Tier 2
Tier 3
Tier 4 Tier 4
Tier 5 Tier 5
Tier
One
Tier 2 Tier 2 Tier 2
Tier 3
Tier 4
Tier 5
Tier
One
Tier 2
Tier 3
Tier 4
Tier 5 Tier 5
OrganizationalAND Topical
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Identify unifying topics/themes across
campus
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Identify unifying topics/themes across
campus [ex: Health Care]
43
Topic of
Health
Care
School
of
Medicine
School
of Health
Sciences
School
of
Nursing
School of
Commu-
nications
School
of Law
School
of
Business
Community
Service
Practical
Training
Global
Programs
-JD, Health Law
Concentration
-MBA, Healthcare
Management
-Healthcare PR
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Identify unifying topics across campus
#igxuc13 | @thePrimacy | @ZigZagJeff | thePrimacy.com 44
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…and then celebrate them
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I mean really celebrate them
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Another robust approach
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Which leads to this…
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But where’s the main navigation?
#igxuc13 | @thePrimacy | @ZigZagJeff | thePrimacy.com 49
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Create your own topic mash-up
#igxuc13 | @thePrimacy | @ZigZagJeff | thePrimacy.com 50
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Start somewhere, like “News”
#igxuc13 | @thePrimacy | @ZigZagJeff | thePrimacy.com 51
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What’s in a name?
Topics as “channels”
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Brand attributes as themes
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Enhanced Search with filters
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Key aspects of the
customer journey
treated as a topic:
#igxuc13 | @thePrimacy | @ZigZagJeff | thePrimacy.com 55
The campus visit
is a primary
inflection point for
selecting a school
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Before:
Visit page
lost in the IA
@thePrimacy | @bigbadjeff 56
Addresses the
“What” and
“How”
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After:
Celebrated,
topically
@thePrimacy | @bigbadjeff 57
Articulates the
“Why”
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Emmanuel College:
Topics in action
#igxuc13 | @thePrimacy | @ZigZagJeff | thePrimacy.com 58
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Content can live anywhere
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In the topic area
In News
Any other
place in
the site
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And contextually relevant throughout experience
#igxuc13 | @thePrimacy | @ZigZagJeff | thePrimacy.com 60
Conveniently, all
wired and ready
to go for DMS
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Takeaways
#igxuc13 | @thePrimacy | @ZigZagJeff | thePrimacy.com 61
Tear down the organizational
barriers.
Create pages that address key
“signature” and “ownable” topics.
Use to aggregate access to
content found throughout the
website (connect the dots).
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Identifying Topics
#igxuc13 | @thePrimacy | @ZigZagJeff | thePrimacy.com 62
Signature themes
Brand attributes
Centers of gravity around
research, centers and
institutes
Aspects of the customer
journey that matter
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Outcomes we are seeing
Enhanced engagement
SEO effect, particularly with un-branded searches
Internal satisfaction
Valuable content managed by the “best” authors
Inspires increased storytelling
– More good content is surfacing as a result
– Its showcased, not buried
Foundation for overall content strategy (online and offline)
– Paves way for syndication
@thePrimacy | @bigbadjeff | thePrimacy.com 63
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Next wave
@thePrimacy | @bigbadjeff | thePrimacy.com 64
Customized content delivery
based on user behavior
Integration with external
marketing efforts (online
and offline)
Take advantage of
IGX9 search and
digital market tools
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THANK YOU
#igxuc13 | @thePrimacy | @ZigZagJeff | thePrimacy.com 65
@thePrimacy
@ZigZagJeff
Jeff.Johnson@theprimacy.com